48th OONciREh^Sj \ HOUSE OF BEPRESBKTATIVES. i Mis. Doc. 

1st Session. ( \ Ko. 66. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS 



OF THE 



UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 



FOETY-EIGHTH OONGEESS. 



IMEMIJBICRS Oin THE SXJI3COM;M:iTTEE1. 

HON. HUGH BUCHANAN. 
" WM. McADOO. 
*' CHAS. A. BOUTELLE. 



Official Stenographer, 
H. H. ALEXANDER. 



WASHIlSrGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PBINTINa OFFICE. 

1884. 



^0 



JAN r ^ 1903 
D. otD. 



5 

o 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



House of Eepresentatives, 
EooM OF Committee on Naval Affairs, 

Washington^ D, C, Saturday, April 5, 1884. 

Sir : Your petitioner would respectfully submit the follownig memorial in reference 
to the Jeannette Arctic Expedition, to the manner such expedition was conducted, 
the conduct of the surviving members, and the manner of investigation adopted by 
the Naval Court of Inquiry under the joint resolution of Congress providing for the 
same: 

First. That in the month of July, 1879, Jerome J. Collins, then a citizen of the 
United States, and director of the New York Herald weather service, joined the United 
States Arctic steamer Jeannette in the capacity of meteorologist and correspondent 
of the New York Herald. 

Second. That on and after the month of September, 1879, the said Jerome J. Collins 
was, with other members of the expedition, treated with every indignity and out- 
rage, even to being deprived of all the scientific instruments and appliances of his 
position as meteorologist of the expedition ; that he was prevented from performing 
the proper work and duties of his office. 

Third. That on or about the end of the year 1879, and while the Arctic steamer 
Jeannette was held in the ice, the said Jerome J. Collins was placed under suspen- 
sion or arrest by the commanding officer of the expedition, and that he remained so 
until he died of starvation and cold on the bank of the River Lena, in Northern Si- 
beria. 

Fourth. That during the month of June, 1881, the Arctic steamer Jeannette, at that 
time held fast and drifting with the ice, was crushed and sank, and the officers and 
crew, in three parties, commenced their retreat southward towards the Siberian coast; 
that one party, under the command of Lieutenant Chipp, U. S. N., was never found, 
and is supposed to have perished during a great storm, with his companions ; that 
another party, under the command of Lieut. G. W. De Long, U. S. N., landed on the 
Lena delta, and traveled along the line of the river, hoping to find a settlement and 
relief; that at last, the party having consumed their last food and being threatened 
with starvation, Lieutenant De Long sent two of his party ahead to find assistance ; 
that the two men so sent, Nindemann and Noros, traveled ahead until found by natives 
in a frozen and starving condition ; that the party under the command of Lieutenant 
De Long, failing to find natives and supplies, and receiving no svord from Nindemann 
and Noros, the party including Lieutenant De Long, Mr. Jerome J. Collins, Dr. Am- 
bler, and the seamen, died from starvation and cold during the last days of the month 
of October, 1881. 

Fifth. That the third party, under the command of Chief Engineer Melville, United 



I 
JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

States Navy, after weathering the storm, did on the 26th day of September, 1881, find 
a place of safety, and a base of supplies, several of the members of the party being at 
this time in a disabled condition. That the records show that on the 3d day of Octo- 
ber following, the said Melville had fully recovered, and with him all his men, and 
that several of the party urged him to push ahead and not delay, several volunteer- 
ing to go in search of their missing shipmates. That finally, about the middle of the 
month of October, the said Melville sent an ignorant exile named Kusmah, resident 
in that place, to Buluu, refusing permission to any of the party to accompany him. 
That at this time nor any subsequent period up to the 29th day of October did said 
Melville, he being then in command, use any effort or means to obtain information as 
to the condition or location of the two missing parties. That even at the time Mel- 
ville sent the exile Kusmah to Bulun, he gave no directions or adopted no means for 
spreading the news of the missing boats, although surviving members of the expedi- 
tion claim that the said Melville knew the route De Long would take in his retreat 
down the river Lena. That the exile Kusmah, sent to Bulun, returned on the 29th 
day of October, bringing a message from Nindemaun and Noros stating that the cap- 
tain's (De Long's) party were in a starving condition and in need of immediate assist- 
ance ; and that the said Melville then, after delaying thirty-three days at Gloomvia- 
locke without making any efforts to succor his comrades, at last went to the rescue, 
it is alleged, stating that they would be all dead. That the evidence offered to the 
naval court, and which the undersigned is prepared to furnish, and that has already 
and will be further given by the survivors, goes to show, beyond any reasonable doubt, 
that had the said Melville performed the duty devolving upon him as the commander 
of the party, and obeyed the directions given him by Lieutenant De Long to im- 
mediately communicate with the Russian authorities, and gone to the rescue and con- 
ducted a search for the captain's part;y, each and every member of that party, with 
the exception of Erickson, would have been rescued and alive to-day. 

Sixth. That on and after the arrival of a number of survivors of the expedition 
reached this country a joint resolution was passed by Congress directing the Secre- 
tary of the Navy to appoint a court of inquiry into the loss of the Arctic steamer Jean- 
nette and the conduct of the officers and men ; that the said naval court refused to 
admit or allow to be given valuable testimony, and that said court ruled out nearly 
every question that would bring out the true history of the expedition ; that many of 
the survivors were not permitted to give their full and free testimony, and that the 
naval inquiry was so conducted that all possible chance or possibility of the truth 
coming out was destroyed; that many of the witnesses, it is alleged by competent 
authority, were at the time dependent upon, under the jurisdiction of, and afraid of 
the persecution of the Naval Department ; that the official stenographer of the court 
jjublicly declared in writing that important and valuable testimony was suppressed, 
and that the proceedings of said court were calculated to cover up all matters relat- 
ing to the expedition. 
Respectfully, 

DANIEL F. COLLINS, M. D. 

Hon. John G. Carlisle, 

Spealcer House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. 



Whereas a petition has been presented to the honorable Speaker of the House of 
Representatives resj)ectfully representing the condition of the*Jeannette Arctic Ex- 
pedition, and the conduct of the surviving members, and the manner of the investiga- 
tion adopted by the Naval Court of Inquiry under the joint resolution of Congress pro- 



I 

JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

vidiiig for tlie same ; and inasmucli as said facts involve the honor and humanity of of- 
iicers in the United States service, as well as a proper respect for those who perished in 
the expedition ; and inasmuch as the Naval Court of Inquiry refused to admit or allow, 
as it is alleged, valuable testimony to be given to bring out the facts of the case in 
the interest of truth and history : Therefore, 

Be it resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs of this House be directed to in- 
vestigat the facts connected with said expedition and the alleged unofficerlike and 
inhumane conduct therein ; and that the said committee be authorized to send for 
persons and papers, and to employ a stenographer. 

Hon. Hugh BuchaDan, Hon. William McAdoo, and Hon. Charles A. 
Boutelle, a subcommittee appointed by the Committee on Naval Affairs 
to make the investigation required by the foregoing resolution, met at 
11.30 a. m., when the following proceedings were had : 

Hon. George M. Curtis appeared as representing Dr. D. F. Collins, 
and Hon. William H. Arnoux as representing Mrs. Emma De Long and 
Mr. G. W. Melville. 

Mr. Boutelle. Mr. Chairman, I will state briefly that at the meet- 
ing of the subcommittee held on Monday which Dr. Collins had been 
subpoenaed to attend, in the unavoidable absence of the chairman of the 
committee it was deemed inadvisable for him to go over the whole of 
his statement, as he might be obliged to make it over again, and two 
members of the subcommittee then present decidcvi to postpone the 
hearing until to-day, at which time it was hoped that all the members 
would be present. Dr. Collins was notified at that time to be present 
and a number of witnesses in the case also were subpoenaed with the 
purpose of giving Dr. Collins an opportunity this morning to state the 
general nature of the evidence which he desires to present and the gen- 
eral objects which he has in view on this investigation. As the doctor 
is now here, I think it might perhaps be well for him to go on and out- 
line the case. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, before 
that is done I would like to have certain matt^^rs brought to your at- 
tention as preliminary. In the first place I wish to have it appear be- 
fore you either by the admission of the other side — that is, Dr. Collins 
or his counsel — or by proof that the Court of Inquiry originated in a 
letter of Daniel F. Collins to Hon. William D.Washburn, of Minnesota, 
fully stating all points of complaint. 

Mr. Curtis. I am not advised, and that is not a matter preliminar3\ 
That is a matter strictly of proof. 
Mr. Arnoux. Then I will proceed. 

Mr. Curtis. First, you state that I am bound to state the proposi- 
tion as you make it. 
Mr. Arnoux. That is exactly it. 

Mr. Curtis. Kow, in speaking of the Board of Inquiry, you are evi- 
dently speaking of something which we have not yet reached. We shall 
not reach it until we get into the proof. When we do reach it we will 
treat it as the committee deem proper. There are preliminary matters 
to which I was about to call the attention of the committee, and which 
I would like to submit after Judge Arnoux has got through. 

Mr. Arnoux. The second point is that the joint resolution of Co ti- 
gress and the instructions to the court were based on that letter of Dr. 
Collins, and covered every point in it. 

IJQ* 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



Mr. BoUTELLE. Let me ask the counsel if, in using the term " court," 
he means this subcommittee. , . ., ^^ ^ i. t 

Mr Arnoux. No, sir; I am speakmg about the Court of Inquiry. 
Third, that the Collinses had full opportunity to appear before the court 
and introduce evidence, and persistently failed to appear, although they 
made no complaint of, or objection to, the constitution or conduct of the 
court Fourth, that they sent questions to be put to the witnesses, 
which were put, and all that were appropriate were answered ; and every 
point they made was duly inquired into, notwithstanding their default 
of appearance. Fifth, that the court was conducted openly, lairly, and 
with a full development of all facts material to the object of the inquiry. 
In asking these facts preliminarily, I will state that my purpose is this : 
That upon these facts being admitted or shown, this investigation should 
be stopped as unnecessary, or else that before proceeding the complain- 
ant shall state, first, exactly what he proposed to prove ; second, the 
witnesses or documents by which he proposes to prove it; third, that 
the facts are in such material addition to those which appeared and 
which were considered by the Court of Inquiry as to justify another in- 
vestigation; and, fourth, the erroneous rulings of the Court ot Inquiry. 
Now, the reason for taking the first position is this : First, I submit 
that you have before you the record of the Court of Inquiry. Turn 
to the first page and you will see that the instructions convening this 
Court of Inquiry were in conformity with a joint resolution of Con- 
gress ai)proved August 2, 1882. That is higher than an investiga- 
tion ordered by one branch of Congress. Here was a joint resolu- 
tion approved by the President. It is to be assumed that that court 
proceeded according to law. You are not ready to say, and certainly 
would not be ready at any moment, when the court was convened under 
such circumstances, to come forward and either impugn the conduct ot 
that court or travel over the record which that court has made. It must, 
in other words, be assumed by you that this court so directed, proceed- 
ing without any complaint or objection on the part of any one, holding 
open sessions, examining all witnesses that were called here, by the evi- 
dence which was adduced. It is to be presumed, I say, that the court 
discharged its duties faithfully, and to make it subject to attack in the 
present condition ot things would not be according to the orderly admin- 
istration of public affairs, in my judgment ; and therefore it seems to me 
that vou should, as a preliminary, understand these matters, and have 
the points, if the investigation is to proceed at all, brought right down 
to the things which this Court of Inquiry failed to do, in the judgment 
of this committee. Now that, it seems to me, is in accord with the res- 

^ Mr Curtis (interposing). I do not wish to.interrupt the gentleman, 
but i submit to the committee whether he is proceeding in order in 
this argument, and to what he is addressing himself before the com- 
mittee before we have entered at all into the investigation. 

The Chairman. My understanding is that one point is that this in- 
vestigation ought not to proceed. 

Mr. Arnoux. That is it, sir. 

The Chairman. That it ought not to be had ? 

Mr. Arnoux. That it ought not to be had. x 4. •. 

The Chairman. That is one point, and if it is had, to what extent it 
shall go? 

Mr. Arnoux. That is it, sir. ...,..,. 1 

The Chairman. Those, I understand, are the points that the counsel 
makes. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 6 

Mr. Arnoux. Exactly. Fowl submit that that is a matter which is 
preliminary matter, which should be determined at the outset of an in- 
vestigation of this character ; in the first place whether you should pro- 
ceed, whether you have a right, for instance, to make a report against 
that which has' been done under the sanction of a joint resolution of Con- 
gress approved by the President. What can your investigation be as 
against an investigation ordered by that which is a higher power 
than yours, that is a joint resolution? And if you do order it, what 
are you going to order ? And it seems to me that it ought not to pre- 
vail and that this investigation ought not to be permitted to pre- 
vail at all over any part of the record which has been made. The 
resolution adopted by Congress has a preamble, and it is not necessary 
to say to the chairman of this committee, who has had sufficient expe- 
rience, that in law the preamble limits the resolution. Now, that pre- 
amble points to matters which were not investigated in the Court of In- 
quiry, and therefore the resolution must be deemed to be limited to the 
investigation of such matters. If you hold that it is proper to make 
this investigation, it should be limited to that extent. If you will read 
the preamble you will then see what is pointed out. Further than that, 
if you read the petition upon which the preamble is placed, you will see 
that it only touches the points which I have made as the points of limi- 
tation on this investigation. I respectfully submit, therefore, that un- 
der the view that I entertain of this matter this investigation should 
not proceed ; that it should be reported back to Congress or to the com- 
mittee with the information that there has been a com|)lete, full investi- 
gation made of all the charges ; that the court made its findings upon 
every question which arose; that that has been approved by the Secre- 
tary of the Navy, and that therefore the matters have been investigated 
and concluded ; but if this committee should not take that view, then that 
they should say how far this investigation is to proceed, and whether it 
should be permitted to travel over the large mass of evidence and the 
general ground which has been taken by the Court of Inquiry. 

Mr. Curtis. I presume the gentleman has presented his propositions 
in all seriousness, and therefore it is proper that I should say something 
in reply, more especially as the learned gentleman considered that he was 
speaking pertinently to some question. All that he has stated here 
might or might not have been properly presented in the House of Eep- 
resentatives when this resolution was before it, and, as I am instructed, 
it is just the argument that is used by the opponents 

Mr. BouTELLE. If the counsel will excuse me, I was simply suggest- 
ing to the chairman that we were proceeding informally; that we have 
no official cognizance whom you gentlemen are representing. 

Mr. Curtis. I have the honor to represent Dr. Collins and his family. 
Judge Arnoux represents, I believe, Mrs. De Long and several others 
of the survivors, and perhaps some other persons. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I suppose it had better be a matter of record. 

Mr. Arnoux. I am instructed to appear for Mrs. Emma De Long and 
Mr. George W. Melville, and I suppose incidentally any of the others 
who may have need of counsel in this investigation. 

Mr. Curtis. I was about to observe that I am instructed that this 
very argument was made, when this resolution was before the House, 
for the purpose of stifling this investigation. 

Mr. Arnoux. There was not the slightest opposition to it. 

Mr. Curtis. I am speaking as I am instructed. 

Mr. Arnoux. I did not mean, of course, to make any comment to you. 



4 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I meant to say it does not appear on the Congressional Eecord. It never 
appeared that there was any objection. 

Mr. Curtis. You mean by the Congressional Eecord? 

Mr. Arnoux. I mean that the Congressional Kecord does not show 
that there was any debate upon it at all, but that the resolution was 
brought in and passed without any thought of opposition. 

Mr. BouTELLE. There was no debate. 

Mr. Curtis. I am simply saying that I am instructed that it was just 
that sort of argument that was used in private 

The Chairman (interposing). The committee do not think it neces- 
sary to hear from you on this question. 

Mr. Curtis. I trust not, sir. 

The Chairman. The committee think that this resolution here re- 
quires this investigation, as it recognizes the fact that the investigation 
of the Court of Inquiry had been held. The preamble and resolution 
recognize that fact; and notwithstanding that the Court of Inquiry had 
been held, the resolution requires that this investigation be had never- 
theless. So that we think, so far as the investigation is concerned, that^ 
although tiie Court of Inquiry has been held, this resolution makes it in- 
cumbent upon this committee to go on with this investigation and carry 
out the purport of the resolution. 

Mr. Arnoux. Will you, Mr. Chairman, pass upon the second resolu- 
tion ? 

Mr. Curtis. I was about to say that I almost beg the committee's par- 
don for arguing knj of these propositions; but as a matter of deference 
to the learned counsel who has presented them I wdll say a word or two 
in reference to both, and that I may not be tempted to misrepresent 
him in any respect I will read his proposition : 

That tbe resolution of Cousjress and the instructions to the court were based on 
that letter and covered every point in it. 

I have just read the second proposition referring to the letter of Col- 
lins. It is wholly immaterial on what the resolution of Congress was 
based. The only question for this committee to determine is, Was the 
resolution passed ! That resolution is before you, and you have read it. 

That the Collinses had full opportunity to appear before the court and introduce ev- 
idence, and persistently failed to appear, although they made no complaint of or ob- 
jection to the constitution or conduct of the court. 

But a word in regard to that. We may consider this Board of Inquiry 
and its investigations entirely in the nature of a court-martial, and it 
has no more to do with the legal rights vested in Dr. Collins, or any of 
his family — has no more to do with the actual facts and the history of 
this transaction — than the attempt of my learned friend to strangle this 
investigation at the outset has to do with any legal purpose. I chal- 
lenge my learned friend to show where conrts-martial, either in this 
land or in the old country, were or can ever be superior to the legisla- 
tive functions of the land. The legislative power is the supreme power. 
It is the bosom of jurisdiction, ana it is the last resort. That has been 
established in so many decisions that it is useless to consume time ui)on 
it. But the monstrous proposition is presented to a distinguished com- 
mittee of the House of Congress, that after Congress has said substan- 
tially by its vote — this Board of Inquiry having failed of its purpose, it 
not having done justice, but suppressed the truth — the monstrous 
proposition is made 

Mr. BouTELLE (Interposing). I beg the gentleman's pardon; the 
resolution does not state that. 



V 
JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 5 

Mr. Curtis. Not in words. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It states that it is alleged. The House has not 
passed upon that. 

Mr. Curtis. I am assuming that the action of the House would jus- 
tify that construction. You are quite right in regard to the language 
of the resolution. I will not trespass further upon the patience of the 
committee in that respect, but I would like to call the attention of the 
committee to a manifest injustice. I presume that these i^rinted propo- 
sitions were prepared by my learned friend — 

Upon these facts being admitted or shown. 

That we should admit facts without color and authority of law to ad- 
mit them, or that they should be permitted to show facts unsupported 
by color or authority of law — 

Ask to have the investigation stopped as unnecessary. 

Mr. Arnoux. That has been passed upon, judge. 

Mr. Curtis. Wait a minute. Congress has said that it necessary. 

Or else, that before proceeding the complainant shall state exactly what he pro- 
poses to prove. 

Where is the authority in a legislative or judicial body for that? 
Where is the precedent in the history of any country for that? Is he 
imbecile enough to expose his plan of action to the ready corps of wit- 
nesses on the other side? 

And, second, the witnesses or documents by which he proposes to prove it. 

Now, I presume the chairman is a lawyer, judging from his treatment 
of the question that has come before him. You have here a monstrous 
proposition. And what gives them this extraordinary confidence to 
make these propositions? 

And shall show that the facts are in such material addition to those which appeared 
and were considered by the Court of Inquiry as to justify an investigation. 

l^ou have your resolution. But I say here that we do propose to 
attack the finding of the Board of Inquiry, and we do propose to show 
that for some reason or other, matter, vital and material, most impor- 
tant to history and to the vindication of individuals, was suppressed j 
and, I believe, as I am instmcted, colusively suppressed. It is not 
for me in the interest of my client, who for years has fought and 
struggled against a mighty combination, to mince words. We are here 
as we were at the door of Congress itself, searching after but one 
thing— the truth. And we are met at the outset with this halter, which 
we are coolly asked to put around our own necks. Nothing, in my judg- 
ment, equals the remarkable character of these propositions except the 
audacity with which they are couched. I do not think it is necessary, 
if the committee please, to go into any elaborate argument in regard to 
these propositions. They speak for themselves. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen : I have not the gift of 
eloquence and cannot therefore use words which the counsel on the other 
side has such a happy faculty of uc>ing. I^evertheless, I am satisfied 
that a plain presentation of this matter will show that we have asked 
nothing that is unusual or improper. In the first place, the chairman 
in the discharge of his functions as judge probably never had a case 
come before him that the counsel did not in the beginning lay before the 
-court the facts which he intended to prove. So that asking it here is 
nothing new, strange, or surprising. In addition to that, as one inves- 



6 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tigation has been had at the request of these identical parties, instead 
of its being collusive — and that was the purport of doing this ; it was- 
done at their interest, at their request before — they stand very much 
in the position of a party who asks a new trial on the ground either of 
newly discovered evidence or evidence improperly rejected by the pre- 
vious court. Now, in such a transaction as that, which is familiar to 
you, Mr. Chairman, what is requisite ? What do you always as a judge 
require ? You require that the other side shall point out the errOrs 
that were committed, shall state the evidence or effect of the evidence 
which was rejected. For I take it, however interesting or however 
valuable a contribution to history such an investigation as this might 
become, that is not the purpose of Congressional committees, to make 
or perpetuate a history of any transaction simply for the purpose of 
making history, and therefore you are not to sit here for the purpose of 
making a hiKtory. But you are to sit here to make an investiga- 
tion of anything that needs to be investigated in the discharge of 
this matter; and therefore, I submit, notwithstanding the language 
of the eloquent gentleman who talks of collusion and various other 
matters with a very sonorous ring, that I think have no foundation 
in fact and will make no lodgment in the minds of the committee — I 
submit, as I did before, with greater confidence after listening to what 
he had to say, that you will feel that the discharge of your duty re- 
quires just what we have asked in the second branch of this proposi- 
tion, that if this investigation goes forward they shall state what they 
propose to prove, and what errors were made or evidence was excluded 
in the other investigation, and that you will limit yourselves to those 
iadditional facts, and not make an investigation that shall last, as thia 
one did, 85 days, with the additional testimony that it may be neces- 
sary to bring, and go beyond that time to make an investigation which 
should be brief and definite and conclusive so far as your body is con- 
cerned. 

Mr. Curtis. If the committee please, but one word. If you have read 
this record you will find that if Collins wrote a thousand letters asking for 
the court of inquiry, he was no prophet as to the result. There is not a spot 
in it where his rights are protected by any human being, and evidence — 
I am speaking advisedly, because I have read it — evidence is excluded 
here which should have called the blush of shame to the cheeks of those 
judges. Why was that evidence excluded"^ We have our theory. I 
will ask this committee a question. I will argue no more about this. 
As General Butler said once, "It is hard to kick against nothing." Did 
you ever hear before issue was joined, before the jury was impanelled 
and the case opened, such an extraordinary demand as the gent'eman 
makes now, and did you ever hear on a motion for a new trial any 
such extraordinary demand made. To save time (the learned gen- 
tleman was not here the other day), as Mr. Boutelle, the gentle- 
man from Maine, has informed the chairman, we agreed— so that the 
time should be abbreviated, so that it should not be lengthened out 
by a formal opening — that Mr. Collins should state his case. That 
he proposes to do. Before he has entered upon that the learned gen- 
tleman asks him to do certain things. When we arrive at a proper 
place in the proof, and the legal objection is made that it is res adjudi- 
cata, this matter that was properly before the Board of Inquiry, then 
then my learned friend can be heard upon that particular matter or 
element or essence in the proof. But who ever heard questions of 
proof discussed in advance; who ever heard assumed what were to be 
the matters of evidence ? My learned friend must remember that soire 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 7 

of the most illustrious lawyers of this country are members of this 
House, and they will not listen in patience, it seems to me, to such a 
proposition. 

The Chairman. The committee are of the opinion that under this 
resolution every fact in connection with the conduct of the expedition 
and the conduct of the officers commanding it is a matter of inquiry 
under this resolution. 

Mr. BouTELLE. In the discretion of the committee. 

The* Chairman. That is what I mean. That it embraces all the facts 
of the expedition an<i the conduct of those engaged in it, and we do 
not think that we can limit the proof by requiring Mr. Collins to make 
a statement and then restrict him to that proof afterwards, if it appears 
necessary for full information to let in other and additional facts that 
he failed to say he expected to prove. 

Mr. Arnoux. I do not mean to limit him to the strictness prevailing 
in a court, but generally. 

The Chairman. These questions of the admissibility of evidence can 
be construed as they arise. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I would say, Mr. Chairman, that my impression is 
that it was the opinion of the House that this committee should exercise 
its discretion in regard to the manner of conducting this investigation ; 
that they did not make it obligatory that we should traverse every por- 
tion of this record made by the court of inquiry, but that when facts are 
offered which the committee deem necessary to admit, we have the dis- 
cretion to say whether we shall do so or not. 

Mr. Curtis. I will say, sir, that it is a settled policy in this examina- 
tion to touch this record only to expose its want of good faith. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then we stand on the same ground precisely. 

Mr. Curtis. And to show, in the language of the chairman, every act 
and fact and circumstance connected with the management of that 
expedition that is material in a strict legal construction of that resolu- 
tion. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then we are both in harmony. 

Mr. Curtis. Why, my learned brother was assuming that we were 
trying to do something that a lawyer ought not ordinarily to try to do. 

Mr. Boutelle. As counsel are in harmony now, we will go ahead. 

Mr. Curtis. If the committee please, at the last meeting a letter was 
directed to be written to Mrs. Emma De Long, the widow of Captain 
He Long, requesting that lady to produce the original journal kept by 
that officer, and which is said to have been found on his person at the 
time of the discovery of his body. I would respectfully inquire if the 
journal has been produced. 

Mr. Arnoux. It will be here, sir ; she has brought it to Washington. 
She did not know it would be required this morning. 

Mr. Curtis. And I would respectfully suggest to Judge Arnoux that 
it be impounded with the committee; that the committee haveposession 
of it, because we shall have to refer to it constantly during this investi- 
gation. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will tell you what would be best; that your stenog- 
rapher make a copy. 

Mrs. De Long. There is a copy of it. 

Mr. Curtis. The genuineness or originality of this journal is going 
to be a very important matter. 

Mr. Arnoux. I wish to say this ; it will be produced at recess. 

Mr. Boutelle. How extensive a document is it f 

Mrs. De Long. Three books. 



8 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mrs. De Long treasures those as very precious me- 
mentos of her husband. 

Mr. Curtis. We understand that. 

Mr. Arnoux. While she would not be disposed in the slightest degree 
to withhold them from the committee, I would suggest that while the 
committee may have them, they allow them to remain in her custody as 
the custodian of them. They will always be produced. 

Mr. Curtis. The objection to that is this: suppose they were left in 
the possession of the committee, either with Mr. Buchanan or Mr. 
Boutelle, so that we can have access to them when we wish to examine 
them. It is a very delicate thing every time we want to examine the 
journal to be compelled to go to Mrs. De Long. 

Mr. Arnoux. We will not allow you to suffer any annoyance what- 
ever ; they shall always be at your disposal. 

Mr. Curtis. There can be no better place than the hands of the com- 
mittee. 

Mr.' Arnoux. We will wait until the journal comes. 

The Chairman. The journal is not present now. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well. We desire that the committee shall send tbr 
the original charts, maps, diagrams, and other papers and records con- 
nected with the expedition. I am instructed that they are on file in the 
Navy Department. 

Mr. Arnoux. They are all part of this record of the Court of Inquiry, 
1 believe ; every one of them. 

Mr. Boutelle. Is there anything additional to what there is in this 
record ? 

Mr. Curtis. Dr. Collins says yes, there was much matter that was 
not used before that Board of Inquiry. 

Mr. Arnoux. It does not seem to me necessary to duplicate maps. 

Mr. Curtis. If any come that we do not want, we can send them 
back. 

Mr. Boutelle. Why not specify what you want? 

Mr. Curtis. It is almost impossible, sir, because these are documents 
in the hands of the Navy Department. It would be impossible for us 
to do it. 

Mr. Boutelle. We have no means of taking care of njuch material 
here in proper shape. 

Mr. Curtis. It is always contemplated by the law that i)ublic docu- 
ments shall be at the service of suitors, and in this case, to suit the con 
venience of the Nav^y Department, or for fear of infringing the rule of 
the Department, it might be that injustice might be worked to some 
one. 

The Chairman. Designate them in this way : Designate them as 
maps that you want — all the maps made by that investigation, con- 
nected with that expedition, and whatever other ]>apers you desire. If 
you cannot describe them particularly, then describe them generally. 

Mr. Curtis. I say connected with the Jeannette expedition. 

Mr. Boutelle. Do you want all the originals 1? 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir. Those found to be originals we can retain. 

Mr. Arnoux. Why not ask them to send all except those in the 
book ? 

Mr. Curtis. Who is to determine that? 

Mr. Boutelle. Who is to determine after we get them ? 

Mr. Curtis. The committee. 

Mr. Boutelle. I should rather be excused from that task unless it 
is absolutely essential. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 



9 



Mr Curtis. You are the ones that must pass on that question. 

Mr Arnoux. As these gentlemen know, there are some of them m 
the book. Then they can say that those that come are not here if there 
is any omission. . . , , ., 

Mr. Curtis. Will the committee hold that question m abeyance until 

the next nieetiuff ? 

Mr BouTELLE. There is no trouble about this, Mr. Chairman. Of 
course it is desired by the committee that all persons interested in 
the inquiry shall have access to every paper that can throw light upon 
it It is only a question what papers are wanted, and the gentlemen 
would hardly impose upon the committee the task of overhauhng them 
to see what we wanted. If there is any method indicated by the gen- 
tlemen themselves, we can require the Navy Department to furnish 
those, and allow them to look over them and see what papers they want 

to prove. r^ ^ T 1 J 

Mr. Curtis. Could it be arranged in this way? Could you send a 
letter to the Department requesting them to give Mr. Colhns every 
facility of examining all the charts and maps and diagrams connected 
with that expedition ? ..,.,. i ,xr 

The Chairman. I do not think we have any power of that kind. VYe 
have the power to send for the papers and have them brought. 

Mr. Curtis. I will join in any such request. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The only trouble is that, in making any request tor 
papers, there might be a half a cart-load of them, and if the Secretary 
used his discretion in the matter he might be subjected to the criticism 
of leaving out what you want. We made a request similar to that at 
the outset, covering all the books and papers. 

The Chairman. Perhaps it would be best to read this letter. | Read- 
ing:] 

Navy Department, Washington, March 11, 1884. 

Sir • In reply to tlie letter dated March 4, from the Committee on Naval Affairs, 
calliuo- the attention of this Department to the resolution adopted by the House of 
Repre'lentatives on March 3, directing the committee 'Ho investigate the facts con- 
nected with the Jeannette Arctic expedition, and the alleged unofflcer like and inhu- 
mane conduct therein," I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of the proceed- 
ings of the naval court of inquiry (House Executive Document No. 108, Forty-seventh 
Cono'ress second session), which fully investigated the whole subject, in pursuance of 
a ioint resolution of Congress of August 8, 1882. The findings of the court were ap- 
proved by the Department on February 17 and April 23, 1883. (Pages 266, 267, and 
278 ^ 

Your attention is specially called to the index to exhibits on page 283 and to the list 
of other documentary evidence on page 284 of the printed record. Exhibits A to U V, 
inclusive, 70 in number, are appended to and printed with the record; also Exhibits 
V W and W X, which are referred to on page 284 as not appended, but which it was 
subsequently concluded to annex, ., , ^, , ^ . i r. 

Mr J J Collins's memorandum book was used by the court for reference and after- 
wards returned to Mr. B. A. Collins, a brother and legal representative of the deceased. 
It was not appended to the report, although by an error on page 284 the contrary is 

Therou^h draft of Lieutenant Commander De Long's report to the Secretary of the 
Navy will*also be found in the second appendix of the printed record, commencing on 
page 326, as well as Chief Engineer Melville's "Report of Trip to Henrietta Island," 
it having been decided to annex these after the list was prepared. 

The original medical journal kept by Dr. Ambler is on file in the Bureau of Medicine 
and Surc^ery, together with a copy of his diary, the original having been delivered to 
his brother and legal representative, Mr. Edward Ambler, of Fauquier County, Vir- 
ginia These were not introduced in evidence, although the court was fully aware of 
their existence and contents, for the reason that they were regarded as irrelevant to 
thesubiect-matter of the inquiry. , ^t- x x^ ^ 

The loo-books of the Jeannette and the private journal of Lieutenant-Commander 
De Longhand his ice-journal, so called, are not printed in the record. The original 
books are on file at the Department, together with copies of the private journal and 



10 * JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the ice-journal, the originals of which have been delivered to Mrs. De Long These 
are voluminous, and the preparation of copies would involve a large amount of cler- 
ical labor. They can, however, be shown to the committee upon the understandino- 
that they will be promptly returned to the Department. 

In view of certain reckless statements in the petition of Dr. Daniel F Collins 
printed in the Congressional Record of March 4, 1884, upon which the resolution of 
the House was based, I deem it my duty to state that every facility was tendered by 
this Department to enable the relatives of Mr. Jerome J. Collins to attend the sittings 
of the court of inquiry; tbat both the petitioner and Mr. Bernard A. Collins, as a 
brother and legal representative of the deceased, were informed of their right to be 
present in person or by counsel, but they declined thus to appear at any time and 
only requested that they might be represented before the court by judge-advocate 
Their request was duly complied with, and they were accordingly represented by 

Occasion is also taken by me to assert that all aspersions contained in the petition 
ot Doctor Collins upon the heroic Lieutenant-Commander Geo. W. De Long the un 
tirmg and intrepid chief engineer, George W. Melville, the faithful members of the 
court of inquiry and the Navy Department, are.untrue and unjust; and that it is in 
my opinion highly inexpedient, as a second pitiless sacrilege, to again tear open the 
graves of the dead for the purpose of indecently calling public attention to what the 
court of inquiry correctly termed "trivial difficulties, such as occur on shipboard 
even under the most favorable circumstances, and which had no influence in brino-ing 
about the disasters of the expedition and no pernicious effect upon its general con- 
Very respectfully, 

WM. E. CHANDLER, 
Hon.S.S.Cox, Secretary of m Navy. 

Chairman Committee on Naval Affairs, 

House of Representatives. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not want that letter as matter of evidence. We 
simply want to find these books. 

The Chairman. This is not brought in as evidence, but simplj^ as a 
reply to sending the record, and he indicates what is attached to the 
record and those which are not attached to the record, as I suppose 
He says you can have the books by returning them to the Kavy De- 
partment. So that I do not think there is any trouble on that score. 

Mr. Curtis. That letter is not to be considered as containing the 
conclusions or opinions of the Secretary as an element of proof in this 
case. 

The Chairman. ISTot at all. It was just written as information in 
reply to a letter requesting the record to be sent here. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, if the committee please, there is one other thing, 
and I shall trespass no more on your patience. At the last meeting the 
subject was brought before the committee of a commission to examine 
John P. Jackson in Berlin. He is the Herald correspondent in that 
city. It is impossible for him to arrive to take part in this investiga- 
tion as an oral witness, and I suggested at the last meeting of the com- 
mittee that interrogatories be framed by us and cross-interrogatories 
be framed by the learned counsel on the other side, and that all be sent 
to the Secretary of State, if he, in your judgment, is the proper oflBcer 
to send them to, with the request that he forward them to Berlin to 
the American minister there, or the consul, or whoever the proper 
officer may be, and let the evidence be taken in the nature of a deposi- 
tion. Do you agree to that Mr. Arnoux? 

Mr. Arnoux. I have no objection if the committee deem the inquiries 
to be relevant. 

Mr. BouTELLE. You had better draw the interrogatories up and 
submit them to the committee. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, we intend to do that. I will state that the object 
of this commission is to show the statements made by sundry survivors 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 11 

when they were first interviewed by this gentleman in Berlin, when 
they were fresh from the scene of their suffering, and in an investigation 
of this character it is deemed by us very important. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Statements made to him by the survivors ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, when he saw them fresh from their journey. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that would not be competent. If they 
are survivors thej^ can be put under oath in regard to their evidence. 
This was not evidence given under oath and their recollection of what 
actually took place must be just as good as the recollection of the gen- 
tleman in Berlin of what they told him. 

Mr. Curtis. Supposing the recollection of some of them might have 
been affected by climate ; supposing they might have been affected by 
other influences ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Would they be more likely to be affected than the 
memory of this gentleman ? 

Mr. Curtis. I think so 5 they might. But certainly if a person goes 
upon the stand, for instance, and swears to a state of facts it cannot be 
contended that the other side will not be permitted to show that he has 
made a different statement to a disinterested person. 

The Chairman. No, and there is where the difficulty comes in at 
present. My understanding of the rule is that that is used by way of 
impeachment of ? witness. A witness testifies, and if he has had a 
conversation with an outside party on the same subject-matter before, 
his attention is to be called to that fact, the time, place, and circum- 
stance, and as to who were present and where the conversation was 
had, and asked if at that time and under those circumstances he did not 
state so and so to A B or C D. He may admit it when his memory is 
refreshed in that way, but if he denies it you have the right to impeach 
his evidence by the introduction of that. 

Mr. Arnoux. Provided his statement is a material one. 

The Chairman. Yes j a material statement, as a matter of course. 

Mr. Curtis. Then we will leave it until that time arrives and then 
we will raise the question. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will suggest that it may facilitate things by drawing 
up the interrogatories, so that when the time comes they may go with- 
out delay. 

Mr. Curtis. My object was to abbreviate the matter as much as pos- 
sible. 

The Chairman. Yes 5 if there is no objection to it of course it might 
be done. 

Mr. Arnoux. While I object, of course I think your view is correct. 
But I suggest that they might be drawn up so as to expedite the matter. 
We hope to expedite this matter as much as we can. 

Mr. Curtis. I think you will find we do. Mr. Collins is ready to 
proceed if the committee please. 

The Chairman. Very well. 

STATEMENT OF DANIEL F. COLLINS. 

Mr. Collins. Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen of the committee : T am 
a resident of Minnesota, a physician by profession, and a brother of 
Jerome J. Collins, (deceased. In June, 1879, Mr. Jerome J. Collins, then 
the director of the New York Herald weather service, joined the Jean- 
nette Arctic expedition at the request of Mr. James Gordon Bennett, 
as meteorologist^ and also to take charge of the scientific work. In July, 
1879, the Jeannette sailed from San Francisco, and after the lapse of a 



12 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

certain time uews reached this country that the ship was lost, and that 
a number of the officers and crew had been drowned or starved to death. 
Before leaving on the expedition Lieutant-Commander De Long knew 
perfectly well the position and the duties to which my brother, Mr. Je- 
rome J. Collins, was assigned, and the directions in a general way that 
he had received from Mr. Bennett in relation to his work and duties on 
the expedition. He visited Washington in connection with preparation 
for his voyage. A few weeks prior to the departure of the expedition, 
he read a dispatch or a paragraph in the Washington Post in which 
Captain DeLong stated to the reporter that both Mr. Newcomb and Mr. 
Collins were simply going on the exj^edition as scientific accessories, 
and that the work would be entirely performed under the direction of 
the naval officers. This was so entirely new an arrangement or idea to 
Mr. Collins that he wrote Mr. Thomas B. Connerj- , then the managing 
editor of the New York Herald, and asked him about it. After a delay 
of some time he received the following telegram, the original of which 
was found upon his body. 

New York, Jpril 7. 
Jerome J. Collins, 

Herald Bureau, Washington, D. C. : 

Don't like to give any opinion about the question in your two letters. Your best 
■course is to refer the point to Mr. Bennett. 

CONNERY. 

In other words, Mr. Connery, the managing editor of the Herald, could 
not make up his mind that the statements made by Captain De Long, 
or supposed to have been made by Captain De Long, were true, or that 
he was correctly reported, and thought it was so grave a matter that an 
-editor and attache of the Herald, going on this expedition in the capacity 
that he believed he was going, and acting under instructions he believed 
he received, to fill a position that he believed he was assigned to, that 
Mr. Connery directed that he should communicate directly witli Mr. 
Bennett on the matter. Anticipating Mr. Connery's advice, Mr. Col- 
lins wrote to Mr. Bennett on the subject. Mr. Bennett was then in 
England, and he replied under date of March 22, 1879. This letter was 
found upon Mr. Collins's dead body, and will be placed on record. I read 
it as follows : 

March 22, 1879. 

Dear Mr. Collins: I have just received your letter of the 7th instant in reference 
to the Washington Post interview with Captain De Long. I think you will find that he 
has been misrepresented, as I don't believe he could have spoken so slightingly of the 
scientific gentlemen connected witli the expedition. The vessel will be under naval 
discipline, and Captain DeLong will be in command, so that he will be my represent- 
ative, just as Mr. Connery is my representative at the Herald office, haviugthe com- 
mand and the responsibility, but glad to give every man the fullest opportunity to 
•distinguish himself in the performance of the duties of his special department. 1 con- 
sider that Captain De Long will, for my sake, as well as for the credit of the expedi- 
tion, afford you every facility for your work. 
Yours, truly, 

J. G. BENNETT. 

The expedition sailed from San Francisco, and among the papers found 
upon my brother's body was a memorandum or letter directed to Captain 
De Long in my brother's handwriting. The following extract I will 
read. The original I will place in the hands of the committee. He 
says : 

I have been aware from the commencement of the standing you were willing to 
4i,ccord to any civilian appointed to take part in the scientific work of the expedition 
•" as a mere accessory " , 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 13 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). When was this written ? 

Mr. Collins. This was written while on the expedition, and in rela- 
tion to a circumstance that occurred at the Palace Hotel in San Fran- 
cisco in Captain De Long's room. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is the original dated ? 

Mr. Collins. This is not dated. I will read the extract: 

I have been aware from the commencement of the standing you were willing to 
accord to any civilian appointed to take part in the scientific work of the expedition 
''as a mere accessory," to nse the expression you employed to the reporter of the 
Washington Post in 1879, when interviewed by him. This is the way you endeavored 
to give force to the statement that all scientific work required would be done by the 
officers of the Navy. Mr. Bennett, when asked about this said you must have been 
misrepresented. Mr. Connery remarked with some indignation that you never used 
such language. ♦ * * * 

Nothing in your conversation gave me any grounds for believing otherwise until 
during a general conversation held at your rooms at the Palace Hotel, in the course 
of which "interviewing" by reporters came up for discussion. You indorsed a lady's 
statement that the Washington Post interview was most faithfully and accurately 
reported, and that your very words were used, although the reporter did not appear 
to take any notes. 

About the day before the expedition sailed, or a short time before it 
sailed, I received a letter from my brother, from which I make the fol- 
lowing extract : 

Now, if this expedition succeeds I will have but a poor share of the laurels; but if 
it fails, I will naturally come in for a full share of the discredit. * * * It now 
turns out that I must ship as a seaman, and will not receive any document of ap- 
pointment from the Secretary of the Navy, because that official has no power to grant 
such. But he has in his secretary's memorandum that I am the meteorologist and 
scientific observer. I do not say that this was all arranged to reserve all the honor 
for the Navy.. 

Before Mr. Collins started to join the ship at San Francisco he called 
on me in Minneapolis, Minn., and among other matters we talked of 
the position that he was to fill and to occupy on board the Jeannette. 
He stated to me distinctly that an arrangement had been made or was to 
be made by which his status on the ship was to be provided for, and when 
I suggested to him the possibility that at the last moment he would be 
obliged to ship as a seaman, he simply laughed at me, and said there 
was no possibility of that owing to the statements made to him. After 
the ship was lost and when the first party of the survivors reached this 
country, I, accompanied by my brother, called upon Lieutenant Danen- 
hower, then stopping at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, because rumors had 
already reached me, that for some cause or other, Mr. Collins had been 
suspended or arrested while on the expedition and was deprived of and 
prevented from performing any of the scientific work allotted to him by 
Mr. Bennett as part of his duty. I met Lieutenant Danenhower and 
asked him what was the reason Mr. Collins was suspended or arrested,, 
and he at first refused to give me any information on the subject. He 
simply said that my mind might be at rest; that Mr. Collins's offense 
or transgression, or what he was suspended or arrested for, was in no 
way serious or grave. I asked him how long he continued under arrest 
and he stated that he was under arrest when the boats separated. I 
asked him whether there was trouble between the captain and my 
brother, and he said yes, there was considerable trouble between them^ 
and instanced at that time one of the first difficulties on board in rela- 
tion to one Sunday when a bear was sighted, that Mr. Nindemann, Mr. 
Collins, himself, and I believe there was a fourth, went after a bear and 
that Mr. Nindemann got beyond the others and they had to support him. 
He had to return to fix up the ship. The ship was for inspection ; and 



14 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that the day after they returned, an order was issued that no one should 
leave the ship without permission. While we were talking the rela- 
tives of Lieutenant Chipp asked to see Lieutenant Danenhower, and 
before I left, I asked him what kind of a life my brother led, what was 
his position on board. My brother, Mr. Collins, one of the editors of 
the Herald now, was present ; Danenhower in that interview stated 
that his life had been merely a hell in the Arctic regions for three years; 
De Long and he were continually quarreling and that De Long's treat- 
ment of my brother was such, that if he had to endure it he would have 
goue over the ship's side. On my brother's body was found a paper, 
the original of which I will place in the hands of the committee, and 
which I will read for their information. It is a letter of my brother, 
Mr. Collins, to Captain De Long. He says : 

Dear Sir : 1 return herewith the slip on which you require the number of ther- 
mometers duly marked- 
Mr. Arnoux. Is there any date to that? 
Mr. Collins. There is no date. 

A maximum must be supplied from one of the pocket cases, as the one I had was 
broken during the storm on our voyage from St. Michael's to St. Lawrence Bay. A 
** black bulb in air" (maximum) we have not. Permit me to express some surprise 
that the occupant of the position of meteorologist on this expedition does not come 
under the operation of your strict rule of "official courtesy," a respect for which, i-n 
all transactions, you requested with so much emphasis a little while ago. The con- 
temptuous disregard for my personal feelings as a member of the expedition, exhibited 
in several ways and from time to time, by yourself and your fellow officers, I can 
well afford to pass as unworthy of notice ; but in my capacity as an employ^ of Mr. 
Bennett, and a r ecognized entity in the official personnel of the expedition by the 
honorable Secretary of the Navy, I regard every act of discourtesy, official and per- 
sonal, as an infringement on my rights, expressed or implied by the fact of my ap- 
pointment. As a new year of work is about to be^^in for me, it is of vital importance 
in many ways that I should understand the position I am to occupy in relation to 
that work, to you and to the other gentlemen associated with you. I have been 
aware 

Mr. Abnoux (interposing). Is that letter addressed to anybody, or 
does it purport to have been delivered to anybody? 

Mr. Collins. It was found on the body. 

Mr. Arnoux. It has not appeared that any one ever had any cogni- 
zance of that letter. 

Mr. Collins. That, I have np knowledge of. I suppose I had better 
read the letter right through. 

From the commencement of the standing yon were willing to accord any civilian 
appointed to take part in the scientific work of the expedition as a **mere accessory," 
to use the expression you employed to the reporter of the Washington Post, in April, 
1879, when interviewed by him. This was the way in which you endeavored to give 
force to the statement that all scientific work required would be done by the officers 
of the navy. Mr. Bennett, when asked about this, said you luust have been misre- 
ported. Mr. Connery remarked with some indignation, that you never used such lan- 
guage. On these assurances from the gentlemen who knew yon, as they b<dieved, I 
decided to come on the expedition, fully expecting to feel at liome with a number of 
men who were said to be incq,pable of selfishness and injustice. When at San Fran- 
cisco it was easy for you to tell me that you intended to do thus and so, regarding the 
particular work I was sent to do, and which came under the general head of physics. 
A competent man was employed to take charge of the collection, etc., of national 
history and ethnological specimens. I was introduced by yourself and others of 
the officers to people in San Francisco as a person specially devoted to researches 
n physical science for the expedition. At the academy of science I made some ram- 
bling remarks which I based on the supposition that I was something more than a 
** mere accessory." Nothing in your conversation gave me grounds for believing other 
wise, although you had ample opportunity to enlighten me, until, during a general 
conversation held in your rooms at the Palace Hotel, in the course of which *' inter- 
view " by reporters coming up for discussion, you indorsed a lady's statement that 
the Washington Post interview was most faithfully and accurately reported, and that 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 15 

your very words were used, although the reporter did not appear to take any notes. 
In a minute I saw I was in a trap, Not one set by you, for you did not want any- 
body but Navy people with you, as your manner of acting plainly showed from the start 
— aye, from the first day I met j on at the Herald office. The trap was set by circum- 
stances which will deceive any man who, trusting unreservedly to the good nature of 
others, devotes himself to an enteryrise in which he hopes for honor or profit, or both. 
I hoped for honor in coming to the Arctic, and also profitable information. I volun- 
teered to come, leaving behind me a happy home, kind and true friends and companions, 
and many of the things that make life worth living. I volunteered on what was be- 
lieved to be an enterprise full of danger, and herein lies the big tooth of the trap. I 
could not under any circumstances, for any cause, almost, retreat from my post without 
incurring the slur of cowardice, which, you know, would only be too readily cast on any 
one who backed out at the last moment. Although I saw from the start that I was 
betrayed into a false position by my inconsiderate acceptance of assurances given, al- 
most without consideration, that I would not be treated as a '' mere accessory," I could 
not retreat. Had you told me the day before we sailed that I was to live in the forecastle 
and have the work of an ordinary seaman if I could do it, instead of being treated as 
a member of the cabin mess, I doubt if I could have gone back. You had and have 
it in your power to heap, or permit to be heaped, any amount of disrespect on me 
socially or officially ; and I was, and am, as a man with his hands tied, under the cir- 
cumstances. I cannot retaliate. I can only resent by silence. Three several times 
you have threatened me with an exaction of obedience **if it took every man on the 
ship," in the discussion of purely supposititious cases of discipline. When I laid before 
you the facts of one or two cases in which I felt aggrieved by others, you became at 
once the apologist of one party, and did not wish to hear anything about the other. 
Lately things have been going on rushingly. In my official capacity I am to infer, 
by the withdrawal of several instrunoents from time to time, that I have either ne- 
glected or do not possess the ability to use them. First, the magnetic instruments, 
one by one; then photographic apparatus, which was specially given in my charge, 
and to which all had free access by the exercise of your important " official courtesy." 
Then I was ordered to have four six's thermometers ready for use. I got them ready, 
and requested of you that when they were to be used I would be present, as fixing 
them was a slow and difficult job. You said, *' Certainlj, Mr. Collins." But, in some 
time after, and long after you gave me, through Mr. (jhipp, to understand that the 
deep water tests suspended last fall, by your order, would be resumed, you told me 
to turn over to you the salinometer, etc., as you wanted to make some experiments 
with the sea water. I found next day that you had resumed the water tests, and 
that I was wholly ignored in connection with them, notwithstanding your '-'cer- 
tainly, Mr. Collins." I was directed to give Dr. Ambler the Daniel's hygrometer, 
which I did. I don't believe he has used it, since no explanation, such as a kindly 
courtesy would suggest, has been given to me, no more than if I was a lamp-trimmer 
in the fire-room. Yet, if I wanted a little hot water to make tea for my luxurious 
breakfast during the mid-watch, official courtesy demands that I must go to Mr. Mel- 
ville about it. Don't you suppose I am as sensitive as yourself, or Mr. Melville, or 
anybody else, when I am treated with official discourtesy? You think you can do 
with me as you please now, and laugh at the future. You are making a mistake 
common to men of your disposition and habits of self-complacencv. 

JEROME J. COLLINS. 

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, I will read in relation 
to the investigation that was made by the Navy Department through 
the Court of Inquiry the following letter from the official stenographer 
of the court in relation to the manner in which the inquiry was con- 
ducted — the manner of treatment of evidence on all the points. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Has he been subpoenaed as a witness? 

Mr. Curtis. He will be. 

Mr. Collins (reading) : 

Washixgton, D. C, April 4, 1883. 
Dr. D. F. Collins: I was the stenographer of the Jeannette Court of Inquiry, and 
have the indorsement in writing of the court and the secretary. I am under no obli- 
gation whatever to the Navy Department, and the obligation is on the other side. I 
have an opportunity, from interviews I have had, to prepare affidavits of that expe- 
dition, which sustained largely your position. I am an attorney of eighteen years' 
standing, and have a knowledge of this case which no one else has, and a disposition 
to make your cause successful before the naval court and Congress which no man, 
not familiarized as I am, could have. I can procure the necessary affidavits from the 



16 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

witnesses we will ueed ; and I su<;gest, therefore, that you give me a retainer to jus- 
tify me in my appearance, and proper authority to proceed at once. 
Very respectfully, 

E. W. GRANT, 
207 Sixth street southeast. 

I wrote to Mr. Grant in relation to the matter. 
Mr. Arnoux. Was he a lawyer? 

Mr. Collins. Yes, sir ; he wrote me under date of the 10th of April 
the same year, as follows: 

Dr. D. F. COL,JAi^ 8, Minneapolis, Minn.: 

Dear Sir; I have your favor of the 7th instant in reply to my communication of 
an earlier date. It would have received an earlier response but for a brief absence 
from Washington While Mansou, Leach, Lauterbach, and Bartlett were here I saw 
them frequently and had several free interviews witii them, from which I acquired 
considerable information. I further, withoutdiflficulty, obtained from the first named 
a promise at any time to make a full statement, that I could commit to shorthand. 
This I did not think it advisable to do while they were in this city, as they wxre sub- 
jected to the espionage of some representatives of the Navy from the night of their 
arrival to the evening of their departure, and I was apprehensive that they might 
be removed to a point so remote or difficult of access as to make their testimony 
unattainable. Manson and Lauterbach are in New York, Leach in Maine, and Bart- 
lett was going to San Francisco. The first three I can reach, and can procure their 
statements. Bartlett I do not think is disposed to talk much. In conversation with 
me they did not hesitate to say of the examination to which they were subjected 
that it was so calculated to perplex and confuse them that their simple negative re- 
sponse was their only resort, and they regarded it as a total closing of their mouths, 
as indeed it was. Moreover, at this time they were almost in a condition of duress ; 
were not satisfied at all as to their pay or as to what was to be done with them. They 
asked for a suit of clothes and it was refused, much to their discontent. They are still 
in the same condition of dependence on the Department, and its probable purpose is 
to keep them from talking. I have learned of quite a number of important acts of 
which no mention is made in the record, facts having an important bearing and which 
my familiarity with the record enables me to appreciate the force of. The suspension 
of Swan [Ed. Star is the man evidently meant] from duty, for instance, is not even 
alluded to in the record, and yet when suspended from duty on the retreat, the men 
«ay he was one of the strongest men of the party, and could have rendered effective aid 
and service. The facts relating to the cause of the delay in making the landing on the 
island, and the stoppage at Mud Hill camp, are smoothed over, because they would 
have shown the relations existing between De Long and Chipp, and the latter and 
Danenhower. The real opinion of the men is that the expedition wag a series of 
blunders fiom beginning to end, and that the mischances that befell it grew ont of 
the bad management and the feeling existing between the naval and civil members 
of the expedition, which was perfectly manifest to all the men, even where they were 
ignorant of the details of the controversy. But the questions were so worded as to 
preclude their testimony, and tlie decision of the court that the statement of the man 
who had died was inadmit«sible, because of his death, and that if the statement wa» 
that of a living man, by reason of his inability to be produced, it was inadmissible, 
and this item of decision completely shut ofiF investigation. All matters of this char- 
acter can, I am satisfied, be procured. * * * 

I remain, verv respectfully, vour obedient servant, 

E. W. GRANT, 
1905 Seventh Street northwest. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Who is this making the statement ? 

Mr. Collins. The official stenographer to the Court of Inquiry. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. E. W. Grant. 1 would like to ask if he was re- 
tained? 

Mr. Collins. No, sir; not by me, either directly or indirectly. He 
was rather offended that he was not. 

Mr. Arnoux. I imagine so. 

Mr. Collins. I will state, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, that after 
the facts of the expedition became known to me, or in the earlj* stage 
of mv hunt after testimony and the records and the truth as to the ex- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 17 

peditioii, I wrote to General Washburn, the member from my district, 
requesting him to secure an investigation by a special committee, or 
through one of the regular committees of Congress, and told to him at 
that time all the facts I had in my possession in relation to the affair. 
After some time. General Washburn wrote me back, stating that he had 
seen the Speaker, but owing to the lateness of the session it would be 
impossible to get either a special committee appointed or to get an inves- 
tigation made through any of the regular committees, they being at that 
time overcrowded with work, and asking me that if he could do nothing 
else, would he introduce a resolution requesting a naval court of inquiry. 
1 replied, telling him that I objected in the strongest way to any naval 
court of inquiry -, that I wanted an investigation made by a special 
committee of the House, or a joint committee of both houses, but that, 
in order to keep the matter alive and not allow the affair to die out, he 
might, if he thought it advisable, introduce the resolution and have the 
naval court appointed. General Washburn did so, and the court was 
appointed. 1 never received any official notification to attend that court 
from the time of its organization until the time it closed its labors. I 
received a i^ersonal letter from the judge-advocate of the court, Master 
S. 0. Lemly, in which he said that it was imi)ossible for him to go into 
any matters in relation to this controversy or this trouble without seeing 
me; that it was absolutely necessary that he should see me. That was 
the only request, the only notification, the only indication that I ever 
received in relation to the court of inquiry ; that is, in relation to my 
attendance on the court. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Did you rei>ly to that ? 

Mr. Collins. I replied to that and came on to Washington. 

Mr. Arnoux. Allow me to say that Mrs. De Long never received any 
notification at all. 

Mr. Collins. I was introduced to Master S. C. Lemly, the judge- 
advocate of the court, by the Judge-Advocate-General of the !Ravy ; 
Colonel Eemey, I think, was his name. I met him in the Judge- Advo- 
cate's room in the Navy Department. The Judge- Advocate-General in 
a general conversation stated to me that it would do no good to bring- 
up the De Long-Collins matter ; that in the charge of the Sfavy Depart- 
ment were certain papers iuDe Long's writing bringing grave and serious 
charges against Collins, and that it was better for all parties to let the 
matter rest, and that it was also the wish of the Secretary of the Navy, 
Mr. Chandler, tbat the matter should not be gone into. I made a memo- 
randum of the conversation immediately after. On my refusing to let 
the matter rest, on my statement to the Judge- Advocate- General that 
I proposed to place, if possible, before the court any information I had, 
he said *'In that case, Captain De Long's charges against your brother 
will have to go in also and have to be made public." I told him that 
the ^i^bry pd^^^se for which I came on to Washington was to get these 
charges made public. Fe said in reply to that that I was making a 
very great mistake, and that i Tould onl^ injure my brother's memory. 
Immediately after the conversation c;osed Master Lemly came in, and I 
was introduced to him. We visited tha room in which the court was held. 
He was looking for some papers, and he stated to me that he wanted to 
talk with me in relation to the matt(^~^s on either side. I stated to him 
that I wished positively that the chirges made by Captain De Long 
against Mr. Collins should be made piblic. He said that that was what 
he wanted specially to see me in Was.iington about, as the Secretary of 
the Navy had in his possession certain papers containing charges by 
Lieutenant De Long against my brol;her, and it was the wish of the 
2jq* i 



18 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Secretary of the Kavy to let the matter drop if I would consent and not 
to have my brother's papers or trouble go before the' court. Master 
Lemly said that if my brother's case was oi:>ened up the De Long charges 
would be made public. I said that it was for that special object I 
came to Washington, repeating what I had said to Colonel Eemey, and 
that I did not want any compromise in the matter. After a general 
conversation, Master Lemly gave me the package purporting to contain 
all the papers and effects found on my brother's body, and we examined 
them together. I saw Master Lemly several times and furnished him a 
list of questions I desired that he should ask the survivors upon the 
part of my brother. Master Lemly took the questions and promised to 
do so, saying, "You will please remember this : that I shall ask the ques- 
tions, but at the same time object to any being answered that will in any 
way tend to reflect discredit on anj^ of the dead men." I stated to 
Master Lemly that what I wanted was the truth, and that I was going 
to have the truth, dead men or living men. Master Lemly then replied 
that I should not expect too much of the court of inquiry, and that I 
should remember that it was a naval court, and that everything would 
be viewed from a naval stand-point and through naval spectacles ; that 
no matter how strong my evidence or my case was I should remember 
that. Master Lemly after pointing out several questions that he would 
not put and informing me that he would not put questions that reflected 
on anybodj^, and that he would allow what he called no hearsay testi- 
mony, told me it would be better for me to be represented by counsel. 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). Allow me. Mr. Chairman, you are bet- 
ter versed in legal practice than I ; is it customary for a witness to make 
statements in regard to the official action of another person without 
allowing that other person to be present and hear the testimony ? 

The Chairman. This is only preliminary. 

Mr. Curtis. When Dr. Collins goes on the stand we shall send a 
notice to those gentlemen. 

Mr. Collins. Master Lemly requested me to be represented by coun- 
sel, and I told him that it was utterly useless for me to employ counsel 
if the court would not admit and if he would object to every point that 
seemed to bring out the story. I left the paper containing the questions 
in Master Lemly's possession, and in a day or so afterwards left Wash- 
ington. While in Washington, at the Riggs House, Master Lemly ad- 
vised me not to go to the court, saying probably it would be better for 
me not to go up there unless I was sent for. I said, "All right." Mas- 
ter Lemly kept his word in relation to objecting to the questions, for an 
examination of the record of the court of inquiry will clearly show that 
nearly every question asked that would in any way throw light upon 
the subject was ruled out. 

Mr. Curtis. It was objected to by himself? 

Mr. Collins. Either objected to by the judge-ad r£>^ate of the -fourt 
or ruled out by the court, the majority of hVj questions being objected 
to by the judge-advocate of the coKv^j^and the objection being sustained. 
I would state, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, that every charge that I 
have made, either publicly or in my memqrial to Congress, and every 
statement that I have made and '\ ill make before this committee, has 
been based solely and entirely oa statements either made directly to 
me by the survivors or made by he survivors to other parties, who have 
informed me, or made to me b.^ parties who have had a kno wedge of 
the expedition. Mr. ISTewcomb, ^he naturalist of the expedition, in de- 
tail explained to me my brother's position and treatment on shipboard. 
He also went into detail and ex:)lained to me his treatment both on the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 19 

ship during the retreat and during the stay In Geeomovialocke, and also 
coming home. I hold in my hand here and will read for the inl'oraiation 
of the committee a letter sent by one of the survivors, in reply to the 
simple question, '' Do you or do you not believe that the court of inquiry 
of the Kaval Department has covered all the facts in this case, and all 
the truth has been known that coukl possibly be known about the ex- 
pedition T' It is dated February 15, 1884: 

Sir: Iu answer to your inquiry, I for one deena it absolutely necessary that an in- 
vestigation be made by Congress into the Jeannette expedition, iu order to do justice 
to the living and to the dead. 
Yours, truly, 

J. H. BARTLETT. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Who is that ! 

Mr. Collins. One of the survivors. Mr. Bartlett has explained to 
me the reasons why a good many of these statements on the stand 
were made. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Qualifying statements ? 

Mr. Collins. Yes, sir. In the first place, that he was the last witness 
examined and that previous witnesses had made certain statements and 
that he could only answer in a general way 5 in the second i^lace, that 
he was under the jurisdiction and control of the Navy Department. I 
have avoided as much as possible during the whole affair making any 
statement of what the survivors told me. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Did he state to you that his testimony was not cor- 
rect ? 

Mr. Collins. Yes, sir; that it was not full. I have preferred to let 
the parties themselves who know these facts tell them. But I will also 
state that a good deal of the information I have obtained has come from 
John P. Jackson, of the New York Herald, statements to others, and as 
he was in communication with a great many of the survivors, he has 
their statement. He is in a position to know the facts of the case. No 
one can regret the necessity for this investigation more than I, and no 
one can more fully symiDathize Avith the losses sustained by the relatives 
of the people who died on the expedition more than I. But I have had 
a threefold purpose in trying to secure this investigation, and one is 
that my brother, starting out on the expedition as a representative 01 
the New York Herald to do a certain work, and, according to the testi- 
mony of the survivors, was not permitted to do that ; received such treat- 
ment on the ship, being relieved from duty, allowed to take no part in 
the retreat or anything else in tbe work of the retreat, and dying at last 
a prisoner on the banks of the Lena, starved to death. Justice to his 
memory demands first of all that this matter should be cleared up and 
that all the facts relative to the expedition should be known. I think 
that the true history of this expedition should also be before the world, 
and not the garbled, artificially-prepared account that has been pub- 
lished as containing the facts, and that also in the future when other 
expeditions start to the north pole, those people who go on them might 
learn a grave and serious lesson from the results of this expedition, and 
be on their guard against placing themselves in positions that once they 
leave civihzation it will be impossible to get out of them, and which are 
beyond their control to control or get relief from. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I would like to ask if Mr. Collins will indicate what 
facts it is proposed to establish which are not brought out in this record 
of the Court of Inquiry — what the general object and scoi)e of our inves- 
tigation is to be. 
Mr. Curtis. I think I could answer that question as I answered it 



20 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

before in reply to Judge Arnoux, that there is nothing that he has gone 
over in his opening of any importance that is embodied in this record of 
the Court of Inquiry, and the reason is i)atent, in his own language, that 
while tlie Judge- Advocate-General gave him his promise to put the 
questions, in many instances after putting the questions objected to 
them, and they were ruled out, and when they were not ruled out at his 
suggestion, or on his objection, they were ruled out by the court. You 
will, see if j^ou examine this book, so far as my present recollection serves 
me of this opening, that none of the matters that he has covered in that 
opening were gone into in this investigation before the Board of Inquiry, 
or even if it was hinted, it was done in such a way that it was subject 
to objection and was ruled out. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If I understand the counsel — we are getting down 
to a i)oint — the object of the investigation is to be primarily to deter- 
mine the treatment of Mr. Collins upon the expedition j the relations 
existing between Mr, Collins and Captain De Long. 

Mr. Curtis. The object is embodied in the resolution. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. No ; but I mean the object which you have under the 
resolution. Let me make myself plain, if I can. The House of Eepre- 
sentatives has authorized this committee to investigate this matter. 
Now, as I understand it, any gentleman in the United States who has, 
or who deems he has, matters of interest to bring to the attention of 
this committee, or who can suggest any line of investigation that would 
be profitable or advisable is empowered under that resolution to come 
here and suggest it. I understand that Dr. Collins has come here for 
thut purpose, very properly, as the gentleman who was the suggestor 
of the resolution. Now, he undoubtedly has a certain line of investiga- 
tion which he desires to pursue. I am not sure but Mrs. De Long, or 
Mr. Melville, or Mr. Danenhower, or others, may have some other lines 
which they desire to pursue, and my question is simply whether Dr. 
ColHns or his counsel would indicate in a general way the scope of the 
investigation which they desire, so that we may add that to the sugges- 
tions made by others, and find out in the aggregate what it is desired 
to do. 

Mr. Curtis. We have no objection to that, sir, and we thank you for 
the suggestion. Now, the resolution is a vevy brief one : 

Whereas, a petition has been presented to the honorable Speaker of the House of 
Reproscntalivcs, respectfully representing the condition of the Jeanuette Arctic expe- 
dition, ai'd the conduct of tlie surviving members, and the manner of the investiga- 
tion adopted by the naval court under the joint resolution providing for the same; 
and inasmuch as said facts involve the honor and humanity of officers in the United 
States service, as well as a proper respect for those who perished in the expedition ; 
and inasmuch as the naval Court of Inquiry refused to admit or allow, as it is alleged,' 
valualdc testimony to be given to bring out the facts of the case in the interest of truth 
aud liistory : Therefore, 

Beit resolved, That the Committee on Naval Affairs of this House be directed to in- 
vestigate the facts connected with said expedition, and the alleged unofficer-like and 
inhuman conduct therein, aud that said committee be authorized to send for persons 
and papers, and to employ a stenographer. 

Now, the resolution embodies our purpose. But we are willing to 
state specifically, personally, outside of the duty that Dr. Collins 
owes to his brother who perished, he has a duty to perform in the lan- 
guage of this resolution to truth and history, and his duty to truth 
and history comi)els him to prove, if he can, facts which establish 
the inhuman treatment of his brother, while on that expedition, by 
ofiicers in the naval service of the United States, and to prove, if he 
can, that the want of success of the expedition was attributable in great 
measure to misgovernment and mismanagement j and the further object 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 21 

he has in view is, if he can establish it "by proof, to show that what his- 
tory has been written on this subject, in relation to the causes of its fail- 
ure is erroneous. That is the object. Now, we submit that.this is a matter 
of no ordinary interest. It is one in which the United States Govern- 
ment, stimulated by private enterprise, undertook an expedition in the 
interests of science. Humanity, science, the history of the future, are 
all involved in the history of this expedition. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Yes, but the counsel seems to ignore the fact that 
this matter has been yev-j exhaustively gone over once by a competent 
board. ]Srow, this committee is further to examine into the work of that 
board, and will be very glad to do so. But it seems to me that you 
ought to indicate in some way what we are to take hold of. According 
to your remarks you seem to indicate that we shall begin dc novo and 
investigate the whole subject. 

Mr. Curtis. Ko, sir ; not by any means. As we proceed you will 
discover that all matters contained in this record that are foreign to the 
purposes of this resolution will not be considered by us either in argu- 
ment or in the proof. The general position we take here — differing, in 
great respect, from the member of the committee who has expressed 
his opinion — is not that this was a fair Board of Inquiry. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If the gentleman will allow me, I do not undertake 
as a member of a House committee to express an opinion as to whether 
the Court of Inquiry was fair or unfair. I said it was a competent board. 

Mr. Curtis. Then I submit, with great respect, that for the purposes 
of the investigation it was shown that the spirit of that investigation 
was hostile to the spirit of this resolution. It was unfair, and there- 
fore in law it is incomi)etent to be plead here as res adjudicata agaiust 
us. It is from that Board of Inquiry that we appeal to the conscience 
of the country, and it is before this committee, representing that con- 
science of the country, that we desire to lay the evidence that was ex- 
cluded there. Of course, you can have very little idea of the vast 
amount of proof that might have been put in from the number of ques- 
tions asked and excluded. Those might have been very few, but, if 
they had been admitted originally, the matter which sx)rung from them 
would have been of interest and importance. We do not want to take 
up your time unnecessarily. 

Mr. BouTELLE. My object was simply to get some statement of the 
object and scope of the inquiry. 

Mr. Curtis. We don't pretend to travel like a pedestrian in a six 
days' journey over a beaten path. W^e simply want to draw the atten- 
tion of the committee to those inquiries that the Board of Inquiry ex- 
cluded us from entering into. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That is exactly what I supposed. 

Mr. Arnoux. I would like to suggest that the last of the grounds of 
the new avenues they propose to travel is not germane to this inquiry. 
I think the others may be. He says certain things have been published 
which are inaccurate. I do not suppose that you are going to sit upon 
that. I have heard and I have no doubt that others have heard with 
great delight the lecture of Lieutenant Danenhower wherein he graph- 
ically described the dangers aud the perils through which the Jeannette 
party passed from the time of their leaving the vessel and until they 
reached civilization. Kow, I do not suppose it is within the purview of 
this committee that Lieutenant Danenhower was correct in everything 
he has stated. 

Mr. Curtis. I do not contend that. The trouble with counsel is that 
he is continually leveling lances at windmills. 



22 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Arnoux. You said something about that — you would prove in- 
accurate publications. 

Mr. Curtis. Not by asking this committee to review those inaccurate 
publications. 

The Chairman. My opinion is that the power of this committee is to 
review and ascertain the true facts from beginning to eiul. That reso- 
lution covers all, and it is impossible to tell beforehand what is legiti- 
mate evidence and what is not. Those questions can be determined as 
they come up, and I do not think Mr. Collins himself knows the full 
scope of the investigation until the witnesses are examined. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Suppose we proceed and act upon the questions as 
they arise? 

The Chairman. Very well. That is the only way it can be done. 

James H. Bartlett sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. Where do you reside at the present time? — Answer. In 
Dunkirk, State of New York. 

Q. What is your profession ? — A. Machinist. 

Q. You were attached to the Jeannette expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what capacity, if you please ? — A. In the capacity of a first- 
class fireman, acting as assistant engineer ; that is, I fulfilled the duties 
of that office. 

Q. Between the time of your departure on that expedition and your 
rescue of the other survivors, how much time elapsed ? — A. Well, we 
left San Francisco the 8th of July, 1879. When we found the remains 
of De Long's people, I think it was the 24th of March. As to th3 date, 
I won't be positive now, because I have not looked it up lately. I 
think it was the 24th of March, 1882, or about that time. 

Q. The object of. my question was to ascertain Avhat time elapsed be- 
tween your departure and your rescue of the other survivors. 

The Witness. Of all of them, do vou mean ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes.— A. It was from July 8, 1879, until the 27th of 
March, 1883, that the last survivors returned to America, and we were 
not rescued until we returned here, as I understand it. 

Q. You were attached to the naval service of the United States at 
that time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Had you ever voyaged with Captain De Long before ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Of course you got to know him quite well on this expedition ? — 
A. Quite well; yes, sir. 

Q. You were also acquainted with Mr. Jerome J. Collins ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. In what capacity, so far as you know, did Mr. Collins serve on the 
Jeannette expedition ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Is not that a matter of record I 

Mr. Curtis. No; do you want to raise the point as to the seamen ? 

Mr. Arnoux. No; I only supposed it was a matter of record who 
were the men on board. 

Mr. Curtis. You can prove a physical fact; you can prove a man's 
capacity prima facte. 

Mr. Arnoux. I don't make any objection. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Question (resuming). In what capacity, so far as you know, did Mr. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 23 

Collins serve on tlie Jeannette expedition ? — A. He served, up to the 
time of his arrest, or withdrawal from duty, in the capacity of weather 
reporter. 

Q. You speak of the time of his arrest. When was he arrested? — 
A. I cannot give you the date at present. 

Mr. Curtis. Give it as near as you can. 

The Witness. Well, I think we had been out about a year then, or 
nearly a year. 

Q. And where was the ship located at that time? — A. It was located 
in the ice in the Arctic Ocean. 

Q. She sank about the spot at which she was jammed in the ice, did 
she not ^. — A. No, sir ; she drifted for several months in the ice ; drifted 
from the 6th of September, until the 11th of June, twenty-two months. 

Q. But still locked in the ice ? — A. But still locked in the ice. 

Q. How soon after his arrest did Mr. Collins return to duty, if you 
know ? — A. 'Not until the beginning of the retreat, after the loss of the 
ship. 

Q. When was that 1 — A. That was the 17th of June. 

Q. Of what year ^. — A. Two years ago. 

Q. Do you know by whose order he was placed under arrest ? — A. I 
was told by him 

Mr. Arnoux (interi^osing). No, not what he told you; that is not 
comx3etent. 

Mr. Curtis. I would like to raise that question before the committee. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that the declarations of Mr. Collins, in refer- 
ence to any grievances that he had, are not competent evidence. A 
man can never make by declarations, and repeated as hearsay evidence, 
any evidence in his own favor. It is only the declarations which are 
against interest which are admitted as declarations. It is not compe- 
tent for a witness to say that another man told him that a certain 
person struck him ; but it would be competent for the other person to 
declare, ''I struck that i^erson," to prove it by hearsay. 

Mr. Curtis. I will concede that if we were trying a will cause or any 
case in which the severe legal rule could be invoked, that my friend's po- 
sition, might be the correct one. Before this Board of Inquiry, which, in 
the language of one of the committee, is presumed to have been a com- 
petent Board, was admitted a memorandum signed by George W. De 
Long, lieutenant. United States Navy, commanding, to which was added 
another memorandum, in some respects inconsistent with the first, also 
signed by George W. I)e Long, w^ho, at the time of the admission of the 
memoranda, was confessedly dead. 

The committee will remember in the opening of Dr. Collins that he 
spoke of an interview with the Judge- Advocate-General, in which Mr. 
Kemy stated to him that there were grave charges on file in the Navy 
Department against Mr. Collins, on the part of Mr. De Long, and that it 
was better for him not to bring up the controversy as between them. 
There is nothing that justifies me in assuming that in the present state 
of proof these memoranda constituted the charges referred to; but if 
they do, the committee w^ill see how trivial they were, and on what a 
slight basis they rested, and by these memoranda, if his arrest and im- 
prisonment in any way were caused by the subject-matter set forth in 
them, then logically as well as legally the very arrest and imprisonment 
for such causes w^as barbarous and inhuman in the extreme; or they in- 
dicate that perhaps the mind of Mr. De Long had to an extent suc- 
cumbed under the influences of the climate, as, I am told, often happens 
to these adventurous navigators. Now, De Long's statement — upon the 



24 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

theory and upon the promise and upon the concession on both sides 
that we are not going to traverse this record except so far as it applies 
to, is antagonistic to, or harmonious with the new evidence — these 
memoranda of De Long must be in the proof before you. 

Mr. Boi] TELLE. Which memorandum do you refer to? 

Mr. Curtis. On pages 320, 321, and 322. ' It is marked "Exhibit S. 
T." The pai)er, you will see, is headed " Arctic steamer Jeannette, 
beset and drifting in the pack." Now, what an injustice it seems to 
me would it be to permit these memoranda to remain in the record, as 
they must ever remain in the record, the memoranda of a dead person, 
and exclude the evidence of a living man who heard the statement of 
Mr. Collins in respect to his differences with Mr. De Long. I submit 
here with a good deal of confidence, that in this investigation wherein 
you are seeking to discover the truth and to do justice you are not con- 
fined to those strict rules of evidence that jirevail in the civil courts or 
the criminal tribunals, where living persons are litigants, one against 
another, or where the people are on one side and a respondent is on the 
other ', but in the necessity of the case you must receive evidence of this 
character as the best obtainable under the circumstances. For In- 
stance, to show the injustice of such a rule, I understand that the other 
side will contend, as 1 judge from somethings that occurred before the 
Board of Inquiry, that strictly, legally, technically, no matter what the 
understanding was with Mr. Bennett, of the Herald, no matter what 
were the circumstances under which this expedition was organized, Mr. 
Collins was entitled simply to the treatment of a common seaman. 
Well, now you will see how that error creeps in ; and, as this is a very 
important matter, I will take the liberty of presenting our view upon 
it briefly, because upon the decision of the committee in reference to 
this matter will depend a good deal of testimony. By a regulation of 
the United States Navy, notwithstanding the fact that this was an ex- 
pedition set on foot by private enterprise, Mr. Collins discovered that 
he could only be entered upon the books as a seaman. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That was under the act of Congress. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir; you are right. It was according to an act of 
Congress. He could only be entered as a common seaman upon the 
books of the ship, not being connected with the naval service of the 
United States. But in an investigation of this character, in the wide 
scope given by the resolution of Congress, are the committee to be bound 
by strict technical rules of law, which undoubtedly might govern in 
another tribunal and under other circumstances? There can be no 
question that, although he was entered as a common seaman, he departed 
on that expedition in a special capacitj^ in the interest of science and to 
represent a scientific bureau of the journal with which he was connected. 
There will be no doubt about that. 

Mr. Boua ELLE. I would suggest that the way in which the investiga- 
tion started that we had not Mr. Collinses status placed before the com- 
mittee. 

Mr. Curtis. I am siraj^ly referring to this as an illustration of what 
I am about to say in reference to the objection made upon the other side, 
to show a parallel injustice in that case. 

Now, Mr. De Long's statement — if it was founded on fact, and he was 
in possession of the faculties that he was in possession of when he de- 
parted on that exj)edition — as contained in these memoranda shows, 
over his own handwriting, beyond any controversy, that the cause of 
the differences, so far as that expresses it, was entirely inadequate and 
puerile: much more inadequate when it was to result in a treatment not 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 25 

contemplated by scientific men, when it was to result in the arrest and 
imprisonment of Mr. Collins. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What do you understand by " arrest and imprison- 
ment^'? 

Mr. Curtis. I take the terms as synonymous. I presume when he 
is put under arrest he is put under restraint. If he is put under re- 
straint he is imprisoned. He may not have been imprisoned within 
four walls, because he may have been on his parole. That has not yet 
been discovered. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I only asked the question because it is a matter of 
common occurrence for an officer to be put under arrest, which would 
be classed by you as trivial — that is the commonest method of applying 
restriction to an officer. 

Mr. Curtis. But, you see, we have to build this question up. What- 
ever the cause of difference might have been, whether well grounded 
or not, they existed, and they resulted in the physical fact, already tes- 
tified by Mr. Bartlett, of his arrest. It is immaterial to me whether 
that arrest was followed by actual x)hysical imprisonment or not. It 
certainly was the result of the application of the technical rule that 
governs technical relations between the seamen and the officer of the 
ship. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Ko ; not necessarily. Permit me. Between a su- 
perior and an inferior. He has the same i)Ower to place under arrest 
any officer as he would a seaman. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, X admit your correction. On reflection, it is better 
than mine, and you know more about it than I do ; but what I contend 
is this : We have proved there was a difference. That is a physical 
fact. 'Now, Collins is not here to make his statement. You have on 
this record — because in our concession those portions of the record, if 
applied to the scope of this resolution, will be part of the record of your 
committee — memoranda from De Long, in which he makes charges 
against Collins. He is permitted to speak from the grave. Collins, if 
the theory of the learned counsel be true, is not to be permitted to 
speak; to show, either, from his own mouth, that there were causes for 
difference ; to show what those causes of difference were. jM'ow, I sub- 
mit, sir, this is an expedition that is, so far as the rules of law that 
govern this investigation are concerned, outside of the cold technicali- 
ties of the law. We are not in a court of law seeking damages. We 
are not making application for honors or pensions, but we are simply 
asking a committee of the House of Eepresentatives as intelligent men, 
as men of good common sense and judgment, to receive this statement 
of Collins, equally with the statement that was permitted to be made in 
the memoranda before a board of inquiry. It would be a palpable in- 
justice, it seems to me, to allow the memoranda of De Long to remain 
forever and forever on the record of this Court of Inquiry, and on the 
records of this House, and then not permit the statement of Collins in 
reference to this or to other differences to be received. How else can 
you get at the truth 'i The survivors, unless they saw physical acts, un- 
less they heard words, unless they were present when there were utter- 
ances, cannot testify any more than the dead men in their graves, and 
this singular inconsistency was exhibited before the Board of Inquiry. 
They ruled substantially that no testimony from the lips of the dead 
through another person could be received, neither could testimony from 
the lips of a living man be received through another persons, and in the 
same investigation and in the same inquiry they permit these memo- 
randa to go upon the record. 'No^Y, I submit that the strict rule of law 



26 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that governs in most of the States of this Union, a rule of law that was 
made for the protection of property, a rule of law that was made for 
the protection of the States, to prevent fraud and collusion and corrni)- 
tion after the death of the testator, is not to be applied here. It cannot 
be. Wonld you have any hesitation to believe an utterance of Collins 
or an utterance of De Long if repeated to you by a reputable person? 
Supposing, for instance, a person should tell you in reference to a man 
that you knew well that he had died at ii certain spot ; that he had said 
certain things ; that he had given certain messages to you, desiring 
him to carry them. Under ordinary circumstances you would have no 
doubt of that. You would not say let me reach down the statute 
book ; let me see what the statute law of the State or of the land says 
in regard to the testimony of persons in civil controversies or criminal 
prosecutions. Not at all. And, I submit, sir, as a question of parlia- 
mentary precedent, as a question so well settled that it has become 
parliamentary law, and more particularly in the trial of peers in Eng- 
land; and 1 believe, although I am not positive in that regard, the 
same principle was enunciated in the trial ot Queen Caroline, that 
certain statements made by dead persons, transmitted through other 
disinterested persons, were received. This strict rule of law for which 
the gentleman contends is not to be applied here, I respectfully submit. 
Here was a man who was with Collins on the same expedition. He 
knew of the fact of his arrest, knew of the fact that there must have 
been some difference. De Long's statement looks out at us from the 
record, and we are denied the privilege of giving Collins' statement in 
regard to the same matter. I submit it is unjust. 

Mr. Arnoitx. I submit that in this record were admitted the writings 
of Mr. Collins in precisely the same way that the writings of Mr. De 
Long were admitted, and the committee will find them on page 318, 
Exhibit Q. K. That letter is at length what Mr. Collins wrote. 

The counsel has traveled over two very distinct and difterent points 
and 1 would like to answer both of them. He refers to the report which 
Ca])tain De Long made to the Navy Department, and memoranda con- 
nected with it as to the difference between, as he considers it, Mr. Col- 
lins and Captain De Long. Now 1 say that the regulation there referred 
to, that the men should take ext-rcise, was one ot the wisest and most 
beneficial rules that could be made on board a vessel in the Arctic re- 
gions ; that it was shown that Mr. Collins deliberately disobeyed it. It 
was an act of gross insubordination, and when he was spoken to by his 
superior officer, he answered in a way for which he deserved to be court- 
martialed if he had been an officer of the vessel. I say that taking that 
record there, instead of its being a trivial matter, it was as gross insubor- 
dination as any man could be guilty of in the discipline of the Navy. But 
that has nothing to do with the question which is now before you, and it 
is this: This gentleman now on the witness stand is one of a number of 
survivors, every one of whom was in precisely the same position, so far 
as proximity to the parties was concerned, as the witness. He knew 
notiiing about the transaction — I mean as a matter of fact. All that 
he knows about it is by hearsay. Now it is ])roposed that the party 
who is placed under arrest, and which this Naval Committee understands 
so fully tliat it is not necessary to si)eak of it — a member of that ship's 
com[)any is placed under arrest, and it is proposed that the arrested 
man shall tell somebody else what was the ground, or what he had to 
say in defense of his conduct, and that tliat somebody else can come 
here and testify to it, and so make a fact before the committee. Now 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 27 

I submit that it uever was permitted, and never can be permitted, in 
any court of inquiry, or in any court of any kind. 

The counsel has alluded to the proceedings in the House of Peers as 
a court. There is only one exception which they ever admitted, and 
that is admitted in every court in the world, and that is in regard to 
pedigree. 

From the very nature of the case the only way that you can establish 
a person's pedigree is by hearsay testimony, when you go far enough 
back, and therefore it is x)ermitted. But even in such cases the testi- 
mony is not admitted after the controversy has arisen. Now the coun- 
sel chooses to treat this as a controversy. I say it Avas none at all. 
Here was the commanding officer enforcing the discipline on shipboard. 
That does not make any controversy between him and anybody else on 
board. But giving him all that he claims for it, if it made a contro- 
versy the evidence subsequent to that time is not admissible, and it is 
the only instance that I ever heard of that hearsay evidence can be ever 
introduced in a person's favor. 

Mr. Curtis. The weakness of the gentleman's argument is this : He 
says that we are trying to make a fact by hearsay evidence, and goes 
on in the next breath and treats as a record a memorandum of charges 
which were never tried, and assumes that they were true, thus illustrat- 
ing more powerfully than I could have done, the very position that I 
assumed. Now there are cases and cases, and they have not been 
infrequent in the last one hundred and fifty or two hundred years, 
where hearsay evidence has been taken, not in case of pedigree. 1 am 
willing to leave that question to the chairman. But what I say is this: 
It is apparent that the other side, like who ever had charge of the 
proceedings in the Court of Inquiry, are endeavoring to take from the 
legitimate proof in this investigation that which is vital and important 
to us, and override the very rules they themselves make, wben applied 
to us, and introducing matter in the very same illegitimate manner, as 
they contend, vital and imx^ortant to themselves. Now, that is the posi- 
tion. Here is a memorandum of charges which the learned counsel says 
assumes the dignity of a fact on this record — a memorandum of cliarges 
that were never tried — a memorandum of charges found on the body of a 
dead person, and we are not permitted, by still better evidence than 
that of a disinterested i)erson in an investigation of this character to 
prove our side of the case. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The question at issue between the counsel seems to 
be simply whether the investigation shall be conducted according to 
the strict legal rules of evidence. As one member of the committee not 
of the legal profession, I should be very willing, and rather prefer, to 
have the investigation conducted according to what the gentleman 
terms the rules of common sense, because -I understand them better 
than I do the rules of legal evidence. But it seems to me if these parties 
are to be represented by counsel, that the only possible object of having 
counsel here is to interpret and guard the application of the rules of 
evidence, and if we are not going to be governed by the legal rules, we 
had better take the witnesses in hand and run them ourselves. Thus 
far we have had two-thirds counsel to one-third witness. Now, my 
friend, the chairman, will rule upon this point, because he is the judge. 

The Chairman. The rule laid down by Mr. Arnoux is the general 
rule of evidence. But there is some exception to that. The saying of a 
party to an act or to certain circumstances and situations in which he 
may be placed and found, explanatory of that act, or those circumstances 



28 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

• 
or situations, are admissible in evidence and termed a part of the res 
gesice as explanatory of the act. 

Mr. Arnoux. But those are not declarations made subsequently. 

The Chairman. The sayings of the party while in the performance of 
the act ! 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

The Chairman. As if he is about leaving Washington he says he 
is going to New York, and he is going on a certain matter of business. 
Those declarations made explanatory of his act are admissible. Now, 
if Mr. Jerome J. Collins was suspended from his duties, and Mr. Bartlett 
found him so suspended, and he entered into an explanation of his sus- 
pension, explaining why and how, and the mode and manner in which it 
was done, my own opinion is that that is admissible as part of the res 
gestw of his acts and condition at that time. 

Mr. Arnoux. But that would not be months after the act of suspen- 
sion, would it ? 

The Chairman. No, sir ; it does not appear how long that was. The 
question was, if he knew about his arrest. 

Mr. Arnoux. He asked if he had made any statement to him about it. 

Mr. Curtis. I withdraw that question. 

Mr. Arnoux. Yery well. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. At the time when he was under arrest did he make any statement 
to you in reference to the arrest and its causes? — A. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Did I understand the witness to say that he was un- 
der arrest ? 

The Witness. Arrest or suspension from duty. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. As a fact you knew that he was arrested or suspended from duty ? — 
A- Yes, sir ; that he was either arrested or suspended, or both. 

Q. You knew that as a fact ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, at the time of his arrest or suspension, or both, did he make 
any statement to you of its causes ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. Tell us what they were. 

Mr. Arnoux. One moment. Let me ask a question before that. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How soon after he was arrested or suspended, or both, was it that 
he made that statement? 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that if it was made during his arrest or sus- 
pension, because the act continued, in the language of the chairman. 

The Chairman. It would do no harm. 

A. I think it was the night after the occurrence. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. As a matter of fact, was he arrested or suspended! — A. Well, I 
did not see any positive arrest or suspension made, but he was taken 
from duty. That was evident. I coukl see that very i)laiidy. 

Q. You saw that with your eyes; it was a physical fact? — A. Certainly, 
it was a physical fiict that he was taken from duty. 

Q. You know that he was suspended from duty ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, at the time of liis suspension, before his suspension had 
terminated or ended, did he make any statement to you of its cause ? — 
A. Yes, sir ; he spoke to me several times 

Q. Now, what did he say? 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 29 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, I object to any of the subsequent times after that 
first night. 

Mr. Curtis (to witness). Well, take the first time; we'll take that 
first. 

The Witness. I do not understand the question exactly now. What 
was it ? 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. At the time of his suspension, during the time of his suspension 
did he make any statement to you relative to its causes 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, what was it"? 

Mr. Arnoux. That is in the first conversation. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, of course he cannot give the first last. There is 
a beginning of all things, even in nature. 

Mr. Arnoux. I want him to confine himself to the first. — A. He said 
to me that he and De Long had had several differences in relation to his 
position and the nse of scientific instruments on board the ship ; that 
the scientific instruments had been placed in his charge by De Long at 
the time of leaving San Francisco, or at the time he joined the expedi- 
tion, and that De Long had gradually taken his instruments from him ; 
had left him very few in his position ; had told him several times that 
he did not know the use of his instruments, and had finally placed him 
in certain positions and under certain restrictions in regard to open air 
exercise that made it very unpleasant and uncomfortable for him, and 
almost unendurable to him ; that he had been living a perfect '^ hell on 
earth," and as he had to take his duty on watch, as they call it, aboard 
ship at 12 noon — make an observation at 12 o'clock and remain on watch 
until 3 o'clock the next morning — that he thought he had sufficient open 
air exercise without being called to have his breakfast in time to go on 
the ice at 11 o'clock, as he had to be out at 12, and remain out until 3; 
and he said he had told De Long that he did not propose to be watched 
and dogged as though he was a poor man's cur. 

Q. I believe you stated that he went out as the scientific officer of 
the ship, or connected with the scientific department ? — A. That I stated 
from hearsay. 

Mr. Arnoux. He said as weather reporter. 

The Witness. As weather reporter. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In that conversation, do you remember whether he said anything 
about going down in the engine-room to warm himself, or to get a 
dish of hot tea, or anything of that nature, and that DeLong would not 
permit him. 

Mr. Arnoux. Is that a part of that first conversation*?-^ A. Yes, sir; 
he told me that he was in the habit of coming into the fire-room where 
the distiller for distilling fresh water was run, during the night, to have 
a cup of tea made, generally at 3 o'clock, after he had made his last 
morning observation ; and he told me that he had even been denied 
that ; that De Long had told him that it was not within the dignity of 
an officer to associate too freely with the men. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Not within the dignity of an officer ! — A. Those are the words 
he used, ^'That it was not within the dignity of an officer to associate 
too freely with the men, and that if he wanted fresh water he could get 
it from Mr. Melville." 



30 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. He referred bim to Mr. Melville 1 — A. That was the statement that 
Collius made to me. 

Q. At that time did he say anything' about his treatment on board, 
before the time of arrest? — A. AVell, only as I stated, that he had lived 
a perfect hell on earth. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did he say that before his arrest? — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. I did not ask him that; but did he at that conversation 
which he has given say anything about his (Collins's) treatment before 
his (Collins's) arrest on board ? He did not say anything that you antic- 
ipated. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Is that all that you remember on that subject ? — A. Well, at that 
particular time, yes. 

Q. Do not go beyond the time that he was liberated. During the time 
that his suspension lasted did you have other conversations with him ?^ 
A. Oh, yes. 

Q. And on the same topic? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. And what did he say? 

Mr. Arnoux. 1 object to those later conversations. That would be 
like a man in a hospital from an accident, saying after he had been there 
six months that he was shot by somebody; his declarations during the 
time that he was in the hospital would not be partof the res gestcv; they 
may be on the day he was carried there or the day after, but not six 
mouths after. 

Mr. Curtis. Would it be any less true? 

Mr. Arnoux. The declarations would not be receivable as partof the 
res gestce; it has been so held distinctl3^ 

Mr. CuR'J IS. They would be in reference to the wound which he had 
had for six months. 

The Chairman. Strictly this is not admissible unless he was speak- 
ing about his then i)reseut treatment. 

Mr. Arnoux. But that would have nothing to do with the matter of 
arrest, and therefore it would not be part of that declaration, and it 
w^ould ba the same as if there had been no arrest. 

Mr. Curtis. I am trying to show that he was talking to this gentle- 
man as his friend about this continued ill-treatment and about this sus- 
pension. It was not a suspension of a day or a week; it was a length- 
ened suspension in which all of these indignities continued. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then if it was a lengthened suspension it is precisely 
the same as if there was no suspension. 

Mr. Curtis. I do not know of any razor that will cut that hair. 

Mr. Arnoux. Here was a suspension. You have allowed statements 
made at the time as characteristic of the suspension. You did not 
allow him to state if he had heard him say anything about his treat- 
ment on board the boat. The arrest, the depriving him of his duty, 
had nothing whatever to do with the subsequent things, and, as I under- 
stand, the connnittee has ruled that any complaints that Mr. Collins 
might have made to anybody are admissible in evidence here. 

Mr. Curtis. The arrest was simply the connecting link between the 
maltreatment before and after. It is one continuous act of ill-treat- 
ment. To use the languilge of the witness, he lived in a hell on earth. 

The Chairman. Now, if there were any acts of ill-treatment after the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 31 

arrest, at any time subsequent, continuous acts, his declarations rela- 
tive to that treatment and accomi)anYini^- the treatment itself would be 
admissible. If he knows of any acts of ill treatment himself, he can 
specify those as facts, and then the declarations of Collins accompany- 
ing that treatment, cotemi)oraneous with the treatment, are all admis- 
sible. 

Mr. Curtis. That is exactly what I am trying to get at and I think 
my question shows it. 

Mr. Arnoux. We both understand the rule of law the same way, 
but we both misunderstand the question. 

Mr. Curtis. I don't j it is you. There will be no mistake about 
this question. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. After the suspension, during that suspension, and before that sus- 
pension ended, did he say anything to you of a continuous ill treat- 
ment? 

Mr. Arnoux. I object to that question. It is only admissible if he 
knows of any ill treatment subsequent to that arrest, and then he can 
state whether there were ruj co-temporaneous declarations. 

The Chairman. He can state what his treatment was as far as it 
came within his knowledge, and then what Collins said. 

Mr. Curtis. Exactly. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. (Resuming.) You saw that the act of suspension continued, did 
you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now I v/ill put the question to you once more. After the arrest 
or the susx)ension, during the suspension and before it ended, did he say 
anything to you about his continuous ill-treatment ! 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, I object to that. I say this is the question : 
After that arrest, did you know of any other act being done to Mr. 
Collins ? 

Mr. Curtis. I wish the committee to rule on that question of mine. 

Mr. Boutelle. I understand you use the terms ''arrest" and "ill- 
treatment" as synonymous '? 

Mr. Arnoux. He says continuous. 

Mr. Curtis. I put the question just as the chairman dictated, and 
just as the gentleman dictated it before I put it. 

The Chairman. Not quite. Now, if you will ask Mr. Bartlett if he 
knows of any insults or mistreatment after his arrest or suspension, 
whichever it might be, or both — he says it might be one, it might be 
both — of any indignity, insults, or ill-treatment subsequent to that time 
and he has knowledge of it himself, then he may give any statements 
Mr. Collins made explanatory of that. 

Mr. Curtis. Supj^ose he was not by when that act of ill-treatment 
was committed and he was told of it during this continuous suspension, 
which we shall claim was an act of indignity ; supposing these acts 
were committed when he was at a distance during the continuance of 
this suspension, would not the complaints Collins had poured into his 
ear about it be competent "? 

The Chairman. If they had connection with the suspension. 

Mr. Curtis. Exactly ; because the suspension was continuing. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

^, I ask you did he during the time the suspension continued 
you of any ill-treatments 



32 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, I object to that, for that is enabling him to make 
ill-treatment as a fact on the man's statement of it. Now he has told 
one fact, that the man was suspended or something of that kind. That 
is a fact within his knowledge. Now, is there any other fact within his 
knowledge *? Let us see whether there is. May I put that question ? 
Is there any other fact of ill-treatment within your knowledge ? 

The Chairman. 1 think it would be well enough to hear what he 
says, and then we can tell whether there was any other act of ill-treat- 
ment or not Avithout writing it down. 

(The stenographer was directed to suspend taking notes, in order that 
the committee might ascertain whether the testimony was proper to go 
on the record, after which the proceeding was resumed as follows :) 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Between the act of suspension and the second act that you spoke 
of, in which he told Collins that he would not allow him to touch a rope, 
&c., did he make complaints to you of continuous ill-treatment ? — A. 
Yes, sir; several times. 

Q. Now, be kind enough to tell us what you saw and heard in refer- 
ence to the second act ; that is, wherein he told him not to touch a 
rope, &c. ? — A. Mr. Collins had been permitted, without being ordered 
not to do so, from the time we commenced to retreat up until about the 1st 
of July, I think, to work in one of the teams with the men. We worked 
in teams harnessed like dog teams. We were crossing a crack in the 
ice that was probably 15 or HO feet wide and had a smaller piece jammed 
in the crack that had to be held in position by a rope tied to it. Mr. 
(Jollins was holding this piece of ice while we were getting the sledge 
across. De Long came up and says : " Mr. Collins, give that rope to one 
of the men." Mr. Collins did not instantly obey; he still hung to the 
rope. De Long turned to him again, and says, "Mr. Collins, give that 
rope to Dressier," naming Dressier, who was near by, and says, " Damn 
you, don't you let me see you put your hand to another thing unti I 
order you." 

Q. Now, permit me to ask you, before the time that Mr. DeLong used 
the language that you have spoken of, had Mr. Collins used any insult- 
ing expression to him "? — A. Not that I ever heard. 

Q. And at this very time Mr. Collins was endeavoring to make him- 
self useful to the others in the expedition, to aid in their extrication? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he was trying literally, as you say, to harness himself up like 
a dog to draw a sledge with the men 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. BouTELLE. He was a member of the team ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes ; but he says he would not allow him to be harnessed 
to the team, the poor privilege of an Esquimau dog. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. I understood you to say he did work in the team "? — A. He did for 
about two weeks. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What did he do after that ! — A. Simply got himself along, walked 
along. 
Q. He was relieved from working in the team ! — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, Mr. Bartlett, so as to fix the date as nearly as you can rer 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 33 

oUect, when was it that that last incident occurred '? — A. I think it was 
about the 1st of July. 

Q. In what year '? — A. 1881. 

Q. And have you any knowledge as to the exact time, or thereabouts, 
when Mr. Collins perished ! — A. Nothing, only what I got from De 
Long's journal. 

Q. How soon after did you hear of his death '? 

The Witness. After this ^ 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. Ifc was a year and a half nearly ; I will retract that, if I am al- 
lowed. This was about the 1st of July, and it was in March of the 
next year that I knew of his death. 

Q. Now, at the time of the occurrence of this last incident had the 
ship's crew separated ? — A. ISTo, sir. 

Q. You were all together ? — A. All together. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to tell me, if your memory serves you, if 
you had lost any men at that time 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Your original crew consisted of thirty-two men, did it not?— A. 
Thirty-three. 

Q. And at the time of the occurrence of the last incident, you were all 
together? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And where were you! — A. Well, God knows, I don't; we were in 
the ice in the Arctic Ocean. 

Q. That is a fact you did not learn from De Long's journal ?— A. No, 
sir. 

Q. You were in the Arctic Ocean ! — A. Y^es, sir. 

Q. I suppose you were on a drift ? — A. Yes, drifting ice. 

Q. How soon after that did you see Collins for the last time ? — A. 
Well, I saw him right after. 

Q. How long after did you see him for the last time f — A. I saw him 
the 12th of September. 

Q. Of what year ? — A. The same year. 

Q. And where was he then ? — A. He was in De Long's boat, the first 
cutter. 

Q. Now, between the time of the last incident to which you have tes- 
tified and the time when you last saw Collins was he restored to duty ? 
— A. Not to my knowledge. 

Q. Then from the time when you witnessed this last incident up to 
the time when you separated from him forever he was not restored to 
duty ? — A. No, sir ; not to m}^ knowledge. 

Q. And so far as you know the same sentiment and feeling existed 
between him and De Long as before ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q, Between the time of the second incident and the time when you 
last separated from him did you yourself witness any other act or hear 
any other conversation between De Long and Collins ? — A. No, sir ; I 
did not. 

Q. He was left to go on by himself, was he ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Isolated from the rest? — A. No, sir; permitted to walk along as 
we were advancing with the sleighs. 

Q. Was he not ordered to the rear ? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. Now, at the time of the last incident you were all together. When 
did 3^ou separate?— A. On the 12th of September. 

Q. And did you know where you were ? — A. Well, comparatively, by 
chart knowledge. We were between sixty and seventy miles northeast 
of the mouth of the Lena Eiver. 

3 J Q* 



34 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. To the northeast of the Lena Kiver ; that would be what we call 
the New Siberian Islands '? — A. No, sir ; it was the Simonoski Island. 

Q. Where were the Lena Islands ? — A. The^^ were to the northeast. 

Q. I say they were to the northeast of the Lena Eiver ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, when you separated, you separated into three i^arties? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. One was commanded by De Long! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, who went with De Long'? — A. Mr. Nindemann, Dr. Ambler, 
Mr. Collins, Ericsson, Gortz, Iverson, Kaak 

Q. (Interposing.) About how many! — A. There were fourteen in his 
1)3 rty, sir. 

Q. In one boat ! — A. Yes ; in one boat. 

Q. Who had the other two boats ? — A. Lieutenant Chipp had the 
second cutter. 

Q. And with him were how many men ! — A. Eight people. 

Q. None of them were ever found f — A. No, sir. 

Q. And in the third boat was Mr. Melville 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you name the persons who were with him 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who were they ! — A. There was Mr. Danenhower, Leach, Wilson, 
Mansen, Charles Tong Sing, Aniguin, Newcomb, Cole, and Lauterbach. 

Q. You were with Melville, were you not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. From that moment you never saw Collins ! — A. Not till I saw him 
dead. 

Q. And you never saw Chipp '? — A. No, sir. 

Q. None of that boat's crew was ever found ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. W^herewas Collins found? — A. In the Lena delta, on the bank of 
the river. 

Q. And by whom ? — A. lie was immediately discovered by Mr. Mel- 
ville and Mr. Nindemann. I believe they were the people who found him. 

Q. Do you remember when it was you found the t)ody of Mr. Collins f — 
A. It was in March. 

Q. Of what year ?— A. 1882. 

Q. Did you find any persons with him 1 — A . Yes, sir. 

Q. Whom did you find ! — A. We found Lee, Kaak, Iverson, Dresler. 

Q. I mean did you find any living person ! — A. No, sir ; they were 
dead people. 

Q. You found all of De Long's party dead that were with him in that 
place ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who were with you when you found him! — A. I was associated 
with Mr. Melville aud Mr. Nindemann in the service. 

Q. And they have survived ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember that Mr. Collins had any pai^ers on his body ! — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who took charge of those papers ! — A. I did till that night. 

Q. What did you do with them then ! — A. Turned them over to Mr. 
Melville. 

Q. Did you (»ver see them afterwards ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you ever seen since what purports to be the entire papers 
found on Mr. Collins ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And where did you see Avhat purported to be the entire papers 
found on Mr. Collins ! — A. In New York. 

Q. In whose possession ! — A. In the possession of Dr. Collins. 

Q. Were the papers that you saw in New York purporting to be 
the entire papers found on the body of Mr. Collins the entire number 
that were found ! 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 35 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). No, no 5 is there anything in this inquiry 
that leads to this investigation ? 

Mr. Curtis. Why not ? 

Mr. Arnoux. If, after the expedition had reached land and certain 
papers found by this gentleman were handed to somebody else, supposing 
they were destroyed, is that part of this matter? 

Mr. Curtis. Supposing on one hand it is a fair presumption from the 
other facts in the case that they were not taken but were confiscated 
and destroyed. 

Mr. Arnoux. The physical actual expedition was ended when these 
men were on the shore. Is what is done a matter of inquiry? 

The Chairman. I think so ; undoubtedly, 

Mr. Arnoux. Very well, sir; then I interpose no objection. 

The Chairman. It was part of the expedition to save the survivors. 

Mr. Arnoux. No, but these men were dead. 

The Chairman. That is why I say it is not limited when they came 
on shore to 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). I will put the question again. 

By Mr. CuRTiS: 

Q. Were the papers that you saw in New York in the possession of 
Dr. Collins the same in numl3er as those that you saw on the body of his 
dead brother ? — A. I could not state in regard to the exact number of 
the papers, but they were not all that I took off of him. 

Q. You do not know what became of those?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Those papers were intact when they left your possession? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not tamper with them? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Before you found the body of Collins how long was it before you 
or 3>uj of yc>ur party heard where he was ? — A. It was only a day be- 
fore — that is, that we had any positive knowledge where they were. 

Q. Where were you two months before the body of Collins was 
found? — A. I think I was in Bulun. 

Q. That is southwest of the spot on the Lena Eiver, where Collinses 
body was found, was it? — A. It is to the southward of that. 

Q. About southwest? — A. I think not; it is to the south. 

Q. On the opposite side of the Lena Eiver?— A. Well, he was not 
found on the Lena Eiver proper; he was found on the Lena delta. 

Q. Was he not found on the right bank of the Lena Eiver, or rather 
to the right of the Lena Eiver ? — A. Well, it is nearly north ; very little 
east of the mouth proper of the Lena. 

Q. But Bulun was either south or a little southwest of the place where 
his body was found? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q, His body was found on one side of the river and Bulun is on the 
other ? — A. Both would be on the same side if you call the spot where 
he was found the Lena Eiver. 

Q. Did you not have to cross a river to get to where his body was 
found? — A. We had to cross several rivers. 

Q. Did you not have to cross the Lena Eiver? — A. No, sir; not the 
Lena Eiver proper. 

Q. Will you please point out on this map, at page 306 of the record 
of the Court of Inquiry, where you found the body of De Long ?— A. (In- 
dicating.) It was right in here. 

Q. Bulun is where you were when you first heard where he was? — A. 
When we fell in with Nindemann and Noros and heard from them about 
where he was. 



36 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What boat were they in^ — A. The first cutter. 

Q. What facilities had you, if any, for traveling from Bulun to this 
si)ot where the body of Collins was found! — A. Keindeer and dogs. 

Q. How many in your party were alive at Bulun? — A. We were all 
alive ; that is, of our immediate party. 

Q- That is what I mean. Did you have provisions! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were tbey easily obtainable in the country! — A. Well, at certain 
seasons of the year; yes, such as they were. 

Q. Well, at that time ! — A. Well, yes; there was plenty of provisions 
at Bnlnn at that time. 

Q. Who brought you notice of the position of De Long ! — A. Well, 
that came immediately from Nindemann and Noros. We received news 
from Nindemann and Noros b^^ an exile. 

Q. What was his name; do you remember! — A. His name was K^us- 
mah. 

Q. How many days' journey was it from Bulun to the spot where you 
found Collins !— A. Well, it would depend a good deal ui^on how fast a 
man travels. 

Q. Well, with a reindeer team ! — A. And upon the load he had. A 
man with an ordinary sled-load and ordinary weather could probably 
make it in three days, or two days and a half. 

Q. How long was it after you got this information in reference to 
Collins before you found his dead body ! — A. 1 can't give it exactly. 

Q. I know you cannot, but approximate it, if you please ! — A. Well, 
it was three months, I think. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of how long he had been dead when you 
found him! — A. Only from De Long's journal. 

Q. And that information, such as it was, fixed the time at what! 
What was the last entrj^ in his journal ! — A. I think it read "140th day 
from the ship. Gortz and Boyd died during night. Mr. Collins dying." 
October 30, 1 think, was the date. 

Q. And you found him how soon after that! — A. We found him the 
last of March. 

Q. You don't know whether he had ceased to make entries in his 
journal long before he died or not! — A. Well, I think not from the con- 
dition that they were in. 

Q. Now, we will leave that subject for the present. Do yon know, as 
a matter of fact, Mr. Bartlett, what was the general conduct of Mr. Col- 
lins on the ship ! — A. Well, I don't know it as a fact any further than 
personal observation goes. 

Q. Exactly. — A. His deportment was always gentlemanly, as far as I 
know. 

Q. Now, in reference to that matter, did you ever hear any of the 
officers or men speak about the way in which Mr. Collins was treated, 
and especially about the trouble that occurred on or about December 
2, 1880 ! 

Mr. Arnoux. I think that should not be answered. 

Mr. Curtis. It is a matter of common rumor, common report. 

Mr. Aknoux. If what Collins said was part of the res gestce, surely 
what other people say is not. They are comi)etent to testify. At that 
rate every livhig man can be called upon to tell what he heard every 
living man on the ship say about somebod^^ else. 

Mr. Curtis. Here was a comparatively small company of thirty-two 
or thirty-three people originally. Of course they were a community 
among themselves, and nothing of the slightest character could take 
place, sui)i)osing the men to be together at the time that it did take 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 37 

place, that would escape their ohservatiou, and the treatment was of 
such a character that it became the subject of common talk and speech. 
It became a subject of common reputation. Men spoke of it. I think 
that is evidence. The men are not here to speak for themselves. 

Mr. Arnoux. I think if it was the complaint of the men about their 
own affairs that is one thing. But what a man says he thinks about 
somebody else, and he tells it to another man, and that other man 
comes here and testifies to it, puts at defiance all rules or laws of evi- 
dence. 

Mr. Curtis. Supposing you want to make the test a man's reputa- 
tion in the community in which he lives. That is a matter of common 
repute, common rumor. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is not a question here of reputation. You do not 
propose to i)rove that these men are of good or bad reputation. 

Mr. Curtis. I am not proposing anything of the kind, but refer to 
that simply as matter of illustration. I say here was a small commu- 
nity. Every act that was committed was known to all, and the char- 
acter of the treatment was such that it excited the attention of all and 
they spoke of it. 

The Chairman. I do not know of any rule carrying the declarations 
of third persons to that extent. 1 do not think I have ever seen any 
case where it has been so held in the investigation of facts to ascertain 
truth. 

Mr. Curtis. I won't press it, sir. 

The Chairman. Anything that he kuowshimself, as a matter of course 
he can tell. 

By Mr. Curtis ; 

Q. Did you ever during all this exi)edition observe that Mr. Collins 
treated Mr. De Long in any other manner than was becoming to a 
gentleman^ — A. No, sir. 

Q. I believe you were friendly with both? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was a part of Mr. Colli ns's duty, I believe, to take the midnight 
observations on the ship, was it not? — A. Yes, sir; while he was on 
duty. 

Q. Give as briefly and comprehensively as you can the history of Mr. 
Collins's conduct during the retreat that you spoke of, as it came under 
your observation. — A. His conduct was very good, as far as I know. 

Q. Who did the work on the retreat? — A. The enlisted men, princi- 
pally. 

Q. How about the officers ? — A. They did very little manual labor. 
They did not do any to amount to anything. 

Q. Was that true with regard to all the naval officers? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you give us ixuy details that now occur to you that illustrate 
that ? — A. Oh, yes; many times you would see them coming in at night, 
what we would call the last fleet ot* sleds. They would often congregate 
on the sunny side of a lump of ice and sit and warm themselves and 
wait for the people to come up with the boats. I think about eighteen 
people did the work of thirty- three. 

Q. Is there anything else that occurs to you ? 

The Witness In relation to the way they worked us? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes ; as to Avho did the work, and how it was done on 
the retreat, and what share or pari, if any, the officers had in it? — A. 
Ice-Pilot Dunbar used to proceed ahead and stake out a road, and Cap- 
tain DeLong usually followed after him and either rejected or adopted 
the road he had staked out, and there w^ere two teams composed of men 



38 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and two teams composed of dogs that used to precede. Mr. Melville at 
first was in charge of tlie team of men. He used to walk behind ns 
backwards and forwards making every trip with ns. We had to double 
the road seven or eight times as a rule to get all our stuff along. Lieu- 
tenant Chipp at that time was sick. Lieutenant Danenliower was under 
the doctor's treatment, unable to do anything. He did not do anything 
during the entire trip. 

Q. How was Mr. Melville? — A. Mr. Melville was all right. He took 
charge of the team, walked back and forth, but never assisted at times 
when we were stuck, except by giving us word to lift. 

Q. He gave you directions to exercise your muscles? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How did he direct you — in what terms? — A. Well, it was some- 
times, "Lift, damn you, lift!" and sometimes, "Pull her out, boys." 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. This was on the retreat? — A. Yes, sir. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Were there any other expressions that you do not desire to use in 
the presence of a lady? 

The Witness. In regard to what? 

Mr. Curtis. In regard to the directions given to you? — A. Well, no; 
not that I know of. 

Q. Any expressions of a coarse character used ? — A. Nothing, onlj^ 
once in a while, to curse a man a little. That is all, as far as cursing 
w^eut. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Hid the men ever use any profane language among themselves ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was not confined entirely to the officers? — A. Oh, no, sir; it 
was not a thing that was generally done; only at times, I say. 

Q. W^ho did you say went ahead and staked out the road? — A. Ice- 
Pilot Dunbar, or Mr. Dunbar. We called him Ice-Pilot Dunbar. 

Q. And Captain De Long went along with him, and either adopted 
or changed the road? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did it involve any more manual labor to go ahead and stake it out 
than to change the stakes ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How much ? — A. In carrying the stakes. 

Q. I understood you to say he would modify them ? — A. Yes ; he did 
sometimes. 

Q. And the difference would be that the other man carried the stakes 
and he did not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. They both traveled over the same ground ? — A. ISTo, sir; because 
Mr. Dunbar would invariably work and go in many different directions 
io i)ktk out the best route and stake it, and it was easier for the man to 
follow along from one flag to the other when he could see ahead of him. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you hear any expression by Lieutenant Danenhower that he 
would have De Long broken when he returned for the manner in which 
he had conducted the expedition? 

Mr. Arnoux. I object to that. That certainly is not competent as 
against De Long and Lieutenant Danenhower. 

Mr. Curtis. It goes to the general management of the expedition. 

Mr. Arnoux. Not at all ; not wliat he heard somebody else say. 

The Chairman. I do not think it is admissible at this stage. It may 
be at some other stage. I do not know. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 39 

Mr. Curtis. Very well ; I will reserve it. 

The Chairman. Unless it was said in the presence and hearing of 
Captain De Long. If it was, of course it is admissible. 
Mr. Curtis. 1 put it on the theory that it was. 
Mr. Arnoux. That would imply insubordination. 
Mr. Curtis We will show it is material a little further on. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Where is Geeomovialocke ? — A. It is situated in the southeastern 
part or eastern part of the Lena delta. 

Q. Who was in command of the party to which you were attached 
after the separation of the boats *? — A. Chief Engineer Melville , and 
Mr. Danenhower, at times, under instructions from Mr. Melville. 

Q. Before the separation of the boats were there any general or spe- 
cial instructions as to the line of the retreat? — A. Not that I have any 
positive knowledge of; only by hearsay. • 

Q. Did De Long, to your knowledge, give any instructions as to the 
line of retreat? 

The Witness. How do you mean? In boats or from the time of 
the 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). Before the separation of the boats were 
there any general or special instructions given as to the line of retreat? 
— A. There was at the time of our first starting or beginning to make 
the retreat. 

Q. What were they ? — A. I do not remember them in detail; they 
were read by Captain De Long, I believe; that our line of march would 
be formed in parties of five each, with a sleigh and three boats. 

Q. Was there not a written order? — A. Yes; I think he read it from 
written matter; he wrote it out and read it at general muster, as they 
call it, or the calling up of all the men. 

Q. Do you know what instructions were given to Chief Engineer 
Melville for his guidance in case the boats separated ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. State them. — A. That he was to make the best of his way to 
Barkin. 

Q.- Where is that? — A. Barkin is at the northeastern extremity of 
the Lena delta. There he was supposed to obtain a pilot, and then to 
place himself as soon as possible in communication with the Eussians. 
I think that was the reading of the order. I saw it only once. 

Q. Before the separation of the boats what was the condition of the 
party as far as health was concerned? — A. First rate. 

Q. State the course of the party under the charge of Chief Engineer 
Melville from September 16, when land was sighted ? — A. We proceeded 
into the mouth of the river, all of ns feeling pretty well because we had 
got to land and tried to make a landing, but were prevented from so 
doing by the shoalness of the water in the river, and finally the boat 
was turned around and started oilt of the river again to find Barkin, 
not knowing where it was, but supposing it was to the northward of 
us. I objected to the boat being taken out of the river again. I did 
not want to go. I thought that that river was as large as the Missis- 
sippi and must eventually take us to some point farther up the river. 
Then the boat was turned back and continued on up the river. 

Q. Did not the natives tell Lieutenant Danenhower, on September 
21, that Bulun was six sleeps or days fartlier, and that there were tra- 
ders and merchants there ? — A. We supposed that that is what they 
told us. They did it by making signs as if going to sleep, a continuous 



40 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

number of times, to indicate six or seven days. That was at the first 
meeting with natives in the delta. 

Q. Did you not request Melville to i)usli on to Bulun at this time! — 
A. Not at that time. That was afterwards. 

Q. When was that! — A. I made a proposition wliile we were in Gee- 
omovialocke to go to Bulun, after we had been there, I guess, about 
two weeks. 

Q. How did he receive the proposition ! — A. Well, I think that he was 
rather inclined to act upon it at first, but through the discussions we 
had over it, and the influence that was brought to bear against the 
proposition, it was given up. 

Q. Did he assign any reason for his refusal to act upon your sugges- 
tion ! — A. No, sir ; I think it was done through what Mr. Daneuhower 
said in regard to it. 

Q. And what did he say about it! — A. Well, he said he considered 
himself physically the best man in the party, and that he thought if 
we undertook to make the trip in the way we proposed to do it 25 per 
cent, of us would be carried into Bulun either dead or on sleds. 

Q. What was your own opinion on that subject! — A. Well, at that 
time I thought we could do it, or I should not have made the proposi- 
tion. 

Q. Did after events prove that you were correct! — A. Yes; I think 
that we could have made the trip. 

Q. What was the physical condition of the different members of the 
party at the time you made this proposition! — A. Well, it was compar- 
atively good. Some of them were a very little lame. One of them, I 
think, could not walk — Leach — that is, could scarcely walk. 

Q. Did you have provisions ! — A. Very little, sir. 

Q. Did you have any facilities for traveling ! — A. There were facili- 
ties in the country, but they were not used or adopted. There were dogs 
there. 

Q. Could they have been obtained!— A. J think so; yes, sir. 

Q. In what way! — A. Well, merely by taking them. 

By Mr. BOTJTELLE: 
Q. Where were they, in the possession of some people ! — A. Thej^ 
were in the possession of the natives that lived there. We were living 
in a small native town at the time. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You could have hired them or bought them !- -A. Yes ; we after- 
wards hired them. 

Q. You at no time ever contemplated stealing th^m ! — A. Well, we 
did not know but we might take a team if we had a good chance. 

Q. How soon after the arrival of the party at Geeomovialocke were 
the members in a condition to travel ! — A. I think in about sixteen 
days. 

Q. What was done during the stay at Geeomovialocko to spread the 
news of the missing boats ! — A. Well, there was not a great deal done= 
What little there was, was done by Mr. Daneuhower visiting Kus- 
mah's. That was a place some three or four miles to the southeast. 

Q. That was the person you have already spoken of! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was done with him! — A. Well, I don't know; I was not 
there to hear it. 

Q. Was there any talk among the members of the party that some- 
thing should be done; if so, what was said on that subject! — A. We 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 41 

were all very anxious to get on towards home, very anxious to go, and 
I believe Daneuliower proposed to make a search. He used to talk that 
way in general, ordinary conversation, and all volunteered, I guess, at 
different times to search, but there was never anything done further 
than what Mr. Danenhower did. He went off' and was gone a day or 
two ; went to the southeast of where we were living, about 15 or 20 
miles, I should judge — 25, possibly — and back again. 

Q. Where did he think he was going ; do you know ? — A. He said he 
was going to Barkin, or was going to try to get there. 

Q. Barkin was in the other direction, was it not?— A. It was to the 
northeast or to the north of us. 

Q. Did you speak to Mellville about going on ; if so, what did he 
say ? — A. Well, he said he didn't know whether we could do it or not, 
but he said it was his opinion that we could make it. 1 think that he 
was influenced a great deal by Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. What influence, if any, was brought to bear to prevent you going 
at that time ? — A. Well, the statement I have already made in regard 
to the hardships that we would have to undergo. 

Q. Do you remember the day of Kusmah's visit to Geeomovialocke? 
— A. I think it was on the 10th of September j I am not positive in re- 
gard to these dates, because I have forgotten. 

Q. How long did he state it would take to go to Bulun and return?— 
A. He said that it would take him five days. 

Q. Do you know the reason why some members of the party were not 
allowed to go with him ? — A. Well, I think it was owing to a jealousy 
that existed between Melville and Danenhower. 

Q. Was there such a jealousy? — A. Apparently so. 

Q. How was that typified; how was it shown? — A. Ln iheir general 
conversation with the different people. 

Q. Well, with you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q- What was it? — A. On Mr. Danenhower's part I think it was caused 
by the treatment he received from De Long, and by being placed under 
orders by him under Melville. Then I think he felt as though he had 
the legal right to be in charge of the party, and Mr. Melville was, 
I think, afraid that if he allowed Mr. Danenhower to go to Bulun he 
would send dispatches to America that he knew nothing of, and, per- 
haps, gain control of the party. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with either Melville or Danenhower 
on that subject ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. With whom ?— A. With both of them. 

Q. What did Danenhower say to you on that subject ? — A. Danen- 
hower spoke to me in regard to it, and said that he thought if lie had 
charge of the party he could make it much easier for the people, and he 
could control the labor to be performed mlich better than Mr. Melville 
could. 

Q. And what did Melville say to you on the same subject? — A. Mel- 
ville said to me that he did not think he would let Danenhower go to 
Bulun, for fear that he would send some dispatches to America that he 
did not know of. 

Q. Then there was a jealousy as to who should reap the glory of this 
business ? — A. I think so ; yes, sir. 

Q. Was it possible to get transportation to Bulun, because Kus^iah 
started ?— A. Yes ; it would have been possible to go there. It is pos- 
sible at any season of the year to go there from Geeomovialocke. 

Q. AVhen were the first efforts made to relieve the De Long party ? — 
A. They were made about the 4th of October, I think, or the 2nd, or 



42 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

somewheres along there, when Mr. Melville started from Buliin to go 
north looking after them. 

Q. Are you sure about the month ; was it October or November or 
December? — A. Well, I don't know i)Ositivel.Y. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If he does not remember, it does not seem as though 
his evidence on that point would be important. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Have yon any means of refreshing your memory on that point? — 
A. Yes, I have notes and records. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to briag them at the next hearing ? — A. 
They are at my home. I have sent for them, they will be here in a day 
or so, I expect. 

Q. Is it not a fact that Danenhower simply tried to get to Barkin 
and was not looking for the missing parties ? — A. Well, I don't know 
what his intentions were ; I can't say. 

Q. Was it possible to get away from Bulun sooner than jou did ? — 
A. Yes, we could have got away the day that we went there. 

Q. Was it possible for you to get away sooner from Geeomovialocke 
going to Bulun 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it possible to get away sooner than Kusmah went 1 — A. It 
would not have been an impossibility, but it was not a practical scheme, 
I don't think. 

Q. But you could have got away sooner than you actually did 1 — A. 
W^e could have got away at the time Kusmah went, yes. 

Q. When you first got to Geeomovialocke was it not possible to get 
to Bulun by boat ? — A. Yes, I think it was possible. 

Q. Was it true that the first messenger that it was possible to send 
was sent to Bulun for the relief of your party ? — A. Well, yes, sir j in 
our interests. 

Q. Could not some of the members of the party have been sent be- 
fore '? — A. They could have been sent with him or even before him. 

Q. Well could you not have sent some of the members of your party 
before you did? — A. I think so ; yes, sir. 

Q. How about the fact ; was the party in a physical condition to make 
a search in October ? — A. Yes, generally. Some of them were not in a 
condition. 

Q. How many of them were in a condition to make that search in 
October ? — A. Well, all of them, with the exception of two or three, I 
think. 

Q. Were you, or any other members of the party in a condition dur- 
ing the month of October to make an effort to relieve De Long! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. No effort was made in October to relieve De Long, was there? — 
A. I think not. 

Q. Well, what is your memory about that ?— A. I do not know. I 
will take that back. I would rather stop the answer to that question 
until I get my notes, because I am not positive in regard to it. 

Q. Very well ; you shall do so. Was it possible at any time to get 
sufficient food and transportation to go to De Long, or if you knew De- 
Long's condition to aid him ? 

The Witness. At what time? 

Mr. Curtis. In October? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was possible? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the distance from Geeomovialocke to wliere the bodies 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 43 

were found? — A. Well, we used to guess at it. I think they guessed it 
at 200 versts. 

Mr. AiiNOUX. Kot what you guessed it. 

The Witness. There is no means of measurement in that country ; it 
is all guess work. 

The Chairman. You may give your opinion. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Two hundred Russian versts ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How manydays' journey would that be? — A. About two days and 
a half or three days, according to the going. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. From where? — A. From Geeomovialocke to where De Long was 
found. 

Q. That is farther than it would be from Bulun to the place where 
they would be found, is it not? — A. I think it is about an equal dis- 
tance ; somewheres near equal. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What is the distance of Ku Mark-Surk to the point where the bodies 
were found ? — A. I shall have to guess that. 1 can only give my 
opinion. 

Q. Well, give your opinion. — A. I think it is about 45 miles, as near 
as I could guess at it. 

Q. When you heard that De Long had landed, had you or any other 
person in your party any idea of his whereabouts? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was it not communicated to you by those who informed you of 
the landing ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you never talli among yourselves about his probable posi- 
tion ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Well? — A. We used to talk about it frequently while we were at 
Geeomovialocke. 

Q. And how near did you come in your estimate to his exact position ? — 
A. Well, we got him pretty close sometimes, in our ideas only. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What did you judge from ? — A. From the course of the rivers on 
the north side of the Delta. Knowing that his intention was to go to 
the north mouth of the river, we supposed that he had landed, and was 
either traveling to the south in his boat before the frost, or else that he 
was traveling, to the southward on foot, or living with some people. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. That is going up the river, is it not? — A. Yes, it is going up the 
river. 

By Mr. CuRTiS : 

Q. Was this the reason, if it was assigned, that a search could not be 
made; that Seaman Leach's feet remained bad and Danenhower's eyes 
seemed to trouble him ? — A. His eyes troubled him ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did that prevent the search ? — A. Well, no, not necessarily. 
There were plenty of others that were physically all right. 

Q. And did the mere fact that Seaman Leach's feet remained bad 
prevent the search ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Others could have joined in the search, could they not ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 



44 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Was that reason assigned by Melville, to your knowledge ? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. If he has ever testified to that effect it is a mistake, is it not? — A. 
I don't know as I clearly understand what you mean. 

Q. If he testified that the reason why the party coukl not join in the 
search was that Danenhower's eyes were bad, and that Seaman Leach's 
feet remained bad, or words to that effect, he is mistaken, is he? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Do you mean to say that you know that he never said such a 
thing '? — A. I did not say that he never said such a thing. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Was not Seaman Leach as well able to travel during the month of 
October, or at any time after reaching tlie village of Geeomovialocke, 
as he was until he reached Jakutsk? — A. Well, yes; nearly so. 

Q. W^as the condition of any other member of the party a bar against 
the search for the missing parties? — A. Not after about sixteen days 
after their landing — after we had been ashore about sixteen or seven- 
teen days. 

Q. In other words, it did not prevent well people looking for the miss- 
ing parties'? — A. No, sir. 

Q. At an 5^ time after the arrival of the party at Geeomovialocke w^as 
any effort made to reach Buhm by water? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Wlien? — A. The morning after we arrived at Geeomovialocke. 

Q. By whom? — A. The whole party and three natives. 

Q. Was it successful or otherwise? — A. Unsuccessful, sir. 

Q. For what reason? — A. Well, because I don't think the effort was 
made with energy enough, and another reason is that I had acted as 
pilot in the boat from the time we had come in the river. I was placed 
forward with a pole to sound the depths of the water, and there was a 
well-marked current that could be distinguished by the roughness of 
the water caused by the wind and the current combined. 

Q. To whom do you attribute, in your opinion, that want of energy ? — 
A. To the peoi)le in charge. 

Q. Who were in charge? — A. Mr. Melville. Well, Mr. Danenhower, 
I believe, was giving orders under Mr. Melville's instructions. 

Q. When Kusmah left for Bulun, what directions or instructions did 
he receive in reference to the missing parties? — A. Well, I guess not 
any. 

Q. You were in the party? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You saw him when he left? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You saw him at his departure? — A. From our house. 

Q. Who were present in the company when lie departed? — A. We 
were all there. 

Q. You could have heard anything that took i)lace between Kusmah 
and any of your party, could you not? — A. Yes. 

Q. Then did you hear any instructions or directions given to Kusmah 
in reference to the missing parties?— A. No, sir; I did not. 

Q. W^here was Kusmah going? — A. He was supposed to go to Bulun. 

Q. Was Kusmah given any instructions to spread the news of your 
missing shipmates by Melville? Did Melville tell liim wherever he went 
to spread the news of your missing shipmates, De Long and others? — 
A. I don't think Melville did, but Danenhower did, however, through 
the instructions of Mr. Melville. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 45 

Mr. Arnoux. I would like to know if tbe witness means to be under- 
stood as swearing positively that no instructions were given. 

The Witness. I said that I heard none. 

Mr. Arnoux. Do you mean that you were so present that at all times 
whea conversations were had with this man, that you know of your own 
knowledge that he had no instructions whatever from either Melville 
or Danenhower? 

The Witness. No, sir; I do not testify that. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How long had this Kusm ah been with your party? — A. He had 
only seen us once or twice. 

Q. I mean at this time, immediately before he left, how long had he 
been with you! — A. I don't think he was there since October. A half 
or three-quarters of an hoi«», may be an hour in the house. It might 
have been longer. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Was Kusmah to your knowledge given any written information 
to be handed to the Russian authorities as to the situation of De Long's 
boats or the missing parties'? — A. Not to my knowledge. 

Q. At this time you were on Russian soil, or within Russian do- 
mains 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were any instructions or directions to your personal knowledge 
given by Mr. Melville to the Russian authorities in reference to the 
missing boats ! 

The Witness. While at Geeomovialocke, do you mean "? 

Mr. Curtis. To Kusmah, I mean. Were any written directions given 
to Kusmah, to your knowledge, to communicate with the Russian au- 
thorities? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Or to give any notice of the missing boats or parties?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you ever hear or know of Mr. Danenhower remonstrating 
with Melville for his neglect in this matter after Kusmah left? — A. No. 

Q. Did you ever hear Danenhower say, " Melville, you forgot a very 
important point in your conversation of the day before with Kusmah ; 
you forgot to tell Kusmah to spread the news as he went along the road 
as to the other missing parties?" — A. No, sir. 

Q. If Kusmah was able to go to Bulun was it not possible for your 
party to get there at the same time? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not a fact that all the transportation dog teams that were 
necessary for the party were found at Geeomovialocke when Melville 
made up his mind to start the day before the last man in De Long's 
party died ? — A. All transportation that carried the party to Bulun 
came from a place called Arrii, close by Geeomovialocke. 

Q. Was not that north of Geeomovialocke? — A. About 2 miles, 
probably. 

Q. And I think you will remember you stated that the journey could, 
under ordinary circumstances, be accomplished in two or three days? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Could net the same transportation haye been procured before, in 
case of urgent necessity ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Boutelle. To go to this place, do you mean ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, to the succor of De Long. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. If you had been sent on with Kusmah, and had started an expedi- 
tion north along the route that De Long had agreed to take, what would 



46 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

have been the chances of saving De Long's party 1 — A. Well, I think 
they would have been small. 

Q. But still there might have been a chance ? — A. A possible chance, 
yes. 

Q. If, after a rest, of say sixteen days, say at Geeomovialocke, the 
party had reached Bulun in three days, which would have been the 13th 
of October, and a party was started north along De Long's line of re- 
treat, what would have been the chances of saving De Long's party 
under those circumstances ! — A. Well, they would have been very 
poor. 

Q. Still there would have been chances? — A. A chance to have saved 
some of them, probably. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is this traveling over the same ground that this 
witness was examined on before the court of inquiry? 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir; you will find, if my recollection serves me cor- 
rectly, that his testimony extends from page 270 to page 277. In fact, 
he was bottled up, like Butler at Bermuda Hundreds. 

Mr. BouTELLE. 1 understand he was asked here repeatedly if it were 
l)0ssible to move sooner, and he says no. 

By the Judge -Advocate : 

In your opinion, was it necessary to delay thirty-five days before making any eifort 
to get news of or go in search of tlie other parties? 

Answer. As far as I know it was impossible for sixteen days, to the best of my 
memory, to travel from where we were, and at the expiration of that time Mr. Mel- 
ville made arrangements with Kusmah to take dispatches to Bnlnn and also return 
with transx^ortation and clothing for the entire party to Bulun, with the understanding 
that he would arrive back with means of transportation in five days, but did not re- 
turn for fifteen, as I remember it. I think we moved from there as soon as it was 
practicable. 

Mr. Curtis. He can be asked about that on cross-examination. 
Mr. BouTELLE. I was only calling your attention to it. I did not 
know but you were traveling over the same ground. He says : 

In your opinion, was it possible to have sooner commenced the search for the De 
Long party ? 

Which was a very comprehensive question. 

Answer. No, sir ; not the proper search for them. As stated before, I thought we 
could have moved from Geeomovialocke in about twenty days from the time we 
landed. 

Mr. Curtis. Generally his opinion is the same now. The trouble 
there was they asked him general comprehensive questions, and he gave 
a general comprehensive opinion. Here we ask him about details, and 
in the details he is with us, and yet many of the comprehensive opin- 
ions seem to be inconsistent with the details. 

Mr. BouTELLE. You asked him why he did not start with the whole 
party, and he answered that it was because he thought Melville or 
some one in charge thought they would not have physical strength to 
hold out. Before he was asked : 

Were you prevented from doing so ; if so, by whom ? 

Answer. Yes, sir. By the general opinion of the whole party. The reason of it 
was that we were unfamiliar with the country, had no means of transportation, and 
no provisions, only what was furnished by the natives we were living with. 

It seems to me we are going over the same general ground. 

Mr. Curtis. I will ask him tliis question : 

Q. If the party had reached Bulun on the 13th and started up north, 
vvnen would you have reached De Long ! According to your state- 
ment you would have reached him on the 16th, would you not ? — A. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 47 

Well, I think it would be possible to make that distance in three days, 
but whether the traveling would have been in condition to have allowed 
us to make it in three days is a different matter. 

Q. I will ask you whether, in your examination before the Board of 
Inquiry, you were not asked in relation to all these details about which 
I am inquiring? — A. ^Oy sir. 

Q. You were simply asked in general your opinion in a comprehen- 
sive manner, were you not! — A. Yes, sir; it was my opinion mostly. 

Q. At that time there was no one to question you on behalf of Mr. 
Collins, was there! — A. There was a set of questions that were asked 
me by the judge- advocate that were written, I think, by Mr. Collins. 

Q. But there were no questions put to you by anybody except the 
judge-advocate ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. You certainly were not asked in detail as I have asked you, were 
you ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. I ask you now if the party reached Bulun on the 13th, and started 
up north, when would you have reached De Long! You have already 
testified it was about three days' journey. — A. I think if we had known 
where he was, possibly, we could have reached him in about three days. 

Q. I now ask you the question, knowing as you did, and not know- 
ing positively where he was, if you had gone north for three days after 
the 16th along the line of the river would you have reached that part 
of the country in which De Long's body was found!— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, what, under those circumstances, would 
have been your chances of finding him! — A. Well, I could not tell 
what the facts would be in regard to a search, but the probabilities, I 
think, are that we would not have found him. 

Q. Did not De Long have large signal fires burning at night ! — A, 
So says his journal ; yes, sir. 

Q. Would you not have seen those ! — A. We might for a certain dis 
tance ; for a distance of 5 or 6 miles. 

Q. Would not those have attracted your notice ! — A. Yes, sir j if wo 
had been in sight of them they would. 

Q. How far could you have seen over the naked country! — A. Well, 
I don't know ; I should judge, may be, under favorable circumstances, 
you could see on a level two miles or a mile and a half. 

Q. Could you see farther with a glass ! — A. I don't know whether 
you could or not. I cannot. 

Q. The glass does not aid your vision at all ! — A. Not as regards dis- 
tance ; no, not a great deal. 

Q. Did you hear Nindemann and Noros complain of the delay at 
Geeomovialocke, in Siberia ! — A. Well, Nindemann said to me that he 
thought we ought to have done something to relieve their condition 
while we were there. 

Q. And did Noros say the same thing ! — A. I don't know whether I 
ever had a conversation with Noros or not. 

Q. But Nindemann, you are quite sure, thought that your party had 
shown negligence in not trying to relieve De Long !-^A. That was the 
substance of the conversation ; yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know what charts or maps De Long had during the re- 
treat! — A. Positively, no. He had a small chart that he used, I think, 
while he was in the delta, that came out of some printed book or other. 

Q. Did that pretend to give him a fair knowledge of the country !— 
A. No, sir ; I don't think he had any knowledge of the country much j 
very little. His own journal says that. 

Q. In your judgment, was there not as good a prospect for De Long's 



48 JEANNETTE INQUIYY. 

party and Chipp's party to get through as yours ? — A. I don't think 
there was as stroLg a prospect for Mr. Chipp or as good a chance. 

Q. Why i — A. Because he had an inferior boat. 

Q. Was there as good a chance for De Long's party originally ? — A. 
Yes, I think there was. 

Q. Were there any boats left behind in the ship ? — A. I think the 
whale-boat that was left was a better sea-boat than the second cutter. 

Q. It was essential to have a good sea-boat, was it not ! — A. Yes j 
very much so. 

Q. Better than the second cutter "? — A. Yes ; a better sea boat. 

Q. Why was she not taken f — A. I don't know, sir. 

Q. Was tlie other boat taken because it was inferior *? — A. I think 
not. I think it was taken because it was a lighter boat and was con- 
sidered capable of doing what they wanted it to. 

Q. It was a matter of judgment as to which would have been the 
best boat, all things considered ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you know whether or not Mr. Collins was allowed to write on 
shipboard, to have and keep writing materials and records, &c., after 
the arrest or the suspension ! — A. He told me that it was forbidden 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). No, no ; I object to what he said on the 
subject. 

Mr. Curtis. I submit that that is competent. It is within the other 
ruling. It is part of the treatment. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is not part of the res gestce of the transaction. 

Mr. Curtis. Most decidedly. Here is a scientific gentleman whose 
very usefulness is destroyed if you take away his instruments and his 
records. It is already in proof that his instruments were taken from 
him graduallj^ He was not permitted to work them. And now after 
you arrest him, you suspend him, you do not even allow him to draw 
his sick companions along in a sled like an Esquimau dog. You take 
away his recjords, you take away his writing material. 

Mr. Arnoux. If he knows that they were taken away, I do not ob- 
ject to his testifying. But what he heard somebody else say had been 
done comes exactly within the ruling that you cannot establish the fact 
by the man's declaration ; that if you establish the fact, then you can 
annex the declaration as part of the res gestae to show why it was done. 

Mr. Curtis. The chairman ruled on that objection some time ago that 
it was part of a continuous ill-treatment, a system, and therefore it was 
a i)art of the res gestce. 

Mr. Arnoux. Establish the fact that it was done, and then what he 
said in connection with it is competent. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not understand that the chairman has ruled 
that the sus})ension was ill-treatment. 

The Chairman. I have not ruled that. But acts explanatory of that 
can be given in evidence. 

Mr. Curtis. How can the committee rule otherwise ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. One reason would be that I would want to have a 
voice in that, and there is another gentleman of the committee to say 
whether that is ill-treatment or not. 

The Chairman. I have not passed on the eflect of the evidence at 
all. It was only on the admissibility of it. 

Mr. BouTi<:Lr.E. Exactly. I said that you had not ruled that this was 
ill-treatment, but that this was a condition continuing, and the witness 
was allowed to testify. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 49 

Mr. OUETis. Here is a man sent on a mission to do a specific thing. 
He is entered on the books as a seaman for the reasons that have been 
repeated. His special character is not only ignored, but dishonored. 
It may be he considered that good treatment. I doubt it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That is entirely a question of discipline. 

Mr. Curtis. His instruments are taken from him. Mind you, he is 
not a common seaman before the mast, although technically on the books 
he is made to be so. He is a cultured scientific gentleman, periling his 
life in the interests of science that his country might have the glory of 
new discoveries, and the very paraphernalia that he has with him is 
taken without authority. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That is to be established. 

Mr. Curtis. Without authority so far as the evidence up to this time 
shows. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Why, He Long was the commander of the expedi- 
tion. 

Mr. Curtis. That makes no difference, may it please the committee. 
These instruments were to be used by Collins. He was there for that 
purpose, and it was the good faith of the Government that was to be 
kept with Mr. Bennett, the originator of this enterprise, that so far from 
being degraded and dishonored in his capacity as a scientific man he 
should have had every facility 

Mr. BOUTELLE (interposing). Now, if the counsel will permit me I 
will call his attention to something, because this is a matter which goes 
directly to the foundation of this committee and their authority. The 
act of Congress authorizing this expedition distinctly says: 

The vessel to proceed ou her voyage of exploration under the orders and instruc- 
tions of the Navy Department: That the men so ''specially enlisted" as above shall 
be subject in all respects to the Articles of War and Navy regulations and discipline. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Now, a question of fact may be raised. 1 do not say" 
but Captain He Long ill-treated this man. That is not my point at all. 
I am not sure that he did not grossly ill-treat him. I am not sure that 
he did ill-treat him, and the mere fact of suspending that officer or 
taking the instruments would not in itself constitute ill-treatment or 
degradation under any interpretation of the naval regulations. 

Mr. Curtis. I shall contend most strenuously that it did, and before 
I get through I shall tr;f to convince the committee of that fact. You 
see, wherever we try to advance we are like the Jeannette itself, be- 
tween two ribs of ice. Now, Congress never contemplated, when it 
passed that law, that a gentleman of culture should be, as it were, as 
he says in one of his melancholy letters, entrapped into this expedition. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. That is irrelevant. 

Mr. Curtis. No ; but what I say is this, with respect to the commit- 
tee. This nation does not expect you to decide this investigation on 
technicalities. We have had too much of that. This nation expects 
this question before this committee to be decided upon the good faith 
of the parties, and if Mr. Collins was induced to join that expedition, 
as we will prove he was, and as we have proved he was ifiduced to join 
it, with th6 expectation of serving his country and his Government 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). I beg the counsel's pardon. There is 
an absolute lack of evidence as to how the gentleman joined the expe- 
dition. I am hungry for it. 

Mr. Curtis. This witness testified to it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What does this gentleman know about the terms 
under which that gentleman enlisted? 



50 JEA.NNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. Does the committee take the grouud that you canuot 
prove as a physical fact the relations of a man in the Army i 

Mr. BouTELLE. I undertake to say that he cannot testify as to the 
terms on which Mr. Collins enlisted. 

The Chairman. Captain De Long admits that he was known, and by 
him entitled, as a meteorologist. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Exactly. But he does not indicate that he was re- 
lieved from the operations of the naval law in any way. There is a 
little difficulty evidently in the mind of counsel, I think, and perhaps 
others in regard to this point, a feeling that there is some anomaly or 
incongruity between a i^erson's being a gentleman of culture and occu- 
pying a subordinate position on a vessel of war. I have had gentlemen 
with me on the vessels on which I have been of the very highest culture 
occupying very subordinate positions indeed, and while on shipboard 
subjected to the strictest operations of military law. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not contend that. What I say is this : Here was 
a gentleman, a scientific man sent, as this country knows, not as a com- 
mon seaman, but sent out there on a scientific mission, and it is in my 
judgment an insult to the intelligence of this oountry to argue anything 
else, and after this man has forfeited his life in that expedition and the 
attempt is made to vindicate his memory, we are met with the technical 
objection, ''You were simply a seaman on board that vessel." 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not make that statement. I think the evidence 
shows that he was treated as something better than a seaman. We 
have wandered a long way from the point. I do not wish to hamper 
counsel. The point I wish to call your attention to is this: That the 
line of questions seems to be drifting into an assumption on the part of 
counsel tbat Captain De Long in the exercise of his naval authority in 
suspending from his duties a person under his command had committed 
a wrong. Now, we have to have evidence of that fact before we can 
admit it. 

Mr. Curtis. We cannot put in all the evidence at one time. And I 
declare it to be a matter of law, and I challenge the opinion of the best 
lawyers in this city, much better lawyers than I, that it is perfectly 
competent for me to prove 

The Chairman (interposing). I think this is embraced in the formal 
ruling that while the arrest continued and the witness, if it comes within 
that rule, can state that it was between the time of what he calls the 
suspension or arrest and between the time that he testified to about 
having the rope and being ordered to let it go, it is admissible. 

Mr. Curtis. I will ask the stenographer to repeat the question. 

Q. (Repeated.) Do you know whether or not Mr. Collins was allowed 
to write on shipboard, to have and keep writing materials, and records, 
&c., after the arrest or the suspension ? — A. He told me that he had 
been refused all his writing materials, and the privilege of keeping it 
in his room. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that does not state the fact. 

The Chairman. I think the declarations of Collins at that time are 
admissible. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Did he tell you anything else on that subject ? — A. No, sir j not in 
regard to the writing materials. 

Q. In regard to anything else that he was deprived of? — A. No, I 
don't know as he did at that time. 

Q. Did he say anything to you about his records ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 51 

Q. When was thaf? — A. It was within the time of the suspension. 

Q. What did he say about his records'? — A. He told me at one time 
that he had a condensed account of the entire trip with him. That was 
after we were on the ice. 

Q. Did he tell you what had become of that, or did you know what 
had become of that ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he ^ive you any directions as to what disposition he desired 
to make of any papers in case of his death "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What were they ! — A. To take them to New York and give them 
to his brother. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with him about that time as to the 
general conduct of the expedition, as to whether or not it would proba- 
bly meet the fate of the expedition of Sir John Franklin? 

Mr. Arnoux. I object to that. That certainly does not come within 
any ruling the committee has made. 

Mr. Curtis. No, it does not ; I withdraw it. We have asked him 
now all that we want at present, but we want particularly to examine 
these charts, &c., and we may ask him a few more questions. 

By Mr. Arnoux ; 

Q. When was it that you first learned of the suspension, as you have 
termed it, of Mr. Collins "? — A. It was right at the time of the occur- 
rence, or the night after. 

Q. Oh, but tell us when it was. You have talked of it in a general 
way, but we do not know anything about when it was. — A. I don't know 
the date now. 

Q. To the best of your recollection when was it! — A. I think it was 
about a year after we went out. 

Q. That would be about when ? — A. I think it was in the fall of 1880. 

Q. When you were on the ice did I understand you as testifying to 
this committee positively that you heard Captain De Loug use an oath 
when he repeated the order for Mr. Collins to let go of the rope ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Are you positive of that 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is your recollection SbUj better now than it was when you were 
examined before the Court of Inquiry on that subject ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. In the Court of Inquiry you Avere asked — 

Did yon know of any trouble existing between Mr. Collins and Lieutenant-Com- 
mander De Long ? 

Do you remember that question being put to you'?— A. I do not re- 
member now whether it was put to me or not. 
Q. This answer is recorded ; 

No, sir ; I knew of no existing trouble between tbem. I never heard Lieutanant 
De Long say an unpleasant word to Mr. Collins. 

Did you so testify 1 — A. It is down here as such, sir. 

Q. Did you so testify !— A. Well, I don't remember the answer, but 
I suppose I did. 

Q. Now, do you mean to say that your testimony is true that he ad- 
dressed him with an oath, and that the testimony that you gave before 
the Court of Inquiry is correct that you never heard him say an un- 
pleasant word to Mr. Collins!— A. Well, we didn't think oaths unkind- 
ness with us altogether. They were used in ordinary conversation. 

Q. Therefore when you spoke of it as you did on your direct exam- 
ination, you did not mean to create an impression in the minds of this 
committee that it was said in any unpleasantness, did you 1 — A. Well, 



52 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I think that at the time he said it his intention was to impress it upon 
Mr. Collins that he wanted him to let go when he ordered him to. 

Q. And do you think it was only that and that it was in no way said 
in a spirit of unpleasantness ? — A. Well, I don't know what a man^s 
spiritual feelings is like when he makes a remark, of course. 

Q. You said that you never heard Lieutenant De Long sa.y an unpleas- 
ant word to Mr. Collins; is that true ? — A. Well, if you consider it 

Q. (Interposing.) No; I am asking you. You are the witness, not I. 
I am taking what you consider. — A. Well, we did not consider swear- 
ing unpleasantness, as a rule. 

Q. But you talk about the rule. I am talking about this particular 
incident. You say that in one instance you heard Lieutenant De Long 
address Mr. Collins with an oath ? — A. He did. 

Q. I ask you, in view of your former testimony, did you ever hear 
Lieutenant De Long say an unpleasant word to Mr. Collins ? — A. Only 
this oath. 

Q. Do you call that an unpleasant word ? — A. Not always ; no, sir. 

Q. No; but in this particular instance? — A. Well, I don't know whether 
he meant it to be unx>leasant towards him or whether he meant it to 
give him to understand that he had got to obey quicker. 

Q. Now then, having that in joiw mind, I ask you is this statement 
true that you never heard Lieutenant De Long say an unpleasant word 
to Mr. Collins, without any exception at all "? — A. With this single ex- 
ception. 

Q. No ; without any exception. Excepting nothing, is it true that 
vou never heard Lieutenant De Long say an unpleasant word to Mr. 
Collins I 

The Witness. Is that taking my judgment into consideration? 

Mr. Arnoux. Taking all that you choose under oath and when you 
were under oath before ? — A. Well, I don't know. Mr. De Long didn't 
swear very often, but as to what his feelings were I don't know whether 
they were pleasant or otherwise at the time. 

Q I am simply asking you to just answer this question without any 
exceptions. Knowing all that you do know, and knowing all that you 
knew when you testilied before the Court of Inquiry, is your statement 
true or false that you made before the Court of Inquiry ? 

I never heard Lieutenant De Long say an unpleasant Avord to Mr. Collins. 

A. Well, there was a feeling existing with us men at that time that 
we did not feel at liberty before that court to state what we would have 
stated under other circumstances. 

Q. I am not asking what your feelings were, but whether you testified 
to the truth or falsely when you answered on that investigation — 

I never lieard Lieutenant De Long say an unpleasant word to Mr. Collins. 

A. I think the testimony is true, sir. 

Q. Did you ever on any other occasion hear Captain De Long use an 
oath ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How frequently ?— A. Not very frequently, sir. 

Q. Was it not an order of the vessel that there should be no pro- 
fanity ? — A. I believe that was one of the written general orders. He 
was not a swearing man by any means. 

Q. Now in what part of the ship's crew did you belong, to the ofiicers' 
mess? — A. No, sir; I did not. 

Q. To what part did you belong? — A. I belonged to the forward part 
of the shix), in what is properly known as the forecastle. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 53 

Q. Was that the part of the ship to which all enlisted seamen be- 
longed ? — A. Where we lived 5 yes, sir. Tliat was the living apartment 
of all but two. 

Q. Was Mr. Collins in the forecastle or in the officers' mess ? — A. He 
lived in the officers' mess. 

Q. Did he, after this alleged suspension from duty, continue to live 
there, or was he sent into the forecastle "? — A. ISTo, sir ; he continued to 
live there. 

Q. With the officers ^— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did the suspension have any other effect, so far as you know, upon 
Mr. Oollins's relation with the other officers and with Captain De Long 
than to relieve him from active duty ! — A. Ho, sir. 

Q. All that you mean to say is, that that was all the effect it had, is 
it not"? — A. That is, with his domestic relations with him, as far as I 
know. 

Q. So that from that time forth he was treated precisely in the same 
manner that he had been before, except that he was virtually a passen- 
ger, instead of a working member of the crew *? — A. As far as 1 know, 
yes. 

Q. ISTow, do you remember what books there were, or papers of Mr. 
Collins's that you delivered to his brother in New York "i — A. I deliv- 
ered none, sir, to his brother in Kew York. 

Q. Or what there were that you saw with his brother in IsTew York, 
that were shown to you ! — A. I saw a small leather-bound note book. 
I saw another note-book that had been made out of foolscap i3aper, I 
think, or some other i)aper, unruled, and a few pieces of paper — that is, 
scraps, small notes — and a letter or two. 

Q. Kow, was the written paper or the foolscap in separate sheets or 
fastened together when you saw it in New York "? — A. It had been made 
in book form 5 I think it was in two pieces. 

Q. And two pieces when you saw it originally ? — A. In New York 1 

Q. Was there any less of that foolscap when you saw it in New York 
than there had been when you first took the papers off of Mr. De Long's 
body 1 — A. There was one bundle 

Q. (Interposing.) No j I say of this foolscap book that you saw in 
New York 'i — A. I don't know ; I never opened the book. 

Q. Did it appear to you to contain the same amount of foolscap that 
you took off of Mr. Collins's body ? — A. Yes } the book might, for all 
that I know, .because I had never seen the book topayrtny attention 
to it. 

Q. Did the note-book which you saw in New York seem to be the 
same note-book that you took off of his body ^, — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did the letters seem to be as many in number as those you took 
off of his body? — A. No, sir; the written matter that was in a loose 
state Avas not as bulky as it was when I took it off of him. 

Q. Did you take special notice of the amount there was of this written 
matter when you took it off his body? — A. As closely as I could under 
the circumstances ; yes, sir. 

Q. You say it was his request that in case of his death and your sur- 
vivorship you should take charge of his papers and carry them to his 
brother in New York? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did you do with them when you found them? — A. I gave 
them to Mr. Melville. 

Q. How long after you found them ?— A. About three hours, I guess. 

Q. Were you in good health at the time you found them ?— A. Yes, 
sir. 



54 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. How long did tbey remain in Mr. Melville's possession after you 
delivered them to bim ? — A. I don't know, sir. 

Q. When did you next see those papers ? — A. The next time I saw 
them was in New York. 

Q. Did you make any memorandum, or i)ut any mark upon any of 
these papers which you found on Mr. Oollins's body ? — A. Not on any 
paper 5 no sir. 

Q. And did you read any of the papers ? — A. I read part of the note- 
book, but the written matter was doubled up ; it was frozen when I got 
it, and I did not open it to read it, and never had an opportunity after- 
wards. 

Q. Now, was there ice and snow around these papers ? — A. There was 
frost in his pockets ; yes. 

Q. Did that add to the weight of the papers'? — A. I think not, ma- 
terially, because it was dry. 

Q. How manj^ letters, in your judgment, were there less when you 
saw those papers in New York than there were when you got them from 
his body"? — A. I don't know, sir; but I should judge that one-quarter 
of tbe bulk was missing. 

Q. Of tbe letters *? — A. I don't know wh ether it was letters or what it 
was, because I had nev^er seen it. It was written papers or papers with 
written matter on them. 

Q. Now, in regard to the boats. Was it the fact that you knew at 
the time that you left the Jeaunette and were divided up into crews 
that you would come to open water? — A. It was not a fact known ; not 
positively. 

Q. Were not the cutters better boats to transport over the ice than 
tbe whale boats ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In your judgment, was it not a wise conclusion, not knowing that 
you would come to open water, and knowing that you would be a long 
time upon tbe ice, to ttike the cutter instead of the heavy whale boat ! — 
A. For ice travel it was ; yes, sir. 

Q. And with the uncertainty of what you had before you in the future, 
at the time that you made tbe determination to take that boat, did you 
not think it was a wise determination ?— A. I considered it so at the 
time J yes. 

Q. Was it not very much more difficult to transport the whale boat 
over the ice, and did it not suffer very much more than the other boats 
in tbe transportation ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Which was the better equipped and manned and provisioned boat, 
the boat that Captain De Long had or the boat in which you were ? — A. 
Well, De Long's boat, I think, as far as I know, had more provisions 
per man in it than our boat, because he had some provisions that be 
was carrying for Mr. Chipp ; that is, to the best of my knowledge, he 
had them. 

Q. Now, when did you first know that De Long's boat had ever reached 
land 1 — A. When Kusmah returned to Geeomovialoeke, after going to 
Bulun, acting as our messenger. 

Q. And that was what date? — A. I have forgotten the date. 

(^ It was the 29th of October.— A. Tbe 29th of October. I had for- 
gotten tbe date. 

Q. Did you ever discuss among yourselves the possible position of 
Cbii)p as well as De Long? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. I beg your pardon. I do not want to object to anything. 
Tbe committee will see that the gentleman, so far from following the 
rule that be endeavored to lay down for me, is going very much further 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 55 

111 all directions than I attempted to go. He is going into discussions 
among themselves. Of course, I dislike to object. I have refrained 
from doing so up to this time. I do not want to object to a single ques- 
tion, but 1 do not want you to lead this witness into any discussions be- 
tween himself and his comrades. 

Mr. Aenoux. I do not propose to do anything of the kind. You 
asked him about the discussions of De Long, and I ask him whether 
Cbipp was discussed. 

The Chairman. I think it is competent to prove the acts of Mr. Mel- 
ville's party, 

Mr. Curtis. Then the gentleman must not object if in the re-exam- 
ination 1 see fit to take advantage of that rule. 

Mr. Arnoux. Oh, certainly ; on cross-examination the rule is very dif- 
ferent. 

The Chairman. There is an idea prevailing that I do not think ex- 
ists — only in idea — and that is, that De Long is one party, and Jerome J. 
Collins another. 1 do not think that there are an 5^ parties here at all. 

Mr. Arnoux. When I speak of the other party, I mean their boat's 
crew ; when I speak of De Long's party I include Mr. Collins, and when 
I speak of Chipp I include those with him. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you ever send out any expedition to endeavor to find out what 
had become of Chipp, or whether he was alive 1 — A. Yes. 

Q. When ? — A. After De Long had been found. I think it was about 
the first of April. 

Q. Bow, in your judgment, do you not think it was done at the earliest 
practicable moment ? — A. It was done just as quick as we could get to 
it. 

Mr. Curtis. I must object to that. 

The Witness. 1 thought you were speaking in regard to the search 
party for Chipp alone. But we had taken a long time in the search for 
De Long's party, and I say that we made this search for Chipp as soon 
as possible after we got done with the search for De Long's people. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. You said that, in your judgment, it was as easy for your party to 
have gone as it was for that refugee to have gone who went as your mes- 
senger ? — A. No, sir ; I did not say as easy. I said it Avas i)ossible to go. 

Q. Now, in view of the whole circumstances of the party — in view of 
the lact that you were in an unknown country and among people speak- 
ing an unknown language — was it practicable, in your judgment, for 
you to go instead of sending him to go and come back ? — A. Well, yesj 
1 think we could have done it all right enough. 

Q. You think so now. Did you think so then ? — A. Well, yes 5 be- 
cause I made the proposition to do it. 

Q. For all the parties to go '^ — A. Yes. 

Q. And was it discussed by the others ? — A. Yes. 

Q. And did the others coincide with your judgment ! — A. The most 
of the men did, or apart of them. I don't know whether they all did or 
not. I think some of them didn't have anything to say in regard to it 
either way. 

Q. Did you have clothing sufiicient to undertake it, do you think ? — 
A. We had all the clothing that we came there with. 

Q. Did you thick that was sufQcient to go on with"? — A, No 5 not 
sufiicient for comfort. 



5S JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Bid not this man bring back additional supplies for you? — A. He 
did. 

Q. Now, in regard to the search for De Long, taking your judgment 
again in the matter — taking the condition ot the country and your con- 
dition and all the circumstances under which you were placed — was not 
that search for De Long made at the earliest practicable moment? — A. 
Well, as early as we could make it after the moves we had made and 
the delays. 1 think after it was started that it went along as fast as we 
could drive it. 

Q. And before that was it not a matter of doubt and uncertainty as 
to whether he had landed, and, if so, whether he had not gone ahead 
of you *? — A. Up to the time we heard from Bulun by Kusmah. 

Q. Did not some of you think or say in the course of your discussions 
that it was possible they were better off than you were '? — A. We did. 
It was all supposition with us though. 

Q. Did not Melville start immediately for Bulun to ascertain? — A. As 
soon as he got word from Nindemann ; yes. 

Q. And as soon as you got word things were done in the most expe- 
ditious manner possible, were they not ? — A. They were done about as 
rapidly as we could do them. 

Q. 1 mean considering all the circumstances under which you were 
placed. Did not Captain De Long, as matter of fact, maintain the 
discipline of a manof-war on board the vessel up to the time of its be- 
ing crushed in the ice ? 

Mr. Curtis. I do not think this witness is competent to answer 
that. 

Q. (Continuing.) As far as you observed ? 

Mr. Curtis. Well, it is a matter of opinion as to the duty of a supe- 
rior officer. I object to it. 

Mr. Arnoux. We have a right to take his opinion on that. We have 
taken his opinion as to treatment on their side. 

Mr. Curtis. You have objected most strenuously to anything that 
looked like an opinion on his part. 

The Chairman. If he knows enough about the discipline of a man- 
of-war ^ if be knows the fact he may give an opinion. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will preface that by another question. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Hiive you ever, before your cruise on tiiC Jeannette, been on board 
of a man of- war? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you ever made any previous cruises on a man-of-war? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ? — A. One. 

Q. Where was that cruise, and how long? — A. It was on the At- 
lantic sea-board, oil' the coast of North and South Carolina, and, I think, 
it was of nine months' duration only. 

Mr. Arnoux. Now I submit he is competent to answer the other 
question. 

The Chairman. I think so. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did not Captain De Long, from the time that your vessel left San 
Francisco until the time that you abandoned her in the ice, maintain 
the discii)line of a man-of-war, so far as it was possible under the cir- 
cumstances in which you were i)laced? 

Mr. BouTELLE. You are making him an expert. I think it is better 
^ ask him his impression ? 



JEANWETTE INQUIRY. 57 

Q. Was not tliat j^our impression on board the Jeannette? — A. As 
far as I know in regard to naval rnles I think they were carried out to 
a certain extent, but what that extent amounted to I do not know. 

Q. Did not all the officers perform all the duties they were ordered 
to perform, so far as yon know ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Dr. Ambler attend the sick and work on the roads ! — A. 
He worked a very little. 

Q. Could you liave fonnd the way from Geeomovialocke to Bulun 
without a guide? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you think the rest of the party could '^ — A. The majority of 
them. I think they all could; yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Mr. Melville perform all the duty of boss of the road 
gang ? — A. He did when he was running that gang ; yes. He was the 
boss of two men that worked on the road. 

Q. Did he not help to lift the boats over? — A. Very seldom, sir. 

Q. I simply ask if he did not doit? — A. Not at all times. I have 
seen him take hold and do it. 

Q. Did he not do it whenever it was necessary for him to do it? — A. 
No, sir ; not at all times. 

Q. Whenever it was necessary for the help to be given, did he not 
give it ? — A. Not always ; no, sir. 

Q. Then, of course, you were not able to lift the boats over if it was 
necessary to have his help to do it. How did you accomj^hsh it ? — A. 
Sometimes chopped it down in the ice, at other times by hauling the 
sleds back, and trying it somewhere else in an easier way. 

Q. Was the change of chopping the ice down or going in another 
direction done under his orders? — A. Generally, while he was running 
that gang; yes. 

Q. Did not Dr. Ambler, and Mr. Melville, and Mr. Collins work on 
the road on the retreat from the ship? — A. At times; yes, sir. 

Q. How frequently after this susi)ension of which yon have spoken, 
did Mr. Collins unburden himself to you on this subject? — A. Well, 
that depended on circumstances, on the opportunities that he had ; 
sometimes every evening, sometimes once a week, sometimes twice a 
week, or just as it happened. 

Q. Whenever the opportunity offered? — A. Yes, we used to be in 
conversation in regard to it. 

Q. Were you more intimate with him than any other man on board 
the vessel ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you know of his asking any other person on board the vessel 
to take charge of his papers in case of his death ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. So that you think he trusted more to you than any other man on 
board? — A. I think it was because there w^as a warm feeling existing 
between us as friends. 

Q. How long after the suspension was it that he told you De Long 
had taken from him the scientific instruments ? — A. It was the same 
evening, or the next day, I think. 

Q. Now, up to that time, had you ever known Captain De Long to 
make an unkind remark, or to address an unkind word to Mr. Collins ? — 
A. Only at the time that 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no ; up to that time, I say. 

The Witness. Up to the time of his suspension? 

Mr. Arnoux. Y< s. 

A. No. sir. 

Q. Had you ever seen any conduct on the part of Captain De Long 
that implied the least unkindness to Mr. Collins ? — A. No, sir. 



58 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Had you ever known Captain De Long to permit any other person 
on board of the vessel to be rude or unkind, or to make an unkind re- 
mark to Mr. Collins! — A. I never heard it; no, sir. 

Q. Never heard and never saw it, did you? — A. No, sir; I never saw 
it aboard the ship. 

Q. Now, was it at the time of that first conversation that Mr. Collins 
told you that the orders as to exercise, and tlie other things which you 
have mentioned in your direct examination, had made it hell on earth 
to Mr. Collins ! — A. Well, the treatment that he had been receiving — yes. 

Q. It was in that conversation? — A. I think it was in that conversa- 
tion. 

Q. Now, if you had never known of his being treated unkindly by 
Captain De Long, or with Captain De Long's knowledge, did he explain 
to you in what way it was that he had been so treated as to make it 
hell on earth? — A. Well, he said there had been a great many annoy- 
ances placed in his way. 

Q. He told you that ? — A. Yes ; by the of&cers in the cabin. 

Q. Did he specify them ? — A. Why, no; nothing more than saying 
devilish little annoyances. 

Q. Did he tell you whether any of those were by the cajitain himself? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Or by the officers by name? — A. He told me that Mr. Melville was 
taking every opportunity that he could get hold of to make it unpleas- 
ant for him, principally by singing Irish songs and telling Irish stories. 

Q. That was part of the grievances which made it hell on earth ? — A. 
That was what he said in regard to Mr. Melville. 

Q. Now, who else made it hell on earth to him ? — A. I don't know, 
sir. 

Q. He never specified anything else ? — A. Yes, he did. He specified 
Dr. Ambler. 

Q. What did he say Dr. Ambler did to make it hell on earth ? — A. I 
don't know. He used to speak of it in a general way and I did not pay 
much attention to it at the time. 

Q. Did he say whether Dr. Ambler cracked jokes? — A. No; I don't 
remember what he said in regard to it. 

Q. Did he state at what times or under what circumstances it was that 
Mr. Melville sang so feelingly ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you ever hear Mr. Melville sing ? — A. I have; yes, sir. He is 
a very good singer, too. 

Q. Did you ever hear him sing Irish songs while on board the boat ? — 
A. I have ; yes, sir. 

Q. Was there anything in those songs that you heard that was per- 
sonal to Mr. Collins? — A. Nothing personal that I know of. 

Q. Did you ever hear him tell an Irish story? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can he tell them well?— A. Well, there are one or two he has got 
that he can tell pretty well as I remember. 

Q. Where did he tell those stories when you heard them ? — A. Down 
in the fire-room. 

Q. Were the men ever with the officers in any entertainments in the 
evening? — A. Yes, sir; occasionally. 

Q. Did he ever tell his Irish stories and sing his Irish songs there? — 
A. I don't remember that he did. I heard him sing one in the deck- 
house. I don't remember what he sang. 

Q. As far as Mr. Melville's stock of Irish stories were concerned was 
there anything in them that was calculated to be personal to Mr. Col- 
lins? — A. Not that I know of; no, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 59 

Q. Did you ever know of Mr. Collins Laving before Ms suspension 
any broken instruments? — A. No, sir ^ not before the suspension. 1 
bave seen once in a while a thermometer that was on the rack that 
would get broken ; how many I don't know. 

Q. Did you ever know of his breaking his barometer ? — A. No, sir ; 
I don't remember it. 

Q. Did you ever see that he had a broken barometer? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you ever know anything about the way in which he made up 
his records ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You had nothing to do with them 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. You were not in a part of the ship where you would see what he 
was doing when he was on duty 1 — A. No, sir ; only as he came out to 
make observations. That was all. 

Q. Now, in regard to the instructions for exercise. Were there any 
special instructions given in reference to Mr. Collins up to the time of 
the suspension ? — A. Not that I know of; no, sir. 

Q. Or were they general instructions which applied to the entire 
crew ?— A. As far as I know they were general instructions. 

Q. Did Mr. De Long enforce those instructions against the crew gen- 
erally as he did against Mr. Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he make any exception in any way, so far as you observed, 
in his treatment of Mr. Collins in respect to the orders for exercise more 
than he did any other member of the crew? — A. No, sir. 

Q. So that all that concerns that subject, so far as that caused hell 
on earth, was precisely the same for all on board ? — A. As far as the 
order for exercise went, so far as I know. 

Q. Now, did you ever know how Mr. Collins employed his time after 
he was suspended ? — A. Not when he was aboard the vessel ; no. 

Q. Did you know of his being away from the vessel ?— A. Yes ; I 
knew of his going huu ting quite often. 

Q. And did the other men who were not suspended have as much 
privilege and freedom during that time as he had ? — A. I think they 
did ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did they go hunting as frequently as he did? — A. Some of them 
oftener probably. 

Q. Was there anything, so far as you knew, to prevent his going 
hunting whenever he pleased ? — A. Only in a general way. There 
were certain hours when we had to be aboard the ship. Any other 
time between the hours allotted for that business he could go, so far 
as I know. 

Q. So far as you know, he could go Avith perfect freedom ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Could any other man during those hours go with the same per- 
fect freedom as he could, or were they not some hours of the day on 
duty? — A. The only restriction that I know of that was placed over 
us was the order of having to ask the man on watch. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. You would not be able to go at the time you were on duty ? — A. 
No, sir ; not when we were on duty. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did not every man when you were required to be on shipboard 
have certain duties to perform ? — A. Yes ; at certain times of the day. 

Q. And therefore the officers and men were not able to go with the 
same freedom that he was, because they had certain duties to i3erform 



60 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

which required them to be there diniiio^ the hours of dutj^t — A. They 
liad vo be there during the hours of duty ; yes, sir. 

Q. Aud Mr. Colbus did not liave to be there during any hours of 
duty *? — A. Not after he v? is suspended, that 1 know of. 

Q. Did he not have a shot-gun ? — A. 1 don't know whether he did or 
not; I thiuk not, though, of his own. He used a ship's gun. 

Q. Did he not have one that he generally used ? — A. Yes, there was 
a gun that was assigned to him in 'the orders when the ship was sent 
out. 

Q. Did Mr. ColHns after the suspension have to obey the orders in 
regard to exercise? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Obedience was required in that respect as before ? — A. I suppose 
so. The order remained the same as far as I know, aud he had to com- 
ply with it or did comply with it. 

Q. Was there, to your knowledge, except this order of suspension, 
any order whatever that was more oppressive upon Mr. Collins than 
u])on any other member of the crew ? — A. Nothing except this order to 
quit work. 

Q. Except his suspension ^. — A. No, sir; not that 1 know of. 

Q. And from the beginning to the end of the time that he was on 
board the vessel that was so, was it not? — A. I think so ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did any of the scientific instruments, to your knowledge, belong 
to Mr. Collins as his personal property ? — A. I don't know whether they 
did or not. 

Q. Did you ever hear him claim that any of them belonged to him 
as his ])ersoual property ? — A. I never did. 

Q. When he spoke of the scientific instruments being taken from him 
did he not either admit or imply in the conversation with you that those 
instruments which he complained of as being taken from him belonged 
to the vessel! — A. I think he said they belonged to the expedition, or I 
don't know whether he said anything in regard to it at all. 

Q. Now, did he, before his suspension, do any more in the way of tak- 
ing observations than the other officers ? — A. I think he did in the 
weather observations. 

Q. Do you know that he did of your own knowledge? — A. I used 
to see him out from 12 o'clock noon until 3 o'clock in the morning. 
That is, he would not be out of the ship all the time, but he used to go 
out to take an observation once an hour or once in two hours. 

Q. Did not the other officers also take observations? — A. Some of 
them, yes; not all them. 

Q. Did not some of the officers take as many and as frequent obser- 
vations as did Mr. Collins, so far as you know? — A. Not as far as I 
know, no. I don't think thej did, any of them, because it was divided 
between Mr. Melville and the doctor and Mr. Chipp. 

Mr. CuiiTis. Do you claim that the Government furnished these in- 
struments ? 

Mr. Arnottx. I claim Collins did not own a thing. I have nothing 
to say about it except they did not belong to Mr. Collins, and that he 
had no ownership or authority over them. 

Q. (Resuming.) Did not ail the officers except Mr. Newcomb take 
observations ? — A. At different timers, I think they did. 

Q. Do you know of Mr. Newcond)'s taking any ? — A. No, sir; I never 
saw him taking any. 

Q. Did not Captain De Long from the beginning of the cruise up to 
the time of the destruction of the vessel take observations? — A. I do 
not know whether he took any weather observations at first or not, 
but I think he did. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 61 

By. Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What observations do you refer to ? — A. The reading of the ther- 
mometers and anemometers. 

Q. Any observations of the soundings "1 — A. No ; because that was 
done by Mr. Dauenhower at first. I don't know but the captain used 
to take observations himself. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. When he was suspended did not the other officers continue to dis- 
charge all the duties that devolved upon the expedition!— A. As far 
as I know, yes. 

Q. And was there any los« to the expedition scientifically, so far as 
you know, by the suspension of Mr. Collins '? 

Mr. Arnoux. Objected to. That is ridiculous. 

By Mr. CuRTiS : 

Q. Then I will vary the form of the question, and I will ask were any 
observations omitted, so far as you know, by the other officers by reason 
of the suspension of Mr. Collins? — A. I think the readings were not 
taken as often the last year as they were the first year. 

Q. Were they any less frequently taken by reason of the suspension 
of Mr. Collins, to your knowledge ? — A. I don't know the reason that 
they were not taken, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Do you know that they were taken less frequently ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. You mean by that up to the time of the abandoning of the ves- 
sel*? — A. Yes; that the readings of the anemometer and thermometer 
were not taken as often. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. After you left the ship "? — A. No, no ; the last year or during the 
latter part of our stay in the ice. But the cause of our not doing so I 
do not know. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. (Submitting a paper to witness.) Did you write that letter?- — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Is there anything in that letter you wish to correct now before it 
is offered ! — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. I will read it. 

Mr. Arnoux. Let me see it. [After examining the letter.] I do not 
think that that is admissible. 

Mr. Curtis (reading) : 

Sir: In answer to your inquiry, I, for one, deem it absolutely necessary that an in- 
vestigation be made by Congress into the Jeannette expedition in order to do justice 
to the liAdng and the dead. 
Yours, truly, 

J. H. BARTLETT. 
I offer that as an exhibit. 

The Chairman. I do not think this letter proves any fact at all. It 
is a matter of opinion as to whether a certain thing ought or ought not 
to be done. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. I presume tliere are a great many things you do not know of your 
own knowledge 1 — A. If there were not •! should know everything. 



62 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Your time has been taken up for the last hour in questioning you 
about things that 3^ou did not know of your own knowledge or that you 
did know of your own knowledge. To illustrate, do you know of your 
own knowledge that President Arthur is in the city to-day 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. As I said most of your time on the cross-examination has been 
consumed in askiug you about things that you did not know of your 
own knowledge, what we lawyers call negative evidence. Now, you said 
something in speaking of your testimony before the Board of Inquiry 
about certain influences that operated at that time. What did you 
mean by that ? — A. Why I think it is the influence that the naval au- 
thorities have over enlisted men in the Navy. 

Q. In what way was it demonstrated there ? — A. Nothing more than 
this : As there had been no evidence given during the investigation 
by any one that tended to bring out the whole of it from the bottom, I 
did not feel like going to work, being the last man to testify, to start it 
up myself. 

Q. Your explanation is not quite clear to me. Was anything said to 
you by any gentleman connected with the Navy Department about the 
inquiry 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Were you then in the employ of the Government ? — A. YeSj sir. 

Q. Are you now ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. ])o you expect to be? — A. No, sir. 

Q. The questions that were put to you were written out, were they 
not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Dr. Collins was not there ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. There was no one there in particular for him ? — A. The judge-ad- 
vocate read the questions that he wished to ask me. 

Q. When you said that you did not consider at that time and do not 
consider to day the use of the oath on the part of Captain De Long as 
necessarily a word of unkindness, the explanation you gave to Judge 
Arnoux is the one that you give me, is it^ — A. Yesj I do not think it 
was necessarily showing any particular 

Q. (Interposing.) Your attention was not i)articularly called to that 
act by anybody ? — A. No ; nobody. 

Q. Your attention during the examination by the Board of Inquiry 
was not directed by anybody in the interest of Dr. Collins to any de- 
tails ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You were simply asked written questions by the Judge- Advocate 
General and you ansv/ered them in a general way ; is not that it ! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. You have not testified to-day that you saw any other occurrence 
except the one you testified to in the examination-in-chief, have you ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. And what you testified then you testify now, and it is the truth, 
is it not ? — A. I think it is. 

Q. So that when you stated before the Boardof Inquiry that jou 
never heard an unkind word spol^en by De Long you meant to say that 
your mind was not particularly called to that subject, and that you did 
not at all times consider an oath on the part of a seamen as a word of 
unkindness ; is that it ? — A. Oh, no ; I don't consider it so by any 
means. 

Q. Now, you could have gone as well as Kusmali at the time he de- 
parted ? — A. Yes ; I could have gone as well. 

Q. And your party could have gone as well, could it notf — A. I don't 
think they could have gone as well, because we did not have the ready 
appliances. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 63 

Q. But those in health could have gone as well as you, could they 
not *? — A. They could have gone ; yes, sir. 

Q. And while you say that you actually started in the search for De 
Long, and his aid was not practicable, still you did not change your 
statement that you made a great many unaccountable delays and halts; 
that you did not use all your energies before you started? 

The Witness. To go to Bulun, do you mean? 

Mr. OuRTis. At the time you went in search of De Long. 

A. There was a search made 

Q. (Interposing.) You said that at the time you went in search of De 
Long it was not practicable to find him in time? — A. Yes ; at the time 
we actually started. 

Q. And you also said in your examination-in-chief that if you had 
taken proper steps and used proper energy before that time you might 
have saved him? — A. I said that if we had known exactly where he 
was it would have been possible. 

Q. Did you not say if you had not made these delays the chance 
would have been much greater ?— A. I think if our party had all gone 
to Bulun, or some of them, when Kusmah went, the possibility would 
have been greater of course. 

Q. i^ow, you do not pretend to have been with De Long every time he 
met Collins, do you ? — A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. You do not pretend to have been with Collins every time he met 
De Long, do you? — A. I do not, sir. 

Q. And so far as the possibilities go there may have been a thousand 
indignities pass and you not know any of them ? — A. Exactly. 

Q. And all these random negative questions that have been shot at 
you, of course, you cannot answer; you do not know what takes place 
between one man and another when they are out of your sight?— A. 
Ko, sir. 

Q. And so far as Collins's story to you is concerned of the treatment 
received from De Long, so far as your own knowledge is concerned, it 
may have been entirely true ? — A. Yes. 

Q. You looked on Collins as an honorable man ? — A. I did, sir. 

Q. You looked on him as a gentleman of truth and veracity ? — A. I 
did. 

Q. You discovered no signs of insanity about him ? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. You did not dream that a man of his mental condition and of his 
social condition in life would make unjust charges and complaints 
against anybody, did you? — A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you not then believe, and do you not now believe, that in all 
the statements or charges he made he told the truth ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you not a friend of De Long's ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And were you not a friend of Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have never given much attention to the weather, have you ? — 
A. Ko, sir. 

Q. You concede that Professor Wiggins is possibly your superior in 
that regard ? — A. He might be in some respects. 

Q. Have you ever given auy extensive portion of your time to the 
manufacture of instruments used in observiug the weather ? — A. Ko, 
sir. 

Q. And was it not one source of complaint on the part of Mr. Collins 
that it was the jealousy of the naval element in the expedition that 
caused the instruments to be taken from him ; that they wanted to de- 



64 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

piive him of the credit and the glory of the scientilic part of the expe- 
dition ; did he not say that to you ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that is not a fair examination, because he has 
been asked to tell what was said. 

The Chairman. I think it might be going a little too far to give his 
opinion as to the gfffund of jealousy. We will let the fact go in that 
the instruments were taken away. 

Mr. BouTELLE. You mean to ask him whether Mr. Collins told him 
that? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I should not object to it. 

Mr. Curtis. I withdraw it. 

Q. (Resuming.) \^ou do not undertake to tell us who furnished these 
instruments, or to whom they belonged! — A. No, sirj I said I consid- 
ered they belonged to the expedition. "^ 

Q. Have you any knowledge on that subject ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any knowledge who furnished them ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any knowledge whose money paid for them? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any knowledge who they belonged to? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then you do not consider that your opinion on that subject is 
worth much, do you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, Mr. Arnoux asked yoii if Mr. Collins did not become a pas- 
senger. Mr. Collins did everything in his power to aid his brethren in 
distress at all times, and on all occasions, and always expressed a will- 
ingness to do so, did he not ? — A. Always exi)ressed a willingness to 
do so ; yes. 

Q. And did he not sui)pl3^ many with clothing and necessaries ? — A. 
He did, sir; many of them. 

Q. So, in point of fact, to weary you no longer, all these things, facts, 
and circumstances might have occurred ; Collius's story to you might 
have been perfectly true, and still you might not have been present to 
have seen or observed it ? — A. Yes ; there was plenty of chance for 
that. 

Q. I suppose that there were hundreds of instances in the lives of 
the sailors on that expedition that you knew nothing about? — A. Yes, 
sir; many of them. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Do I understand you to say that there is some influence of the 
Navy Department brought to bear ui^on enlisted men who appear as 
witnesses before boards of inquiry, or courts of inquiry, which would 
tend to prevent them from testifying to the truth? — A. I think there is 
a feeling among the men to that effect. 

Q. That the Department desires them to testify falsely? — A. No, sir; 
but I think there is a feeling of intimidation that is brought over the 
men. 

Q. In what respect? — A. Because they are under that influence of 
the Navy Department. 

Q. Intimidated to do what ? — A. That they don't like to bring out 
numy things that they would otherwise bring out. 

Q. Has that been your experience in naval courts-martial and 
boards? — A. I never was before but one, sir. 

Q. What interest would the Navy Department have in this case to 
intimidate a witness? — A. I don't know, as they w^ould have any. I 
don't know as they did intimidate them. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 65 

Q. Did 3^011 feel intimidated wheu you were before that board? — A. 
I felt like this: that did I say anythiDg in relation to this matter it 
might put me in position to lose v/hat pay was coming to me, which 
God knows was small enough. 

Q. In what way could you lose your pay? — A. By court-martial. I 
came home under arrest. 

Q. In other words, you believed if you testified to the truth and 
nothing bnt tlie truth, it would imperil your payment? — A. I believe 
more would have come out if the men had all been discharged before 
being placed on the stand. 

Q. JSIow, what particular incident occurred which induced you to be- 
lieve that the Navy Department, or any officer of the Navj , was engaged 
in using means to intimidate you ? — A. I don't know that there was any 
used. I haven't made the statement that there was any used. 

Q. I understood you to say that the reason why your statements be- 
fore the Board of Inquiry and to-day were somewhat inharmonious was 
due to the fiict that an influence was brought to bear upon you as en- 
listed men. Now, that is a very serious charge against the Navy De- 
partment, which 1 want to know something more about, and if you can 
throw any light upon the subject I should be glad of it. — A. I cannot, 
any more than my i^ersonal feeling at the time. I did not feel like bring- 
ing out anything further than was necessary or than I was obliged to. 

Q. You say you were under arrest at the time? — A. Yes, sir. It was 
not arrest; it was prisoner at large, 1 believe. 

Q. On what ground ? — A. On an order from Lieut. Giles B. Harber. 

Q. For what offense? — A. Differences between Mr. Hunt and myself. 

Q. Why did the fact of your being under arrest convince you that it 
was necessary for you to modify your statements before this Board of 
Inquiry ? Who did you think was interested in your testifying in any 
particular way ? — A. I don't know that any one was in particular; it 
was only in a general way that I spoke of it. 

Q. In what way were you influenced ? — A. That I did not tell any facts 
or things that I knew in connection with this expedition outside of the 
bare questions I was asked, and made my answers a« short as possible, 

Q. That does not seem to go to the point of any influence brought to 
bear upon you by the Department. Did any officer of the Navy ai3proach 
you to influence you in your testimony? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you have any intimations from any person connected with the 
Naval Department or naval service that it would be vs^ell for you to testify 
in a certain way, or ill for you if you testified in another way? — A. No, 
sir; I did not. 

The Chairman. There was one matter that I wish to refer to that was 
ruled out. I do not say that I have changed ray opinion, but as this 
witness will be dispensed with, I think it would be proper to allow him 
to answer the question, keeping it out of the record and then let the full 
committee say whether it is admissible, and that was with reference to 
what Lieutenant Danenhower said with reference to having Lieutenant 
De Long broken. 

By Mr. Curtis: 
Q. Did you hear Lieutenant Danenhower say anything in reference 
to Captain De Long about having him broken when he came back if Presi- 
dent Grant was President? — A. Yes. 

Q. What did he say on that subject? — A. He said he did not consider 
he had been well treated by De Long; that he had been ill used and very 
unjustly treated by him and that when we returned home if Grant was, 
5 J Q* 



66 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

President he thought he could bring influence enough to have him broke 
from the Navy. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. When was that*? — A. It was during the retreat on the ice. 
Adjourned. 



I 



Washington, D. C, Monday, April 7, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., Messrs. Buchanan andBoutelle 
being present ; also counsel on either side. 

Mr. Curtis (submitting a paper). If the committee please, here is a 
list of other witnesses that we desire subpoenaed between the adjourn- 
ment of to-day and the next day of hearing if practicable. I under- 
stand from Judge Arnoux that he will ask the committee to adjourn 
over a day or two to enable him to go to New York to attend to some 
very important business. 

Mr. Arnoux. It may be so ; I can tell better this afternoon. I think 
very likely if we find that this investigation is going to last through 
the week I will ask the committee to adjourn over till Wednesday. I 
will know better this afternoon. 

Mr. Curtis. Before the examination proceeds I would like to call the 
attention of the committee to the fact that on Saturday we made appli- 
cation for the original journal of De Long to be produced. I would ask 
if that has been produced. 

Mr. Arnoux. Did you want it this morning ? 

Mr. Curtis. We would like to have it as soon as possible. 

Mr. Arnoux. I forgot to speak to Mrs. De Long this morning, and it 
is probably my oversight that it is not here. I did not know that you 
would want it to-day. 

Mr. Curtis. It really should be here at all times, because it is a very 
important factor in the evidence. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It would be well to have it with you each day. 

Mr. Arnoux. I did not understand that it was wanted here to-day 
or I would have brought it. 

James H. Bartlett resumed the stand, and his examination was 
continued, as follows : 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Were you the last man to testify before the Court of In- 
quiry ? — Answer. The last man among the survivors ; yes, sir. 

Q. Had any enlisted men, so far as you know, testified before that 
court before you had ? — A. I did not hear any testify. 

Q. Now, at or before the time that you commenced to give your tes- 
timony, did you have any conversation with any of the enlisted men in 
regard to their testimony ^ — A. Only in a general way. 

Q. Well, did you of any kind about what they had to testify to or 
the nature of their evidence? — A. I think I had; yes. 

Q. Will you name the ones you had conversation with ? — A. I had 
conversation with Leach, Lauterbach, and Manson. 

Q. Had you talked with those three before you went on the stand 
yourself to testify? — A. Not in particular — well, I liad a general con- 
versation with them about it. 

Mr. Boutelle. Mr. Arnoux, will you suspend one moment ? Judge 
Curtis, have you any knowledge about these witnesses, as to whether 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 67 

they would be willing to come willingly? If so^ we can subpoena them 
by telegraph. 

Mr. Curtis. They will all come willingly. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That will facilitate matters. 

Mr. Curtis. I also ask that Mr. I^ewcomb be telegraphed to bring 
his records with him. I think that Mr. Newcomb had better be subpoe- 
naed with the records. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What records do you indicate ? 

Mr. Curtis. His own records. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Records of the expedition'? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes -, in his possession. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. (Resuming.) Before you were called and sworn as a witness before 
the Court of Inquiry did either Mr. Leach, Mr. Lauterbach, or Mr. Man- 
son tell you that there was an influence of the Navy Department brought 
to bear upon enlisted men who should appear as witnesses before Boards 
of Inquiry or Courts of Inquiry, that would prevent their testifying to 
the truth ? — A. No, sir j they did not. 

Q. Neither one 1 — A. None of them. 

Q. You said, in answer to a question put to you by Mr. Boutelle, that 
you thought there was a feeling among the men to that effect. How 
did you arrive at that impression, if the men did not so tell you ? — A. It 
was my opinion, sir. 

Q. Your opinion ? — A. Yes -, it was my thoughts, I said. 

Q. And if I understand you now, it was not based upon any facts ? — 
A. No, sir; I stated the other day that it was not. 

Q. I did not so understand you. Now, did the feeling that you had, 
or the belief that you had, that there was a feeling among these men to 
that effect influence your testimony before the Court of Inquiry? — A. 
Not the feeling that I believed existed between them. It was only my 
own feeling that Influenced me. 

Q. That was alH— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When you swore before the Court of Inquiry were you not sworn 
to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth ?— A I was ; 
yes, sir. 

Q. Did you, at the time you took that oath, deem it binding upon 
your conscience ? — A. I did, sir. 

Q. What was the reason that you were a i)risoner at large at that 
time ? — A. It was, I believe, because it was considered that I had been 
insubordinate. It was so claimed. 

Q. How much wages was there due to you at that time ? — A. My 
wages from 1879 till 1883, at $30 per month. 

Q. If that money had been paid to you before you were called as a 
witness before the Court of Inquiry, you would have testified differently 
from what you did? — A. I think I should have given testimony at 
greater length than I did then. 

Q. Would you in what you did testify to have testified any differently 
from what you did? — A. I don't know as I should. 

Q. Are you under any restraint now? — A. Not that I know of, sir. 

Q. Have you any feeling that there is any desire in this inquiry to 
limit you or to affect your statements in any way? — A. I think not, sir. 

Q. What did you understand the Court of Inquiry before which you 
testified was convened for ?— -A. To inquire into the loss of the Jean- 
nette. 

Q. What fact connected with the loss of that steamer did you inten- 



68 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tionally suppress? — A. IsTot any in connection witli the loss of tlie 
steamer, sir. 

Q. Was the iufliieuce that prevented you from testifying to the truth 
exerted in having your testimony suppressed by giving fiilse evidence, 
or giving insufficient evidence? — A. Giving insufficient evidence, sir. 

Q. Did not the fact that you had taken the oath which you did, and 
that it was binding upon your conscience, overcome any feeling of in- 
timidation ? — A. I don't know as 1 get the meaning of that question 
exactly. 

Mr. Curtis. Any words you do not understand say so frankly. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. (Resuming.) Did not the fact that you had taken the oath that 
you did and that it was binding upon your conscience overcome any in- 
timidation ? — A. Well, I don't know with regard to that fact whether 
it did or not. 

Q. What fact connected with or bearing upon the loss of the Jean- 
nette did ;\ on express before tliat Court of Inquiry ? — A. 1 did not ex- 
press any, because I was not asked any in regard to it. 

Q. Did you know what testimony had previously been given on the 
subject ? — A. I did not, sir; had never read it, nor never had heard the 
general testimony of them j none of them had given me an account of 
their testimony in full. 

Q. Did you not know that every surviving officer and most of the 
surviving men had been examined before you were examined ? — A. I 
had a belief that they all had been examined. 

Q. I repeat, then, the question. I ask you now to tell to this commit- 
tee any fact bearing upou the loss of tlie Jeannette which you then 
suppressed ? — A. Well, there were several questions that 1 would have 
answered if they had been asked me. 

Q. Tell the committee now what there is that was material to that 
Inquiry that you failed to state for any reason whatever. — A. Well, 
there were the questions that Mr. Collins sent me that were objected to. 

Q. Are those all ? — A. I don't know whether they are or not ; I should 
have to read my testimony over to find out ; I think I have never read 
my own testimony clear through. 

Q. Was it not read to you after it was taken down, and did you not 
pronounce It to be correct? — A. Yes, sir ; it was read to me. 

Q. Now, I ask you again, can you state to this committee any fact 
that is material that you suppressed when before the Court of Inquiry as 
a witness? — A. Not any particular one; not just now ; no, sir. 

Q. Can you state any general one? — A. Yes; those by Mr. Collins. 

Q. Were those all ? — A. Well, I don't know, in fact, whether they 
w^ere or not. 

Q. Do you know of any valuable testimony that the Court of Inquiry 
refused to admit or allow ? — A. I think there was a great deal of testi- 
mony they could have gotten had they asked the questions. 

Q. That is not the point. I ask you do you know of any valuable 
testimony that the Court of Inquiry refused to admit or allow ? — A. I 
do not, only in regard to the Collins matter. 

Q. And all that you imagined was valuable in respect to the Collins 
matter you have already stated before this committee, have you not ? — 
A. I don't know whether I have stated all of it or not yet. 

Q. Have you endeavored to tell all you know this time ? — A. All that 
I could think of at present. 

Q. Do you imagine that there is anything that you have not thought 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. G9 

of that bears upon this subject! — A. I made a statement on Saturday 
that I had some short notes that I had sent for that have not arrived 
yet, and they might refresh my memory, because I have not read them 
since I came home; have not looked at them, in fact. 

Q. Was auy question put to you and ruled out that would, in your 
opinion, have brought out the true history of the expedition? — A. It 
might have brought out more of it. 

Q. No, no; I say was there any question that related to the true his- 
tory of the expedition that you think w^as excluded by the Court of 
Inquiry 1—A. Well, I should want those questions read before 1 am 
able to answer that, I guess. 

Q. How many questions were ruled out that were put to you ! — A. 
I cannot tell you, sir. 

Q. Have you any recollection ! — A. I think there were four or five or 
six, or something like that. 

Q. And do you think that those four or five or six questions were 
asked in regard to anything that was in any way material to the loss of 
the ship? — A. I don't know as they were material to the loss of the ves- 
sel, particularly. 

Q. And did you not understand that that was the only inquiry that 
the court was investigating ? —A. No, sir. 

Q. What further did you understand the court w^as to inquire 
about ? — A. I understood it was a court to inquire into the loss of the 
vessel and the result of the expedition. ^ 

Q. Did those four or five questions put to you and excluded have any 
effect upon the result of the expedition ! — A. I don't thick the questions 
had any result upon the exi)edition, without they would have thrown 
some light upon the expedition or led to throwing some light upon it. 

Q. And now you think you have furnished that light by the testimony 
that you gave on Saturday? — A. Not altogether; no, sir. 

Q. You do not ? — A. No, sir ; not altogether. 

Q. When you testified before the Court of Inquiry, were you afraid of 
the persecution of the Naval Department ? — A. To a certain extent, yes. 

Q. To what extent ? — A. Well, I don't know about that. If I said 
anything that was injurious about them — naval officers are quite re- 
sentful; I have always found them so — I thought they would do all 
they could to bring out the points where I had been insubordinate. 

Q. And you have not been under such intimidation at this time, and 
you have told all those points so far as you recollect, have you not"? — 
A. So far as I recollect them, yes. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The witness seems to qualify his answers a little. 
I would like to ask him if he has in his mind now any fact which he 
would desire to have brought out before this committee, which has not 
been stated before? 

The Witness. Any particular fact. 

Mr. Boutelle. Any fact. 

The Witness. What do you mean ? Do you want fact or hearsay ? 

Mr. Boutelle. I do not want anything. I ask you if there is any 
fact which you desire to bring to the attention of this committee. 

The Witness. I think there will be some when I get my notes and 
look them over. 

Mr. Boutelle. You are not sure? 

The Witness. I am not prepared to-day. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Did you tell the truth in answer to the questions put to you by 



70 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the Court of Inquiry or by tlie one who interrogated you ? — A. As far as 
I remembered it at that time. 

Q. When you made your answers there did you make any of them 
falsely ? — A. Not intentionally ; no, sir. 

Q. Is there any answer that you made there that you wish to add 
aDythin.2i: to? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. Now I will ask you whether these three questions and answers are 
correct : 

In your opinion was everything done that was possible for the rescue of De Long's 
I)arty ? — A. Yqs, sir. 

A. After the search was started ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did you qualify that answer in such a way ! — A. I don't know 
whether I did or not, sir. I don't remember at present. 
Q. (reading :) 

If an earlier and more urgent attempt was made for his relief in the beginning what 
would have been the chances? — A. I think there were no chances to assist him. 

Is that answer true in your opinion ? — A. Well, I don't know whether 
it is or not. 

Q. Did you believe the answer to be true at the time you made it ? — 
A. I thought that that was the case, yes. 

Q. Have you any better opinion to-day than you had at the time you 
answered that question as you did answer it before the Court of In- 
quiry ? — A. I have had a greater length of time to look the thing over 
and look up the result of it. 

Q. But I say have you any better opinion ? — A. I don't think I have, 
in fact. 

Q. How long was it after the search when you testified before the 
Court of Inquiry ? 

The Witness. After which search do you mean ? 

Mr. Ae-noux. The search for De Long. 

A. It was a year, pretty near, I think. 

Q. And had you an opportunity during that year to think on this 
matter ! — A. I had been quite busy during that year the most of the 
time. 

Q. But did you have any opportunity, I say, to think of it ?— A. Some j 
yes, sir. 

Q. (Reading:) 

If Lieutenant Danenhower had been permitted to go on his search and was aided, 
in your opinion could De Long's party have been saved? — A. No, sir. 

A. Not at the time he started his search ; no, sir. 

Q. Now, then, in regard to the three answers that you gave to those 
three questions, do you desire now to qualify them or to state that any 
part of the answers were not true at the time of your giving them ? — 
A. No, I do not. I think those are all right. 

Q. Now, in regard to some of these matters which are contained in 
this petition, I would like to ask you first, do you know any facts reflect- 
ing upon the honor of the ofiicers in the United States service connected 
with the Jeannette expedition, and if so, name the officers ? 

The Witness. What is that? Ask it again. 

Q. Do you know any fact reflecting upon the honor of the officers of 
the United States service connected with the Jeannette expedition, and 
if so, name the officers'? — A. Well, I don't know what you would con- 
sider reflecting upon the honor of an officer. 

Q. I ask you. It is not what I consider. — A. What do you mean ? 
In an official capacity ? 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY 71 

Q. Upon the honor of any of&cer of that expedition *? — A. In an official 
capacity ^ 

Q. I do not limit it in any way. 

Mr. Curtis. He has the right to know the intent of the question. 

Mr. Arnoux. I say anything I 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. ISTame them. — A. Drunkenness 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no; name the officers. I do not ask you to name 
the thing. — A. Well, Mr. Melville, Mr. Chipp — I guess all of them, in 
fact. 

Q. ISTame each one? — A. Mr. Danenhower and Dr. Ambler. That is 
as far as I guess I will go. 

Q. Do you know of any fact reflecting upon the humanity of any of the 
officers of that service connected with that expedition ; and, if so, name 
the c^fficers ? — A. I think there were points of humanity demonstrated 
by all of them. 

Q. 'No, no. I ask you to name any of the officers. Go right to them. 

The Witness. Acts of humanity that I know of? 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Inhumanity. 

Mr. Curtis. He means by that, acts of cruelty. 

Mr. Arnoux. He knows what I mean as well as you do. 

A. 1 don't know as I do, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do you know of any facts reflecting upon the conduct of the sur- 
viving members of the expedition besides the officers ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. W^ho ? — A. Myself, Manson, Mndemann, Wilson, Lauterback, Ani- 
guin — in fact all of the surviving members. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I think that there may be some little vagueness in 
the mind of the witness about the scope of this question. I would put 
it a little more plainly. 

Mr. Arnoux. I am coming down to it closely. 

Mr. BouTELLE. We do not want to have the witness testify without 
understanding what he is testifying to. 

Mr. Curtis. Evidently he does not understand some of the words 
used by the counsel. 

The Chairman (to the witness). Anything you do not understand 
say so. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. In regard to the officers that you have named, do you know any 
fact that reflects upon their honor as officers of that expedition? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Did any of those facts in any way aifect the ultimate result of the 
expedition? — A. I don't know that they did, sir. 

Q. State generally what you considered facts that reflected upon the 
honor of the officers — A. Well, in sejtting a bad example to the people 
that were under them, to a certain extent, and for intoxication, also. 

Q. Those are the things. Now, do you mean that you have known 
every one of the officers that you have named to be guilty of intoxica- 
tion? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. During that expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it considered in the Navy a matter that reflects upon the honor 
of an officer that he sets a bad example to the men ? — A. I understand 
that it is, sir ; as far as I know, it is. 

Q. When did your acquaintance with Mr. Collins first commence ? — 
A. In San Francisco, in 1879. 



72 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Wlieu did your intimacy with him begin ? — A. Tlie first winter 
that w^e were in the ice — the winter of 1879 and 1880, say. 

Q. Was it before or after the time he Avas suspended from duty? — A. 
It commenced a long time before, sir. 

Q. Did he at any time before his suspension comphdn to you of any- 
thing that had occurred in the officers' room ? — A. Yes, sir. 

ic^. How frequently before he was suspended did he make sucli com- 
plaint! — A. Well, I can't tell you how i'requently, because 1 don't re- 
member. 

Q. Well, as nearly as you recollect '^ — A. Well, occasionally, we 
will say once a week, perhaps, I would have a long conversation with 
him, or twice a week. 

Q. Where did you have these conversations with him? — A. Some- 
times in the fire-room, sometimes on the ice. 

Q. When you had the conversations with him in the fire-room were 
you on duty? — A. Yes. 

Q. And he came there? — A. Yes. 

Q. And did he converse with you generally at that time for one or 
two hours? — A. Sometimes; yes, sir. 

Q. Did any of the other officers have the same intimacy with you? — 
A. No that I know of; no, sir. 

Q. You would know, would you not? — -A. I don't think they did. 

Q. Is it not a part of the etiquette of the Navy for those connected 
with the officers not to have intimacies Avith the men? — A. I am not well 
enough acquainted with the rules of the Navy to know, sir. 

Q. Did 3^ou ever have anj^ officers in the Navy as intimate with you 
as Mr. Collins Avas while you Avere on duty on shipboard? — A. AYell, 
since I have become a man I was never on board of a NaA-y ship before, 
or a ship that was under the NaA^y Department. 

Q. Without regard to whether you were a man or a boy? — A. When 
I was a boy I was. 

Q. I ask you did you ever have any officers show the same dego^e of 
intimacy with you that Mr. Collins did? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you evo.T, at any other time, have any officer who came and 
repeated to you the conversations that took place in the ward-room ? — 
A. To a certain extent, yes, sir. 

Q. To the extent that Mr. Collins did? — A. He ne\^er repeated the 
conversations only in regard to himself. 

Q. Well, in regard to themselves? — A. No, sir; I don't think I did. 

Q. I understood you to say that he repeated to you the con\'ersation 
he had Avith Lieutenant De Long, Avhen De Long told him it Avas not 
compatible with the dignity of the mess-room to he too intimate Avith 
the men ?— A. lie did talk Avith me about it ; yes, sir. 

Q. He repeated that to you, did he not ? — A. Well, I don't kuoAv 
whether he repeated the couA^ersation to me that he had Avith De Long 
in full, but in a general Avay. 

Q. It Avas not the question whether he repeated it in full or not. He 
repeated that much of the conversation to you, did he? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you ever before or since have an officer, when you Avere ou 
duty in a United States vessel, do the same thing ? — A, I ncA'er did ; no, 
gir. 

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Collins Avrite after he told you that he had 
been deprived of Avriting materials? — A. I never did, sir. 

Q. Di.d you cA^er know of his writing? — A. I never did, sir. 

Q. When Aras it that he told you that he was deprived of writing ma- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 73 

terials? — A. I can't just name the time, but it was after lie was sus- 
I^ended, I tliink. 

Q. How long afterwards? — A. I don't know, sir. My memory does 
not serve me at present. 

Q. A month or two months ? — A. I can't tell you whether it Avas a 
month or two months. 

Q. Or six months or a year ! — A. I think it was less than six months. 

Q. Did you testify on Saturday that lie told you on the ice that 
he had a comi^lete condensed journal up to that time that he talked to 
you! — A. He said that he had a complete condensed record of the trip. 

Q. Of all thnt had taken place 1 — A, Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you believe if? — A. I had no right to disbelieve him, sir. 

Q. Did not that lead you to conclude that he must have had writing 
materials furnished to him after the time he said he had been deprived 
of them ? — A. I don't know. I didn't pay any attention to it. 

Q. I ask you, did not that lead you to conclude that! — A. Not neces- 
sarily, because he could have had them in disobedience to orders, I think. 

Q. And do you think that he would have taken writing materials 
right straight along, week after week and month after month, in disobe- 
dience to orders ? — A. He might have had these in his possession when 
the orders were given to him. 

Q. Then there was no cruelty in telling him not to have writing ma- 
terials, so far as you know ! — A. Not as far as I know personally, sir. 

Q. In regard to the water that you s])oke of his being forbidden to 
take 5 when did that conversation take place! — A. I think that was be- 
fore he Avas suspended. 

Q. Where did you get your drinking water at that time ? — A. Out of 
the fire-room, sir. 

Q. How! — A. By distilling the salt water. 

Q. Under whose care was the distilling of the water done! — A. Prin- 
cipally the work was carried out under my care, through Mr. Melville, 
who was in charge, of course. 

Q. Did not Mr. Melville every day make a scientific examination of 
the water to see if there was any salt in it? — A. I don't think that Mr. 
Melville did; 1 don't know. There was such a test, I believe, made 
nearly every day. 

Q. And in case there was any salt in the water, was not the water 
thrown away! — A. Sometimes, if it was too salty. There were a very 
few times that it was thrown away, that I remember. 

Q. Did any of the crew on board that vessel, or any of the officers on 
board the vessel, have scurvy ! — A. Not to my positive knowledge ; 
no, sir. 

Q. Now, do you know in general what is the cause of scurvy ! — A. 
Only what I have read. 

Q. Well, what is that! — A. I think it is from eating poor food and 
too much inaction. 

Q. And too much salt food and not enough fresh food, is it not! — A. 
Well, I understand, from what I know, that it is worse to take the salt 
in water than in food ; that it is not so much salt food as it is salt water. 

Q. And was it not, therefore, a matter of wise precaution, in your 
judgment, that no man should go into the fire-room and get the water 
to make the tea with, or for any other purpose, until it had been tested 
to ascertain whether that water was too salty to use or not ! — A. I don't 
think it was ; no. 

Q. You do not think it was wise to take that precaution ! — A . Well, 
I think it would be in a general way, but not to limit it too std'ongly . 



74 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. It was no more strongly limited in regard to Mr. Collins than it 
was to any other man on board the boat, was it ? — A. Yes ; because 
there were several of them that used to take the water whenever they 
chose. 

Q. Do you mean that there was a rule more stringent in regard to 
Mr. Collins than in regard to anybody else '? — A. The whole engineer's 
department used to drink it. 

Q. Of course the engineer's department was not under supervision. 
I ask you whether the officers were under any less orders than Mr. 
Collins was? — A. There used to be water taken for the officers' use. 

Q. I ask if there was any different order in regard to Mr. Collins 
than there was in regard to any other officer'?— A. I knew of no order 
restricting any other officer or any other person from coming to the fire- 
room. 

Q. And did you know of any other order ? — A. I knew of no other 
order. 

Q. Only in regard to Mr. Collins ? — A. Onl}^ in regard to Mr. Collins. 

Q. Did he not come to the fire-room just as much as he did before? — 
A. He used to come to the hatch and pass his cup down to have us 
make him a cup of tea. 

Q. Just the same as before ? — A. But he did not come down into the 
fire-room. 

Q. He did not come to the fire-room and have his conversations with 
you just as frequently as he did before! — A. He did not, sir. 

Q. Then your intimacy did not continue daring the whole time you 
were on the ship ? — A. Not to such an extent as it had, because we did 
not have the opportunities. 

Q. Did you make any such limitation when you testified on Satur- 
day I — A. I don't know. 

Q. Did you not say that your intimacy with him continued during 
the whole time? — A. It did continue. 

Q. But did you not say it continued throughout the whole time? — A. 
I did, I think. 

Q. Now so far as you know, was Mr. Collins as intimate with any 
other person on board the vessel as he was with you ? — A. Yes j I think 
he was. 

Q. With whom? — A. He was just as intimate with Mr. Newcomb. 

Q. In what department was Mr. Newcomb? — A. Well, we used to 
call him the bug hunter. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The entomologist, I suppose. 

The Witness. He was the naturalist. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you see him in as intimate conversation with Mr. Newcomb 
as you did with yourself? — A. Yes. 

Q. As frequently? — A. Yes; more frequently. 

Q. Were you in company with them ? — A. Sometimes, yes. 

Q. And were they both then with you in the fire-room? — A. No, sir; 
this was on the ice. 

Q. That is, when you went to take the two hours' exercise ? — A. Not 
always ; sometimes when we were hunting. 

Q. When did you first hear Mr. Collins complain about the instru- 
ments being taken from him? — A. Well, I couldn't state. 

Q. Was it that night when you believed him to have been suspended ? — 
A. I think it was before that when he first commenced telling me about it. 

Q. How long before ? — A. I don't know. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 75 

Q. Did he state what instruments had been taken from him? — A. ^o-, 
he said they used to take first one and then another from him. 

Q. Did he saj^ what one they took first ? — A. I don't know whether 
he did or not ; I don't remember. 

Q. How long was it before he was suspended that you first heard from 
Mr. Collins that any instrument had been taken from him ? — A. I can't 
tell you how long it was. 

Q. As near as you can fix it. — A. Well, it would be inipossible for 
me to fix any time, because I don't remember the time that he was sus- 
pended, and I don't remember these different conversations I had with 
bim — that is, as to time. 

Q. Now, when Mr. Collins made the remark that he was in hell on 
earth, was that in that first conversation that you have detailed after 
he was suspended ? — A. I think it was. 

Q. Had he ever before made any such remark as that to you? — A. 
Not that he had been living a hell upon earth, but 

Q. (Interposing.) That is what I asked, whether he had made that 
remark? — A. No; he never did. 

Q. Now, when he told you that he was living in a hell upon earth did 
he specify what the things were that constituted that condition of things 
in his mind ? — A. I don't remember that he did in fact. 

Q. In the course of that conversation he told you, did he not, about 
tlie orders for exercise, and about the taking of the instruments ? — A. 
Well, I don't know as he did about taking all of his instruments. 

Q. No ; but I say he told you in that same conversation about it ? — 
A. He told me that he had been suspended, and been told that he could 
not have the use of any instruments at that time. 

Q. Now, did you understand that this phrase that he used he used 
because he had been suspended — that he considered that constituted 
hell upon earth ? — A. Well, I didn't consider it in that way. 

Q. Then can you tell me from the conversation you had with him what 
it was made him use that expression ? — A. That it was the general treat- 
ment that he received in the ward-room and in th(j cabin. 

Q. The general treatment? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now, did he specify who were the parties that had treated him in 
that way ? — A. He said that they were always making game of him, and 
came at him in a way that he could not resent, and made it unpleasant 
for him. 

Q. And did he speak of who they were that came at him in such a 
way that he could not resent it? — A. As I understood, it was a sort of 
a general thing. 

Q. A general thing ? — A. That is what I understood. 

Q. From his conversation ? — A. Yes. 

Q. And you do not know any one in particular who came at him in 
such a way ? — A. I believe Mr. Melville and the doctor were the only 
ones that I remember now that he spoke of in particular. 

Q. You told on Saturday what it was about Mr. Melville ; that he sang 
Irish songs and told Irish stories ? — A. I think he said he used to do that 
and used to do it to annoy him. 

Q. What did Dr. Ambler do that was so dreadful ? — A. I don't re- 
member exactly what he did say any further than to make remarks that 
were annoying to him. 

Q. When was it that he made the remark about being dogged like a 
poor man's cur ? — A. I think that was the time that he was telling about 
being x3ut under suspension. 

Q. Did he tell you what had been said or done that led him to use 



76 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that expression ? — A. Well, I think it was because Captain De Long 
used to watch him when he went in to record the noon observation at 
12 o'clock. 

Q. Did you know that Captain De Long did any such thing? — A. I 
was not aware of it myself, sir. 

Q. Now, did Captain De Long exercise any more supervision, to your 
knowledge, over Mr. Collins than he did over any other man on board 
the boat ? — A. He did not ; no, sir. 

Q. You spoke about an order being given by Captain De Long to Mr. 
Co!lins to let go of the rope? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Before Mr. De Long reiterated the order did he wait a sufficient 
time to permit Mr. Collins to obey the order? — A. Well, I think he 
could have obeyed it instantly had he tried. 

Q. Then I understand you to say that he did wait a sufficient time for 
him to show whether he intended to obe\^ the order or not ? — A. Well, 
I don't know whether you would consider it a sufficient time or not. 
He stood and looked at Mr. De Long may be a quarter of a minute or 
l)erhaps a half a minute. 

Q. And how did he look ? — A. He looked at him the same as one man 
would look at another. 

Q. Oh, but there are a good many different ways in which one man 
would look at another. Did he look at him defiantly? — A. I don't 
know that he did. I don't know that I noticed him particularly. 

Q. Y^ou spoke about a willingness to take the dogs. I would like to 
know whether you did at any time take any from the natives? — A. 
Well, we used to go out and take a fish once in awhile when we could 
find it. 

Q. How large a supply of provisions did you have on hand at the 
time that Kusmah Avent down to Bulun? — A. I think it was about that 
time that the natives began to catch an abundance of fish there. 

Q. I say how large a supply did you have at that time? — A. I think 
we were gettiug a sufficient amount. 

Q. Did you hear in the conversations that took place between any of 
the officers and Mr. Kusmah any price fixed that Kusmah was to be 
paid ? — A. I did not hear that conversation, but it was talked over. 

Q. You did not hear that conversation? — A. No, sir; I did not hear it. 

Q. So that there Avere conversations in regard to what was to be done 
by this man, or arrangements made with him, that you did not hear? — 
A. Yes, sir ; there Avere. 

Q. Had you with you any instrument to tell the latitude and longi- 
tude ? — A. Not in the whale-boat, sir. 

Q. As matter of fact, Avhen you Avere upon the shore, did you know 
within 30 miles of the exact place where you were? — A. No, sir; I did 
not. 

Q. And could you, therefore, at that time have made any attempt to 
go to any other place ? — A. We 

Q. (Interposing.) Could you? I am speaking of you, individually. — 
A. Yes. 

Q. You could?— A. Yes. 

Q. Did you have a chart with you that Avould enable you to follow the 
river? — A. I had the same chart that Mr. Dauenhower had, or a copy 
of it. 

Q. And no other? — A. That is all, sir. 

Q. Now, did that chart so designate the places and the courses and 
the mouths of the river that you would have been able to have taken 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 77 

tliat chart and gone in an unknown country to Bulun, not knowing 
where you were'?— A. I think I could liave found Bulun ; yes, sir. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) Is that the chart to which you refer ?— A. I 
had a copy of that chart 5 yes, sir. 

Q. It was a copy of that ? — A. Yes ; it was a copy of thafc chart. 

Mr. AiiNOUX. I would like that to be marked as a map identified. 

Mr. Curtis. There is no objection. 

The Witness. I will say that this looked like my chart. 

(The map shown the witness was a small pencil tracing belonging to 
Mr. Melville, and was marked on the back by the stenographer, Exhibit 
Ko. 1.) 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Mr. Bartlett, did you know of any man being subjected to any 
outrage on board that vessel ? — A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you know of any man being subjected to any indignity on 
board that vessel*? — A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Is it a fact that when you got upon the ice you were divided into 
three parties, or was it when you got to the edge of the water *? — A. 
When w^e went to the boats. I think it was at Bennett Island, about 
the 1st of August some time. 

Q. When you found Captain De Long and his party, did you find that 
they had traveled along the line of the river *? — A. Along the line of 
different rivers ; yes. 

Q. Did they not cross the country — A. In places I think they did, 
as far as I know. 

Q. That is what I say. Your judgment of the course which he had 
taken is that it had been across the country ! — A. To a certain extent 
at times across the country and at other times along the rivers. 

Q. But it was not confined to the line of the river, as near as you could 
judge ! — A. As near as I know, it could not be confined to any one river. 

Q. Did you know of anybody on or about the 3d of October, volun- 
teering to go in search of your missing shipmates ? 

The Witness. When was that, 1881 "? 

Mr. Arnoux. 1881. 

A. Well, I think that Mr. Danenhower talked of it ; I think that we 
all talked of it, in fact. 

Q. Was not the only olfer that you made to go as a volunteer to go 
to Bulun in the fall ? — A. I don't know^ that that was the only one. I 
think that in a general sort of a way we had talked it all over and were 
all willing to go, or showed a willingness to go. 

Q. Did you not^ in answering one of the questions before the Court of 
Inquiry say — 

I desire to state that my volunteering was in regard to going to Bulun, but not for 
tke search for Lieutenant De Long. 

A. I think I did ; yes, sir. 

Q. Is not that correct? — A. Yes, sir; as to my volunteering. But I 
say that in general conversation, or in a general way, we all showed a. 
willingness to undertake it. 

Q. I did not ask if you show^ed a w illingness ; I asked you if you vol- 
unteereed to go, on or about the 3d of October, in search of Captain De 
Long and his party ? — A. I did not, sir, as 1 remember, 

Q. At the time that you and your party reached the bodies of Captaini 
De Long and the others that you found, had any one reached them be- 
fore? — A. Mr. Melville and Mr. Mndemann w^ere there the day before 
I was; yes, sir. 



78 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And had anybody preceded them ? — A. Not to my knowledge ; 
no, sir. 

Q. There was one day's difference between your arrival and theirs? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, if you had started at the time that you 
proposed going, or that you talked of doing it, would you have been 
able, as subsequent events proved, to have reached them before they 
died ? — A. Well, we might have reached some of them. Yes, sir ; I 
think we might. 

Q. Will you say that you certainly would have done it ? — A. No, sir ; 
I would not. 

Q. According to the best knowledge that you have, what was the time 
that they died ?— A. The 30th of October ; that is, the last of them. 

Q. The 30th of October "^ — A. Yes ; according to my best knowledge. 

Q. Now, at what date, as the earliest possible date, could you have 
set out to find them '^ — A. I think we could have set out for Bulun about 
the 16th. 

Q. No j I am speaking of the earliest possible date to go to find De 
Long. 

The Witness. That we could have started ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. I think we could have started about the 15th or 16th. 

Q. Of October ? — A. Yes ; that we could have started then j it would 
have been possible. 

Q. It would have been possible 1 — A. I think so. 

Q. On that date did you know where they were ? — A. I did not. 

Q. Consequently do you think it would have been possible for you 
to have started out on the 16th of October and have found them, when 
they died by the 30th of October, when you did not know where you 
were to go to find them ? — A. I don't know whether we could or not. 

Q. I say do you think it possible that you could ? — A. Perhaps we 
would have stood a better chance than we did in Geeomovialocke. 

Q. I did not ask about the better chance ; I asked was it probable 
that they could have been found, in your judgment 1 — A. The proba- 
bilities are that if we had followed the main river to the northward we 
would have fallen in with Nindemann and Noros. 

Q. What time did they reach the main river? — A. As well as I know 
it was about the 15th or 16th — somewhere along there. 

Q. Then they would not have passed down before you reached the 
main river? — A. Had they passed down we would have learned it from 
the natives. 

Q. Did you meet any natives on the main river ? — A. There are na- 
tives living on the main river; yes. 

Q. Did you meet them ? — A. Yes. 

Q. How many did you meet ? — A. I don't know how many I met. I 
stopped at one village where there might have been 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no ; not what might have been, but what you 
found ? — A. I didn't count them. 

Q. But what you saw? — A. I might have seen anywheres from fifty 
to one hundred. 

Q. Now, how far was that up the river ? — A. Well, I think they call 
that 60 versts north of Bulun, about. 

Q. And how much is a verst ? — A. We used to calculate it two-thirds 
of an English mile, I believe. 

Q. That would be 40 miles ?— A. About that. 

Q. From the place where you were in October, would you have 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 79 

struck that village in going to find De Long?— A. Yes j I think we 
would have probably gone that way. 

Q. Do you know that you would ? — A. I do not, sir. 

Q. (Submitting record of Court of Inquiry.) I wish you to look at 
your evidence given before the Court of Inquiry and state to this com- 
mittee how many questions that were put to you were ruled out. — A. 
(After perusing the testimony referred to.) I think they are all in here 5 
yes, sir. 

Q. Now tell how many there are.— A. I will have to stop and count 
them. 

Mr. Arnoux. It will only take you an instant. Does not the record 
show? 

The Witness. It is shown right here. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. This is part of the court's record. Just count how many there 
are. 

The Witness. You have them all marked ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. There are four that you have marked. 

Q. Do you find any more ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then every question that was put to you you were allowed to an- 
swer with perfect freedom, were you not? — A. Yes ; 1 think so. 

Q. I want to ask you one or two questions further in regard to this 
matter of drunkenness. How many times did you see any one of the 
officers intoxicated during the time you were on board the vessel — any 
one officer, the greatest number of times ? — A. I don- 1 know as I can 
remember the greater number of times or the lesser number. I have 
seen some of them. 

Q. Take any one of those officers. How many times do you remem- 
ber that you saw any one officer drunk? — A. Well, twice, that I remem- 
ber of distinctly. 

Q. And how many times do you remember any one officer being guilty 
of talking with the men in the way that you have spoken of? 

Mr. Curtis. In what way? 

Q. You said that the officers were talking with the men in such a way 
as to create insubordination. — A. No, I did not. 

Q. What, besides intoxication, do you say you know as unofficerlike 
conduct in regard to the officers you have named ? — A. Well, there were 
a number of points in regard to some of them. 

Q. Let us know them. This inquiry is to get out all the facts. — A. 
Well, the example that was set before the men in regard to certain 
things. 

Q. That is what I referred to. You said that that tended to make 
insubordination, did you not ? — A. No, sir ; I did not. 
. Q. Now, the example that was set before the men must have been 
improper example, otherwise it would not have been unofficerlike. — A. 
I think it was unofficerlike. 

Q. Now, how many times did that occur with any one of them ? — 
A. I don't know that I could state the exact number of times that it 
occurred. 

Q. Was it anything that was detrimental to the permanent discipline 
of the ship? — A. It would be detrimental to the 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no; not what it would be. I am asking as 
matter of fact, in the way you were situated. — A. Not on board the 
ship; no. 



80 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. I tbiuk I iiDderstood you to say tbat you had seen all tlie men 
under the iuHueDce of liquor more or less at different times! — A. Yes; 
at different times. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. All the members of the party? — A. Well, during- the cruise — all of 
them. 

The Chairman. Men and officers? 

Mr. Arnoux. He has named the officers that he saw. Now he says 
all the rest. 

The Witness. I did not say all of the officers. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Part of the officers and all of the men? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What means had the men for procuring drink? — A. It was served 
out to the men once a week. But this did not all occur on board the 
ship. 

Q. Were there any means of intoxication outside the ship? — A, There 
Avere at certain places; yes, sir. 

Q. What kind of beverage could you get up there? — A. The most I 
believe that we had we obtained in Ounalaska from the natives there. 
They called it quass. 

Q. What is it? — A. I don't know what the compound is. It made 
some of them very happy, though. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. I am speaking of while you were on the ship ? — A. I said that not 
while we were on the ship did I see all these people under the inlluence 
of liquor. 

Q. Now did you see any of the officers under the influence of liquor 
while on board tlie ship? — A. I did, sir. 

Q. What officers did you see under the influence of liquor ? — A. Mr. 
Chi pp. 

Q. How many times did you see him under the influence of liquor? — 
A. I think twice, as I remember. 

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Collins under the influence of liquor ? — A. 
Not that I know of; no, sir. 

Q. Do you remember the time of his birthday party ? — A. I don't 
know that I do. 

Q. Try to put your mind upon it and see if you do not recollect that 
fact. — A. I remember something about his birthday, yes. 

Q. Now, what was his condition on that day ; was he absolutely and 
perfectly sober during the entire day ? — A. I don't know that he was in- 
toxicated, sir. 

Q. I did not ask you that; I asked you the other question. Will you 
swear that he was absolutely and perfectly sober during the entire day? — 
A. I would, as far as I know; yes. I did not see him drink anything. 

Q. I did not ask you what you saw him drink. — A. As far as I re- 
member his actions, he was. 

Q. Absolutely sober? — A. As far as I know. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What was your oi)iuion? — A. I did not see anything that would 
create a different opinion that I know of. 

Q. Did you ever see any of the officers driidv on board the ship? — A. 
Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 81 

Q. Where j in what part of the ship ? — A. In different parts of the 
ship ', in the cabin and in Mr. Ohipp's room also. 

Q. Did you drink with them ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What officers ?— A. I think it was Mr. Melville, and I don't know 
whether Mr. Danenhower was there or not ; I don't remember ; and 
Mr. Ohipp. I don't know whether Mr. Danenhower was there or not. 
I am inclined to think that he was not. He might have been, though. 
I don't remember. 

Q. In the cabin ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it customary for the officers to drink with the men in the 
cabin ? — A. It was not a customary thing ; no, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any other cases ^ 

The Witness. Any other cases of what? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Where the officers drank with the men in the after- 
part of the ship 1 — A. I believe there were occasions that I remember 
when I saw them. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q.. When was it, as you recollect, that the officers drank in the cabin 
with you the first time ? — A. I think it was the night before we sailed 
from San Francisco, as I remember it. 

Q. When was the next time 1 — A. The next time that I drank with 
Mr. Ohipp was in St. Michael's. I think I drank with Mr. Ohipp alone 
that time in his room. 

Q. And when was the third time? — A. I think the third time was 
when we returned from Henrietta Island, shortly before the crushing 
of the Jeannette. 

By Mr. OURTIS : 

Q. When you were asked, did you see any outrage or indignity offered 
to anybody on board the ship, you meant in your answer to say, I sup- 
pose, that you did not see any one physically maltreated ? — A. I did 
not. 

Q. I say you meant by your answer to say that? — A. On board the 
ship, I believe, the question was. 

Q. When you said that you witnessed no violence or indignity offered 
to anybody on board the ship, you meant by that, I suppose, that you 
saw no one physically maltreated or injured ? — A. I saw no one physic- 
ally maltreated or injured. 

Q. Well, is that what you meant by your reply ? 

The Witness. While on shipboard does that question apply to ? 

Mr. OuETis. Yes. 

A. I saw no one maltreated or injured. 

Q. What did you understand when the words outrage and violence 
were used by the counsel? — A. I understood that he wanted me to tes- 
tify whether I had seen any one violently treated or openly misused. 

Q. That is what I mean exactly -, that is what you had in view when 
you made the answer, was it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And therefore you said it was true that you did not see any one 
openly and violently misused physically ? — A. Yes j I think I did. 

Q. Still, as you have repeatedly said, Dr. Oollins complained to you 
of the treatment that he had received ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. OuRTis. It is not contended that he was physically maltreated or 
any physical outrage or indignity put upon him except that which was 
involved in the arrest. 

Q. Now, when you were before the Board of Inquiry the questions 

6 JQ* 



82 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tliat were put to you were put by the judge-advocate in writing, were 
they not ; they were read to you, were they not ? — A. Yes, sir j as I 
remember it. 

Q. And you answered in the briefest, most comprehensive way to the 
questions that you were permitted to answer ? — A. I did, as briefly as I 
could. 

Q. And whatever might have been the feeling that animated your 
associates before that Board of Inquiry you yourself at the time of your 
examination were influenced by the sentiment that you have described 
to us ? — A. I was ; yes, sir. 

Q. And you felt in no disposition to volunteer testimony! — A. I did 
not feel in any disposition then. 

Q. And if you had been asked the questions that I have asked you 
would or would not you have answered them ? — A. I think I should 
have had to. 

Q. Exactly ; so you would. And you were in that mood of mind that 
you felt the less you had to say and the sooner you got out of it the 
better for you, did you not ? — A. I did. 

Q. That was your mood of mind ? — A. That was the mood of mind I 
was in at that time. 

Q. Very well. IS^ow the learned counsel, with a good deal of elab- 
oration — I won't follow it — asked you how many questions were ruled 
out. Now in the first place the record shows that, but I suppose that 
you have the judgment and the common sense to know that one ques- 
tion may be ruled out that will affect and change the entire aspect of a 
case, have you not f — A. Well, I think it might lead to bringing out 
other points. 

Q. And it struck you as a peculiarity then, and does it not now, that 
the questions that were excluded by the court, on motion of the judge- 
advocate or otherwise, were questions that seemed to tend in the direc- 
tion of the inquiry which we are now making? — A. Yes, sir; it seemed 
so to my mind. 

Q. i^ow, you told us on Saturday that you had certain notes and 
records. Have they yet arrived f — A. No, sir ; they have not. 

Q. So that, in point of fact, after this lapse of time, both on Saturday 
and to-day, you have been testifying entirely as to dates, places, and 
circumstances from your memory 1 — A. Yes, memory only. 

Q. And, of course, like all other human faculties, it is fallible! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I think the witness is hardly competent to give evi- 
dence on that point. That is a physical fact. 

Mr. Curtis. He has given evidence on naval discipline, on meta- 
physics, and on everything except Proctor's System of Astronomy. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Counsel ought to assume that the committee know 
something. 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly. I only want to show the committee what a 
remarkable man this must be, because my learned friend was allowed 
to examine him on almost every possible thing. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not feel interested in hearing the testimony of 
this witness on a i)hilosophical fact — about memory. 

Mr. Curtis. I hope my brother will remember that hereafter. 

Q. (Resuming.) This was the first ship of war, you say, you were 
ever on before you were a man ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When you were a boy you sailed in a man-of-war ! — A. I made 
one cruise 3 yes. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 83 

Q. As a boy. How old were you ? — A. Well, it was done when I 
was fifteen years old. 

Q. And how long a cruise ? — A. Nine months. 

Q. And what were you ; an able seaman ? — A. No, sir j I was a 
landsman -, that is, I was rated as a landsman, I think. 

Q. And was that on a man-of-war *? — A. Yes, it was on board the ship 
Quaker City during the rebellion. 

Q. There was no occasion during that voyage, as far as you remember, 
for any one of the officers to make a confidant of you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And there was no such friendship on that particular voyage as 
grew up between you and Collins on this expedition where you were 
daily brought together? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, he was an Irishman by birth ? — A. To the best of my knowl- 
edge he was. 

Q. And to the best of your knowledge and opinion he was a gentle- 
man of education and refined insticcts; he was a sensitive man, was he 
not? — A. I think he was. 

Q. Did you know or do you know anything about the nationality of 
Mr. Melville? — A. Only what I have heard him say, sir. 

Q. An English gentleman, is he not? — A. I think he claims to be of 
Scotch origin, born in this country. I have heard him say so. I don't 
know. 

Q. You see nothing extraordinary in the fact of a sensitive Irish gen- 
tleman being annoyed by the songs that he conceived to be sung in de- 
rision of his country, do you ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that is not a proper line of inquiry. 

A. Well no; that is, in my opinion. 

Mr. Curtis (to Mr. Arnoux). I say you are not fair. I give you every 
possible latitude on earth. 

The Chairman. It is a matter of conclusion really. 

Mr. Curtis. But if the committee please, I have given the other side 
every latitude and I am only traveling over their ground. You will 
find I do not advance a step beyond the ground of the cross-examination. 
It is I who give way in everything. The moment they run to the end 
of their rope and I seek to get at the truth then immediately is erected 
this barricade of objection. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is only the second question, and I have made my 
objection and the committee can pass upon it. 

The Chairman. Any fact may be proven. 

Mr. Curtis. That is a fact. 

The Chairman. The committee can determine whether it is an indig- 
nity or not. If he is asked as to the fact of an indignity being offered to 
Mr. Collins, and then asked in what that indignity consists, he might 
state that in his opinion that was an indignity. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, I certainly ought to have the privilege of going 
over the ground that they have spaded up. 

The Chairman. You will have it. 

Mr. Curtis. If one rule is for them and another for me I want sim- 
ply to understand it in advance. 

The Chairman. The same rule is to be for both. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did you or did you not make a mistake on Saturday when you 
stated that so far as appeared, or as far as your knowledge went, the 
last entry in the journal of Mr. De Long was on September 20? — A. 
If I said it was on September 20 it was a mistake clearly. I think it 
was October 30 that 1 said. 



84 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. (Submittiug record of Court of Inquirj^) Now, in point of fact, 
Mr. Witness, is it not October 30 !— A. " 140th day "j yes, sir. I think 
that is what I said. 

Mr. Curtis. You said the 20th of September. You may have said 
the 30th of October afterwards. I do not want to leave anything for 
my friend's ingenuity. It is best to build as we go. 

The Witness. I gained it from De Long's own journal, and I think I 
stated it was October 30. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Now, in point of fact, when you have repeated here in answer to 
the questions of the learned counsel that all was done that was possible 
in the search for De Long, did you not confine yourself to or mean to be 
understood that everything was done after the search commenced? — A. 
I think everything was done after it commenced. 

Q. Did you not mean to be so understood ? — A. Yes, that is the way 
I calculated to be understood; that after the search was commenced 
everything was done that could be done ; that is, in my judgment. 

Q. But you did not mean to be understood that the search could not 
have been made before ? — A. I think the search could have been started 
earlier had we gone to Bulun at the time I made the proposition to go. 

Q. In the light of subsequent events, you could have gone to Bulun 
earlier, could you not ? — A. I think we could, yes ; sir. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, where were you on the IGth day of October ? — 
A. I think I was in Geemovialocke. 

Q. How many days' journey is it from Geemovialocke to Bulun? — 
A. I think when I went I made it in thirty-six hours actual traveling 
time, as near as I could judge. 

Q. Did you go by a deer team or a dog team ? — A. I went by a deer 
team, sir. 

Q. That would be a day and a half? — A. Yes, of actual traveling 
time. 

Q. From Geemovialocke to Bulun ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many days actual travel Avas it from Bulun to the spot where 
De Long's body was found? — A. Well, I don't know how quick it was. 
I think two days and a half would do it. I said two and a half or three 
days, I think. 

Q. Yes, and to go at the outside you could do it in four, could you 
not? — A. I think that some of our party did it in less than four. 

Q. Well, we will say four. Then for the day and a half we will give 
two days. That would make six days. There is no doubt in your 
mind that the journey from Geemovialocke to Bulun, to the spot where 
De Long's body was found, could be made in six days? — A. Oh, yes; I 
think it could be made in less than that. 

Q. We will say six. You are positive about that? — A. Yes, to the 
best of my knowledge, I could make it in two and a half or three. 

Q. Well, sixteen and six are twenty-two. That would make it eight 
more days to the time, according to this journal, when De Long had the 
strength to make his last memorandum? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You do not know in point of fact how long he lived after he made 
this last entry, do you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. So far as you have any positive knowledge he may have lived a 
month? — A. So far as I have any positive knowledge. 

Q. He may have lived two months, he may have lived three months? 
— A. ^es, so far as I know. 

Q. And still within all this period of time, this one month, these two 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 85 

months, tliese three months, you were as a physical fact within, we will 
say, six clays' journey of the spot where his body was found? — A. At 
certain times, yes, sir; not all the time. 

Q. Now, the country between where you were and where he died was 
at intervals more or less inhabited? — A. Well, at certain times of the 
year it was. 

Q. There were men and dogs and deer, and, of course, if all those ani- 
mals lived there there was subsistence to keep them or it was obtain- 
able? — A. Yes, there was subsistence there for them where we were. 

Q. Now right here. How did that ship become entangled in the 
ice? — A. Well, she was driven in there, as I remember it. 

Q. By bad seamanship? — A. I think not; no, sir; not in my opinion. 

Mr. Arnoux. He is not a seaman and never was a seaman. 

Mr. BouTELLE. We will take his opinion for what it is worth. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You were driven in there? — A. As hard as her engines could 
drive her; yes, sir. 

Q. Then you tried to get in there? — A. We did. 

Q. You tried to put this steamer in the ice? — A. I thought that was 
the intention when I was on watch in the engine-room; yes, sir. 

Q. Well, so far as your knowledge extends, so far as your momory 
serves you, no effort was made to keep out of that ice? — A. As far as 
my knowledge goes I think the intent was to put her in there as the 
result shows. 

Q. Do you not know that she never was released from that ice; that 
she floated with that ice and sank ? — A. She did. 

Q. Do you not know that it is considered among stientific navigators 
as very bad seamanship to entangle a vessel in that way? — A. I don't 
know whether it is bad seamanship or not. 

Q. Do you not know that that is considered almost certain destruc- 
tion? — A. Yes; it is considered in my estimation almost certain de- 
struction to place a ship into an ice pack. 

Q. At the time that she was driven by the whole power of the ma- 
chinery and the steam of the vessel into this ice it was, as you thought 
at the time, by the intelligent direction and command of the officers of 
the ship? 

Mr. BouTELLE. I thought that it was unintelligent according to his 
former testimony. 

The Witness. I intended to convey theldea that I did not think it 
necessarily required bad seamanship to put a ship into the ice. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I understood you to say that you regarded it as bad 
seamanship. 

The Witness. I think not. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. I understood you so. 

Mr. Arnoux. I understood him to say just the other way; that he did 
not consider it was bad seamanship at all. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Therefore I ask you the question, is it not considered by all per- 
sons expert in arctic navigation that it is certain destruction to a ves- 
sel to entangle it in the ice ? — A. Not necessarily, as I understand it. 

Q. As you now understand it, is there any possible escape — can there 
be any possible escape for a vesssel wedged into the ice? — A. Not as 
long as she is wedged in; no, sir. 

Q. As you now understand, as you ever understood, or as you can 



86 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

ever understand it, is it not almost inevitable that wlien the vessel is 
released by the drifting of the ice, by the thawing of the ice, that she 
sinks? — A. Well, I don't know. 

Q. This one did sink, did she not 1 — A. She did sink ; yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, I will leave your oiiiniou for the present. It may 
not be important on that subject. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Is there any open sea in the Arctic winter? — A. Not to my knowl- 
edge ; no, sir. There are what we used to call water-holes, caused by the 
breaking of the ice, which may last for an hour or may last for a day or 
may not last more than twenty minutes. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, you spoke of conduct unbecoming the officers of this ship, 
and on that you were extensively questioned in reference to your opin- 
ion by Mr. Arnoux. In any of the conduct of Mr. Collins did you see 
anything that your experience as a seaman or as a gentleman lead you 
to believe was unbecoming the dignity of an officer or a gentleman on 
any occasion ? — A. I did not. I do not remember of anything now. 

Q. You have said that on some occasions — and that was in response 
to the inquiries of Judge Arnoux and not in response to mine — that 
you did observe such conduct on behalf of the other officers of the ves- 
sel during the time and the history of the expedition. Now, I do not want 
you to confine yourself to the ship. I want you to tell me who the of- 
ficers were, whether on the retreat or on the ship, that indulged in in- 
toxication ? — A. Mr. Chipp indulged in it, Mr. Melville indulged in it, I 
think Mr. Danenhower indulged in it, and I think I saw Dr. Ambler 
once or twice when I thought he was intoxicated. 

Q. How many times did you see Mr. Melville intoxicated ? — A. I don't 
know, sir, 

Q. Well, I do not suppose you can give the exact number of times, 
but try and approximate it ? — A. Well, I don't know as I can give a 
statement. 

Q. To the best of your recollection was it twice ? — A. Well, we will 
say a number of times. 

Q. Well, was it twice ? — A. Yes, I think more than twice. 

Q. Was it four times 1 — A. It might have been. 

Q. Was it six times ? — A. It might have been six times that I saw 
him under the influence of liquor to a greater or less extent. 

Q. You were asked the question by the counsel whether or not in 
your judgment, in your opinion, that state of intoxication, whether fre- 
quent or infrequent, interfered with the success of the expedition. I 
want to ask you as a matter of opinion do you know of anything in in- 
toxication that under any circumstances enchances the probability of 
the success of any enterprise ; do you know of any enterprise that intoxi- 
cation helps ? — A. I don't really know. 

Q. Then as a matter of oi)inion you would not consider it essential to 
the success of that expedition that the officers were drunk, would you ? — 
A. Well, I should not consider it essential to the success of it. 

Q. Would you consider intoxication as a maintenance of the proper 
law of discipline in the Navy, under the circumstances ? — A. To the best 
of my knowledge, no. 

Q. Do you know anything in the regulations of the Navy that directs 
or requires that a man should get intoxicated ? — A. I do not, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any regulation of the Navy that prohibits it ? — 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 87 

A. I don't know as it is strictly forbidden, but I know that intoxication 
or becoming' drunk is not considered to be the proper thing. 

Q. Now, Mr. Bartlet, I believe that you have stated that you attended 
before this Board of Inquiry on the subpoena of the [Jnited States ; were 
you subpcenaed ! — A. I was never subpoenaed, I think. I never received 
a subpoena that I remember. 

Q. At whose invitation did you attend'? — A. I attended under orders 
from Commodore Upshur, I think, in New York. 

Q. And so far as you were allowed to testify on that occasion you do 
not now see how your testimony on that occasion was inconsistent or 
irreconcilable with your evidence now, do you'? — A. Well, I did not in- 
tend to make it so in any way. 

Q. The questions were not put to you and you did not propose to vol- 
unteer. That is about it, is it not? — A. I did not propose to volunteer. 
That is the feeling that I went there with. I did not feel as though I 
ought to volunteer anything. 

Q. Now, did you not have a conversation with Melville while at Gee- 
omavialocke as to De Long's whereabouts? — A. We used to discuss the 
probabilities of his whereabouts quite often ; yes, sir. 

Q. How early was that conversation"? — A. I think that we used to 
talk about it right along from the time we got there or shortly after- 
wards. 

Q. When did you arrive at Geeomavialocke ? — A. 1 think we arrived 
at Geeomavialocke the last of September somewhere ; the 25th or 26th 
or somewheres along there. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, you were at Geeomavialocke from^^the last of 
September until about the 16th of October, were you ? — A.*^ We were 
there longer than that, as I remember. 

Q. In point of fact, you were that long, were you not? — A. I think we 
were, as near as I remember j yes, sir. 

Q. When you had a conversation with Melville as to De Long's where- 
abouts, what did you say to him and what did he say to you? — A. We 
used to discuss the probabilities of their position in many different 
forms. 

Q. Did you say anything about starting a relief expedition? — A. Oh 
I think at different times we used to talk about it. 

Q. What were the objections raised, if any, by Melville ? — A. I don't 
think that there were any particularly raised. 

Q. Were there any generally raised ? — A. There was a controversy 
between him and Mr. Danenhower at the time that Mr. Danenhower 
wanted to start on a search, as I remember. 

Q. How long was it after you heard through Noros and Nindemann 
that you started on this search ? — A. I think Mr. Melville started the 
next day, as I remember it. 

Q. When did you hear from Noros and Nindemann ? — A. I think it 
was the 28th or 29th of September, I don't know which j along about 
that time, anyway. 

Q. How long had you known Kusmah before that ? — A. For quite a 
time. I think Kusmah came first to our place somewhere from the 8th 
to the 10th of October. 

Q. He was fully acquainted with that country, was he ? — A. He was 
acquainted with it pretty well. 

Q. Judge Arnoux uses the expression " refugee." What was he — a 
Russian exile ? — A. A Eussian exile. 

Q. You were in that portion of the Eussian Empire known as Siberia, 



88 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I suppose, the frozen Siberia. Are yoa at all certain about these dates 
until you get your notes and records ? — A. Ko, sir j I am not. 

Q. I will suspend your testimony in regard to dates until you get 
your notes and records. Did not Melville and Danenhower have a dis- 
cussion in your presence about going to Kusmah's house*? — A. I think 
that they came to the conclusion that Mr. Danenhower should go home 
with Kusmah when he went the first time that he was at our place. 

Q. And did he go ? — A. I think he did; yes, as I remember it. 

Q. Now, in reference to the instruments. You said on Saturday that 
Mr. Collins complained that his scientific instruments were taken from 
him, and a question was put to you by Mr. Boutelle, one of the commit- 
tee, whether or no, after his suspension and after he complained the 
instruments were taken from him, the observations were not less in num- 
ber than they had been before, and I think you answered yes *? 

Mr. Boutelle. I did not ask that question. I think it was the 
counsel. 

By Mr. Curtis. 

Q. You answered yes, did you not? — A. I think I answered that to 
the best of my knowledge tliey were not as frequent. 

Q. Now, let me ask you, keeping in view the relation in which Mr. Col- 
lins stood to the expedition before his suspension, before his arrest, these 
observations were regular, constant, and frequent, were they not? — A. I 
think, as near as I know, they were made every hour. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, while you are on that topic, were not worth- 
less instruments brought on the retreat and good ones left behind? — A. 
I think there were better instruments left behind than were brought. 
That is my opinion. 

Mr. Boutelle. What instruments do you refer to, judge. 

Mr. Curtis. You may ask him that question. I prefer you would. 

Mr. Boutelle. I want to ascertain whether they were meteorologi- 
cal instruments? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes ; nautical instruments. 

Mr. Boutelle. That is what I want to get at. You had better have 
that specified. Put in nautical. 

Mr. Curtis. No; do not put in anything he does not say. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. What instruments do you refer to ? — A. I supposed he was re- 
ferring to nautical instruments. 

Q. What do you mean when you speak of nautical instruments? — A. 
I particularly refer to the compasses that were brought with us for the 
boat's use. 

Q. In your opinion they took poorer compasses than those that were 
left behind? — A. For that use; yes, sir 

Q. On what do you form that opinion? — A. Well, the compass that 
we had was almost useless in the boat, while there were compasses that 
were better adapted to that use. 

Q. What was the trouble with it? — A. It was small and would not 
work so that you could judge anything from it. 

Q. Was it the regular compass that was intended for use in that 
boat? — A. No, sir; I think not. It was a small prismatic compass, I 
think. 

Q. Did they not on the expedition as part of the discipline of the ship 
have compasses regularly assigned to each of the boats? — A. I think 
that arrangement was made to the best of my knowledge. It was in 
the first place. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 89 

Q. And in reference to tlie time they left the vessel they did not t ake 
with your boat the one that belonged to them! — A. No, sirj they did 
not. 

Q. Do you know why 1 — A. I do not. I heard the captain ask Mr. 
Melville, I think, if he should take out a boat's compass. My duty was 
at such a time to assist Mr. Melville under his instructions. I was in 
the cabin helping to remove things. I helped to remove several articles 
and get them on the ice. I heard Melville say to the captain, " Captain, 
shall we take these boat compasses ?" ''No," he says, "I think we have 
others." That was the answer he made. 

Q. What did he mean by others? — A. Other compasses, as I under- 
stood. I don't remember just the words he used, but he said he had 
other compasses. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Were the compasses lighter in weight than those left behind? — 
A. I think probably they were a little, but I don't know. 

Q. Now, was there anything else besides compasses in the way of 
better instruments that were left behind? — A. I don't know that there 
was. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you ever meet Mr. Gilder, the Herald correspondent? — A. I 
did sir. 

Q. Where? — A. At Geeomavialocke. 

Q. When?— A. I think it was in April, 1882. 

Q. That was long before the death of De Long, was it? — A. No, sir. 

Q. It was the year after ? — A. It was afterwards. 

Q. It was the spring afterwards that you found him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was 1881 you found him. In point of fact, did you have a sex- 
tant in your boat ? — A. Not to my knowledge j no, sir, we didn't have 
any. 

Q. Now, did you hear any conversation between Mr. Gilder and Mr. 
Melville ? — A. I did, at Jakutsk ; yes, sir. 

Q. At any other place?— A. Only in the vicinity of Jakutsk. 

Q. That was after the survivors had been rescued, was it ? — A. That 
was when we were on our return home after the search. 

Q. Then it was after the survivors had bee^^ rescued, those that are 
living now ? — A. In my estimation I don't consider that we were rescued 
until we reached New York, all of us. 

Q. You think you were in danger coming over the continent of 
Europe? — A. I think we were. 

Q. Possibly you were. What conversation took place there between 
Melville and Gilder ? — A. Well, I don't know as I can state it. 

Q. Was there any ? — A. Yes ; there was an ordinary conversation. 

Q. Anything in reference to the expedition? — A. Well, I suppose 
there were different conversations between us about the result of the 
expedition and what we had done. 

Q. Don't you remember what it was? — A. No, sir; I don't know as 
I do. 

Q. Did Melville say anything to you about what Gilder had said to 
him? — A. Not that I remember; no, sir. 

Q. When Gilder, the Herald correspondent, arrived, had you any 
conversation with Melville about Gilder, and what was said when he 
first arrived? — A. Mr. Gilder had been at Geeomavialocke, and had 
gone further on his road to Irkutsk before Melville had arrived there. 
Melville did not see him until we arrived at Irkutsk. 



90 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Where did you meet Jackson ! — A. At Geeomavialocke. 

Q. Where did you last meet Jackson ? — A. At a place called Olock- 
mer, on the Lena Eiver. 

Q. Do you remember any conversations that he had there with Mel- 
ville? — A. No; I could not give the substance of them. He had an 
order. I remember that he told Mr. Melville at one time he had a 
telegram from the minister in St. Petersburg, requesting him to turn 
over the books and papers for his inspection. 

Q. The American minister? — A. I think Irom Mr. Hunt in St. Peters- 
burg. 

Q. He was the American minister. Well, anything else? — A. Koj 
not that I remember. 

Q. Do your notes and records throw any light upon these conversa- 
tions; would they refresh your memory at all? — A. They might. 

Q. When will they be here? — A. I don't know, sir; I have sent for 
them. 

Q. When did you send for them? — A. Saturday morning. 

Q. How far?— A. To Dunkirk, in the State of New York. 

Q. That is not a great distance? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What did Melville say to you when he first saw Gilder?— A. I 
don't remember as he said anything to me in regard to him. 

Q. When Mr. Melville first saw Gilder, the Herald correspondent, did 
he not tell you to look out, and did he not say, addressing you and 
others, "Now, boys, keep a damned close mouth, for there is a damned 
reporter after us " ? — A . I think he told me to keep a close mouth if I 
saw him. 

Q. Didn't he tell you that the reason was that there was a damned 
reporter after you? — A. I think those were the words he used. 

Q. Have you not so stated repeatedly?— A. I may have said that he 
had told me so. 

Q. Well, it is true, is it not? — A. Yes, it is true. 

Q. Now, after Gilder, Jackson appeared on the scene, did he not? — 
A. Yes; he did, as I remember it. 

Q. Now, did Melville say to you, "Who do you think is after us? 
A damned big-headed English reporter " — and Noros was with you at 
the time. With Jackson, "You must keep a close mouth and not tell 
these reporters anything"? — A. Yes; I think that is what he said, as 
I remember it. 

Q. Where was it that he told you that? — A. At Geeomavialocke, I 
think. 

Q. And that was in April of 1882 ? — A. I think so ; yes. 

Q. Now, do you know of any reasons why he should give you that 
injunction ? — A. I don't know of any particular reason why he should ; 
no. 

Q. You are not in any present intimidation or fear of Mr. Melville ? 
— A. I am not, sir ; not in the least. 

Q. Were these conversations in reference to the reporters held in 
your presence and in the preseiice of Noros ? — A. I think Noros was 
not there at the time. He Avas with Mr. Jackson. 

Q. But the conversation held in reference to Jackson was held in 
the presence of Noros, was it not ? — A. I think Nindemann was there 
when he made the assertion. 

Q. Now, I would like to ask you a question, if you please, Mr. Bart- 
lett; and please follow this, and if there is any word that you do not 
understand the meaning of please call my attention to it and do not 
answer unless you do. If your party had left Geeomavialocke after 



JE ANNETTE ^INQUIRY. 91 

sixteen days and gone to Bulun, whicli would bring you there on the 
12th, and started a party north along the route De Long was known 
to have laid out to follow, what would have been the chances of reach- 
ing De Long's party *? — A. I think that they would have fallen in with 
Nindemann, and JS^oros, or would have been likely to have done so. 

Q. And they would have directed you to De Long's party or very 
near where De Long was ? — A. Well, I think they would have been 
able to. 

Q. Now, have you any means of opinion or knowledge that De Long's 
party for a long time previous to their destruction kept signal fires 
burning constantly in the neighborhood in which they were located ? — 
A. The only knowledge I have of it is what I obtained from De Long's 
own journal and what we supposed to be the remains of one of their 
fires near where they were found. 

Q. When did you find that fire '^ — A. We found the remains of it about 
the time we found the remains of De Long, or a few days later. 

Q. And that was in March, you say? — A. That was March 23 or 24, 
as I remember it. 

Q. That was in March, 1882"? — A. As I remember j yes. 

Q. You found the remains of a fire in March, 1882. Of what had that 
fire evidently been built'!— A. Logs of wood. 

Q. Where ; on the ground? — A. Yes, on top of the bank alongside of 
the river. 

Q. And some portions of it apparently had not burned away — A. Yes ; 
there were remains there. 

Q. Still remains of that fire? — A. It was not burning, sir. 

Q. Ko. But there Avere the remains of it in a charred condition? — A. 
The remains of a fire that had been there. 

Q. Was the ground bare there? — A. Comparatively. There was not 
a great deal of snow. 

Q. Has your experience taught you in any way to tell, with any accu- 
racy, when a fire was built by the remains that you see? — A. Eo, sirj I 
could not have told. 

Q. You cannot tell whether that fire apparently was lighted recently 
or days or months before ? — A. E"o, sir ; I could not tell in regard to 
that. 

Q. For all you know it might have been lighted very recently? — A. 
Yes, sir ; I think it had been lighted very recently ; but the length of 
time, of course, I would not attempt to say anything about. 

Q. Now, you saw the body of De Long, did you ? — A. Yes, sir ; I did. 

Q. What other bodies did you see ? — A. Dr. Ambler's, Ah Sam's, Mr. 
Collin s's, Walter Lee, Kaak. 

Q. That is enough. Now, did you have any difficulty in identifying 
the bodies of all those jjeople that you have mentioned ? — A. Not at 
that time ; no, sir. 

Q. You could have told De Long and you could have told all these 
other persons ? — A. Yes, sir ; as well as while living. 

Q. Therefore does it or does it not 'strike you as probable that their 
dissolution at the time you found them was probably quite recejit ? — A. 
Well, it would be difficult to state in regard to that from my own knowl- 
edge. 

Q. I am only asking your own opinion. I know you are not a sur- 
geon or an anatomist ? — A. My opinion is that it must have occurred 
after freezing weather set in, because they would have remained in that 
same condition until the warm weather came on in the spring to decom- 
pose them. 



92 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Then all the probabilities, so far as your judgment is concerned, are 
that these persons must have died after the warm weather set in'? — A. 
After the cold weather set in. 

Q. Would not the warm weather affect the remains ? — A. Yes ; but 
they had not been there during any warm weather that I know of. 

Mr. Arnoux. They do not have much warm weather during the period 
from the end of October to the beginning of March. 

Mr. Curtis. We will concede that ; but they have grass in the ex- 
treme north as early as the middle of May. 

Q. (Eesuming.) All diflftculties aside, you had no difficulty in recog- 
nizing the features and the persons of these people? — A. Not a bit, sir. 

Q. Now, what did you find with them j did you find any i)roperty of 
any kind 'I — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What? — A. I believe Mr. Melville found some gold pieces on Cap- 
tain De Long, and papers, personal effects, and so on j and the journals 
and papers that he had with him pertaining to the expedition. 

Q. There were no provisions found in and about there? — A. Not a 
mouthful, sir. 

Q. Nothing to indicate the presence of provisions? — A. Nothing. 

Q. Either in an eatable or uneatable condition ? — A. Nothing obtain- 
able by them, I should say. 

Q. Did you make a search to that end? — A. Not any further than to 
search for the papers and records that we knew they had with them. 

Q. Was there, so far as you know, any autopsy made of any of the 
bodies? — A. There was not. What do you mean by that? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Post-mortem examination is a more familiar term, 
perhaps. 

The Witness. No, sir; there was not. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. So far as you know, there was no post-mortem examination of any 
of the bodies? — A. No, sir. 

Q. So far as you know, when, for the first time, did the bodies come 
under the observation of a physician or surgeon? Did they ever? — A. 
Well, only one of them that I know of; that was the remains of Mr. Col- 
lins. 

Q. When and where did his remains come under the observation of 
a surgeon or physican ? — A. At Verkeransk. 

Q. That is in Siberia, is it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. On the road to Jakutsk? — A. Yes; it is on the road from Bulun 
to Jakutsk. 

Q. What doctor saw him there ? — A. A man that we used to call Dr. 
Bailey, I think. 

Q. Was he connected with the expedition? — A. He was not; he was 
a Russian exile, acting as a physician. 

Q. So far as you know, did he make any autopsy or post mortem ex- 
amination ? — A. He did not. 

Q. So far as your opinion and judgment go, what was the general ap- 
pearance of the bodies when found; were they emaciated and wan? — 
A. Well, sir, they were very white with the exception of what smoke 
and dirt was on them. 

Q. Very white ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. A sort of a pallid hue? — A. They were frozen very hard. Flesh 
tnrns that color when frozen, 

Q. And they were very emaciated, almost skeleton -like? — A. Yes; 
their bodies were a good deal thinner than their faces. 



JEA5TNETTE INQUIRY. 93 

Q. Their faces were swollen or bloated ? — A. To a great extent, yes. 
I don't know that their faces were particularly bloated, but they re- 
mained in nearer a natural condition than the bodies had, I think. 

Q. What was the character of the country where De Long was 
found? — A. A very low country, level generally, filled with rivers run- 
ning in all directions, comparatively like islands nearer tiian anything 
else — nearer an archipelago than it would be a delta. 

Q. Was there anything in the nature of the country where his re- 
mains were discovered that would prevent these signal fires that he 
lighted — that is, if he did light them — or that were lighted by his com- 
panions, to prevent them from beiug seen by the people round about? — 
A. Well, no ; the country was comparatively level; more level than the 
country ordinarily is. 

Q. How was it that you happened to go to this exact &«pot where you 
found him? — A. I think it was through the knowledge that we gained 
from Mr. Nindemann. 

Q. And that knowledge was conveyed at the time you Avere at Geeomo- 
vialocke? — A. N"o, sir; when we were at Bulun. It commenced there. 
But the immediate finding of them while we were actually engaged in 
the search, while we were on the ground, I think came from the knowl- 
edge that was given by Mr. Mndemann. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How did it come to Mr. Mndemann's knowledge? — A. From having 
traveled over the ground and been with them. 

Q. Was he one of De Long's party? — A. He was one of De Long's 
party. 

Q. You met him? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. How high was this bank on which this fire had been kindled that 
you saw? — A. As near as I can judge I think it was about 30 feet above 
the level of the river at that time. 

Q. Well, now, as nearly as you can judge, considering the nature of 
the country, how far would a fire lighted upon a hill 30 feet high be seen 
in the country round about, either to the eye or to the eye aided by the 
glass? — A. Well, I think in a clear night, with the comparative dark- 
ness that prevailed, you might have seen the reflection of it probably 
10 miles ; may be not as far. 

Q. You saw evidences there that he had made signal fires, did you 
not? — A. What we took to be evidences of his signal fires; yes, sir. 

Q. What evidence have you that they were made by De Long's 
party ? — A. There were foot-prints in the frozen snow that went from 
the place they bad been. We could trace them in places going back- 
wards and forwards to the place where this fire had been kindled. 

Q. At the time that you found the remains of De Long and his com- 
panions, was there anything to indicate that if they had had sufficient 
food they might not have lived? Had they sufficient raiment, clothing, 
&c. ? — A. Their supply of clothing was very scanty. 

Q. Was it sufficient to protect them from the climate if they had had 
sufficient food ? — A. Probably they could have lived. I think, without 
doubt, if they had had plenty of food there would have been no trouble 
about the clothing. The want of clothing might have created consid- 
erable suffering. 

Q. Have you any idea of the diameter of that fire ? — A. As near as I 
remember it the diameter was somewhere near 6 or 8 feet, perhaps. It 
might have been a little less ; it might have been a little more. 



94 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did Danenhower order you to go to Bulun ou foot and take a gun 
and a rifle at any time ? — A. I think he ordered me to go to Bulun ; yes. 

Q. Did you go ? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. Why not"? — A. Because there were arrangements made after- 
wards to send me by team. 

Q. When was it he desired you to go before you went by team ? — A. 
It was the time that the commandant came there with the telegram 
that Nindemann and I^oros had prepared to send to St. Petersburg in 
relation to the condition of De Long's i)arty. 

Q. When you actually went, how long afterwards was it? — A. I 
think it was the next day I started. I don't know but I started and 
went to Tomoose that night. 

Q. Were you not in as good condition to go on foot as Kusmah 
was ? — A. Yes ; but I don't understand that Kusmah went on foot. 

Q. But I say were you not in as good condition to go on foot as 
Kusmah was? — A. Yesj I think I was. 

Q. Were you not in as good condition to go in the same conveyance 
with him?— A. Yes. 

Q. Were you not in as good condition to go, whether on foot, by deer 
team, or dog team ? — A. Physically, I think I was. 

Q. It was physically possible for Kusmah to go on foot ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And It was physically possible for you to go on foot ? — A. Yes, 
sir ; I think I could have got there on foot. 

Q. So that, if you had not had the means of conveyance, both you 
and he could have gone, for that matter, could you not? — A. I think 
so J yes. 

By Mr. BouTELLE : 

Q. How much weight could you have carried on foot ? — A. I don't 
know in regard to that, sir. 

Q. I suppose the object of going would have been to carry relief in 
the form of provisions to De Long's party? — A. Well, yes; I think if 
there had been such a move made that would have been one part of the 
object. 

Q. What I want to ascertain is, how much of a burden of provisions 
you think each man could have carried on foot ? — A. I think I could 
have carried provisions enough to have made the journey from Geeo- 
movialocke to Bulun. 

Q. Yourself?— A. Yes. 

Q. How much more could you have carried ? — A. I don't know. Pro- 
visions were obtainable in Bulun. 

Q. I supj)osed you were talking about going from Bulun down. — A. 
No, sir. As I took it he asked me about going to Geeomovialocke at 
the time Kusmah went, or at the time Danenhower ordered me to get 
ready to go afoot, when we received the telegram that was brought by 
the commandant. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. When Kusmah came from Geeomovialocke did he not come across 
the bay ? — A. Yes ; he had to. 

Q. And could not the bay have been crossed before ? — A. Possibly it 
might. I don't know that it could, but it might have been possible to 
have crossed it. 

Q. Did any of the commissioned officers keep a deck watch on the 
Jeannctte? — A. Not that I know of; no, sir. 

Q. If they had, would you probably have known of it ? — A. I would 
have been likely to. They might have, but I don't know of any. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



&\5 



Q. Was it or was it not your duty to do so "?— A. Well, sir, I think it 
is customary in the I^avy for commissioned officers to stand a deck 
watch, but I am not positive in regard to it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What period are you directing your question to j 
when she was at sea ■? 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir ; when she was entombed in the ice. 

Q. [Resuming.] Now I will put the question as to when she was at 
sea. Did you know of their keeping a deck watch then ? — A. No, sir j 
I did not. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Who did keep the watches? — A. As far as I know the regular 
deck watches were stood by Ice-pilot Dunbar, Carpenter Sweetman, 
Boatswain Cole, and Mr. Nindemann. 

Q. There was no officer on deck in the night on duty? — A. Not to my 
knowledge ; no, sir. 

Q. Was the vessel under steam at that time? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Cuetis : 

Q. Now, there is no doubt of this in your mind. I do not wish that 
there should be any doubt about it. I repeat the question to you. Did 
any of the commissioned officers keep a deck watch on the Jeannette 
either when she was entombed in the ice or on the sea? — A. Not to my 
knowledge, sir. 

Q. And were you not on or about the, ship all the time? — A. I was 
on and in the ship all the time that she was steaming j yes, sir. 

Q. You were the fireman, were you? — A. That was my rating. I 
acted as assistant engineer. 

Q. Your duties necessarily kept you constantly in and about the 
ship ? — A. Yes, while she was steaming. 

Q. You spoke on Saturday of the attempt to go to Bulun by boat. 
Give us the particulars with which you are now familiar of that attempt 
to go to Bulun by boat. What did you do? — A. We started the morn- 
ing after we arrived at Geeomovialocke with three native pilots and a 
quantity of fish and supplies they had furnished us with and a small 
amount of pemican, taking the Russian Yapheme with us. He sat in 
the stern of the boat with Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Melville. I was 
taking soundings with ^ pole on the bow of the boat. The wind was 
blowing quite fresh and I think this Yapheme was frightened. He was 
afraid that the boat was going to swamp with us and kept telling them 
to keep inside the land. I, being sonnding with the pole, told them sev- 
eral times they would go ashore if they did not go further out. After 
I had made the statement several times I was told that the pilot was 
in the stern of the boat, consequently I kept my mouth shut. 

Q. You spoke on Saturday of some jealousy, as you termed it, between 
Danenhower and De Long, and in which you stated that Danenhower 
had told you that it was his intention on arrival in the States to have 
De Long broke if his (Danenhower's) friend. General Grant, should hap- 
pen to be President at the time. Do you remember that '? — A. Yes ; I 
think I said that Mr. Danenhower told me that when we returned to 
America if General Grant was President he could obtain influence 
enough to have him broke. I think that is the statement I made. 

Q. 1 suppose, as matter of fact, you did not have very frequent and 
political communication with the country up there ? — A. We did not ; 
no, sir. 

Q. And did not know positively whether Grant would be in or out ? — 
A. We did notj no, sir. 



96 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. lu your judgment and opinion, from all that you observed and all 
that you know of the history of the expedition, was the feeling that ex- 
isted between De Long and Lieutenant Danenhower conducive to its 
success, or want of success ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit he has not shown anything to enable him to 
express an opinion on that subject. 



Mr. Curtis. He has shown that the feeling was so strong- 



Mr. Arnoux (interposing). This was on the ice, after the vessel 
was lost. 
Mt. Curtis. Exactly ; that is where the opinion comes in. 
Mr. Arnoux. I simply submit that to the committee. 

By the Chairman: 

Q. Did Danenhower say that the ship was lost on account of the 
mismanagement of Cai:)taiu De Long! — A. He did not say so to me; 
no, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. This resolution in its terms empowers this committee to 
inquire into the causes of the ill-success of this expedition. Now, this 
witness has testified to a conversation with Lieutenant Danenhower; 
I don't know whether it is true or false; perhaps when Lieutenant 
Danenhower goes on the stand he may say it is untrue. But while this 
witness is on the stand, and the object of the inquiry being to find out, 
in the language of the resolution, what were the causes that led to 
this want of success, it is perfectly competent. Of course it is not con- 
trolling or conclusive; but, in the language of the chairman, it goes in 
for what it is worth. It is not one flake of snow that makes the ava- 
lanche; it is not one fact that makes the proof in the case; it is the 
collection, the aggregation of facts and circumstances that constitutes 
the case. I should not ask that this witness' opinion be controlling 
by any means. I do not know who was in the right, even if a differ- 
ence did exist between De Long and Danenhower. It is not for me to 
say who was right. The only question is whether there was a differ- 
ence, and whether, in the opinion of the witness as an observer, it tended 
to the success or the ill-success of the expedition. That is all there is 
about it. 

The Chairman. The witness may give his opinion of the facts on 
which it is predicated. ISTow, if he knows of any fact of mismanage- 
ment himself, or if Lieutenant Danenhower told him of any fact of mis- 
management at that time, he can say so. But I do not think that his 
opinion, unless it is founded on fact, is admissible. 

Mr. Curtis. Can he not state the fact of the actual feeling existing 
between them ? 

The Chairman. Oh, yes. 

Mr. Curtis. Whether justifiable or not? 

The Chairman. He may state that. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not pretend to say who was right. 

The Chairman. He may state anything showing that there was a 
want of harmony between these two officers, but as to the effect of that 
want of harmony 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). That is for j^ou and the House to judge. 
That is why I have never asked the opinion of the witness. I did not 
want the opinion of the witness. The other side has gone into this mat- 
ter, and I want to follow it. 

The Chairman. You may prove any fact of the want of narmouy ; 
but the opinion of the witness as to whether that was prejudicial to the 
success of the expedition is another thing. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 97 

Mr. Danenhower. I submit it is not fair for the learned counsel to 
use my name in supposititious cases. He might as well use the name of 
President Arthur, or the name of anybody else. The reason I object is 
that he suggests that these questions were asked for effect. That fact 
is prejudicial to anybody whose name is brought into such cases. 

Mr. Curtis. My questions were not put for effect, but those of the 
other side were. 

The Chairman. It is for you to prove any facts or statements of these 
officers; but as to whether these were prejudicial to the success of the 
expedition, that is a conclusion. 

Mr. Curtis. All I want is that the same rule be applied to the other 
side as to me, and if you will keep in view 

The Chairman (interposing). If you raise the questions they will 
be determined. 

Mr. Curtis. I dislike toj it consumes so much time. I withdraw 
that question. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Had you any knowledge by information from either Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower or Lieutenant He Long, that there was any ill-feeling between 
those officers! — A. I have been told that there was ; yes, sir. 

Q. By whom *? — A. Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. Danenhower himself? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. Kow, I would like, in justice to Mr. Danenhower, to in- 
quire of him in what way I am using supposititious cases ? 

Mr. Danenhower. In your previous conversations and questions, 
" If the ship is crushed it is De Long's fault," or something to that effect. 

Mr. Curtis. I don't think I put that question. 

Mr. Danenhower. I understood it in that way. 

Mr. Curtis. Ko, sir ; you are mistaken. 

Mr. Danenhower. It was in the form of a remark or question, and 
that is what I am objecting to. Anything relating to the facts I am 
willing to testify to. 

Mr. Curtis. I am willing to put a question similar to that, and I wish 
you to observe it, because I do not wish to do you or any gentleman in- 
justice. We are seeking after truth. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you hear Lieutenant Danenhower say to any other person 
in words or substance that the exi3edition had been ruined by the mis- 
management of De Long, and that on his return to the United States 
he intended to have him broke, or words to that effect 1 — A. I think 
that when he made the statement to me that he would have him broke 
if he could use influence enough, it was occasioned by the feeling that 
existed between him and Captain De Long. 

Q. About the failure of the expedition ? — A. I said that I think this 
conversation was brought on by the feeling that existed between Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower and Lieutenant De Long. 

Q. l^ow, what was the actual conversation between you and Danen- 
hower ? — A. The actual conversation, as I remember it, first started the 
second day after we commenced to travel. Mr. Danenhower had had 
partial duty from the time the ship had gone down. At that time he 
was in charge of No. 3 party, and he told me that De Long called him 
to his tent and told him that he would have to go with the hospital sled, 
as he was not capable of having charge of No. 3 party on account of his 
eyes. 

7 J Q* 



98 JEANNETTf. INQUIRY. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenliower was afflicted in his eyes ? — A. Yes ; he 
said that he considered he had been very much humiliated by being- 
placed off duty. 

Q. You are speaking of what Danenhower told you ? — A. Yes, this 
is what he told me. He appeared to feel the situation he was in very 
keenly, and I think, as I remember it, his eyes were filled with tears at 
the time he was talking. He said also that the captain was going to 
place me in charge of the party. Shortly after Captain He Long came 
to me and said that he had observed the day before while we were re- 
pairing sleighs that Danenhower had been a hindrance to the work of 
the men, and that he wanted me to take charge of the party and fix the 
sleigh and make a job of it. I says to him, "Captain, I don't care to be 
placed in charge of this party." Says I, "You had better place one of 
the seamen in charge." Says he, " Do as you are told, keep charge of 
the party, and make it as pleasant to Mr. Danenhower as you can ; do 
everything for his comfort"; and he says, "If you don't I'll attend to 
your case," and turned around and left me. 

Q. Are those his exact words as you remember them ! — A. Those 
were his exact words as I remember them. 

Q. When was the occasion of Lieutenant Danenhower stating that he 
would have De Long broke? — A. It was at the time we were in what is 
known in the report as the ten day camp at the island of Thadeowski, 
or off the coast of the island of Thadeowski, one of the new Siberian 
group. It was while we were sitting in the tent one day, as I remem- 
ber. 

Q. l^ow, as a matter of fact, did you ever know of any ill-feeling be- 
tween De Long and Lieutenant Chipp 1 — A. I did not know of any ill- 
feeling. 

Q. Kow, I ask you the question. Did Lieutenant Danenhower ever 
tell you in words or in substance, in any form or nature whatsoever, 
that the expedition had been ruined or greatly endangered in its success 
by the mismanagement of Captain De Long ? — A. I don't think he did. 

Q. Have you not stated something similar to that in this examina- 
tion already, either to-day or on Saturday ? — A. Not that I remember 
of; no, sir. 

Q. Did he say anything to you on that subject ? — A. I don't know 
that he said anything, only in regard to his own opinion. 

Q. Well, his own opinion. Do you understand the question *? — A. I 
think I have heard him say had he been in Captain De Long's place he 
would not put the ship in the ice. 

Q. Exactly. It is not his opinion whether it was right or wrong. 
Do you understand these questions that are put to you ! 

Mr. BouTELLE. The question was a very plain one, whether Danen- 
hower had stated to him that on his return he would have Captain ! 
De Long broke because of having endangered or hindered the expedi- 
tion by his mismanagement. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Kow, I ask you, did you hear Lieutenant Danenhower say, speaking | 
of Captain De Long, that he had endangered the success of the expe- 
dition by putting the ship in the ice, and that he never ought to have don( 
so ? — A. I think I heard him say that had he been in charge he would,, 
not have i)ut her into the ice at the time Captain De Long did. 

Q. Did he give you the reason"? — A. I don't remember whether he 
gave me any reason for it or not. 

Q. Did he not tell you as his opinion that it was bad seamanship to 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 99 

put tliat ship in there? — A. I tliiiik lie said he would not have done it 
had he been in charge. 

Q. Exactly. Now, when he told you that on his return to this country 
he would have De Long broke, did he assign any reason for if? — A. I 
think he assigned as a reason that he had been deprived of privileges 
and duties which he thought he should have had control over. 

Q. That is, Lieutenant Danenhower had been deprived of privileges 
and the exercise of duties by the action of Captain De Long to which 
he thought himself entitled*? — A. Yes ; I think that was the spirit that 
was conveyed to me. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. That that was the ground on which he was going to have him 
broken 1 — A. Yes, sir j I took it in that way anyway. 

By Mr. OuRTiS : 

Q. He said that with some feeling, did he? — A. He did; he appeared 
to feel very badly over it, to think that he had been deprived as he had, 
and placed in the position he was placed in by the captain. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenhower was the second in command ?— A. He was 
the third, I think. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q, Did I understand you aright, Mr. Bartlett, that the only com- 
plaint that Lieutenant Danenhower made was that Captain De Long 
had placed Mr. Melville at the head of the third boat's party instead 
of putting himself, Mr. Danenhower, at the head of it; was not that 
it ? — A. The first part of the complaint was at the time he placed me 
in charge of the party before Mr. Melville was put in charge of it. He 
said he thought he was capable of performing the duty of taking charge 
of the party. 

Q. Now, afterwards it was when Mr. Melville had been placed in 
charge? — A. At another time, I think, that Mr. Melville was placed in 
charge. He also made some remarks in regard to that to me. 

Q. Had Lieutenant Danenhower been sick at any time, and, if so, 
when was he put on the sick list 1 — A. I think he was put on the sick 
list about the first of January, 1880, or along about that time some- 
where. 

Q. And from that time on, how long did he continue on the sick 
list ? — A. I think he continued on the sick list up to the time of the 
crushing of the ship. 

Q. Do you know of his ever having been relieved from the sick list 
and ordered to duty from the first of January, 1880? — A. I think he 
told me that he asked the doctor 

Q. (Interposing.) I ask you whether you know of his being ordered 
to do it? — A. ISTo, sir; I don't know anything of the kind. 

Q. So far as you know, he had never been ordered by Captain De 
Long back to active dutj^? — A. No, sir; not that I know of. 

Q. Now, the doctor had no power to restore him to duty, had he? — 
A. As I understand it, sir, no. 

Q. You said in the beginning of your re-examination to-day that Mr. 
Melville had been under the influence of liquor some six times? — A. I 
said that it might have been six or it might not have been so many. 

Q. Was one of those times before the ship left San Francisco? — A. 
Yes, I think it was, one of them. 

Q. Were any of those after you were in Siberia on the travel home!— 
A. Yes, they were. 



100 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. While you were with the Eussian officers'? — A. Yes. 

Q. How many times were there on the ship after she left San Fran- 
cisco that you saw Mr. Melville under the influence of liquor? — A. I 
don't remember of any. 

Q. Was there any time when you were on the ice and traveling to- 
gether that you saw Mr. Melville under the influence of liquor? — A. No, 
sir; not on the ice. 

Q. Now, you say that Kusmah had to come across the bay when he 
returned to Bulun to you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In the meantime, while he had been gone, had not the water fallen 
and the ice broken up and run down the stream? — A. I do not under- 
stand you. 

Q. 1 say after he left you at Geeomovialocke to go to Bulun, and be- 
fore he returned, had not the ice in the river broken up ? — A. Not where 
we were, I don't think. 

Q. Had you heard that it had done so where he was? — A. He made 
that as an excuse to us, but I afterwards learned differently. 

Q. Well, he told you that, did he not? — A. That is what be told us. 

Q. Did you learn that such a thing as that did happen at the mouth 
of the Lena; that in the fall, when the ice was making, the river would 
fall and the ice would break and run out of the river and then it would 
freeze again? — A. I saw the river freeze up once, and it didn't act that 
way. I saw the river freeze up twice. It did not act that way either 
time. 

Q. You did not see it act that way. Did you hear from any other 
person than Kusmah that it did so act? — A. I did not. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What do you mean when you say froze up twice? — A. I mean I 
saw it two different years. 

Q. The ice went out when the warm weather came? — A. Yes; the ice 
goes out in the spring when the floods come. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Do you know Mr. Keefer, a friend of Mr. Melville's? — A. I have 
met the gentleman ; yes. 

Q. How recently have you met him ? — A. I saw him in the committee- 
room. 

Q. And before that? — A. At the Ebbitt House, on Friday evening. 

Q. Did you some two weeks ago apply to him to lend you money? — 
A. I did. 

Q. Did he loan it to you? — A. He did not, sir. 

Q. Have you since then been in communication with Dr. Collins about 
your testimony here ? — A. I have talked with him ; yes. 

Q. Has he given you any money? — A. Not here, sir. 

Q. Has he given you any money? — A. I borrowed fifty dollars fromj 
him. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You had to pay your expenses here ?— A. I did ; yes. 

Q. You have to maintain yourself while here ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have no means of your own ? — A. Not at hand; no, sir. 

Q. Did Dr. Collins in any way, when he advanced you money for your] 
expenses to attend here as a witness, intimate, hint;, or insinuate in any] 
way what your evidence was to be? — A. Not a thing; no, sir. 

Q. And if it had not been for Dr. Collins advancing you the money] 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 101 

for your expenses it would have been impossible to have got you here, 
would it not ? — A. I should have had to have walked. 

Q. Were you paid anything by the messenger who brought you the 
subpoena ? — A. No, sir ; I was not. 

Q. JSTow, something has been said here by the learned counsel on the 
other side about blackmail. I cannot conceive where that comes in. 
We are here at out own expense. I am speaking now of Dr. Collins. 
He has expended and will continue to expend money. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Dr. Collins, I understand, is supoenaed ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, he is subpoenaed. He is here at his own expense. 
He has spent money and will continue to spend money, if it beggars 
him, in order to have the truth known ; and Dr. Collins has no personal 
feeling or animosity against any living being. The only personal feel- 
ing he has is for the memory of his dead brother. If the other side has 
any evidence at all aflecting his brother's conduct during the expedi- 
tion, we challenge them to produce it; and any man in whatever capacity, 
under any circumstances, who says that Dr. Collins, or anybody in con- 
nection with him, has any object of blackmail, of character or of anything 
else, states that which is absolutely false in itself, and which must be 
known to him as false when uttered. 

Mr. Arnoux. I did not apply it to Dr. Collins, and did not mean it to 
be applied to Dr. Collins. 

The Chairman. Have you any more questions to ask? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir. 1 make this statement. Dr. Collins is com- 
pelled to go into his own purse, and his brother is compelled to go into 
his own purse, in order to get justice done in this country. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I thought the House of Eepresentatives was sup- 
posed to pay the expense of these witnesses. 

Mr. Curtis. It may be reimbursed to Dr. Collins. I suppose it will. 

Mr. Boutelle. Does not the subpoena carry expenses with if? 

Mr. Curtis. Dr. Collins was not paid, and this man was not paid. In 
other words, we had to pay this man's expenses or lose his evidence. 

Mr. Collins. I will state, Mr. Chairman, that I met Mr. Bartlett in 
l^ew York, and he told me that he hadn't any money ; that it would be 
utterly impossible for him to go on to Washington to give his testimony 
until he heard from his home or from his brothers. And he asked 
would I loan him sufficient money to come on here. I said certainly I 
would, and did so. I handed Mr. Bartlett $50, at his request, for his 
expenses, and I find this in my memorandum book: ^'Loaned to Mr. 
Bartlett $50, to be repaid Apriri2th," when he should hear from home. 

Mr. Curtis. I need not say, perhaps, to this committee, that there 
is no man in this country, as a physician, as a professional gentleman, 
as a man of honor, who stands higher than Dr. Collins, of Minnesota. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, only one question : At Geeomovialocke, did you ever see any 
of the officers in a state of intoxication *? — A. No, sir; I did not. 

Q. Or at Bulun 1 — A. Well, I have seen them when I thought they 
had been drinking something, at Bulun. 

Q. Who was it ? — A. Mr. Danenhower, and Mr. Melville, also. 

Q. On how many occasions'? — A. I don't remember of more than one. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What were the indications of their being intoxicated *? — A. Very 
talkative, and feeling or acting as all people do when they are under the 
influence of liquor. 



102 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Were they intoxicated to a degree that would incapacitate them 
for their dutyf — A. I don't think so. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Were you intoxicated, also, at the same time 1 — A. No, sir. 
Q. Had you been drinking? — A. I don't think as much as they had. 

By Mr. Bou telle : 
Q. How would you gauge thaf? — A. (Laughing.) By my own feel- 
ings, I guess. 

William P. 0. Nindemann sworn and examined. 
By Mr. GURTIS : 

Question. What is your full name*? — Answer. My full name is Will- 
iam F. 0. Mndemann. 

Q. What countryman are you, if you please? — A. A German by 
birth. 

Q. What is your present occupation?— A. My present occupation is 
rigger in the New York navy-yard. 

Q. Have you been continuously in the employment of the Naval De- 
partment since your return from the Jeannette expedition ? — A. I have 
not, sir. 

Q. How long have you been in the employment of the Navy Depart- 
ment?— A. I have been there probably six months. 

Q. Were you ever attached to any other polar expedition than the 
one we are inquiring about? — A. I have, sir. 

Q. How many ? — A. Two. 

Q. What were they? — A. The Polaris and Tigress. 

Q. I believe it was you who saved the Polaris, was it not? — A. Well, 
I don't know whether I saved her or not, but I tied her at one time to 
an iceberg where she was in great danger, where the captain would 
not take the responsibility upon him to order me out. 

Q. You took that responsibility, and the ship was saved? — A. She 
was to a certain extent. She was lost afterwards. She was saved at 
that time. 

Q. You shipped on the Jeannette at San Francisco? — A. I did. 

Q. As matter of fact, the Jeannette was there fully fitted out, was it 
not ? — A. I don't knoAV whether she was very fully fitted out, but as far 
as my judgment went, at that time, probably she was. 

Q. In what, if anything, would you consider her fitting out defective ? 
— A. In the provisions and clothing. 

Q. To what extent was she deficient in that? — A. I could not say 
exactly, but I must say the provisions and clothing were not as good 
as we had in the Polaris. 

Q. Nor in as great quantity, were they ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. For how long was slie i)rovisioned at the time she was fitted out? 
A. I think she was provisioned for three years j supposed to be. 

Q. Said to be? — A. Said to be. 

Q. But in point of fact did she have provisions for that time ?— A. I 
think she had. 

Q, Then what gives you the opinion that she was not properly fitted 
out in regard to provisions? — A. Well, I think the provisions could 
have been better. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Better in quality ? — A.. Better in quality. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 103 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. More nutritious *? — A. Yes, in certain respects. What I mean to 
say is simply that we had better provisions and better clothing in the 
Polaris than in the Jeannette. 

Q. Then your general opinion is that in regard to the clothing and 
provisions she was not fitted out as well as the otlaer ship that you have 
mentioned ? — A. No, sir, she was not. 

Q. And of course the proper fitting out of the ship in relation to pro- 
visions and clothing was a very important factor, was it not •? — A. I 
should think it was. 

Q. Who had charge of the fitting out of the Jeannette"? — A. That 
is more than I can say ; I suppose Captain De Long had. 

Q. It was done under the orders of Captain De Long and the Navy 
Department ? — A. I suppose so. 

Q. To your knowledge, is it not true that Mr. Bennett gave orders to 
spare no expense in the fitting out of the Jeannette ? — A. That is what 
I heard, but I could not say exactly from whom. I am sure that Cap- 
tain De Long read out the telegram — I believe it was after we left San 
Francisco — stating that if anything should happen to any of the men 
that were married, Mr. Bennett would look out for their families as long 
as he lived ; that they would not be in want of anything ; aiid Captain 
De Long told us that therefore nobody should be afraid about their 
wives and families. We were called to quarters and that was read out 
to us. 

Q. But what I want to inquire of you is, did you not learn from Cap- 
tain De Long or from some other person in the expedition that Mr. Ben- 
nett had given orders prior to the sailing from San Francisco that no 
expense whatever was to be spared in fitting out the vessel properly "? 
— A. That I could not say for certain. The only thing that I know is 
what I got from the newspapers. 

Q. You were told that, were you not ? — A. I was not exactly told it, 
but I have seen that part of it in the newspapers. 

Q. In point of fact, the Naval Department, or rather Captain De Long, 
who was a naval officer, was he not? — A. I suppose so. 

Q. Had charge of the fitting out of the Jeannette at San Francisco ? 
— A. I think he had full charge, as far as my knowledge goes. 

Q. Have you any personal knowledge that the scientific instruments 
the party had for the observation of the weather, and so forth, were 
furnished by Mr. Bennett or paid for by him "? — A. No, I have not. 

Q. Now, Mr. Nindemann, I want as carefully as I can to avoid your 
testimony before the board of inquiry, and to confine you to the reso- 
lution that is before the committee.. You understand the art of navi- 
gation? — A. A little; not much. 

Q. If you have proper instruments, are you competent to tell about 
where you may be located when you are at sea or on an expedition of 
this character? — A. I could probably if I had a little practice, but I 
would not swear that I could do it now. 

Q. Well, it is well understood that navigators on these expeditions 
who understand the science of navigation, who understand the use of 
proper instruments, can tell about where they are if they possess the 
proper instruments ? — A. They can exactly ^ that is, within a few min- 
utes or a few seconds. 

Q. We will come down for the present to the moment of the separa- 
tion. I mean by the separation, when your party was divided into 
three boat's crews, one under Lieutenant Chipp, another under Captain 



104 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

De Long, and the other under Chief Engineer Melville. Where were 
you then? — A. At Bennett Island j leaving Bennett Island, as far as I 
recollect. 

Q. Where is that? — A. Bennett Island is somewhere about 77, prob- 
ably a little above it, north, or probably a little below 77. 

Q. In the matter of day's journey, or a matter of Eussian versts, 
or English miles, are you able to state about the distance that would 
be from, say, Bulun? We will get a fixed point. — A. From Bulun, as 
near as I can remember, Bennett Island is in about 77, a little above, 
or a little below. I don't know exactly. If Bulun is anywhere near 
right on the chart, I think it is somewhere near about 8 degrees. 

Q. Now the object of this expedition was to seek the Pole, was it 
not? — A. As far as I understood it. 

Q. To penetrate what you have always understood to be the Polar 
sea, was it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That is the impression and conviction that you navigators have ; 
that at the Pole there is an open sea? — A. Oh, no such thing; that is 
not my belief. 

Q. Well, what is it? — A. There is no such thing as an open Polar sea. 

Q. What is it? — A. An ice pack with leads of water in it. 

Q. Were you ever there ? — A. I was there ; yes, sir. 

Q. At the Pole? — A. No; not at the Pole. I don't know what the 
Pole is. All I know is that there is such a thing, or there is supposed 
to be such a thing. Nobody knows whether there is or not. 

Q. You do not know whether it is an open Polar sea or a vast solitude 
of ice with occasionally an open spaee of water ? — A. Leads, yes. As 
far as my experience goes as to its solidity there is no such thing as a 
solid pack, because if it is solid it don't move at all, but tbis ice is 
moving all winter and summer, and as near as I can come at it the ice 
moves in a circle. What ice can't get out keeps on circling around until 
it gets out. That is my idea about the Polar sea. 

Q. What is further your idea ? Is it your idea, for instance, that it 
is much warmer at the Pole than it was where the ship was locked in 
the ice? — A. No, sir ; that is not my idea, because it is a thing impossi- 
ble. How can it be warmer when there are six months' daylight and 
six months' darkness ? 

Q. Did you ever in the course of this expedition observe in this ice 
country flocks of birds flying northward ? — A. I did. 

Q. Now do you not know, as matter of fact, that the temperature is 
much more mild near the Pole than it is, for instance, at the spot where 
your ship was locked in the ice ? — A. That they have got to prove first. 
I don't think so, and never will believe it until I have more proof of it. 

Q. And you do not think that the great difficulty in reaching the Pole 
is to penetrate the vast seas of ice to the southward of it ; you do not 
think that is the chief obstacle ? 

The Witness. To the north ? 

Mr. Curtis. To the southward of the Pole. 

The Witness. I don't understand the question. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well ; you do not think that the only way 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). It would be all south, would it not ? 

Mr. Curtis. No ; in point of fact it is agreed now that the tempera- 
ture is much more warm at the Pole than south of the Pole, and that the 
great obstruction in reaching the Pole is not so much the extreme tem- 
perature of the climate at or near the Pole as it is south of the Pole, 
where these vast fields and mountains of ice are located. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 105 

Mr. BouTELLE. But I say, all the ice would necessarily be south of 
the Pole. 

Mr. Curtis. In point of fact it is, and it is on that theory I under- 
stand that many scientists base the belief of the possibility of an open 
Polar sea. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The point I think where the witness does not under- 
stand you is this: You use the term ^' south of the Pole.'V Of course 
everything is south of the Pole, because the Pole is north itself. You 
mean at a short distance south of the Pole. 

Mr. Curtis. That is what I mean. I won't spend any time on it. I 
suppose, before we are through, that point will be elucidated by practi- 
cal scientific people. 

The Witness. That idea of an open Polar sea comes from Dr. Kane. 
Dr. Kane never saw an open Polar sea. But Martin, his steward, who 
was afterwards second mate, went as far as Cape Constitution, where 
he saw an immense lot of open water, as he thought. At the time he 
saw this big space of open water it was a little foggy or hazy. He 
saw the point of Cape Constitution running to the eastward, and he had 
no boat and no sleigh, and he did not stay long enough for it to clear 
up. But he saw this fog and came back and told Captain Kane that be 
saw an open Polar sea. 

By Mr. CURTis : 

Q. That is in Kane's narrative'? — A. That is Kane's narrative. After- 
wards when we came up there with the Polaris we got into the same 
open water, and we thought for sure we were in the open Polar sea, but 
after steaming for seven or eight hours we found that we were in mov- 
ing ice. 

Q. I notice, in your evidence before the Board of Inquiry, you make 
reference occasionally to Wrangel Land. Where is Wr an gel Land? — 
A. Wrangel Land is located in about 73 or 74, I don't know exactly 
where. 

Q. On what coast? — A. Ou the Siberian coast ; somewhat off the 
Siberian coast, I don't know exactly how far. 

Q. In what way is it absolutely necessary that a person in order to 
reach the North Pole should go by Wrangel Land ? — A. I don't say 
that it is necessary to go by Wrangel Land. 

Q. Has it not been considered that that is not the correct route? — A. 
Well, that I can't say. My idea was at the time when I first heard of 
Wrangel Land that that land was a big continent that would extend to 
the Pole, until I found out differently. 

Q. Then in point of fact you knew of that before this last expedi- 
tion? — A. No, I did not know of this Wrangel Land before. I knew 
that there was such a thing as Wrangel Land, but I did not know how 
far it extended. 

Q. But you cannot assign to us any reason why an expedition in order 
to successfully penetrate to the pole should touch at or proceed to 
Wrangel Land, can you ? — A. No. The only idea I could give you is 
merely that Captain De Long thought Wrangel Land was a large conti- 
nent, and was near the pole. 

Q. And that was merely a matter of conjecture ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, as I understand you, you know of nothing in the experience 
of navigators who have endeavored to go to the pole that justifies you 
in the belief that in order to penetrate to the pole it is necessary to 
touch at or go to Wrangel Land? — A. No. They need not go to Wran- 
gel Land. They can go by the way of Greenland, and they can go by 



106 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

way of Spitzberg. There are three ways of reaching the pole : by Green- 
land, Behring Strait, and Spitzberg or Franz Joseph Land. We don't 
know of any others. 

Q. I suppose you remember the fact that it was by the direction of 
Captain De Long that the ship was steamed into the ice, do you nof? — 
A. Yes, sir; that is, into a lead of open water. 

Q. The result of which was to incase the ship in ice, was it not? — A. 
That was the result of it. 

Q. And the result of it was it incased the ship in ice, and the ship 
after floating with the drift iinally sank, did it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now did it not strike you before the Board of Inquiry, and did not 
you so testifythat on the theory that Captain De Long desired to make 
for Wrangel Land it was proper for him to put the ship in that position ? — 
A. I did. 

Q. And was it not on the theory that Captain De Long thought It 
necessary to go to Wrangel Land that you justified his putting the ship 
in that position ? — A. I suppose I did at that time ; that he thought he 
would reach Wrangel Land. That was his idea of reaching it. 

Q. But if it was not necessary, or if it was a matter of experiment or 
mere judgment in order to penetrate to the pole to visit Wrangel Land, 
you would not consider an officer justified in putting his ship in such a 
perilous position, would you "? — A. It is hard to tell, because you can 
tell nothing any further than you go. This was my first time up there, 
and I can't tell much about it more than I have seen. Probably if I 
could go up there now I would know better. 

Q. So that there would be no doubt about this fact ? You do not de- 
sire to change your evidence before the Board of Inquiry in which you 
stated that if Captain De Long's desire was to go to Wrangel Land he 
was justified in i^utting his ship in that perilous position ? — A. He was, 
to a certain extent. Of course, you can't tell. I say, for instance, you 
are in open water, and have plenty of open water all around you. 
Probably in half an hour you would have ice all around you. 

Q. Now, I would like to have your opinion on this. If it was not 
necessary, in order to prosecute the purijoses of your journey that you 
should visit Wrangel Land, then yoii would not justify the putting of 
the ship in a dangerous position for that purpose, would you '? — A. No, 
probably not. 

Q. Now, this ship was locked up in the bosom of the ice for how 
long ? — A. Twenty-two months, I think. 

Q. For nearly two years. Did you ever know a shii) under like cir- 
cumstances to l3e extricated? — A. No. 

Q. And so far as your knowledge of those expeditions is concerned, 
and so far as your information extends, was it ever known that a ship 
that was permitted to be locked up or incased in ice in that way was 
ever extricated! — A. Well, I think it was. 

Q. Which one? — A. I think it was the Franklin expedition, if I am 
not mistaken. 

Q. Was not Franklin's fate brought about by that? — A. Yes, he lost 
his sliip through it, but he couldn't tell when he went up there that he 
was going to lose his ship. 

Q. ] understan<l that. But the expedition of Franklin, or Dr. Kane, 
and all these other expeditions which came after that were prior to your 
ex])edition? — A. Yes. 

Q. And whatever they had known, whatever information they had 
derived upon the subject had been giv^en to the world in the history of 
their expeditions, had it not? — A. I sui)pose it had. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 107 

Q. So, would you not now, with your good sense and strong judgment, 
say that, if a navigator had been repeatedly warned against the peril of 
such an act as that, that he should have been on his guard against such 
an occurrence? — A. Well, in one way he ought to be. 

Q. To make it more plain, I will ask you this question. Did the cai^- 
tain say to you, ^'Kindeman, we do not want to go to the northward 
and eastward 5 I want to try and make Wrangel Land, if I can?" — A. 
That is what he said. I was on watch all the time. That was in the 
evening. I can't recollect exactly the date. I had been up aloft and 
saw plenty of open water to the eastward and came down. But I don't 
mean to say that if Captain De Long had taken that road he would 
have reached the pole. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Do I understand that up to this time the ship had been entirely 
in open water? — A. Yes, she had been in open water. She came 
through the straits. 

Q. And at this time she first came in contact with the ice! 

Mr. OuBTis (interposing:^). Oh, no, sirj the ice froze around her. 
The witness before the Board of Inquiry was asked the question, if 
in his judgment Captain De Long was justified in putting tbe ship in 
the position in which it was finally lost. It floated or drifted with the 
ice, and finally when the ice left its sides it sank. The answer of the 
witness was, that if Captain De Long's idea was to get to Wrangel 
Land he was justified in putting his ship in that position. 

Mr. Boutelle (reading) : 

Wliat is your opinion of tlie advisability of putting the ship in the pack at that 
time? 

The Witness. If I had had charge of the ship that time I should have done what 
Captain De Long did ; that is, if I had wanted to reach Wrangel Land. 

Is that what you want to refer to? 
Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Was this the first time the vessel had reached the ice? — A. This 
was the first time the ship had gone into the slack ice. 

Q. What was the object j to penetrate it? — A. To penetrate it and 
get to Wrangel Land. You will see a mass of ice and you will stick in 
it before you know it. Your ship will close in it and you will stay there 
you don't know how long, and if your ship sustains the pressure you 
will come out again. The ship is either to go down or come on top. 

Q. Had you been in the ice before ? — A. Yes ; on the Polaris. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Have you any information derived from knowledge, experience, 
or hearsay that justifies you in the belief that it is at all necessary in 
order to penetrate to the Pole to visit or touch at Wrangel Land ? — A. 
No. I must say no, for the simple reason that there are plenty of other 
ways of going to the Pole without touching at Wrangel Land. But the 
trouble is they will not reach the Pole in our lifetime, and not for the 
next two or three hundred years. If they ever reach it they will have 
to reach it by balloon or on the ice. 

Q. Why is thafc? — A. Because it is impossible almost. If a ship is 
built strong enough t^ get as high as 83 or 84—1 think that ships never 
will reach 84 for the simple reason that there is nothing to live on, and 
no provision for reaching the Pole. There is no means for transporting 
provisions over the ice. If there are dog teams, dogs have to live. 



108 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

They can't take more than enough to feed the dogs and themselves 
going up. They talk of stations and all that. If they can get up an 
air ship, they will reach the Pole. But the way tilings are now they 
will never reach the Pole by land, ship, sleigh, or men. That is my 
idea. 

Q. Did you have these same sentiments when you went on this expe- 
dition 1 — A. I had not. I knew at that time nothing about Behring 
Strait. I had heard ofWrangel Land, and that better-learned men 
than I thought this land reached to the Pole, and, as far as I could find 
out. Captain De Long's idea was to reach Wrangel Land and then go 
along Wrangel Land to the Pole, or if he could work his ship to work it. 

Q. Could not a vessel be provisioned for three years'? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Could a vessel be provisioned for five years? — A. Yes. 

Q. For how many years could a vessel be provisioned to navigate 
that region? — A. They can't navigate that region up to the north. 

Q. Supposing they can, how many years could a ship, the size of the 
Jeannette, be provisioned for? — A. For three years. 

Q. And she had a crew of 33 people? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you give it as your opinion that in three years it would have 
been impossible, in any way, to have accomplished the object of the ex- 
pedition ? — A. Yes 5 it was impossible. 

Q. And you reasoned from the fact that early in the expedition your 
vessel was incased in the ice and became, as it were, beyond control? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And it floated with the drift, and on the ice being released it sank ? 
— A. Yes ; the ice crushed her. The ice broke her up. 

Q. Well, you never made any attempt and could not make any at- 
tempt in your expedition after the ice had closed around you? — A. Ko. 

Q. Kow supposing you had not put yourself in that position, would 
you not have had an opportunity to have made the experiment from 
another direction ? — A. Yes ; probably we would ; certainly, we would. 

Q. You cannot tell how that would have resulted ?— A. I could tell 
nothing about that. 

Q. You do not claim to know about those things that have been un- 
discovered? — A. No. 

Q. You do not claim to decide things that have not been decided and 
that are known only to God, do you ? — A. Ko. 

Q. Then you do not know but what if you had not met with this dis- 
aster in the first instance, in searching for the Wrangel Land, but what 
if you had taken another direction you might have accomplishd the 
object of the expedition?— A. No; not in my mind. 

Q. I say you do not know but what it might have been accomplished. 
You are not infallible? — A. Oh, certainly not. 

Q. You do not consider that your opinion is superior to that of the 
great scientific men of the world? — A. No ; that is iust what I said. I 
know no more than my own ideas. 

Q. Then I say so far as you knew, if you had not met with this acci- 
dent, if you had taken another direction, you might have accomplished 
the object of the expedition ? — A. We might ; but I must say, as far as my 
own belief goes from the bottom of my heart, that if a ship goes up north 
and the captain don't want to go into a big open lead, he might as well 
tie his ship up right alongside of the dock and not go up there. All 
these vessels that go whaling avoid the pack. The^' talk about ships 
going north, and they go up as ice pilots and they know nothing more 
about it than I do. It is just the same as if 1 put you in Siberia. You 
are lost. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 109 

Q. Is it not a fact that many vessels have been farther north than 
you went "^ — A. Not on that side. 

Q. I am not speaking of that side. — A. Yes j I've been farther. I 
have been up to 82.16 where we lost our ship. 

Q. Don't you know that there have beeij ships farther north than you 
have ever gone? — A. Yes ; the English and the Austrians. 

Q. And they were not incased in the ice ? — A. No -, the English got 
back all right. They had two ships. 

Q. So that in point of fact, vessels have successfully navigated much 
farther north than you did, and returned without loss ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Where did you see Wrangel Land ? — A. From the ship. 

Q. What you knew as Wrangel Land *? — A. What was talked of as 
Wrangel Land before we put the ship into the pack. 

Q. Where was Wrangel Land ! — A. It was to the west of us. 

Q. In whose dominions is WrangelLand 1 — A. It is in Eussian Siberia. 

Q. Is it inhabited f — A. No, sir j not that I know of. 

Q. Do you know anything about it ? — A. No, sir ; only what I saw 
with my own eyes. 

Q. Do you undertake to tell us that when you see a strip of land from 
your position in the sea you can tell what strip of land that is ? — A. I 
cannot except I have a chart and know just exactly where I am stand- 
ing. 

Q. Who made your chart? — A. I don't know who made it; but 
there were charts aboard the ship. 

Q. You never visited Wrangel Land f — A. No, sir. 

Q. And you do not know whether it is inhabited or uninhabited ? — 
A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. You do not know whether life is maintainable there ? — A. I do 
not know, sir. 

Q. You did not know in your experience and neither did Captain De 
Long of anybody that had ever visited there? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And do you not know it is usually considered as an imaginary 
land and so termed by scientific men ? — A. Well, it was sighted, as far 
as I have seen in books, by a Eussian gentleman called Wrangel. 

Q. Did you ever hear that he was termed crazy Wrangel for that ? — 
A. I don't know whether he was or not. 

Q. And did you ever hear that it was termed as an imaginary land ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Then the fact remains — we are agreed on that — that vessels have 
gone in a different direction. Now your destination was the North 
Pole finally?— A. That was supposed to be it as far as I understood it. 

Q. The fact remains that many vessels have gone much farther north 
and returned in safety ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By taking a diflerent direction? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you consider that it was evidence of prudent management, of 
gaod seamanship, without having any definite knowledge of Wrangel 
Land or where it was located or of what relative use it was to the Pole 
or to your expedition to the Pole, to put the vessel in peril at that 
spot? — A. Well, as far as my knowledge goes, yes. 

Q. That is your opinion? — A. Yes. As I said before there is no need 
of going up there if a man don't want to put his ship in the ice. 

Q. In what capacity was Mr. Collins on board the ship ? — A. As far 
as I know he was there as weather reporter and some scientific business. 

Q. As far as you know he was there as weather reporter and some 
scientific business connected with the ship? — A. With the expedition. 

Q. And really the object of the expedition was not only to discover 



110 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tlie E^orth Pole but to render service to science was it not ? — A. Cer- 
tainly it was. 

Q. By the observation of learned and scientific men on the expedi- 
tion! — A. Certainly. That is what all expeditions are sent up for — to 
enlighten the world as far as I know. 

Q. Well, we are agreed on that. On that expedition in addition to Mr. 
Collins was Professor Newcomb. What was his position on the vessel"? 
— A. That is more than I know. I think he was a bird-stuffer. 

Q. He was what is called a naturalist ? — A. Yes, he was called a nat- 
uralist. 

Q. He is what is called a naturalist and taxidermist? — A. That is 
too much for me. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins have charge of the instruments when you set 
sail 1 — A. That is what I understood. I saw him putting up instru- 
ments outside the cabin, one i)lace and another. 

Q. Do you know or not whether those instruments were furnished at 
very great expense by Mr. Bennett? — A. That I don't know, sir. 

Q. Do you know or not that Mr. Collins was detailed for the expedi- 
tion from the Herald office? — A. That I learned in New York. I got 
that from his own mouth. 

Q. And do you know that the object of the expedition on the part 
of Mr, Bennett was to aid the Government in this search for the Pole, and 
that he himself bore its expense? — A. I think it was. That is the way 
I understood it. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. Do you know anything about it?— A. ^o, only that I saw in the 
papers that Mr. Bennett was going to pay all the expenses, but Mr. 
Bennett himself never told me so. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You separated when, did you say ? 

The Witness. The separation of the boats do you mean? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. That was on the 12th of September, 1881. 

Q. Permit me to inquire, did you keep any record or journal or log- 
book, or anything of that sort? — A. I did, on board ship, for a certain 
time. 

Q. Was that lost? — A. It was lost. 

Q. Now, when did you leave the ship, and where was she? — A. Well, 
when we left the ship, as ftir as I could learn— of course I had no in- 
struments to take observations — it was 77.45 north. 

Q. At the time you actually left the ship, was the ship actually sink- 
ing? — A. She was above water, but her sides were crushed in. 

Q. She was sinking? — A. Yes, sir; we could not live on her any more. 

Q. How many men did you leave the ship with in the boats? — A. 
Thirty-three; the full complement of men. 

Q. One boat was under the command of De Long, another of Mr. 
Chipp, and the other of Mr. Melville? — A. Not when we first lost th( 
ship. There were five parties then, if I am not mistaken. 

Q. Five different boats?— A. No; five different tents. We only had| 
three boats, but five different tents. 

Q. I ask you when you first left the ship, how many boats did yoi 
have? — A. We had three boats. 

Q. Now, each boat had a commander, did it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That is what I thought, and that is what you said. Now, whol 
commanded the first boat? — A. Captain De Long. 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. Ill 

Q. Who commanded the second boat ^— A. The second boat was Mr. 
Ohipp's. 

Q. He was the second in command ? — A. He was the second in com- 
mand. 

Q. Who commanded the third boat? — A. It is more than I can say 
to tell who was in charge of her. 

Q. In what boat were yon? — A. I was along with Captain De Long. 

Q. E^ow in the three boats there were thirty- three men? — A. Tes, sir. 

Q. When did you leave the ship? — A. I think the ship went down on 
the morning of either the 12th or 13th of Jnne^ 1881. 

Q. Had the ship sunk before you lost sight of it? Did you see the 
ship sink ? — A. No, sir. There were only three men who saw the ship 
sink, because it was at night time. 

Q. Then it was sunk after you lost sight of her? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Boutblle : 
Q. Did she sink at night or in the day? — A. It was day all the time. 
She sunk at 4 o'clock in the morning, 
Q. You did not see it? — A. I did not see it. 

By Mr. Cuktis : 

Q. When you left did you take any boats with you ? — A. Three boats. 

Q. What were they? — A. Two cutters and one whale-boat. 

Q. Did you leave any cutters on the vessel? — A. The steam cutter. 
I don't know whether she was on the vessel or on the ice, but I think 
she was on the davits. 

Q. I believe you agree with Bartlett, that the whale-boat was the 
best for the water? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And the cutter the best to transport? — A. Over the ice, yes. 

Q. Do you know how much provisions you took with you at that 
time? — A. Not exactly. 

Q. Approximately? — A. I think we took provisions for sixty days; that 
was the allowance as I understood it. 

Q. At the time you left the ship for how long was she still provisioned ? 
— A . Well, probably we could have hung it out for another year if we 
hadn't lost her. 

Q. Now, you took provisions for sixty days ?-^A. Sixty or a hundred, 
I don't know which exactly. 

Q. Could you not take provisions for a hundred? — A. Probably we 
had taken them for all I know. I don't know what the allowances were 
exactly. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I want to know whether he has testified to the exact 
time for which they were provisioned. 

The Witness. No ; I heard talk about it, but I say I don't know 
whether we were provisioned for sixty days or a hundred days. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, could you or not have taken i)rovisions for over a hundred 
days and transported them? — A. I say I don't know but it was sixty or 
a hundred days that we had provisions for. 

Q. I am speaking of a possibility, you are speaking of a fact. Could 
you not have taken provisions for over a hundred days? — A. I sui)pose 
we could. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. Do you know how much provisions that would be? — A. Well, I 
think I know somewhere near. 



112 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Well, how mucli ? — A. Probably it would have amounted to some- 
where about a thousand pounds I should think; probably a little more. 

Q. Would thirty-three men have any difficulty in transporting a thou- 
sand pounds ? — A. Yes, we had at that time. Under such circumstances 
every little thing is a burden to you. 

Q. At the time you left were the men in good condition? — A. Yes. 

Q. Strong in physical health ? — A. Most of them were. Some were 
not as strong as others. 

Q. Did you have any shotguns with you ? — A. At the time we left 
the ship we had, but when we started to travel we abandoned them. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Why did you do that ? — A. Because it was too much weight. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. If they had not been too much weight, was there any game you 
could have shot? — A. Not at that time. 

Q. Afterwards? — A. No; I speak of Bennett Island. 

Q. Did you take any axes with you from the ship ? — A. One or two. 

Q. How many axes was she fitted out with? — A. That I don^t know. 

Q. A large number? — A. Yes, a good many. 

Q. Did you not find want of axes a great deprivation? — A. No; pick- 
axes were the principal want. 

Q. You had pick-axes ? — A. We had one or two, and probably lost 
one afterwards. 

Q. In the ship? — A. In the ship we had five or six. 

Q. Was it pick-axes you had in going to that country ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Are you quite sure ? — A. Quite sure. 

Q. And out of five or six such useful imj^lements as that you took 
two ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, passing the journey on the ice — I do not want to ask you 
anything that is not necessary — when did you take to the boats ? — A. 
We took to the boats on leaving Bennett Island; that is, boating and 
going over the ice. 

Q. Now, when you took to the boats, who commanded the first boat? 
— A. Captain De Long. 

Q. Who commanded the second boat? — A. Mr. Chipp. 

Q. Who commanded the third boat? — A. Mr. Melville. 

Q. And you had only three? — A. Only three. 

Q. Who had the cutters? — A. Captain De Long had the first cutter, 
Lieutenant Chipp the second cutter, and Mr. Melville the whale-boat. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville choose the whale-boat or was it assigned to him? 
— A. I don't know; I suppose it was assigned to him. 

Q. You were with De Long's party? — A. I was. 

Q. Your feelings are friendly both towards De Long and Collins? — 
A. I haven't any hard feelings towards anybody. 

Q. Your feelings are of a friendly character towards all who were en- 
gaged in the expedition? — A. I am not one of those men who carry a 
grudge. If I have a little fight, when I get away it is all done, and if I 
meet the party again we are good friends. I might as well cut this 
whole concern short. These people had some disagreement, and as far 
as I could see there was a hard feeling between them. 

Q. When did the boats separate? — A. They separated on the night 
of the 12th of September, 1881. 

Q. And where were you then ? — A. We were probably 40 miles to the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 113 

southwestward of — I can't think of the name of the island just now. 
It was to the south of the New Siberian Islands. I mean the inland 
where they killed the deer. 

Lieutenant Danenhower. That is Seininowski Island. 

The Witness. Yes; Seminowskx Island, about 50 miles to the south- 
westward. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Who had command of the first boat? — A. Captain De Long. 

Q. Lieutenant Chipp had charge of the second boat? — A. Lieutenant 
Chipp. 

Q. And Mr. Melville the third?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. With whom was Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. Mr. Melville. 

Q. Do you know of any reason why the command of that boat should 
have been given to Mr. Melville instead of Lieutenant Danenhower? — 
A. The only reason I know of is because Mr. Danenhower was sick. 

Q. Was any reason assigned? — A. I guess that was the only reason, 
as far as I know. 

Q. Did you ever know of Lieutenant Danenhower protesting against 
that? — A. I think I heard some talk about it, but I wouldn't be certain. 

Q. Did you hear any talk on the part of Lieutenant Danenhower? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Or among the men? — A. I heard talk among the men, but I 
couldn't mention who or what they said. 

Q. But it was among your own men? — A. Yes. 

Q. You heard talk in which it was stated that Lieutenant Danen- 
hower had protested against that disposition? — A. I think there was 
such talk ; I never troubled my head about it. 

Q. And did you hear any statement by any of the men, or did you 
know, as a matter of fact yourself, that there was a feeling growing out 
of that between Mr. Melville and Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. Judg- 
ing by appearnces there was. But, of course, I couldn't tell the men's 
feelings. 

Q. Now, after you separated, how long were you in journeying before 
you landed at or near the spot where De Long was found ? — A. Well, 
we separated on the 12th of September, 1881, and I left Captain De 
Long on October 9, 1881. 

Q. You left Captain De Long October 9, 1881. Did you leave him 
at the spot where he was found ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Where did you leave him? — A. I left him to the northward. 

Q. How far? — A. Probably about 7 or 8 miles. 

Q. But in the immediate vicinity, comparatively speaking? — A. Yes ; 
on the same river. 

Q. Along the same route? — A. Along the same route. 

Q. In the same general direction? — A. About the same general direc- 
tion, only we had to go way to the westward. 

Q. You left him on October 9? — A. Yes, in the morning; I believe 
it was on Sunday morning. 

Q. Before you left him and his party were you accustomed to build 
signal fires and do everything possible to attract attention? — A. Yes, 
we made signal fires every night. If we came to a hut even, we made a 
fire outside and a tire inside. It was very seldom we had a hut, though. 

Q, You have no personal knowledge yourself as to the exact time 
when Captain De Long died, have you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. When you left Captain De Long who was with you, Noros? — A. 
Nor OS. 

8 J Q* 



114 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You traveled down the Lena, did you"? — A. Not what they called 
the Lena Eiver proper, no ; but Captain De Long thought it was the 
Lena Eiver proper. 

Q. I am speaking now of when you left with IsToros and you were pro- 
ceediug' towards the spot where you found Melville's party. What 
directi(>n did you take'? — A. Well, our course was south. The only 
thing we could go by was a little chart. I didn't have a compass or a 
watch. All I had was a little chart. 

Q. Did you take any compasses from the ship? — A. A few. 

Q. What became of them? — A. Captain De Long had a compass with 
him, one of these surveying compasses. 

Q. Did he leave any compasses on the shij)? — A. Yes ; all except these 
surveying compasses. 

Q,. Could he not have taken the others? — A. I suppose he could. 

Q. Were they not more perfect instruments ! — A. Yes, for fine work. 

Q. Would you not have been better able to discover your course or 
where you w^ere if you had taken those compasses you left behind? — A. 
On water p^^obably we would. 

Q. On land? — A. On land these other compasses were good enough. 

Q. But not as good as the others. — A. No, sir ; not on water. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What is the difference between these compasses? — A. One is the 
kind used on land and the other at sea. 

Q. Did they take no compasses in the boat? — A. They took a survey- 
ing compass. 

Q. Why did they take that? — A. I don't know; but Captain De Long 
gave as the reason that he thought these compasses w^ere good enough. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Were they not lighter in weight? — A. Probably. 
By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. You traveled in a southerly direction. When did you fall in with 
Chief Engineer Melville? — A. i fell in with Chief Engineer Melville 
September 2, 3, or 4. There is a dispute betw^een me and Mr. Melville 
about one date. 

Q. You fell in with Chief Engineer Melville September 2, 3, or 4 
where? — A. In Bulun. 

Q. How did you get to Bulun ; were you aided to get there by the 
natives ; did they give you any information ? — A. No, sir ; I wanted to 
go to Bulun. 

Q. You were making for Bulun yourself? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. On the way did you meet with any natives ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did or did they not give you any information in regard to Engineer 
Melville?— A. No, sir. 

Q. And it was not until you arrived at Bulun that you met Melville ? 
— A. 1 didn't have any idea about Melville or his party until I saw 
them. 

Q. But you are quite sure that you saw them at Bulun on the 2d, 3d, 
or 4th of September? — A. Yes, sir; I made a mistake — I meant the 
month of November. 

Q. You did not meet Chief Engineer Melville until the 9th of No- 
vember?— A. Until the 2d, 3d, or 4th of November. 

Q. How did you fix your time ? — A. From the time I left Captain 
De Long and then traveled back. 

Q. Well, how did you fix that time? 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 115 

The Witness. What do you mean ? 

Mr. Curtis : What I mean is this : How did j^ou fix the day of the 
month and the time of the day when you left Captain De Long ; how 
CO you fix the first day of the month? — A. Cai)tain De Long kept a 
journal. 

Q. Is that the only way you fix it? — A. Yes. 

Q. The only way you fix it now is that you have seen an entry in 
Captain De Long's journal? — A. That is the way we kept the run of it. 

Q. Do you know yourself anything about it ? 

The Witness. That it was the 9th of October ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. Yes ; because when Erichsen died, which was on the 6th, the cap- 
tain told me to have a board cut out, with the date he died and his 
name on it ; on the 7th we left the hut, and on the 9th I left Captain 
De Long. 

Q. How did you know as matter of fact that it was on the 6th that 
Erichsen died ? — A. As far as the fact is concerned, I could not say for 
a fact. 

Q. That is what I want to get at. Have you any way by which you 
can possibly fix the date on which Erichsen died ? 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). Let me ask the witness one or two 
questions. 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly. 

By Mr. Boijtelle : 

Q. You say that you remember that Erichsen died on the 6th of Oc- 
tober?— A. The 6th of October. 

Q. And that you marked that, or it was marked on the slab ? — A. 
Yes ; on a piece of board. The board is in Washington now. 

Q. How do you understand that Captain De Long or anybody else 
knew that it was the 6th of October ; by keeping 'a record from day to 
day ?— A. By keeping a record. That was all. 

Q. That is your best recollection of thdt time ? — A. That is the only 
way I could tell. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. That is the only recollection you have on that point — what you 
gathered from Captain De Long? — A. That is all. 

Q. Now, since this inquiry has been begun, have you seen the journal 
of Captam De Long ? — A. I saw it when we found it, but as far as look- 
ing through it or anything of that kind is concerned, I never did. 

Q. Noros was with vou, you say, when vou commuDicated with Mel- 
ville?— A. Yes. 

Q. Did you go with Melville in search of De Long ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You told Engineer Melville where you had left him, did you ?— A. 
As near as I could. 

Q. At the time you left De Long, you told De Long where you w^re 
going ? — A. He told me where I had to go to. 

Q. Then he knew were you were going ? — A. Whether he knew it for 
a certainty I don't know. 

Q. He told you where to go ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then he knew where you were trying to go, did he not ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. You told Engineer Melville where you had left De Long, did you 
not ? — A. About as near as I could. 

Q. You gave him the direction ? — A. Yes, sir. 



116 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Of course you have no knowledge of tlie exact time of the death 
of Captain De Long ; you know nothing about it 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. But supposing, for instance, that an expedition had been started 
from Bulun on the IGth of October, or supposing it had been started 
on the 13th, how long would it have taken that expedition to have gone 
to the spot where De Long was found, supposing they traveled with all 
the facilities, in teams; what was the distance in days? — A. As far as 
my knowledge goes the distance from Bulun to Ku-mark-Surk is 100 
versts. That is what I got from the natives. I know it takes two days 
to make it with a reindier team. But we didn't travel right straight 
along ; we only traveled about five hours a day. That was all. 

Q. We will leave that subject for the present. I do not ask you to 
state anything that you do not know of your own knowledge, but I 
want to know if you were not aware of a difference between Mr. Collins 
and Captain De Long, whatever it was? — A. The only thing I know 
about that is merely that there was a hard feeling between them. That 
I know by observation. But what it was about I don't know. Cap- 
tain De Long never spoke to me about it, but Mr. Collins told me at 
one time that he was put off' duty. 

Q. Where was this? — A. When wo went into winter quarters; when 
we first went into the ice. 

Q. From the time Collins was suspended or put off' duty, did you 
ever notice anything about the conduct or demeanor of Collins that 
was not of a gentlemanly character? — A. I never did. Mr. Collins was 
a perfect gentleman. 

Q. Did you ever know of his treating his superior officers or the sea- 
men in any way but that of a gentleman? — A. No, sir; he never did. 
He always treated them like gentlemen as far as I saw. 

Q. Did he complain to you that he had been suspended by Captain 
De Long? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did he appear to be very sensitive about it? — A. Yes; it 
seemed to hurt his feelings. 

Q. Did he tell you that they had taken from him at different times 
his instruments? — A. That he did not state. 

Q. Do you know as a matter of fact that they did ?— A. That I don't 
know. They must have taken away his instruments, because I did not 
see him taking any more observations. 

Q. You did not see him taking any more observations after his sus- 
j)ension? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Before his suspension did he use to take the observations ? — A. 
Yes, and some of the other gentlemen, the captain, and so on. 

Q. After he was suspended no more observations were taken? — A. 
Not by Mr. Collins. 

Q. By the ship's officers? — A. Yes, they were. 

Q. Were they taken with the same instruments Collins used to use? — 
A. As ffir as I know. 

Q. Who made the observations after the suspension of Mr. Collins ? — 
A. 1 think it was Captain De Long, the doctor, and Chief Engineer 
Melville. 

Q. Those three?— A. Yes. 

Q. No one outside of those ? — A. Not that I know of. I think at one 
time Mr. Dunbar took some. I would not say that for certain. It ap- 
X^ears to me that he did. 

Q. Was Collins restored to duty, to your knowledge, before his 
death ? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. He was in your party up to the time that you left De Long to go to 



JEANTETTE INQUIRY. - 117 

Bulun ? — A. He was in our party from the time we lost the ship until I 
left him with De Long. 

Q. He was alive when you left him? — A. Yes. 

Q. And up to the moment when you left him he had not been re- 
stored to duty? — A. Not to my knowledge, he was not. 

Q. What period of time did that cover? — A. It covered, I guess, 
about two years, almost. 

Q. That he was suspended from duty ? — A. Yes ; he was suspended 
when we first went on the ice, as far as my knowledge goes. 

Q. And during that entire period he was never restored to duty? — A. 
Not as far as I know. 

Q. Now, when you found Collins, who examined his body ? — A. Bart- 
lett and me. 

Q. Had Collins ever told you that he had written a journal of all the 
proceedings of this expedition ? — A. He did after he was put oft' duty. 
He said he was going to keep notes. I asked him one day if he was 
keeping a journal. He said no, he had knocked off* keeping a journal, 
and that he just made notes now. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did Collins say to you that he was keeping a complete journal of 
this expedition or that he had kept it ? — A. That he had, but that he 
had knocked off, and was just keeping little notes now. 

Q. You understood that he kept a journal up to that time? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And had then ceased keeping a journal and was simply keeping 
notes ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q„ Why was that ? — A. I don^t know. 

Q. He did not say ? — A. No, sir ; he didn't give me any reason. 

By Mr. Curtis . 

Q. But he told you that he was keeping notes of the entire exi)edi- 
tion ? — A. That is what he said. 

Q. When his body was searched for the papers, or for whatever was 
upon it, who was it made the search ? — A. Bartlett and me. 

Q. What papers did you find upon him ? — A. I think it was a little 
note-book and some pieces of paper all crushed together. 

Q. Hid you examine those ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. A note-book. What do you mean by a note-book? — A. One of 
these little note-books about that size and about that wide [illustrating]. 

Q. Did you ever see it afterwards? — A. I don't know whether I did 
or not. 

Q. AVhat became of what you took off his person ? — A. It was turned 
in to Mr Melville. 

Q. Did you ever see these crumpled pieces of i)aper afterwards ? — A. 
I saw them afterwards when they were all packed. Whatever was 
found upon him was all bundled up together. Mr. Melville wrote Mr. 
Collins's name on a piece of paper and stuck it into a handkerchief to 
know whose it was. 

Q. After they came into the hands of Melville did you ever see these 
crumpled pieces of paper ? — A. I don't know that I did. 

Q. Do you know where they are now ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. After these things came into the possession of Melville, did you 
ever see them, or do you know now where what you call the note-book 
is ? — A. No, sir J I never saw them. 

Q. Was that all that was found on his body at that time? — A. I think 
it was. 



118 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Are you quite sure ? — A. Yes, sir; that is, I wouldn't swear to it 
What this note book and these other papers were I don't know. I 
couldn't swear how many ineces there were or anything of the kind. 

By Mr. BOUTELLE : 

Q. Did you ever see Collins's diary or journal? — A. No, sir; I never 
did. 

Q. Did he ever show you any? — A. Ko. sir; 1 used to go down to see 
Mr. Danenhower once in a while, and I used to see a big book lying on 
his desk when passing through the room. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. He never spoke to you of the journal he was keeping ? — A. No, 
sir. I was always on my own hook. When there was nothing going 
on, most of the time I was out of the ship. 

Q. Who obtained for you your present position? — A. Captain Meade. 

Q. On whose recommendation? — A. By my own, as far as I know. 

Q. Were you recommended either by Mr. Melville or Lieutenant 
Danenhower? — A. Not that T know of. I think all I have got I have 
to thank these other people for. 1 don't know as I have to thank Mr. 
Melville or Mr. Danenhower for what 1 got. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Were you ever in the regular service before? — A. Not in the 
regular service. I was in the Jeannette and the St. Mary's. 

Q. When were you in the St. Mary's ?— A. Before I went into the 
Jeannette. 

Q. That is the naval service? — A. Not strictly the naval service. 

Q. It is a training ship? — A. A training ship. 

By Mr. Curtis: 
Q. In your examination before the court of inquiry this question was 
put to you: 

Have you any personal knowledge of any difficulty at any time between Mr. Col- 
ins and any officer of tlie Jeannette ? If so, state what you know about the matter. 

Did you have any knowledge of any difficulty between them ? — A. 
Only what I have stated. 

Q. Did you state that before the Board of Inquiry? — A. I don't 
know whether I did or not. 

Q. Did you state at any time before the Board of Inquiry what you 
stated here to-day — that there was any difficulty between Mr. Collins 
and Captain De Long, or that Mr. Collins had told you of any such 
difficulty? Did you make that statement to the Board of Inquiry at 
all ? — A. I don't think I did, because the questions were put to me so 
that I could get out of it, by the way it looked to me. No ; I don't 
think I did. 

Q. It was as true then as it is now ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you certainly knew it then as well as you do now ? — A. I 
don't know whether I did. Probably I have studied it up a little more 
since. 

Mr. Boutelle. What answers of the witness to-day are your ques- 
*tions now referring to ? 

Mr. Curtis. I ask him did he state before the Board of Inquiry at 
any time in answer to any question anything that he has stated here 
in reference to his knowledge of the difficulty between Collins and De 
Long. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 119 

Mr. BouTELLE. Has he stated anything here to-day about that ex- 
cept that he was suspended ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. He stated that CoUins complained to him that he 
had been suspended, and that he knew, without knowing the real 
cause, except from Collins, that there was an ill feeling between them. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I did not catch that. 

The Witness. Yes; I stated that there was an ill-feeling between 
Mr. Collins and the captain. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, I ask if he made any such statement as he made 
to-day before the Court of Inquiry"? 

The Witness. I said no, sir ; I did not, because at that time it was 
left open, with the statement that if I had any further statements to 
make I could do so at any time. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not see that the witness is drawn into any par- 
ticular difficulty here. I find in the record of the Court of Inquiry this : 

State, if you know, how Mr. Collins was treated by the commanding and other 
officers of the crew of the Jeannette. 

The Witness. As far as I know he was always treated like a gentleman ; as far as 
I know he was treated like an officer. He was respected hy every man on board the 
ship as an officer. 

State, if you know, how Mr. Collins treated the commanding and other officers of 
the Jeannette. 

The Witness. That is a question I cannot answer, sir. That I do not know. 

He simply states now that there was some ill-feeling between those 
two officers. 

Mr. Curtis. My object is not to reflect upon the witness at all, but 
to show, as in the case of Bartlett, that no attempt was made whatever 
in the Court of Inquiry to brittg out this difficulty. 

Mr. Boutelle. Perhaps they did not deem that one of the objects 
of the inquiry. 

Mr. Curtis. That I cannot say. It certainly went to the manage- 
ment of the expedition. 

Mr. Boutelle. I should not think so. I should be very sorry to 
have any naval operation of the war judged by the fact whether or not 
there was any ill-will between the officers in the ward-room or steerage 
mess. 

Mr. Curtis. That is a true proposition, and I think I will be able to 
satisfj^ you when all this evidence is in that this expedition could not 
be successful owing to the feeling between these two officers. The res- 
olution is to inquire into the causes. 

Mr. Boutelle. Anything that can show the nature of the ill-will 
that existed, or its effect, is proper, of course. But the fact that a wit- 
ness on a former trial did not state that there was ill-will between two 
officers, when he was not asked it, does not seem to me to be of any 
particular importance. 

Mr. Curtis. I am not trying to affect the credibility of this witness 
by that. On the contrary, I am trying to show that he had the same 
knowledge as Bartlett, but that in this Court of Inquiry, which has been 
eulogized so highly, questions were not put that brought out this matter. 

Mr. Boutelle. No, and they were not for the reasorr, I should judge, 
that questions seem to have been put which would bring out the facts 
important to that inquiry ; that is, how Collins was treated by the offi- 
cers, and how Collins treated the other officers. Now, the witness may 
not have had any knowledge as to what Captain De Long was in the 
habit of doing after breakfast, or what Collins might have done in the 
afternoon. It does not follow that the court of inquiry omitted any- 
thing essential. 



120 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. I am tryiDg to reconcile bis testimony here with his 
testimony there. The questions were not really asked ; his attention 
was not called to that. I am not trying to attack the credibility of the 
witness. Now we think that the arrest and suspension of this man, 
going out there in the capacity he did, was in itself a grievance of the 
highest character. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If you start out with that proposition you certainly 
cannot carry any one with you until you have established the fact that 
the suspension was unjustifiable and therefore a wrong. It is a mani- 
fest absurdity to assume that the suspension of an officer by a superior 
is in itself a wrong. 

Mr. Curtis. It is a still more manifest absurdity to assume that a 
superior officer, without just cause, has a right to suspend an officer. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Ah, there is just where the point comes. Now. if 
we are to try this case as to the exercise of De Long's authority, the 
evidence will come in. But the mere statement of the fact — and that 
was the cause of my first interposition in the case — the mere statement 
of the fact of suspension as in itself a wrong or outrage, will not hold 
water. I have been the commanding officer of a vessel, I have been a 
subordinate officer of a vessel, and there is no propriety in assuming 
that the suspension of an officer from duty is necessarily a wrong. 

Mr. Curtis. I do not say that, and I do not wish to be understood 
as saying that. I say that so far as this record is concerned I am will- 
ing to take the memoranda of Captain DeLong; that if he suspended 
that man who was sent there for a specific purpose on the puerile, boyish 
ground that is contained in those memoranda (and that is all the record 
we have), then it was either the most flagrant exercise and abuse of au- 
thority 

Mr. Boutelle (interposing). Do you want this committee to i)ass 
upon that! 

Mr. Curtis. That is what you are going to pass ui>on. 

Mr. Boutelle. Then you will have to present the evidence. 

Mr. Curtis. But you cannot build a house in a minute. We have 
got to dig the cellar first. 

The Chairman. You can proceed with the examination. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I believe as matter of fact you were put under arrest, but you 
were not continued under arrest any length of time, were you? — A. 
About an hour or so. That is, I don't know whether I was released 
from arrest or not, but I was told to go ahead with my work, to pick up 
my load and take the lead. 

Q. At the time you left De Long with Noros to go in search of Mel- 
ville, do you know how much provisions the party had, if any? — A. 
They didn't have any. 

Q. How long had they been out of provisions'? — A. They had been 
without anything to eat for two days ; that is, what T would call any- 
thing to eat. 

Q. At this time that you left his company had you a shotgun? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. Did you have an ax, even ? — A. No, sir ; we had a hatchet. We 
carried a couple of hatchets. I don't know whether we had an ax or 
not. 

Q. If you had had a shotgun, could you have shot some game? — A. 
Probably we could have shot some ptarmigans. 

Q. What are those?— A. Birds. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 121 

Q. Their flesli is eatable, is it not?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And palatable, is it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. So that if you had possessed a solitary shotgun, with ammunition, 
you could have supplied the immediate necessities of the party for some 
days by ptarmigans! — A. No, sir, I don't think we could j there wasn't 
that many. 

Q. Did you count them ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know how many there were? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are there not animals in that portion of the world? — A. Some- 
times. 

Q. In point of fact did you not often see flying over your head on that 
retreat flocks and flocks of birds going north? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You could have slain thousands, could you not? — A. Not at that 
time on the retreat, no, sir. The only time we saw birds was at Bennett 
Island. We killed them with stones. Mr. Newcomb shot some. 

Q. You had no ax, had you? — A. I don't know whether we had or 
not; we had a hatchet in our boat. I don't know what the rest of the 
boats had. 

Q. You had no axe with which to cut wood for fuel? — A. No, sir; 
there were no trees growing there. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What time are you questioning him about? 

Mr. Curtis. lam questioning him about the time he left De Long. 

Mr. BoTJTELLE. After he had left De Long? 

Mr. Curtis. After he left De Long, and he left De Long seven or 
eight miles from the vicinity of the spot where he w^as found. Now^ my 
friend (Mr. Arnoux) has been taking some laughing-gas today; he says 
there are no trees in that country. 

Mr. Arnoux. I say that there are no trees in that delta. 

Mr. Curtis. Is there no brush-wood there of any kind? 

Mr. Arnoux. We are talking about trees. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, you may call it brush-wood. 

Mr. Arnoux. There is no such thing as trees on that delta. It is 
north of the tree line. 

Mr. Curtis. Not a bit of it. 

Mr. Arnoux. We will take the word of the witness. 

Mr. Curtis. On that subject? I do not. 

Mr. BouTELLE. So far as where they were is concerned, he would 
know what he saw. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now do you pretend to tell me that there was nothing at or near 
the spot where De Long was found capable of being used for fuel? — A. 
Yes, there was. 

Q. What was it?— A. Drift-wood. 

Q. What does drift-wood come from ? — A. That is wood that comes 
down the Lena. 

Q. Down the Lena from the north, does it not ? — A. No, sir ; from 
the south. When the snow and ice melt on the river bank it tears trees 
out of the ground, and when the water gains considerable force it car- 
ries this wood out on the delta and lands it there. 

Q. You say on this spot, or near the spot where De Long was found, 
there was no brush-wood or anything of that sort ? — A. No, sir ; the 
only brush-wood there was Arctic willow. You can call it brush-wood. 

Q. Is not that capable of being used for fuel ? — A. It is when dry. 
It runs along the ground. 



122 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. How large does it grow ! — A. Some of it you find no thicker than 
your thumb. It runs along the ground. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. And it is very good fncl "? — A. Sometimes it is. 

Q. And in order to use it for fuel in its wet state you have to cut 
it? — A. You can i)ull that up. There is no need of cutting that. 

Q. Can you pull it all up? — A. There is no need of cutting it any- 
how, because you can find drift- wood. 

Q. I am not speaking of that. Counsel says there is nothing in the 
nature of a tree. — A. You can call this whatever you have a mind to. 
It is in the nature of a tree. You can call it a shrub. 

Q. Are not many of them the size of your wrist? — A. They might be 
in some places ; that is, after you get a little farther south. 

Q. How did you gather these Arctic willows that you speak of? — A. 
We did not gather them for firewood ; we only gathered them to make 
tea out of. 

Q. Uow did you gather them ? — A. Just cut them off with our kniv^es. 

Q. You did not use any hatchet for that purpose? — A. No, sir; as 
far as trees are concerned, the first trees we saw were in Tit Arrii Isl- 
and ; that is on the delta; but a little to the north of tbat there were 
trees. 

Q. That is probably as far north as this place you were speaking 
of ?— A. Probably 30 miles farther. 

Q. You saw trees growing there ?— A. Yes. 

Q. Then you saw trees north of that latitude? — A. I saw them when 
we went home by the way of Werchojansk. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. If I understand you aright, no matter where you sailed, if you at- 
tempt to go to the North Pole you come to ice 5 is that correct ? — A. 
That is correct so far as my knowledge goes. 

Q. There is a belt of ice which separates the Pole from civilization? — 
A. Well, I don't know whether you call it a belt of ice or what it is; 
but I should not call it a belt. What I understand by a belt is a thing 
without being broken. I say there is no such thing as that. I say the 
ice is broken all the year around. 

Q. But this ice is filled with seams? — A. With what we call leads. 
You get into them, get caught and released, and get on farther north. 

Q. Is there any certainty for any one going up through Behring Strait 
to go north without getting into the pack ? — A. No, there is no certainty. 

Q. Is it not inevitable that, some time or other, a vessel trying to go 
north must go into the pack? — A. They must go into the ice; that is, 
into leads of open water. 

Q. And in winter time do not the loads of open w^ater freeze over? — 
A. Yes, they will open and they will freeze. 

Q. Now, is it not your judgment, from your knowledge of Arctic ex- 
I)loration, that if you can get to land, and if that land extfuids north, 
you will get farther north on the land than you would on the water?— 
A. Yes, in certain latitudes. 

Q. But I say up there. If W^rangel Land did extend as a continent 
up to the Pole, would it not be easier to go to the Pole on the Iniid tlian 
it would be on the water? — A. Not if you can find leads thick enough. 

Q. Is it likely you would find leads that would take you all the w^y 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 123 

tip to the Pole? — A. That is pretty hard to tell. 1 have known times 
on the Polaris when we thought we never would get through. 

Q. No one has ever been able to find leads that have carried them 
all the way up to the Pole? — A. No, sir; they never will. 

Q. Is Wrangel Land a good place to spend the winter? — A. That is 
more than I can tell. 

Q. In your judgment would it have been a wise course to adopt to 
winter on land if you found any land far enough north? — A. Certainly. 

Q. Did you not understand that that was Captain De Long^s pur- 
pose w^hen he tried to reach Wrangel Land? — A. That is more than I 
can tell. 

Q. Do you not know, that he proposed to make that his winter 
quarters ? — A. Not for a certainty ; I only know he wanted to reach it 
if he could; that is what he told me with his own mouth, but I could 
not say it was his intention to winter there. 

Q. Well, he was trying to reach it at the beginning of the winter, 
was he not? — A. Yes; he tried to get there. 

Q. Did you ever, in all this matter that you speak of as hard feeling 
between De Long and Collins know of Captain De Long treating 
Mr. Collins in any improper or ungentlemanly manner? — A. That I could 
not say. 

Q. You never knew of any such thing? — A. I never knew of any 
such thing; if you want my judgment on that matter 

Q. (Interposing.) I did not ask for your judgment, I asked you 
whether you saw anything yourself. — A. No; I could not say I saw 
anything. 

Q. Did you ever know any officer or man to be treated with outrage 
or indignity? — A. No. 

Q. Were any questions put to you while you were before the Court of 
Inquiry? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ? — A. I don't know. 

Q. About how many? — A. I couldn't tell you. 

Q. More than a half a dozen?— A. I couldn't say. 

Q. More than three? — A. I couldn't say. Of course I didn't keep 
any run of them. 

Q. Did you find that they were all put down on the record? — A. I 
suppose they were. I haven't looked at the record. 

Q. Then I will look and see in regard to that. How frequently did 
Mr. Collins talk to you about Captain De Long's relieving him from 
duty? — A. Only once that I know of; probably twice. 

Q. When you left the ship were you divided into three crews or into 
five par(s?-^A. When we left the ship I think we were divided into 
five tents, each officer in charge of a difierent tent. 

Q. Do you know how many were in the tent with Captain De Long? — 
A. Yes, I suppose I could remember. [After a pause.] Captain De 
Long, Dr. Ambler, Mr. Collins, Alexy, and myself, at the first dividing 
oft' when we started. 

Q. Who were in the second tent?— A. I couldn't remember that. I 
didn't take notice of it. 

Q. In whose command was the second tent? — A. Mr. Chipp's. 

Q. And how many men did he have with him ? — A. I don't know 
how many there were. I haven't figured it up. 

Q. Who was in the third party ? — A. I think Mr. Melville had charge 
of a tent, and the doctor had charge of a tent, and Mr. Danenhower 
had (jliarge of a tent for some time. 



124 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Then, Dr. Ambler had charge of another tent, you sayf— A. Yes. 

Q. That would make the fourth tenf? — A. Yes. 

Q. And Lieutenant Danenhower had charge of the fifth tent ? — A. 
Yes. 

Q. And that is the way you were first divided '? — A. Yes. 

Q. And that continued until you were ready to leave Bennett Island, 
did it not 1 — A. I think it did; 1 am not quite certain of that. 

Q. Now, in your judgment, did you take as much material in provis- 
ions and clothing and supplies as you were able to transport over the 
ice? — A. I don't think we could have transported much more. 

Q. And was it not the purpose and intent, in your judgment, to take 
all that you could with safety to yourselves *? — A. I suppose so. 

Q. Suppose, instead of taking the two cutters, you had taken the heavy 
whale-boat ; do you think that the party would have been able to have 
dragged the additional boat to Bennett Island ? — A. Well, that is pretty 
hard to tell. Dragging so much as we did, I suppose we could have 
dragged her, too, if it came to the pinch. 

Q. Do you not think it would have delayed you 1 — A. Of course it 
would have delayed us. 

Q. And if you had been delayed much longer would you not have been 
too late to have reached the Siberian coast ; would not the new ice have 
prevented your coming to the shore ? — A. Yes, we would have been 
too late ; we were too late as it was. 

Q. If you could have been earlier would not that have increased very 
much the chance of all escaping with their lives 1 — A. Certainly. 

Q. Can you tell me when you were in the tents and when you were on 
the shore in what order the different ones were served ? — A. I never 
troubled my head about the meals. 

Q. When you were in the tents *? — A. At the first going off I served 
out. 1 didn't call it serving out ; I just put it on the ice and everybody 
could help themselves. Captain De Long relieved me from that after- 
wards. 

Q. Did Captain De Long ever help the different ones? — A. No. 

Q. When you were in the tents on the delta how did you sleep— to- 
gether? — A. We slept all together the best we could. We didn't sleep 
much ; laid alongside the fire most of the time^ 

Q. Was there any difference in the treatment of one from another, or 
were they all exactly on an equality? — A. All exactly on an equality. 
As far as I know one did not get more than another. The only thing 
was that me and another man were compelled to lay alongside the fire. 
We didn't have room enough under the canvas and we couldn't get un- 
der the canvas; we had to be outside of it. 

Q. And was Mr. Collins always inside the tent? — A. We didn't have 
any tent; it was a i)iece of canvas. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. You just laid it over you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Put sticks under it? — A. Yes, sir. At the first starting out we 
had two tents; then we found we had too much, and we carried back 
some of the records and lett one tent, and when we found one tent was 
not big enough we cut it in two parts for fourteen men, seven under 
one i)art and seven under another. 

Q. Why did you leave the other tent? — A. Because it was too heavy. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. As I understand, from time to time, as ^ou found you were get- 



JEANNETTE INQUIEY. 125 

ting too much of a load, you left things behind*? — A. We left things 
behind. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you ever state to anybody that Melville did wrong in not 
trying to help De Long before he did*? — A. I don't know whether I did 
or not. 

Q. I want to know 1 — A. I don't remember that I made such a state- 
ment. What I probably said was that he probably could have done so. 

Q. Will you swear that you never made that statement? — A. I say 
that I don't know anything about Melville's affairs. In the first i^lace, 
I couldn't know anything about Melville's affairs. I wasn't along with 
him. 

Q. This is a plain question, and it is capable of a plain answer. Did 
you state to anybody that Melville did wrong in not trying to help De- 
Long before he did? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. Will you swear that you never made that statement ? — A. No, I 
would not, because I don't know whether I did or not. I might have 
done it and might not, but not to my remembrance. 

Q. And if you did make that statement, w^as it true! — A. I could 
not swear to that because I never knew what circumstances Mr. Mel 
ville was in, only what I heard from other people. I might have said 
that I thought it was not right that we should leave Bulun v^^ithout 
making any further search. I might have said that when we were 
going on to Yakoutsk. 

Q. Do you now say that Melville did wrong in not trying to help De 
Long before he did ? — A. That I can't say. I can^t say yes or no to that. 
I am not enough of a judge to decide that, because I don't know any- 
thing about the man's circumstances. I don't know anything about 
the circumstances that Mr. Melville or any of his i>arty were in. 

Q. You don't know whether or not you ever made that statement 
that I have asked j^ou to other people! — A. As I said before, I might 
have said that it was not right for us to leave Bulun without making 
further search. 

Q. How soon did the water freeze after the ship got into the open 
lead of water? 

The Witness. Do you mean the boats or the ship ? 

Mr. Curtis. I mean exactly what I say. How soon did the water 
freeze after the ship got into the open lead of water? 

The Witness. You mean when we first entered the lead? 

Mr. Curtis. How soon did the water freeze and become ice? 

The Witness. At what time? 

Mr. Curtis. At the time I mention to you, after the ship got into the 
open lead of water. 

A. As far as that is concerned the ice was making the next day, but 
not enough to hurt anything. 

Q. At the time you went in there young ice was making? — A. Yes. 

Q. Five or six inches thick? — A. No. 

Q. Did you not say so before the Board of Inquiry ? — A. Not the 
next day — not for the first night. 

Q. How soon did the water freeze or the ice collect after the ship got 
into the open lead of water? 

The Witness. I do not understand the question. 

Mr. BouTELLB. What do you mean by open lead of water? 

Mr. Curtis. When they were trying to make Wrangel Land thev 
went into this particular lead of ice in this particular direction. 



126 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Went from the open water among the ice? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir; the ice there entombed them, and the vessel 
never got out of it. Now, the question that I ask him is a very simple 
one: How soon did the ice begin to form? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Around the ship? 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. After she entered the pack? 

Mr. Curtis. After she entered this open lead. 

Mr. BouTELLE. This open lead in the pack? 

Mr. Curtis. With the pack about them, certainly. 

A. The ice formed the next day, if I remember right. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Tuesday, April 8, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

William F. C. Nindemann resumed the stand, and his examination 
was continued as follows: 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. (Submitting a map.) Will you be kind enough to look at 
that map and state if you have seen it or a similar one before? — An- 
swer. I saw here in Washington, after I returned from the expedition, 
a map similar to that. 

Q. That is, I believe, the latest circumpolar map or chart showing 
the course of the Jeannette? — A. I believe so; at least, I was told so 
by a gentleman in the Navy Department — Commodore Walker, I think 
his name is. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to point out on that map that imaginary 
continent — Wrangel Land — which was thought to extend to the Pole ? 
— A. (Indicating.) That is the land there. 

Q. That is Wrangel Land, is it? — A. That is the land called Wrangel 
Laud. 

Q. It is an island, is it not ? — A. It is an island as far as I know. 

Q. As far as is known; and it occupies that space on the map [in- 
dicating]. Now, will you be kind enough to tell me on what theory, if 
any possible theory, Wrangel Land was, could be, or can be essential 
in the journey to the Pole? — A. I don't know whether I could or not. 

Q. Well, can jou? — A. I cannot. 

Q. Can anybody? — A. I don't know whether anybody can or not. I 
don't think there is anybody that could. 

Q. It was, however, in the effort, as you understand it, to get to 
Wrangel Land that the shii> was put into the lead of water in the ice 
in which she was finally incased and bound. Is that so? — A. Yes, 
as far as my knowledge goes. 

Q. Exactly. Now, will you be kind enough to look at that map and 
state the dift'erence, if there is one, and if you can calculate it, between 
the spot where the Jeannette was lost and the nearest point to the Sibe- 
rian coast at which aid and succor were possible? By the Siberian 
coast I do not mean the delta of the Lena. — A. I don't know whether I 
could give exactly the nearest point. 

Q. I will put the question in another way. Look at that map and 
tell me if you had been under proper guidance, management, and con- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 127 

trol, assisted by proper instruments, had possession of proper compasses 
to know where you were, if you could not have reached aid and safety 
on the Siberian coast after a journey of about three hundred niiles"^ 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that involves the very inquiry that wc 
are here for. How can he say whether they were proper or improper? 
I submit that that question assumes that which has not been proved. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think the committee are satisfied with the question. 
It is a hypothetical question entirely. Ordinarily it might happen that 
a witness might have to be led up to a question like that, but under 
the circumstances I think the question a proj^er one. 

A. Well, it is a pretty hard thing to say, but if you want my judg- 
ment or what I thought of it at the time, after we left Companion Isl- 
and, after we passed the IS'ew Siberian Islands, there was plenty of 
water to the southward, and as far as my knowledge goes we sighted 
another island and we went to the southwest. 

Q. I will ask you another question. I will put it this way: Is it not 
from where the Jeannette was lost in a line nearly due south to the 
Siberian coast, about three hundred miles'? — A. Probably it is, more or 
less. 

Q. Well, it is in that neighborhood? — A. It is about that. 

Q. Is it not from where the Jeannette was lost to that portion of the 
Siberian land, the delta where De Long was lost and his body found, 
twice that distance — yes or no I — A. I think it is. 

Q. In traveling due south, instead of southwest as you did travel, 
would you not have kept advancing towards civilization, aid, and suc- 
cor in Siberia? — A. If we had steered a little to the southwestward I 
think we would. 

Q. Now, how long did you delay at Bennett Island?— A. Eight days, 
I think it was. 

Q. For what purpose? — A. Fixing boats, as far as I understood it. 

Q. Did it require eight days' delay at Bennett Island?— A. I don't 
know^ whether it did or not. 

Q. What is your judgment about that? — A. It did not take eight days 
to repair boats. 

Q. Was there any other object that you could legitimately have had 
in stopping at Bennett Island so long? — A. The only reason probably 
was to survey the island, or something of that kind. 

Q. Did not you, and did not Melville, and did not Danenhower and 
others, or some of those, protest against the delay at Bennett Island ? — 
A. Not to my knowledge. I did not. I had no business to protest. 

Q. Did they?— A. That I could not say. 

Q. But you cannot conceive of any reason for the delay. Was it not 
ten days? — A. I think it was eight days, if I am not mistaken. 

Q. Are you not mistaken ; was it not ten days ? — A. No ; I think it 
was eight days. 

Q. Can you conceive of or give any reason for the delay of eight days 
at Bennett Island instead of the one that you have given ? — A. No, sir. 
The trouble Avas that ice was running some days, and other days it was 
not. 

Q. And is it not a matter of fact that you now remember that on that 
journey repeated complaints were made by some of the officers against 
the delay ? — A. I heard talk about it, but I could not mention anybody 
that talked about it. I know for certain that there was some talk 
about it. 

Q. But you heard the report and rumor of the complaint? — A. I 
heard some talk of it. 



128 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now I will ask you a quest! od, How mauy of these delays did 
you make on the journey ? There were eight days at Bennett Island! — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many delays did you make at other places, if any ? — A. I 
don't know whether we made any more delays or not. We got stuck 
in the ice there for ten days. 

Q. Now, if you had had that eight days that was spent at Bennett 
Island would you not probably have arrived in a place of safety before 
the severe cold and frost set in ? — A. That is a pretty hard question to 
answer. 

Q. But I say probably. Would you not have had so many days to 
have bettered yourselves ? — A. That is a thing I could not have formed 
any opinion of. 

Q. I will put it in another way. If you lost eight days by the delay 
at Bennett Island you certainly lost the benefit of those eight days in 
aiding your retreat, did you not 1 — A. I suppose so, putting it in that 
light. 

Q. Now a good deal has been said about trees and brushwood, and 
so forth. I wish you to be more careful, if you please, and if I should 
accidentally use the word axe when I should use the word hatchet re- 
mind me. — A. I will. 

Q. Now there was a good deal of what was called drift-wood floating 
down the Lena, was there not ? — A. Not at that time. 

Q. There usually is? — A. Yes, sir; drift-wood lands on the edge of 
the banks. 

Q. It usually drifts and floats there in the spring time on the break- 
ing up of the ice, does it not? — A. Yes, and summer time too. 

Q. Now we will deal first with the timber that comes down. You 
would not propose to cut with a hatchet one of those timbers or a part 
of that debris, or one of those trees that confessedly float down, would 
you! — A. No, not very well. I suppose I could cut it, but it would take 
me a long time. 

Q. Exactly. In order to cut those trees, or that timber, or that debris 
you would have to use an ax would you not! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, did you have an ax with you! — A. That is 
more than I can say; I don't know. 

Q. In point of fact were there axes on the ship! — A. Yes, there were. 

Q. In point of fact were there many axes on the ship!— A. I don't 
khow; I think probably a half a dozen or so. 

Q. lupointof fact did you take any with you! — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. In point of fact, it would be very difficult to kindle a fire with any 
such debris or timber or trees without an axe to cut it ! — A. You can 
pick up plenty of small wood there. 

Q. I know ; I am coming to the small wood. You mean the Arctic 
willow, do you not ! — A. No, I mean the Arctic drift-wood, twigs, and 
such things as that. 

Q. But you can't pick up any parts of trees ! — A. Not very well. 
Yes, you can pick up some parts. 

Q. Beyond this delta is the ocean, is it not ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where De Long was found is how many miles from the ocean ; I 
am not speaking of the Lena River, but from the ocean ! — A. Well, that 
I couldn't say exactly. 

Q. Exactly ; but between the spot where the body of De Long was 
found and tbe ocean where the delta ends, is there a large number of 
the trees known as the Arctic willow ! — A. Yes. 

Q. And in the immediate vicinity of where De Long's body was found, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 129 

that degenerated into a sort of brushwood, did it not j some little trees 
as big- as your thumb, perhaps, and some as big as your wrist, but still 
in the nature of trees *? — A. Well, I suppose you could call them in the 
nature of trees. 

Q. Those could be cut with a little hatchet "^ — A. Yes. 

Q. Or those could in instances be pulled up by the naked hand 1 — A. 
Yes. 

Q. Those could, whether cut by axes or little hatchets, be used for 
fuel, could they not? — A. Yes, if they were dry. 

Q. Now, you did not have a pick-ax, did you*? — A. ^o ; not at that 
time. 

Q. When you were lighting these signal fires that you spoke of, where 
did you get the fuel ? — A. Picked it up. It was drift-wood that was 
landed on the banks of the river. 

Q. Kow, in point of fact, when you were at the place where the body 
of De Long was found, were there not five sled loads of useless stuff 
taken — I want to be very accurate to save objection — from about and 
near and in the presence of those people who had died? — A. Well, the 
most of the useless stuff was left behind where we landed. 

Q. Well, what was that stuff that you were carting ? It was not axes, 
it was not compasses, it was not hatchets, it was not pick-axes, it was not 
l)ro visions, it was not anything that could aid you in the retreat ; what 
was it! — A. Well, there was Captain De Long's private journal, the 
doctor's journal, log-books, and all the ship's papers. 

Q. Those did not fill five sledges, did they ? — A. I don't know that 
they did. They didn't have five sledges. 

Q. Did they have two sledges'? — A. No ; the fact of the matter is we 
had only one j that is, after we landed on the delta. 

Q. Well, what did you have besides this literary freight? — A. We 
had a doctor's box, a box about that size [illustrating], one of these little, 
four-cornered boxes : we had four rifles, I think, or three. 

Q. Did you have a single shotgun? — A. No. 

Q. Now, a moment on that. You spoke yesterday of ptarmigans ? — 
A. Yes. 

Q. That is a bird known as the white grouse, is it not? — A. Yes, 
something like it. 

Q. You said on Bennett Island you killed them with stones ? — A. No, 
not on Bennett Island. That was a different kind of bird again on 
Bennett Island. 

Q. You did not mention it? What sort of a bird was that? — A. 
I don't know what they call them exactly, but they were sea birds. 

Q. I presume that you used stones either in the absence of a rifle or 
because you thought it was better than a rifle. You could only kill one 
bird with a rifle?— A. Yes. 

Q. But with a shotgun you could have killed hundreds? — A. We 
killed enough the way it was with stones, as far as that is concerned. 

Q. That is not the question. My question is this : If an intelligent 
foresight had provided you with shotguns instead of rifles when these 
hundreds and hundreds of 

Mr. BoUTELLE (interposing). When do you refer to? 

Mr. OuKTis. I am referring to the time he shot the ptarmigans, the 
white grouse. 

Mr. BouTELLE. But when was the provision to be made? You ask 
if intelligent foresight had provided shotguns. When? 

Mr. Curtis. At any time. In the first place it should have been 
9 J Q* 



130 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

made at the fitting out of the ship. I will find out afterwards whether 
it was or not. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I would like to understand the drift of the investi- 
gation myself. 

Mr. Curtis. I will go back and put it in another shape. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, in point of fact, were any shotguns i)ut on board that ves- 
sel at San Francisco"? — A. Yes; there were. 

Q. In point of fact, were any shotguns on board that vessel during 
the voyage? — A. Yes. 

Q. In point of fact, were any shotguns on that vessel before she was 
sunk in the ice and while she was still afloat? — A. While she was afloat 
there were shotguns aboard, and when she was sinking shotguns were 
taken out. 

Q. When you left the ship did you take any shotguns with you? — A. 
When we left the ship we took the shotguns out of the ship. 

Q. Now, when you threw stones at the birds did you have any shot- 
guns ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Why ? — A. Because we thought it was not necessary ; we could 
kill them with stones. 

Q. Did you have any shotguns in your i^ossession ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Where were they 1 — A. They were left behind on the ice. 

Q. Why ? — A. They made too much weight to carry, probably. 

Q. Did you not know that the shotgun was far superior to the rifle 
as an aid to you to get food ? — A. That I could not say. 

Q. These ptarmigans you spoke of yesterday are a species of white 
grouse! — A. Yes. 

Q. If you had had one of those shotguns, and these hundreds of 
ptarmigans or white grouse — I use the term ''white grouse" because the 
word "ptarmigan" seems to excite the risibility of the other side — were 
flying over you, you could have killed them, could you not? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And if you could have killed them, they are fair, palatable food, 
are they not ? — A. Oh, yes ; they are v^ery good eating. 

Q. In fact there are very few birds in any climate, under certain cir- 
cuQistances, that are better? — A. I don't think there are any better. 

Mr. Curtis. So that the rifle will only kill one and sometimes won't 
kill even that. The rifle sometimes misses. A shotgun will kill hun- 
dreds of birds. 

Mr. Arnoux. I move that the record of the Court of Inquiry be ad- 
mitted in evidence. 

The Chairman. My opinion is that this record is admissible, and 
then any party who desires to take it has a right to do so. Any party 
who desires to extend it by additional evidence has the right to do so, 
and any party who seeks to modify the evidence therein by additional 
evidence has the right to do so. I am clearly of the opinion that the 
evidence is admissible, and then any change that may be made by 
alteration or addition is admissible. 

Mr. McAdoo. It is understood, however, that the findings of the 
court have no binding influence on this committee. 

Mr. Curtis. AVith that understanding, I have no objection whatever. 

Mr. McAdoo. Let it be received as an exhibit in the case. That will 
include the maps. 

(The book was then received in evidence by the committee and marked 
by the stenographer Exhibit No. 2.) 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 131 

Mr. Curtis. Then I will offer this map. 

(The map offered in evidence by Mr. Curtis was admitted by the com- 
mittee and marked by the stenographer Exhibit No. 3.) 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Was not the only shotgun you possessed one belonging to Mr. 
Kewcomb ; and was it not his own private property ? — A. As far as I 
know, it was. 

Q. You were speaking of the doctor's box 5 was not that carried nearly 
empty? — A. Well, the contents of it didn't amount to much j there were 
some compound cathartic pills in it. 

Q. If you had not delayed at Bennett Island during the period that 
you have spoken of, would you not have reached the land before the 
gale came on in which the ship was lost? — A. Probably we would, 
probably not ; it is hard to tell. 

Q. Did not De Long refuse a shotgun from a Eussian trader before 
going in the Arctic? — A. That is a thing I don't know. 

Q. Now, in reference to the compasses that you had ; you left some 
compasses on board, did you not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the character of the compass that you took ? — A. It 
was one of these surveying compasses ; no good aboard a boat. 

Q. What you call a prismatic compass? — A. Yes. 

Q. Is it not impossible in a rough sea to indicate by a compass of 
that description and character your course ? — A. You couldn't use it at 
all in sea way. 

Q. Is it not a matter of fact that the prismatic compass is entirely 
worthless in a journey upon the sea?— A. As far as I know it is. 

Q. And are you not clearly of the opinion that if Captain De Long 
had possessed a proper compass he could have indicated with a degree 
of precision where he was ? 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). How could the compass tell him where 
he was? 

A. The compass would not tell him the exact place where he was. 

Q. I say to a degree ? — A. It would only tell him what course to 
steer. Of course if we had no compass we would have to steer by the 
sun, moon, or stars. 

Q. Then, if he knew the direction to steer he would have some knowl- 
edge of his destination? — A. The only knowledge he would have is the 
course he steered and where he was steering for, as far as I know. 

Q. It would not give him any knowledge on that subject ? — A. Not 
of his whereabouts. 

Q. Not in that part of the country where he was familiar? — A. The 
compass would not. A compass is only to find your course from one 
l)lace to another. 

Q. If you, or any of Melville's party, had been in Bulun the 15th day 
of October, and started a party north at that date, what would have 
been the chance of saving De Long? — A. Well, if I had been in Bulun 
on the 15th and knew that the people lived as long as they did, the 
result would have been that they would have been saved probably. 

Q. Your only means of ascertaining the date when you left De Long 
and his party and when you were in Bulun were the means that you 
stated yesterday ? — A. The same means. 

Q. Outside of that you have no knowledge ? — A. I have no knowl- 
edge. The only way I can tell my time is by the time I left Captain 
De Long. I knew it was the 9th of October, and I kept on following 
the time up afterwards. I had no papers to keep the record, but I 



132 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

counted up the nights that we had been sleeping to find the proper 
date again as near as I could tell. 

Q. Were you put under arrest by De Long in relation to crossing the 
river on a raft *? — A. I was. 

Q. Please give the details of that matter. — A. We came to a river 
running eastward, and we could wade through, and Captain De Long 
told me to take a man and go and make a raft. The only thing I had 
to fasten a raft together was four pieces of rope and another longer 
piece. In the first place I went to work and took four long pieces of 
wood and put them together the same as a picture frame; then I helped 
the men to get cross-pieces and put them on this frame. After we had 
cross-pieces enough to cover the frame I got another thin piece of 
rope; that was fastened on one end of the frame and hauled across 
all these logs and fastened to the other end of the frame and hauled 
as tight as I could bind them together. That was the only lashing 
attached to all these logs — a piece of rope about an inch thick to keep 
down probably twenty-five logs. After the raft was finished Captain 
De Long gave me orders to take as many men as I could and take 
them across. I took five men across, paddling the river with pieces 
of board. I left three over there and two had to paddle the raft 
back. When I came back Captain De Long asked me if the raft would 
not carry another man. I told him she might, or she might not. 
^'Well," says he, "I am going to send down another man," and he did 
send another man. But instead of sending five he sent down seven, 
when he was only going to send six. He told us to shove off. As soon 
as we shoved off the raft sank and everybody got wet. We managed to 
get back to shore again. After we got back on the beach Captain De 
Long told the sick peoi)le to go up to the tent. We had three sick 
people who had to go up to the hut again and dry their clothing. Then 
he asked me, "Nindemann, what are you going to do now?" Says I, 
"The only thing to do is to put the pieces all together and haul the 
rope tight." Says he, '^1 told you a hundred times to haul the rope as 
tight as you could." I said, "I did haul it as tight as 1 could." He 
told me to take the men and get more cross pieces and fix the raft 
again. As I left him, and got probably 25 paces away, I showed signs 
of anger. I had my back turned to him. He did not see my face. I 
only shut my fist and swung my arm, like that [illustratingj. He calleid 
me back. Says he, " What's the matter^' Says I, "Nothing at all." 
Says he, "At the first word that comes from you I will have you court- 
martialed." Says 1, "Very well, I am satisfied." Says he, "Go up to 
the hut and consider yourself under arrest." Says I, "Very good, 
sir." That is all I said to Captain De Long at that time. 

Q. Did he make any charge against you at that time ? — A. I don't 
know whether he did or not. He said he made a charge against me — 
that he would court-martial me. 

Q. Did he say what he thought you were guilty of? — A. No: 

Q. Had you spoken a disrespectful word to him ? — A. Not at all. 

Q. Had you refused to comply with any order that he had given ? — 
A Not that I know of. The words were just what I told you between 
us; nothing more and nothing less. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. How long did that arrest continue? — A. Probably an hour and a 
half or two hours. But whether 1 was released from that arrest or not 
I couldn't say. 

Q. You went back to duty. — A. I don't know whether I did. 

Q. After an hour and a half you went back to work again. — A. es. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 133 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did the captain give you any order to goto work again"? — A. Yes. 

Q. What did he say? — A. All he said was, " Take your traps and go 
to work again." But he didn't say, "I relieve you from arrest." 

Mr. McAdoo. It is merely a technical matter. " You are under ar- 
rest," and "you are not." 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Mr. Collins was in good physical condition, was he not? — A. Alter 
the suspension; yes, sir. 

Q. He was able and anxious and willing to assist the rest of the 
party, was he not? — A. Yes. 

Q. Did you not advise De Long not to overload the men with useless 
loads that were breaking down their strengtah? — A. I didn't use those 
words, but I asked the captain if he wouldn't leave the journals be- 
hind, telling him that I would be willing, if he would leave them in the 
hut, to go back again and get them. 

Q. Did he do so? — A. No, sir; he made me the reply, "Nindemann, 
as long as I can get along on my feet these records will have to go with 
me; as long as I have men with me they will have to go." 

Q. Did you not throw away some of the stuff and tell him you were 
overloaded? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you overloaded? — A. I was at that time. 

Q. When was that ? — A. That was at the time of the first start we 
made from the camp where we landed. 

Q. In what way were you overloaded ? — A. I was overloaded in pTo- 
visions. I was carrying some pemmican then and rifles and ammunition. 

Q. Anything else ? — A. No, not on my i3art. 

Q. You carried a number of rifles, did you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ? — A. I think there were four at the first going off. 

Q. What was the comparative weight, if you know, of the rifle and 
the shotgun ? — A. That I don't know. 

Q. Was the rifle heavier? — A. A rifle is heavier than a shotgun, 
some of them. 

Q. And there was one shotgun ? — A. We didn't have any shotgun. 

Q. There was one shotgun in the party, that of Professor iSTewcomb? 
— A. Professor Newcomb was not along with us. 

Q. But originally, I mean ? — A. Yes, there was one shotgun in the 
party then. 

Q. Do you not know the relative weight of the rifle and the shot- 
gun? — A. There is a difference between the two but I couldn't state 
the weight. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What did you have the rifles for? — A. For shooting seals, wal- 
ruses, bears, anything we could come across. I even shot ptarmigans 
with them. 

By Mr. CURTlS : 

Q. Was there a seaman in the party named Star? — A. Not in our 
party. 

Q. During the retreat on the ice? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He belonged to the expedition? — A. Yes. 

Q. Do you know of his being arrested? — A. I think he was. 

Q. Do you know what for? — A. I don't know that I remember ex- 
actly what it was for. 



134 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did lie tell you"? — A. We had a .talk about it. We were going to 
band in a petition to the captain to release him from arrest. 

Q. In your petition did you state the cause of his arrest! — A. We did 
not baud it in. We were advised not to. 

Q. What did Star tell you as to the cause of bis arrest 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). He is alive. 

Q. He is dead, is be not? — A. He was lost along with Chipp. 

Q. What did he tell you about the cause of his arrest? — A. As far 
as I know, it was on account of a little difficulty between Melville and 
Star about some boot-soles that Mr. Melville bad thrown on bis sleep- 
ing bag. Star came along (be didn't know, probably, that Mr. Melville 
put it there) and threw it off on the ice, and Mr. Melville wanted him 
to pick it ui) again, and Star made some remarks and the captain beard 
him and he walked up to them and wanted to know what the matter 
was. Mr. Melville made his complaint and Star made his complaint, 
as far as I could make out, and I believe the captain told Star to shut 
up, and Star kept on talking, trying to defend himself, something like 
that, and the captain told him he was under arrest. 

Q. How long did be continue under arrest? — A. Well, I don't know 
whether he was released from arrest or not, but be was put to work 
after we took to the boats. I think Mr. Chipp asked that he go to 
work again. 

Q. Star was one of the strongest and ablest among the men? — A. I 
think be was the strongest. 

Q. And it was very essential at that time to have all the strong and 
able men on duty, was it not ? — A. I should think so. 

Q. Was Mr. Newcomb put under arrest also ? — A. I think he was. 

Q. When was be i>ut under arrest? — A. That I couldn't say exactly. 
I think there was a little difficulty. I don't know anything about it, 
only tbat T beard other people say that there was a little difficulty be- 
tween him and Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. How long did be continue under arrest? — A. That I don't know; 
very probably be never was released for all I know. 

Q. Did be continue to do work after his arrest, or do you know any- 
thing about that? — A. I couldn't state that exactly. I know nothing 
about what be was arrested for and whether he went to work or not. 

Q. Do you know from any statement made to you by anybody wbat 
bis arrest was caused by? — A. No, sir; the only thing I beard was, the 
captain told Mr. Chipp 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I object to his stating, when both the 
parties are alive. Danenhower is alive and Newcomb is alive. 

Mr. Curtis. I withdraw the question. 

Q. (Resuming.) Who took care of tbe supplies and effects of Lieu- 
tenant De Long's party and looked after tbem ? — A. I was in charge of 
that as far as I know. When Captain De Long wanted anything done 
he told me to do it or to have it done. 

Q. How did you care for Lieutenant De Long as far as his personal 
case is concerned ? — A. I think I cared as much for him as I could have 
done for my own father, probably more. 

Q. What did you do for him ? — A. I used to put him in bis sleeping- 
bag and take him out of it; dress him and undress him most. 

Q. How did be treat you alter all that kindness and attention? — A. 
Well, 1 can't complain that he treated me in anyways badly, but some- 
times I didn't think be treated me right. He kind of lowered me some- 
Uraes when 1 didn't think be bad reason to. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 135 

Q. Without any cause? — A. I never gave him any cause that I know 
of. 

Q. Did it strike you that he was a man of hasty and impulsive tem- 
per? — A. It appeared to me like that sometimes. 

Q. You did not consider that you had done anything worthy of pun- 
ishment, did you"? — A. I^o, sir; I did not, as far as my knowledge goes. 
In fact I did everything I possibly could do. 

Q. As far as your recollection goes, you did everything in your power 
to serve the expedition"? — A. I could not have done any more. 

Q. What were the tools you had with which to make Erichsen's sled? 
— A. I had a bone-saw and a sheath-knife. 

Q. A bone-saw? — A. Yes. 

Q. Explain to us what that was made of? — A. It was one of these 
doctor's saws. 

Q. A surgical saw? — A. Yes. 

Q. Originally on the ship? — A. Yes, it had been on the ship; it was 
a doctor's instrument, one of these little saws with a back to it. 

Q. Originally on the ship was there not a full supply of carpenter's 
tools? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were any of those taken with you? — A. Some. 

Q. What? — A. A hammer, plane, nails, a couple of chisels, and an 
augur. 

Q. You had an ample supply of all carpenter's tools, did you not? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did any of the deck officers stand watch on the deck to your 
knowledge? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. You shipiDcd as a seaman? — A. I shipped as a seaman. 

Q. Who stood the deck watches, what time, and for how long? — A. 
There was Mr. Cole, a gentleman who is crazy now, who is here in Wash- 
ington now, and Mr. Dunbar, the ice pilot, and myself; from the time 
we left San Francisco until the time the ship was frozen in the ice. 

Q. If any of the commissioned officers had stood deck watch would 
you probably have known it ? — A. Yes, sir ; my log will show who stood 
the watches. 

Q. As stated yesterday, you are a seaman of very great experience; 
this was your third polar voyage, was it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. JSTow let me ask you, is it customary in the Navy to stand deck 
watches, in charge of the deck, when the ship is under way ? — A. I don't 
think it is, as far as my knowledge goes. 

Mr. Arnoux. I inquired of Mr. Bartlett about some of the customs 
of the Navy, and I think counsel objected and said Bartlett was a com- 
mon seaman and was not prepared to tell the customs of the Navy. 

Mr. OuE-Tis. On the contrary, the ruling of the committee was that 
he should give his testimony, and that it should go in for what it was 
worth. 

The Chairman. I think he did give his testimony on this very subject. 

Mr. Arnoux. I do not object to that, but to the question is it custom- 
ary on naval vessels at sea. 

The Chairman. Well, if this witness has knowledge of the fact he 
can testify to it. 

The Witness. I don't know whether it is a fact or not. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You say that you did not see them stand the deck watches ? — A. I 
did not see what they call officers who stood regular deck watches. 
Q. Now I am asking you as an experienced seaman, is it customary 



136 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

for seamen in the Navy to stand deck watches when the ship is under 
way*? — A. Not as far as my knowledge goes, when the ship is under 
way. 

Q. What were your duties after the ship got locked in the ice? — A. I 
was taken off watch and put to work as carpenter. I had to do car- 
penter's work. 

By Mr. BouTELLE : 
Q. You were taken off the watch, then ? — A. Yes; somebody else was 
put in my place, and I had to go and do carpenter's work. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Had you any training as a carpenter ?— A. No, sir ; I learned by 
myself. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Who was the man who put the washboard around the first cutter, 
and by whose orders ■? — A. I don't think anybody gave me any orders, 
but I am the man who put it around. 

Q. Could you have lived through the gale without that washboard ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. That was the means of your salvation at that time ? — A. As far 
as I can see. 

Q. How long did De Long travel after you left him, judging from the 
point where you left him and the point where you found him? — A. He 
had not traveled as far from the time I left him until the 3()th of Octo- 
ber, as me and Noros did the first day by about 2J miles. 

Q. Then you should judge the distance De Long traveled between the 
time you left him and the time you found his remains, as about 2J 
miles? — A. No, about 8 or 10 miles; that they traveled about 8 or 10 
or 12 miles from the time I left him. That was the distance they trav- 
eled to the time they died. 

Q. Was that as great a distance as you and Noros traveled the first 
day after leaving He Long 1 — A. No, sir ; we traveled farther to the 
southward by about 2 miles. 

Q. What was the condition of each one of the party as compared 
with yourself? — A. Captain De Long had given out the day belbre I 
left him, as I could see. He was hanging back. Although he did not 
tell me so, as far as I could see I thought he was pretty well played 
out. The rest kept on well enough. I went back three or four times 
and asked Captain De Long if I could assist him, and he said no, he 
was all right, for me to go ahead and try to light a fire as quick as I 
could when we came to the river bank. 

Q. In what condition was Collins at that time? — A. I think Collins 
was in as good condition as any of us. 

Q. And was that true of the other men except De Long? — A. As far 
as I know the rest of the men kept on following right straight along. 

Q. Where did De Long think he was when you left him? — A. When 
I left him he thouglit he was south of an island called Tit Arrii. 

Q. If they were in as good i)hysical condition as you, they could have 
traveled along with you, they could have traveled as far as you. — A. I 
should think so. 

Q, Then, as a matter of fact, if all the party had gone with you they 
would have reached the same destination and been saved? — A. Proba- 
bly they would if they had gone through what we did, wading up to 
our waists in water for three days, with no shelter and no fire of any 
kind. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 137 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Wliy were you and Noros selected to go ahead *? — A. That I could 
not say. 

Q. Did you volunteer'? — A. I did not volunteer; no, sir; Captain 
De Long asked me — well, in one way I did volunteer, because Captain 
De Long asked me before Erichsen died whether I was strong enough to 
go to Ku Mark Surk, as he thought we were 25 miles distant from there ; 
Ku Mark Surk was 25 miles south of us. He asked me who I was going 
to take along. He wanted me to take Iverson. Iverson had been com- 
plaining of his feet two or three days before that, and I tokl him of it. 
Captain He Long says, ''You can take anybody except Alexy." He 
wanted him to stay with the party and hunt for them. Then the doctor 
said, "You had better take Noros," and the captain spoke up and said, 
"Noros is a better man than Alexy, and can sustain the journey." 

Q. Were you taken because you could stand if? — A. I had been with 
Captain He Long for seven years ; I was four years with him in the 
ship St. Mary's, before the expedition. 

Q. As a matter of fact, were you in a better condition than some of 
the others? — A. I could not say I was in a better condition. Of course 
I had the same food, but I was more exposed than any of theui. I used 
to go ahead and get wet when the rest were dry. 

Q. You said one of the men had sore feet? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He would not have been in as good condition as Noros was? — A. 
No, sir ; he was complaining about his feet, still he kept up. Every- 
body was complaining, still they kept up. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Hid Hr. Ambler ask to go ? — A. Not that I know of, only from 
what I heard in the testimony. I didn't know who Captain He Long 
was going to send the first time he spoke of it. 

Q. Ho yoti know whether Collins asked to go ?— A. I couldn't say for 
certain. 

Q. What do yoti mean by " for certain"? — A. I couldn't say by my 
memory. 

Q. Ho you know that Hr. Ambler and Collins requested to go and 
were refused permission ? — A. That I couldn't say, either. They might 
have asked. I can't remember everything, the time is too long past. 

Q. Hid He Long have any nautical instruments with him when he 
landed?— A. He had. 

Q. Hid he take them along in order to keep track of his location ? — 
A. The only thing he took along was a compass and a barometer — one 
of these pocket barometers. 

Q. For the purpose, as you thought, of indicating or keeping track 
of his location ? — -A. I suppose so. 

Q. Would it not have been of more benefit to the party to have car- 
ried the nautical instruments than the books and papers that were 
carried ? — A. I don't know, exactly. He could probably have told his 
latitude better if he had taken his sextant and his nautical almanac. 

Q. The sextant was left behind, was it not ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that would have given very important information as to 
what ? — A. As to the south. 

Q. You were trying to make for the south ? — A. Yes ; that was the 
only thing we could do. 

Q. Without the aid of the sextant it was impossible to proceed in that 
direction, was it not? — A. As far as that was concerned, we could pro- 
ceed south with the compass^ because the compass would have told us 



138 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the same thing. But the thing is he could have told somewhere near 
the latitude he was in. 

Q. What reason can you assign for leaving the sextant behind ? — A. 
Not any that I know of, except we had too much weight to carry. 

Q. Did you not and do you not consider that it was a most imi)ortaut 
instrument ? — A. I could not say exactly whether it was or not. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Where did they leave the sextant ? — A. On the beach, when we 
landed. 
Q. When you left the boat ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Is it a heavy instrument ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. About how many pounds would it weigh ? — A. Probably as much 
as four pounds. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. If it had been a matter resting with your judgment would you 
have left the sextant ? — A. Well, that is a thing that I could not say 
very well. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. How is a sextant put up 5 how is it carried 1 — A. Put up in a little 
box about as high as the sextant, with no spare room in it at all. 
Q. A wooden box! — A. A wooden box. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Is there any handle to the box? — A. No, sir ; it was a little wooden 
box about that long and that wide [illustrating]. 
Q. A narrow box? — A. Yes; it is'in a three-cornered shape. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. How was the ice in the river when you left De Long, and how 
was it after you had left him? — A. The river that I left Captain De 
Long and his x)arty on, the ice was running in at that time. Then, after 
we left Captain De Long the first day we traveled along this river until 
we came to a point that turned away in to the westward, and as it was 
getting late we just camped down on that point and started a big fire 
and laid down alongside of it for the night. The next morning we 
started to the westward, trying to follow this river, as we thought it 
was, and about ten o'clock a gale set in — this was on the 10th of Octo- 
ber — so that we could not see anything at all. The gale, I think, was 
from the northwest. Along this river we came to places where we had 
to wade; little places where tlie ice was not strong enough on the edge 
to carry us; after we got on to it it was heavy enough to bear us. There 
were little water holes in it. On getting off that ice we had to wade 
again. Until 12 o'clock that night, comparatively, we could not see 
where we were going. The snow blinded us. We tried to start a fire, 
but we couldn't start any fire, so we dug a hole and crawled into that. 
The next morning we started off again, and we had to wade again all 
that day until we got to a hut, and we had to stay there on account 
of the gale of wind. We started oft' again the next day and had to 
wade until we got down to the thick ice in the river, and alter that 
we didn't have any more wading to do. I believe we did our last wad- 
ing on the 13th of October. 

Q. Did you not cross the main river Lena on October 15th, 1881 ? — 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 139 

A. I think it was the main river. I am almost sure of it, on account of 
it being the biggest river there was. 

Q. And where you crossed was not the current very rapid? — A. At 
that time I could not say how swift it was 5 but in the water holes, 
where we could see the water, the current ran very swiftly. 

Q. How did you cross at that time — on the ice? — A. On the ice, 
avoiding these big water holes; we felt our way across with a stick. 

Q. Did Captain De Long ever forbid you to wade! — A. He did; he 
gave me strict orders not to wade nor to let Noros wade. 

Q. Could you have made any progress without wading? — A. I could 
not have made any progress, as far as I can see now. I had to go away 
into the west. 

Q, If any of Melville's party had started north along the river from 
Bulun on October 15th, would not the chance of saving l)e Long's party 
have been good ? — A. Well, if they had started. 

Q. I say if they had started. — A. I should think it would. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Why did Captain De Long tell you not to wade? — A. I don't know 
his reason exactly ; probably he did not want me to freeze or anything 
of that kind. He knew I never cared; I used to go right in if I wanted 
to find the road. 

Q. It was out of consideration for your health ? — A. I don't know. 

Q. Is not that your opinion? — A. Probably it was. 

Q. When you got on shore with the sextant, did Captain De Long 
use it and take his bearings ? — A. No, you can't get any bearings with 
a sextant. 

Q. I mean take his latitude. A. No, sir. 

Q. Did they not have any sun so that they could do it? — A. Th< y 
didn't have any sun. The first night or second night when we landed 
we had a snow storm. The next day the weather was not very clear. 
The weather was clear enough at one time, but he didn't take an^^ ob- 
servation then. 

Q. When Captain DeLong started in the boats did he not start for 
the- delta of the Lena ?— A. His intention was, as far as I know, to start 
for a place called Barkin at the northeast corner of the delta. 

Q. That was a part of the delta ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you did arrive on the delta?— A. Yes, sir; we arrived on the 
delta. 

Q. Was not one of the officers on deck all the time from the time you 
left San Francisco until you went into the ice ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was there any officer on deck at any time ? — A. On deck, but not 
all the time. 

Q. Where they on deck most of the time ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. From the time you left San Francisco until you got to the ice ? — 
A. No, sir; even at night they were not on deck; only when they were 
called for or when they came out to make an observation, did they come 
on deck. 

Q. When you got into the ice were they not on deck ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Mr. Chipp and Captain DeLong divide the day into two 
watches of twelve hours each, when they were on the ice? — Yes, that is 
all right. Certainly they did, as far as I know. 

Q. Talking about the surveying compass, did he use that when he 
surveyed Bennett Island ?-^A. He took his bearings with it on the ice. 

Q. Was it not a part of the duty of the expedition to survey any 



140 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

country or land that you found? — A. That was a part of the duty; 
yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you say that you staid there eight days. A part of the time 
were you detained by storms or fogs? — A. I don't think we were de- 
layed by any storms or fogs, as far as that is concerned. 

Q. Did you not have to wait some time for the captain to be able to 
get his longitude there on account of the fog? — A. Yes, but that was 
to place the island in a proper position. 

Q. But I say, no matter what it was, the fact was that he had de- 
layed to get that? — A. To get that. 

Q. How long a time did that delay him? — A. Eight days. 

Q. The whole eight days were used? — A. (Interrupting.) There were 
two expeditions sent out along the coast while we were lying on that 
island, one in charge of Mr. Ohipp, and the other in charge of Ice-Pilot 
Dunbar. 

Q. In regard to those shotguns. Were there any shotguns on board 
the vessel besides that one that belonged to Mr. Newcomb? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. How many? — A. About six, I should think. 

Q. How many of those were taken ashore when the things were put 
on the ice ? — A. I don't know ; probably there were three or four. 

Q. Were the shotguns suitable to hunt bears, seals, and walrus with? 
— A. If you are close enough you can kill a bear with one. 

Q. I say, are they good for such hunting? — A. I, for my part, would 
not haA^e them for hunting seals, walrus, or bears. 

Q. The rifles were good for that purpose, were they not ? — A. Yes, if 
you are smart enough to hit them. 

Q. When you got on the delta how many flocks of ptarmigans did 
you see while the i^arty were together? — A. We saw quite a good 
many. I don't mean to say that we saw enough to support the party. 

Q. Were not the principal flocks of ptarmigans that you saw on the 
opposite side of the river, too far ofl'to shoot them ? — A. I know nothing 
about that. I did not take mj^ observation in that line at all, watching 
every bird flying by. I say I saw a good many of them, but I did not 
watch every flock we saw. 

Q. Do you suppose you saw altogether fifty while the party were 
together ? — A. Yes, I saw probably four hundred ; probably more. 

Q. Do those birds fly high or low ? — A. Low. 

Q. So that you could have killed the whole four hundred if you had 
had shotguns? — A. No, I don't say I could have killed every one, or 
anybody else. 

Q. They were not within range? — A. Sometimes they were and some- 
times they were not. You have to go after them the same as you do 
after other game. 

Q. But I say when they were flying over your heads? — A. Certainly, 
if we wanted to shoot. 

Q. Were there many such flecks flying over your lieads near enough 
to shoot them, or were they at a distance ? — A. Most of the time we saw 
them sitting down until we got near enough so that they would fly up. 

Q. How long would you have been able to sustain the party on those 
birds if you had had tiie means of shooting them ? — A. If we had had 
the means of shooting them, and there had been enough of them, we 
could have sustained ourselves all the time. 

Q. I say how long could you have sustained the party on those birds 
as you saw them! — A. Quite a long time if we had killed them all. 

Q. You think you would have saved the party if you had killed the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 141 

birds as you saw them ? — A. We could have sustained ourselves for 
some time. 

Q. I say would they have saved the party 1 — A. I don't know whether 
they would or not. 

Q. Could the party, in your judgment, if they had had shotguns with 
them, have killed enough birds to sustain life until relief came to 
them ? — A. No ; I don't think we could, because we staid all winter. 

By Mr. MoAdoo: 
Q. Do you think, if the party had been provided with proi)er shot- 
guns, and had made a special effort to kill these birds, from their being 
as abundant as you state, that it would have relieved the party con- 
siderably and given you more provisions than you had ■? — A. I could 
not say that for a certainty, because we shot a couple of deer, and prob- 
ably that was as much as all the birds we could have shot. 

By Mr. BouTELLE : 
Q. You shot the deer with rifles ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. What were those — reindeer ? — A. Eeindeer. ^ 

By Mr. MoAdoo; 
Q. Birds were more plentiful than deer"? — A. There were very few 
birds at that time, only these ptarmigans on the delta. The deer all 
leave the delta in the winter. There were very few of them. They all 
go into the mountains in the winter. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. At the time the deer were shot could they have been shot with 
shotguns'?— A. Yes, just as well as with rifles. They came right up to 
us. VVe were lying down watching for them to come up. 

Q. iNow you were speaking about traveling over the ice. Is it not a 
fact that on some days the drift of the ice to the northwest was greater 
than your progress south ? — A. That I could not say, only from what I 
heard. 

Q. Did you not hear in the party, by the observations that were taken, 
that notwithstanding all your efforts to go south, at the end of the day 
you were farther north than when you commenced ? — A. That is what 
I heard. 

Q. In your judgment, then, would it have been possible to have taken 
a straight line south and got out of the ice"? — A. Yes, sir ; because the 
current was setting to the northwestward, or to the southwest, north or 
northwest. It all depends upon how the ice is. We could have drifted 
to the southwestward ; I don't mean to say a straight southern course. 

Q. Was it not in your judgment a wiser judgment to go to the land 
and take these islands in and not be drifted by the ice constantly to the 
northwest ? — A. I should not say so ; no. 

Q. What settlement was there in Siberia opposite you in a southerly 
course ^^A. Southwesterly course. As far as I know there is a river 
called Yana, on which there is a settlement called Werchojansk, I think 
it is. 

Q. Was it in your judgment more advisable to have gone to that set- 
tlement than to have gone to the Lena? — A. As far as I thought at that 
time it would have been better if we had steered to the south, because 
there was nothing to hinder us. There was just as much chance of 
safety to the south as there was to the southwestward. 

Q. Did you suggest that to Captain De Long? — A. No, sir; simply 
because it was not my place to do so. 



142 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You were asked about the Arctic willow. Did you, as matter of 
fact, ever have any occasion to use the Arctic willow as fuel ! — A. As 
small shoots, probably we did. You couldn't tell the difference between 
that and other brush-wood, because there is a good deal of small brusli 
and shoot- wood that comes down in the Lena. You couldn't tell what 
it was. 

Q. I mean that that was growing around you ? — A. We didn't use 
that except to make tea out of. 

Q. But I say for fuel '? — A. I couldn't say exactly. Probably we would 
pick up some of it while picking up wood. 

Q. But the fire thatyou madeyou made of the drift-wood ? — A. When 
we first kindled it we had to find small wood. Then we had to get logs, 
and it took three or four men to carry them. We had to keep one man 
on watch at the fire all night while the rest were sleeping. 

Q. Did you find any difficulty in getting fuel of that kind 1 — A. Yes, 
sometimes, because this stuff" is all frozen into the ground and you have 
got to break it out, and if you don't want to do that you have to go 
away a half a mile, or a mile, and carry it. I found it very difficult to 
get wood enough. Sometimes we didn't have fire enough probably. 

By Mr. BouTELLE : 

Q. How deep is the snow there? — A. Not very deep. But on the 
delta there is all this swamp ground, and you will go up to your knees 
in it. The snow lays on top of it, and when you break through it makes 
it very hard walking. 

Q. The snow makes a sort of crust over it? — A. Yes, sir; in some 
places. There is where the wood would be heaped up G feet high ; tim- 
bers witli roofs and everything on them. You will find a regular line 
along the delta, what is called the wood line, and in some places you 
will see this drift-wood heaped up as high as this room, where the current 
•sweeping by has deposited trees as they came down. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. As they came down the main Lena River? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. About how long is the Lena River? — A. l^robably a couple of 
thousand versts. 

Q. And it is pretty nearly as large as the Mississippi ? — A. I have 
seen the Mississippi, but I don't remember it. 

Q. The Lena is a very large river? — A. Y"es, sir. 

Q. After you reached the delta did you have any work of any kind 
that would make pick-axes desirable? — A. No. 

Q. How deep down can you go in the delta before you reach the line 
of frost? — A. That is a thing I never tried. 

Q. Do you know anything about how deep down the soil was to the 
frost ? — A. No. And the simple reason is, I didn't try. We didn't have 
any tools. When Erichsen died Captain De Long gave orders to dig a 
grave, and I told him we didn't liave any tools. I wanted him to leave 
liim in the hut. He said no; a seaman's grave was in the water, aiul we 
buried liim in the river. 

Q. You spoke about leaving behind the nautical instruments. Did 
you not reduce your loads to the smallest amount possible, retaining; the 
things that Captain De Long considered the most necessary? — A. Yes, 
sir J I suppose so. Of course we had nothing to take but the boat's 
•ecords, rities, and ammunition. 

Q. Did you not even leave your sleeping-bags behind you because 
''hey were too heavy to carry? — A. Because they were not fit to carry, 
f hey got water-soaked, and the hair all fell off of them. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 143 

Q. Did not Mr. Newcomb carry liis sliotguu with him all through 
the retreat until you got to the boats ? — A. That I could not say for 
certain. I did not pay attention enough to that. 

Q. What is your best impression 1 — A. I think he did until we got to 
the boats. 

Q. During the retreat did you kill any bears or seals? — A. During 
the retreat there was one bear killed and some seals and walrus and 
birds. 

Q. And those were killed with a ri|le'? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You killed the bears with the rifles, ^ow, if you had had the shot- 
guns to have killed the birds you would have had just so much more 
food, would you not 1 — A. Yes, but would we have been able to carry 
all this? 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Were you short of food at the time when you could have shot the 
birds? — A. No, sir; not on Bennett Island. 

Q. You said a while ago that you shot some deer, and that the deer 
furnished as much food as the birds you probably would have shot. 
When you had the deer did they supply as much food as you needed ? — 
A. At that time; yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Of course, if you had shot the birds you would have had more food, 
would you not? — A. Certainly. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. During the entire winter were the birds more or less plentiful ; 
would you see them eveiy other day or so? — A. As I say, in the winter 
time there is nothing on the Lena delta except i)tarmigans. The geese 
and ducks all leave for the south. 

Q. And deer are not present in the winter at all? — A. I think a few 
are present on the Lena delta, but a very few. 

Q. Your party came in contact with no deer, did they? — A. We came 
in contact in March with some of them. But during the period of dark- 
ness I don't think there are any of them on the delta. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How long was it from the time you left De Long until you reached 
other people?— A. We were found by people on the 22d. 

Q. And you left on what date? — A. On the Dth. 

Q. Thirteen days? — A. Yes. Then we had had nothing to eat for 
two days before that. 

Q. How did you know where to go? — A. The only thing I had to go 
by was the sun when I did see it, and we saw that very seldom. 

Q. You went in a general direction, as near as you could judge? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Were there any tracks there? — A. No, sir. It is a wild country 
all through there. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. What was this party that you first met after you left De Long? — 
A. These Tongoose natives that live up there, that came from the north 
at the same time, only they traveled to the westward, while we were to 
the eastward. 

Q. How did the natives find you? — A. In a starving condition. 



144 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. McAdoo: 

Q. How many days had you been without food*? — A. From the 6th to 
the 19th. We found an old rotten fish during that time that was not 
fit for anybody to eat. Then we lived on boot-soles and an old pair of 
seal skin pants that I had. 

Q. Did you have any guns *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You had one of the rifles 1 — A. Yes. 

By Mr. BouTELLE : 

Q. Did you have any means of making a fire*? — A. The only means 
were matches and a sheath-knife. 

Q. Were you moving when you met these people '? — A. No, sir ; we 
were in the hut. 

Q. Had you given up then 1 — A. I was going to give up the day be- 
fore, a couple of hours before we came to this hut. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How did the natives come to find you in that place? — A. It was 
an accident. 

Q. I wish you would give the co mmittee an account of that accident. — 
A. As far as I know these people came from the Lena delta from a set- 
tlement to the west of us on the line that we took, and this man who 
owned the hut we were in had some fish-nets there and he was coming 
to look after these fish-nets. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did you find the hut there ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was a fisherman's hut ? — A. Yes, sir ; we found some mildewed 
fish, that is, fish that the natives had pressed the oil out of. You could 
compare it with sawdust. We were living on that when the natives 
found us. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What kind of fish are they ; what species are they ? — A. I couldn't 
tell you ; they are very large fish. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. How long could you have kept alive, do you think ! — A. We calcu- 
lated to have provisions for ten days with this fish that we found. Our 
calculation was to start again after we rested for two days ; we were 
going to start the same day the natives came and found us if it hadn't 
been for my boots giving out ; but I don't think if we had started that 
we ever would have reached anywhere ; we were not in condition to go 
much farther. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. This hut had been deserted not to be occupied again for the win- 
ter f — A. It was on the road to Bulun; when the natives come along 
there and they want shelter they come right in these huts along the 
road. 

Q. And at that time most of the natives had gone south to Bulun ? — 
A. I learned afterwards that there were plenty of people within twenty- 
five miles of where we landed. 

Q. When you got farther down did you meet any natives with rein- 
deer? — A. We met these natives that found us Avith reindeer j they had 
twenty seven sleighs loaded with fish and reindeer meat and skins, and 
they had about a hundred head of reindeer. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 145 

Q. How maDy meu were there ? — A. There were five or six men and 
two or three women. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. I am speaking of the native that found you *? — A. He found us 
and went back again to get assistance. 

Q. How long was he gone until he came back again'? — A. He was 
gone from dinner time until about G o'clock m the evening, probably. 

Q. When he came back what did he bring with him?— A. A couple 
of sleighs and a couple more men. 

Q. Then they took you with them "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How far did they take you ? — A. Down to Ku Mark Surk. 

Q. How many miles is that ! — A. As far as I know, I think from Bul- 
cour to Ku Mark Surk is 50 versts. But it took us two days from where 
they took me that night to make Ku Mark Surk ; that is, going through 
the mountains. ^ 

Q. J^ow, how many men were there, and how many reindeer and sleighs 
at the time you started out from that hut where you were found by those 
men? — A. There were three sleighs and six men. 

Q. And how many miles, at that time, were you probably distant from 
Captain De Long !— A. I could not say the distance at that time. When 
I went over that road, I thought from the course I took I had traveled 
about 130 miles. 

Q. As a matter of fact 1 

The Witness. From Barkin ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. From Barkin to that place, when the river is frozen over, you 
could make it in one day. 

Q. Did you get those men to go back and relieve Captain De Long "? 
—A. I did. I did everything in my power. 

Q. And you could not succeed ? — A. I could not succeed, and when 
I found that I could not succeed I went south. 

Q. Then when you went south and met the rest of the party with their 
hundred reindeer and all their sleighs, did you try to get them to relieve 
Captain De Long ? — A. Yes, sir j I did. 

Q. Did you succeed? — -A. No, sir; when we halted, the natives even 
took me up on the mountain and pointed out the place, as much as to 
?ay where these people were, but I couldn't succeed. 

Q, And you did your best? — A. Yes. If I had been in good condi- 
tion I would have forced them. But I was not strong enough to force 
anybody. 

Q. You were then suffering from the privations of the journey? — A. 
Yes. We had insufficient clothes. You might as well say we were 
naked, 

Q. And you had been wading three days through the cold water ? — 
A. Yes. 

Q. And had been day after day without sufficient food ? — A. We had 
no food at all that I could call food. 

Q.° And the last days you had no food at all, so that you were almost 
starved and in a perishing condition? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You are here. If De Long and his party had gone with you they 
would have been saved? — A. Yes, as far as I see now, because there 
was deer enough and food enough, and facilities to transport them. 

10 J Q* 



146 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How loDg were you reacliing this place from the time you left De 
Long ? — A. It was from the 9th until the 19th when we struck this place. 
But the natives came on the 22d. 

Q. You were ten days making what might have been made in one? — 
A. Yes, but then I did not know the country. I had lost what Captain 
De Long called the main river. Captain De Long thought he was on 
the main river, but instead of that he was in the delta. 

Q. You could have made it in one day if you had known where to go? 
— A. Yes ; with a dog team. 

Q. Did you feel confident of getting out? — A. I^o, sir; I never had 
any idea of getting out. 

Q. It was a desperate resort? — A. Yes; I told Captain De Long so at 
the time I left. 

Q. That you thought you were taking a desperate chance?— A. Yes; 
I told him I had no hope of meeting anybody. 

Dr. Daniel F. Collins sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis: 

Question. What is your name in full? — Answer. Daniel F. Collins. 

Q. And of what place are you now a resident? — A. Minneapolis, Minn. 

Q. What is your profession? — A. Physician and surgeon. 

Q. And for how long have you been such? — A. Eleven years. 

Q. I believe you are a native of Cork, Ireland? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. So, also, was your brother, Jerome J. Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Something was said yesterday about a payment of money by you 
to Mr. Bartlett. Will you be kind enough to explain to the committee 
the circumstances under which that payment was made? — A. I met Mr. 
Bartlett in New York, and told him that I had been subpoenaed to ap- 
pear before the Committee on Naval Affairs of the House of Eepresent- 
atives on Monday, March 31, and supposed that he, with the rest of 
the survivors of the expedition, was subpoenaed to appear at that time. 
He said he had not received a subpoena up to that time, and he told 
me that he had no means; that he had written to his brother for some 
money, and had no money, or very little, at that time, and asked me 
would I loan him some money until he would hear from his brother, or 
brothers, I cannot tell which word he used. I said I could; and I asked 
him how much he needed, and he told me, and I handed him $50. He 
told me that he would repay it when he heard from his brother or 
brothers, which would be about the 12th of April ; and immediately 
afterward I made a memorandum, among a good many other expenses 
and outlays of money in my note-book, of the fact that $50 was handed 
to Mr. Bartlett, and that it was to be returned on April 12th. 

Q. That is at present in your note book and in your handwriting, and 
was made at the time ? — A. Yes. 

Q. So far as you know had he any means to get here except the loan 
that you made him ? — A. 1 understood from his conversation that he had 
no means of reaching Washington. 

Q. And so far as you knew then, unless you loaned him the money, his 
presence would not have been attainable ? — A. Unless he got the money 
somewhere else. 

Q. Now, in a series of preliminary objections that were made here, and 
are upon file, it is stated that it was at your instigation that the Board 
of Inquiry was ordered. Will you please state as briefly as possible, 
giving all the facts, your connection with the Board of Inquiry ?— A. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 147 

Shortly after the news of the loss of the Arctic steamer JeaDnette reached 
me, ruDiors being afloat as to tlie management of the expedition, the 
conduct of the officers and matters i)ertaining to the expedition, I wrote 
to General William D. Washburn, of Minnesota, the member from my 
district, asking him to have or get a special committee api)ointed by the 
House to investigate the matter. He wrote me back that it would be 
impossible to have a special committee, but that he would see Mr. 
Keifer, I think it was, who was the Speaker of the House at that time, 
about having a resolution adopted, and the regular naval committee 
authorized to conduct the inquiry. He did so, and the Speaker told 
him, as he informed me, that owing to the lateness of the session, and 
the amount of business in the hands of the committee it would be im- 
possible for him to take up the matter at that late time in the session. 
He suggested to the appointment of a naval court of iuquiiy to learn 
the facts. I wrote back protesting against any such court being ai)- 
l)ointed if it was possible to get a committee of the House. After some- 
time I received a letter from General Washburn stating that it would 
be impossible to get a committee, and asking me whether he would 
offer a resolution for the court of inquiry. I wrote back telling him if 
there was no other possible way of having an inquiry into the misman- 
agement of the expedition, that he might use his own discretion in the 
matter. General Washburn offered the resolution, and the court was 
ordered. 

Q. J^Tow, after the court was ordered, state, as briefly as possible, and 
still giving all the facts, what was your connection with it or its offi- 
cials! — A. I had no connection with the Court of Inquiry at all. With 
its officials in the persons of the judge-advocate of the court and Judge- 
Advocate-General of the Navy, I had three or four, or five, or probably 
a half a dozen conversations. 

Q. Name those officers in order? — A. The first officer to whom I 
talked in relation to the matter was Colonel Eemey, Judge-Advocate- 
General of the Navy. 

Q. Where was that conversation held, and when! — A. In his office in 
the Navy Department; the morning of my arrival in AYashington. 

Q. When was that! — A. I cannot definitely fix that date without 
reference to some memoranda. 

Q. It is perhaps immaterial. Do you remember what month? — A. I 
could not place the month without looking the matter up. 

Q. What was said between you and he at that time ? — A. I went 
into his office and inquired for Judge-Advocate Lemly, and he said that 
he was not in, and I stated who I was, and entered into conversation in 
regard to the matter. 

Q. With Remey ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Well, go on. — A. He asked me what the trouble was, and I, as 
well as I remember, gave my ideas of the difficulty. He asked, did 1 
know there were papers in the possession of the Secretary of the Navy 
containing certain charges of Lieutenant De Long against my brother? 
I said that I had heard so ; and he asked me did I not think it was better 
that that matter should not come up. I said I thought not ; that 1 was 
anxious to have the fidl facts of the case. He then told me, says he, 
" If you bring up this matter you know that De Long's charges will 
have to go in also ; " and during this conversation ]\lr. Leud3^ came into 
the room and 1 was introduced to him by Colonel Kemey. I would 
state that I was not subpoenaed or not requested to appear before the 
Court of Inquiry. 

Q. I will come to that. Now go on and give the rest of that conver- 



148 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

sation that you had there with Eemey or with Lemly, or with both or 
either of them. — A. I asked to see the effects, papers and other matter, 
that were found on my brother's body, and Mr. Lemly told me I could 
look at them and examine them. I walked down to the old Navy build- 
ing, I think they called it, talking in a general way on the way in re- 
gard to the matter, and he spoke to me about the anxiety he had to see 
me — either to see my brother or myselt^ — in relation to these troubles 
before there was anything came out about the matter. 

Q. . He then referred to your living brother ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who are you speaking of 5 Eemey or Lemly? — A. Mr. Lemly. 

Q. Very well, go on. — A. He said that he disliked very much to have 
anything to do with the matter in the first place, and it would be far 
better that the whole matter be left settled and not brought up, as it 
would not do either i^arty any good, and that there were grave and 
serious charges in the hands of Secretary Chandler relative to my brother. 

Q. Did he indicate the nature of the charges'? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. Have you any reason to believe that they were other than those 
contained in the memoranda of Captain De Long that have never been 
read? — A. No, sir; because he spoke of certain charges being in the 
possession of the Navy DeiJartment in writing. 

Q. Have you any reason to believe that they were other than the 
charges contained in the memoranda that have been read here of Cap- 
tain De Long? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was that all the conversation at that time? — A. He said it was 
Secretary Chandler's desire and wish to have the matter dropped. 

Q. Well, what did you say? — A. I said I had come on to Washington 
purposely to get the charges that were in the hands of the Navy De- 
partment against my brother and to make them public. 

Q. Did you make any application for a copy of the charges at that 
time? — A. I could not say that; my recollection on that point is not 
positive. 

Q. Did you receive any? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was that all the conversation at that time? — A. That was about 
the purport of the conversation we held at that time. 

Q. Which of these two gentlemen did you see first again? — A. I saw 
Mr. Lemly either that or the next day at the Eiggs House. He took his 
meals at the Eiggs House, and I saw him there several times. 

Q. What conversation did you have then? — A. The next time I met 
him, in speaking of the Court of Inquiry, he said he thought it advisa- 
ble and better for me not to go there to the sittings unless I was sent 
for. 

Q. Well ? — A. I would state that the day before — that is, the day I 
first went to the Navy Department — Mr. Lemly got the package of pa- 
pers and other effects of my brother and we examined them together. 

Q. What became of them? — A. They were replaced in a large brown 
paper official envelope, as well as I remember, and put away in the 
Judge- Advocate General's office. 

Q. Now, go back to the conversation between you and Mr. Lemly at 
the Eiggs House? — A. He spoke on the matter of the evidence that 
would be given before the court, and I spoke of my desire that the 
questions put to the witnesses should be such as would bring out the 
whole history of the expedition, and particularly everything relating to 
this difficulty. 

Q. What difficulty had you reference to? — A. The difficulty between 
Captain De Long and my brother. He stated that he would ask any 
questions I submitted if he thought they were proper, but that he would 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 149 

ask no questions that reflected on any dead man, and that while he 
would ask any questions I submitted he would reserve the right to ob- 
ject to their being answered. As well as I remember that was about 
the substance of the conversation that day. 

Q. When did you next have a conversation with either of the gentle- 
men, Colonel Remey or Mr. Lemly ? — A. I think I met Mr. Lemly again 
at the Eiggs House, and I think about the words he used were that he 
thought it would be better for me to employ counsel. I said to him, 
"Mr. Lemly, what is the good of my emi)loying counsel, if the questions 
they will put will not be allowed?" Said I, "Any questions that the 
counsel will be allowed to put by you or by the court, you will put, and 
my employing counsel would be simply accepting the situation and ac- 
cepting any treatment that this court might wish to give as far as the 
admission of evidence is concerned." 

Q. Well, was there anything further in that conversation 1 — A. He 
said he thought it was better to have counsel, and owing to his refusal 
of the questions that we had gone over together, a good many of them, 
I can't exactly remember them now, I said that I should not employ 
counsel. 

Q. When did you next see him or Mr. Remey? — A. I think that was 
the last time I met Mr. Lemly. 

Q. Did you meet Mr. Remey again in reference to the subject? — A. I 
met Mr. Remey I think once or twice in the office, but we had no con- 
versation in reference to the matter. 

Q. Are those all the conversations that you now remember that you 
had with either gentleman in reference to the Board of Inquiry? — A. 
Those are all. Mr. Lemly, I would state, also told me that I should 
remember that this Court of Inquiry was a naval court, and that no 
matter what my evidence was, or what I thought it was, it would be 
looked at and judged from a naval standpoint, and he used the words 
" Looked at through naval spectacles." 

Q. You had a conversation after that with Mr. Remey, did you ?— A. 
Not except in a general way. 

Q. Then you have given all the conversations that you now remem- 
ber that you had with those gentlemen on the subject of the Board of 
Inquiry ? — A. All that I remember at the present time. 

Q. As matter of fact, were you ever before that board ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. As matter of fact, were you ever there with counsel or otherwise? 
A. No, sir. 

Q. When was your brother, the deceased, born; how old was he at 
the time of his death ?— A. Forty years of age. 

Q. Prior to his embarking in this expedition, what was his profess- 
ion? — A. His profession was that of civil engineer. He was employed 
on the New York Herald as director of the weather service that he 
established, and to write the scientific editorials. That was his princi- 
pal work. 

Q. Prior to his embarking upon the expedition did you ha\^ any con- 
versation or conversations with him with reference to his position on 
the expedition? — A. After he returned he had made up his mind to go 
on the expedition, and I believe had some conversations with Mr. Ben- 
nett on the matter before he went to attend the scientific congress in 
Paris, which he returned from, and soon after went on the expedition. 
When he returned he told me that he was going on the exi3edition to do 
the scientific work. 

Mr. AuNOUX. Now, I ask the committee whether the declarations in 
regard to his own work shall be received as facts. I submit that this 



150 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

gentleman is telling conversations tliat his brother had with him before 
the expedition sailed. 

Mr. McAdoo. The evidence is necessarily secondary, and we will 
take it for what it is worth. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is there not record evidence of the position he held? 

Mr. Curtis. There is technical evidence of the technical position he 
held ; that was as seaman. The actual position that he held was that 
of the person in charge of the weather service of the expedition, 

Mr. i3ouTELLE. Could he hold any position on board of a ship that 
was tangible without there was some commission or credentials or some 
record of it "? 

Mr. Curtis. I will say, in reply to that, that of course, as is well 
known and as has appeared in this evidence, this expedition was origi- 
nated by Mr. Bennett. He paid all its expenses. He fitted out the 
ship; he furnished it with all its outfit 

The Chairman. (Interposing.) Here is what Captain De Long says 
about it himself: 

I have to re])ort to you Mr. Jerome J. Collins, fsbipped as seaman, United States 
Navy, in accordance with the suggestion of your i^redecessor 

That was the way in which he was to get into the Navy. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Whose predecessor ? 

The Chairman. The predecessor of Secretary Chandler. 

Attached to this vessel, and for the purpose of an Arctic expedition, known and by 
me entitled meteorologist, for disresx^ectful language and deportment and insubordi- 
nate conduct while in the Arctic Ocean in this vessel under my command. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. Is not that the highest evidence of what his position 
was ? 

The Chairman. He charges him in that shape as a seaman, *' known 
and by me entitled meteorologist." 

Mr. BouTELLE. He was detailed as meteorologist the same as they 
detail a ship's writer and different other things. 

The Chairman. He says he was known by him as meteorologist. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is there not some correspondence that shows the 
position he was expected to take? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes ; the correspondence found on liis dead body, and 
also some correspondence between Connery and Collins. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. I mean oiScial correspondence. 

Mr. Curtis. Not outside of what the chairman has read. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Are there any letters of Mr. Bennett in regard to it? 

Mr. Curtis. Not in that record. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I mean anywhere. 

Mr. Curtis. Not in our possession, except in reference to the fitting 
out of the ship. 

The Witness. I would state that I have in my possession letters 
from Mr. Bennett in relation to the Washington Post interview. 

Mr. Curtis. I am coming to that in a minute. 

Mr. BouTELLE. 1 mean letters written at the time. 

Mr. MoAdoo. What is the question ? Will the stenographer read 
the last question and answer? 

The Stenographicr (reading) : 

Prior to his embarking upon the expedition, did you have any conversation or con- 
versations with him witb reference to his position on the expedition? — A. After he 
returned he had made up his mind to go on the expedition, and I believe had some 
conversations with Mr. Bennett on the matter before he went to attend the Scientific 
Congress in Paris, wliich he returned from and soon after went on the expedition. 
When he returned ho told me that he was going on the expedition to do the scien- 
tific work. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 151 

Tlie Witness. I will modify the statement, and say, "The expedition 
that he was going to take charge of the scientific work of." 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Before he departed on that expedition were there any conversa- 
tions between you and him in reference to his exact position on the ship 
and in which there was anything brought out by anything he claimed 
De Long had stated ? — A. I asked him if it was not likely that an effort 
woukl be made to induce him to go as seaman in order to bring him 
within the rules of the Navy. This conversation took place in Minne- 
apolis, Minn. He simply lauglied at it. Said it was absurd; that he 
was goiug on Mr. Bennett's ship, and that the ship was simply put under 
the control of the Navy Department to have her officered for navigation; 
that it was Mr. Bennett's expedition, and said, ''It is absurd to think 
that I will be required to ship as a seaman." I spoke on that very sub- 
ject to him up there. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with him in which any reference 
was made to any statement by Captain De Long and any correspondence 
in connection therewith as to the position in which he was to go on the 
expedition'? — A. No, sir; I have no recollection at the present time of 
any such conversation. 

Q. Have you in your possession a letter dated New York, April 7, 
signed by Connery? — A. It is a telegram. 

Q. Do you know what that was in response to *? — A. I judge and 
believe 

Q. No, do you know from any conversation with your brother*? — A. 
I know from a paper found on his dead body. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) I will ask you if that telegram was among 
the papers found on his body? — A. This telegram was among the pa- 
pers examined by me in the Navy Department as purporting to be found 
on my brother's body. 

Q. Please read it. A. It says : 

New York, April 7. 
Jerome J. Collins, Herald Bureau, Washington, D. C. : 

1 don't like to give any opinion about the question in your two letters. Your best 
course is to refer the point to Mr. Bennett. 

CONNERY. 
(25 cts. ; paid. ) 

(The paper last read was marked Exhibit No. 4.) 

Q. I will ask you, in connection with this telegram, if you had any con- 
versation with your brother relative to a reported interview with Captain 
De Long by a correspondent of the Post? — A. I had a conversation with 
him on the subject in Minneapolis, Minn., when he called to see me before 
he left for San Francisco. 

Q. What was that conversation? — A. He spoke to me about the re- 
ported interview with Captain De Long published in the Washington 
Bost, and said that he could hardly believe and did not believe it was 
true. 

Q. Did he sta^e what the interview was in substance 1 — A. He stated 
the interview — that Captain De Long had stated to a Washington Post 
interviewer that the civil scientists, Mr. Il^ewcomb and himself, that 
were going on the expedition, were going as mere accessories to the sci- 
entitic work, and he told me that from all the conversations that he had 
had with Captain De Long he did not believe that interview was true. 

Q. Was there any further conversation on that subject"? — A. I think 
at the time, as well as I remember, I would not be positive but that I ex- 



152 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

pressed grave doubt but that it was true, and tLat lie probably was 
placiug- himself in a false position in the matter; but he simply laughed 
it off, and said, " Oh, it is not so." 

Q. Was that all the conversation that you can remember? — A. All 
that I can remember at this time. 

Q. He assured you from his interviews with Captain De Long it could 
not be so? — A. Yes ; that it was not so. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) Among the papers found upon his body, 
was that found ? — A. That is a paper that I recognize as among the 
papers found upon his body. 

Q. Read that in full. — A. (Reading :) 

[Arctic steamer Jeannette, beset and drifting in the ice ; lat. 73. 47 N., long. 176. 40 W.] 

September 1, 1880. 
Mr. Jerome J. Collins, 

Metorologist, Arctic steamer Jeannette : 
Sir : You will be pleased, without unnecessary delay, to furnish me with the fol- 
lowing-mentioned information, as deduced from observations made between 1 o'clock 
a.m., August 4, 1879, and 12 o'clock, midnight, August 3, 1880. 

I.— Temperature. 

A table showing by months the highest, the lowest, and the mean temperature, 
with the limits of latitude and longitude for each montli. 

II.— Winds. 

A table showing the totalnumber of miles indicated by an anemometer each month, 
< heir division among and reference to the following true directions, viz : N. N. E. , S. E., 
S., S. W., W., and N. W., with the greatest, the least, and the mean velocity of each. 

III. —Storms. 

Descriptions of any storms of marked importance, with dates, durations, directions, 
and velocities (greatest and mean) of winds, with their shifts and the corresponding 
changes of barometric pressure. 

IV.— Barometer. 

Charts showing the range and variations of the barometer by days for each month, 
reduced to a temperature of 32° Fahrenheit. 

V. Precipitation. 

A table of the number of inches of rain or snow each month. 

VI. Miscellaneous. 

General statements of the relative humidity; number of hours of calms in each 
month; changes of tem])erature or barometric pressure due to particular winds; the 
phase of the moon at which the greatest cold occurred; and any other phenouiena 
which have fallen under your observation. 
Very respectfully, 

GEO. W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant U. S. Navy, CommamUnf/. 

(The paper last read was marked Exhibit l^o. 5.) 

Q. (Submitting another paper.) Did you find that? — A. I recognize 
til at as received l)y me among the papers. 

Q. Is that in the handwriting of your brother? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to read that on both sides? — A. On one 
side is this: 

At midnight, Feb. 2l8t — the reading of the anemometer was 0.4 and not 04., as 
recorded. 

Resp'y, G. W. DE L. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 153 

The other side is as follows : 

The reading at midnight on the 2l8t of the anemometer is recorded 0^., as the tenths 
of miles are always put in smaller figures above the miles. The record 04. would not 
mean anything, as there is no such reading. 
Respectfully, 

J. J. COLLINS. 

(The paper last read was marked Exhibit Ko. 6.) 

Mr. Curtis. That is a reckoniog made by him on a reading made by 
Captain De Long. 

Q. (Submitting another paper.) Did you find that letter? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Is that in the handwriting of your brother ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to read that distinctly so that all can 
hear? — A. (Eeading:) 

Dr. Sir : I return herewith the slip on which you require the numbers of thermom- 
eters, duly marked. A maximum must be supplied from one of the pocket cases, as 
the one I had was broken during the storm on our voyage from St. Michael's to St. 
Lawrence Bay. A ''black bulb in air" (max.) we have not. Permit me to express 
some surprise that the occupant of the position of meteorologist on this expedition 
does not come under the opei^ation of your strict rule of "official courtesy," a respect 
for which, in all transactions, you requested with so much emphasis a little while 
ago. The contemptuous disregard for my personal feeling as a member of the expe- 
dition exhibited in several ways and from time to time by yourself and your fellow- 
officers I can well afford to pass as unworthy of notice, but in my capacity as an em- 
ploye of Mr. Bennett, and a recognized entity of the official personnel of the expedi- 
tion by the Hon. the Secretary of the Navy, I regard every act of discourtesy, official 
and personal, as an infringement on my rights, expressed or implied, by the fact of 
my appointment. 

As a new year of work is about to begin for me, it Is of vital importance to me, in 
many ways, that I should understand the jjosition I am to occupy in relation to that 
work, to you and to the other gentlemen associated with you. I have been aware 
from the commencement that the standing you were willing to accord any civilian 
appointed to take part in the scientific work of the expedition as " a mere accessory," 
to use the expression you employed to the reporter of the Washington "Post" in 
April, 1879, when interviewed by him. This was the way in which you endeavored 
to give place to the statement that all scientific work required would be done by the 
officers of the Navy. Mr. Bennett, when asked about this, said you must have been 
mis-reporied. Mr. Connery remarked with some indignation that you never used such 
language. On these assurances from gentlemen who knew you, as they believed, I 
decided to come on the expedition, fully expecting to feel at home with a number of 
men who were said to be incapable of selfishness and injustice. 

When at San Francisco it was easy for you to tell me that you intended to do thus 
and so regarding the particular work I was sent to do, and which came under the gen- 
eral head of physics. A competent man was employed to take charge of the collection, 
&c., of natural history and ethnological specimens. I was introduced by yourself and 
others of the officers to people in San Francisco as aperson specially devoted to researches 
in physical science for the expedition. At the Academy of Scieuces I made some ram- 
bling remarks, which 1 based on the supposition that I was something more than a "mere 
accessory." Nothing in your conversation gave me any groundsfor believingotherwise, 
although you had ample opportunity to enlighten me, until during a general conversa- 
tion held in your rooms at the Palace Hotel, in the course of which "interviewing" by 
eporters came up for discussion, you endorsed a lady's statement that the "Washington 
Post" interview was most faithfully and accurately reported, and that your very words 
were used, although the reporter did not appear to take any notes. In n moment I saw 
I was in a trap. Not one set by you, for you did not want anybody but Navy people 
with you, as your manner of acting plainly showed from the start, aye, from'the first 
day I met you at the Herald Office. The trap was set by circumstances which will de- 
ceive any man who, trusting unreservedly to the good nature of others, devotes himself 
to an enterprise in which he hopes for honor or profit, or both. I hoped for honor in com- 
ing to the Arctic and also profitable information. I volunteered to come, leaving behind 
me a happy home, kind and true friends and companions, and many of the things that 
make life worth living. I volunteered on what was believed to be an enterprise full of 
danger, and herein lies the big tooth of the trap. I could not under any circumstances, 
for any cause almost, retreatfrommy post without incurring the slur of cowardice, which, 
you know would be only too readily cast on any one who backed out at the last moment. 
Although I foresaw from the start that I was betrayed into a false position by my incon- 



154 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

siderate acceptance of assurances, given almost without consideration, that I would not 
be treated as a " mere accessory/' I could not retreat. Had you told me the day before 
we sailed that I was to live in the forecastle, and have the work of an ordinary seaman, 
if I could do it, instead of being treated as a member of the cabin mess, I doubt if I could 
have gone back. You had and have it in your power to heap or permit to be heaped 
any amount of disrespect on me, socially or officially, and I was and am as a man with 
his hands tied. Underthe circumstances I cannot retaliate; lean only resent by silence. 
Three several times you have threatened me with an exaction of obedience, " if it took 
every man on the ship," in the discussion of purely suppositious cases of discipline. 
When I laid before you the facts of one or two cases in which I felt aggrieved by others, 
you became at once the apologist of one party and did not wish to hear anything 
about the other. Lately things have been going on rushingly. In my official ca- 
pacity I am to infer by the withdrawal of several instruments froui time to time 
that I have either neglected or do not possess the ability to use them. First, the 
magnetic instruments, one by one ; then x>hotographic apjiaratus, which was spe- 
cially given in my charge^ and to which all had free access by the exercise of your 
important "official courtesy." Then I was ordered to have four Six's thermome- 
ters ready for use. I got these ready, and requested of you that when they were 
to be used I would be present, as fixing them was a slow and difficult job. You 
said, ''Certainly, Mr. Collins." But in some time after, and long after, you gave 
me through Mr. Chipp to understand that the deep-water tests, suspended last 
fall by your order, would be resumed. You told me to turn over to you the 
salinometer, &c., as you wanted to make some experiments Avith the sea water. 
I found next day that you had resumed the water teats and that I was wholly ignored 
in connection with them, notwithstanding your "Certainly, Mr. Collins." I was 
directed to give Dr. Ambler the Damets hygrometer, which I did. I don't believe he 
has used it since. No such explanation such as a kindly courtesy would suggest has 
been given to me, no more than if I was a lamp-trimmer in the hre-room. Yet if I 
wanted a little hot water to make tea for my luxurious breakfast during the mid 
watch, official courtesy demands that I must go to Mr. Melville about it. Don't you 
suppose I am as sensitive as yourself or Melville or anybody else when I am treated 
with official discourtesy? You think you can do with me as you please now, and 
laugh at the future. You are making a mistake common to men of your disposition 
and habits of self-complacency. 

(The paper last read was marked Exbibit No. 7.) 

Q. In connection with that Board of Inqniry, did you receive any let- 
ters from the stenographer? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ! — A. I received two letters. They are in the hands of 
the committee. 

Q. Now, have you any information by which you can state to us by 
whom the Jeannette was fitted out and its expenses paid ? 

The Chairman. That information is contained in the act of Congress. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well. There is no question that it was Mr. Bennett. 

Q. How soon after the return of the survivors did yon see any of 
them? — A. I saw Lieutenant Danenhower, I think, the day after he ar- 
rived; I would not be positive; it was within three days. 

Q. And where did you see him? — At the Fifth Avenue Hotel. 

Q. And in. whose companv did you see him? — A. My brother's. 

Q. Mr. B. A. Collins ?— a". Yes, sir. 

Q. Where does he reside? — A. Brooklyn, N. Y. 

Q. He has been subpoenaed? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What conversation took place at that interview between you and 
Lieutenant Danenhower ? 

Mr. Arnoux. That I object to under the rulings of the committee. 
Danenhower is alive. He cannot be contradicted or impeached until 
he is examined on the subject. 

The Chairman. If a witness is sought to be imi)eached, that is the 
rule, but I do not understand that that is the pur^jort of tlie question. 
The question is admitted. 

A. I met Lieutenant Danenhower at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in com- 
pany with my brother and asked him what was the trouble on the 
Jeannette between Captain De Long and my brother, and he at first 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 155 

positively declined to mnke any statement or give any information on 
the subject. I told him how uneasily we felt about the fact of charges 
being made against him, in what a condition of suspense we were about 
his haviug been arrested and kept under arrest for a long time, and at 
last he said for us to make our minds easy, that the charges were in no 
way serious at allj that they did not amount to anything. He then 
stated to me that my brother had led, as he said, a hell of a life in the 
Arctic, and that if he had received the same treatment as my brother 
had to stand he would have gone over the ship's side. 

Q. And this was stated in the presence of your brother'? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Was there anything else said at that interview? — A. There was a 
general conversation, not on any material point, and just at that time 
the relatives of Lieutenant Chipp came in, and we withdrew on account 
of the number of visitors and Mr. Danenhower's time being fully taken 
up receiving them. 

Q. Did you ever see him afterwards and have a conversation with 
him relative to the Jeannette expedition? — A. I think that I met Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower once or twice afterwards, but I don't remember 
any definite conversations. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with him relative to the course 
that should have been pursued on the retreat, whether to the south or 
to the southwest 1^ — A. No, sir; I do not recollect any such conversa- 
tions. I had one or two conversations with him, but I do not at this 
time recollect anything definitely in relation to the matter. 

Q. You have a sort of a journal kept by your brother up to Friday 
the 30th of September ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Submitting the book referred to.) Was that book one of the 
papers found on the body of your brother ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That is what is termed the note- book, is it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

(The book referred to is offered in evidence, admitted^ and marked 
Exhibit No. 8.) 

By Mr. AUNOUX : 

Q. When and where did the conversation that you have purported 
to give between Lieutenant Danenhower and yourself take place? — A. 
At Lieutenant Danenhower's private room at the Fifth Avenue Hotel. 
The date, as near as I can fix it, without reference to a note-book, was 
a day or two after Lieutenant Danenhower returned or landed from the 
ocean steamer. 

Q. Was it on the day that Lieutenant Danenhower returned ? — A. It 
was about 12 o'clock in the day. It w^as the day Lieutenant Danen- 
hower arrived, or the day after. I would not be positive. I could not 
state from memory. 

Q. What was Lieutenant Danenhower's condition at the time that 
you had this conversation with him?— A, Lieutenant Danenhower's 
condition was such as I would expect from the history of the expedi- 
tion — what he had gone through. 

Q. That gives no light to this committee. I ask you to state without 
reference to what you would expect. What was his condition at the 
time you had that conversation? 

The Witness. Mentally, physically, or in what way do you want it ? 

Mr. AnNOUX. In any way that you understand the question. — A. I 
cannot understand that he was sick, but he seemed to suffer with his 
eye. He walked into the room, and after a time he sat right down on 
the lounge, and in a minute or two afterwards laid on the lounge. 



156 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Was lie lying, or sitting, or. standing, at the time be made this 
declaration that you say he made ! — A. He was lying down on the 
lounge, and 1 thiidi that when lie commenced to make the statement he 
sat right up on the lounge. 

Q. How long was the interview with Lieutenant Danenhower to 
which you have referred'? — A. I should place it at about ten minutes. 
I could not absolutely say. 

Q. Had you any previous acquaintance with Lieutenant Danenhower f 
— A. No, sir. 

Q. Had you previously seen Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you go in company witli your brother to the Fifth Avenue 
Hotel at the time of this interview with Lieutenant Danenhower'? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. When you entered into the room who first spoke? — A. As well as 
I recollect the occurrence, we sent up our cards and were shown into 
the room, in which were a number of Lieutenant Danenhower^s friends. 
He met us in the room and asked us into his private room. 

Q. Now, sir; please answer the questions I put to you. When you 
went and had this interview with Lieutenant Danenhower, who first 
spoke? — A. That is impossible for me to say, sir. 

Q. Can you tell what was first said in that interview? — A. I think 
the first thing that was said we congratulated Lieutenant Danenhower 
on his escape. 

Q. Did you say that, or your brother? — A. That is impossible for me 
to tell at this time. 

Q. When that remark was addressed to Lieutenant Danenhower, 
what, if anything, did he say ? — A. That is impossible for me to tell. He 
immediately invited us in 

Q. (Interposing.) No; I ask what he said. — A. That I cannot tell. 

Q. Was that part of the con^ ersation in the general room where his 
friends were, or in the private room ? — A. That was in the general room. 

Q. When you went into the private room what was the first thing, 
that was said? — A. 1 think my brother said that we were very uneasy 
about the rumors that were floating around about the Jeannette expe-_ 
dition. 

Q. Did he state in what respect you w^ere uneasy? — A. Yes. 

Q. What did he say? — A. In relation to De Long's conduct and my 
brother's arrest and the trouble for wliich he was arrested. We knew 
nothing about what he was arrested for. 

Q. Did you state that to Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. Yes; we 
wanted to know whether it was serious or not. 

Q. Will you give as accurately as you can the words in which that 
was said? — A. 1 think we stated to Lieutenant Danenhower 

Q. (Interposing.) Did both speak ? — A. Yes, we were both speaking. 
1 think that my brother spoke first. 

Q. Tell us what your brother said? — A. He stated that w^e were very 
uneasy and suffering some mental trouble in relation to the stories 
being told about my brother's arrest; we wanted to know what it was 
for — what the charges against him were and the particulars. Lieutenant 
Danenhower said that that was a matter that he did not care to speak 
of. 

Q. Then who commenced to speak? — A. That is impossible for me to 
tell. 

Q. When Lieutenant Danenhower said it was a matter he did not 
care to speak of, what was next said? — A. Lieutenant Danenhower was 
pressed by both ray brother and myself 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 157 

Q. (luterposiug.) What was said? — A. That I canDot remember. 
This was a general conversation years ago, and I had not a note-book 

Q. So that your memory fails yon as to the details of that conversa- 
tion ? — A. My memory fails me as to the exact words, bnt does not fail 
me as to the purport of the conversation. 

Q. Now, then, when you pressed him, what next did Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower say ? — A. Lieutenant Danenliower stated 

Q. (Interposing.) What did he next say! — A. I cannot tell you that. 
I can tell you what he stated. 

Q. Did you have to urge him more than once before he responded 1 — 
A. Yes. 

Q. How many times '^ — A. That I cannot say. I did not count them. 

Q. Then, finally, what did he say? Give his language as exactly as 
you can. — A. He stated that we might make our minds easy, that the 
charges against my brother which caused his arrest were not serious. 

Q. Now, right there. Do you swear that he used the word ^' ar- 
rest " 1 — A. That I cannot swear, but to the best of my impression and 
recollection he did. 

Q. But what I mean is, do you mean to swear positively that he used 
the word " arrest "? — A. I say, to the best of my recollection, that he 
used the word '^ arrest." 

Q. Do you mean to be understood by the committee that you are pos- 
itive that he used that word ? — ^A. I mean to be understood by the 
committee to swear that to the best of my recollection and belief now he 
used the word " arrest." 

Q. Is your recollection clear that he did use that word ? — A. As far 
as possible it is. 

Q. Go on to what he next said. — A. Lieutenant Danenhower in a 
general way stated how much they suffered coming back on the retreat, 
and how much his eyes troubled him, and how much he had suffered ; 
then he was pressed by my brother as to the way that my brother lived 
on the ship. 

Q. What did your brother say to him on the subject? — A. He can 
best tell. 

Q. Did you not hear it? — A. I heard it, but I cannot recollect the 
exact words. 

Q. What was the substance? — A. The substance was, how was Mr. 
Collins treated on the ship, and Lieutenant Danenhower said he had 
lived a hell of a life, or been in hell. 

Q. Which was it? — A. I cannot swear. 

Q. You swore on your direct examination it was a hell of a life. — A. 
Yes ; and that if he had been treated the same way he would have gone 
over the ship's side. 

Q. What further was said? — A. The conversation was interrupted at 
that point by a notice that Lieutenant Ohij^p's relatives had arrived 
and were very anxious to see Lieutenant Danenhower, and we left. 

Q. Did you pursue the conversation any further than you have 
given? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you inquire any reasons for his stating that he would have 
gone over the ship's side? — A. Not that I recollect at this time. 

Q. Now, was Lieutenant Danenhower sitting up or lying down when 
you first commenced this conversation? — A. Lieutenant Danenhower 
was in the outside room and walked in with us. 

Q. I am speaking about the conversation you had in the inside room. 
When you first commenced that part of the conversation was he sitting, 
standing, or lying down? — A. He was lying down, sir. 



158 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Then when you two gentlemen went into the private room did he 
go in with you! — A. You are mixing it all up in your questions. 

Q. Will you answer my question. When he went into the private 
room did you two go in with him? — A. When we went into the front 
room he was standing in the middle of the floor and advanced to meet 
us. 

Q. Did he go with you into the inner room! — A. Yes, and shut the 
door. 

Q. Then you three were together in the inner room ! — A. I think Mrs. 
Danenhower was there for a few moments to the best of my recollection. 

Q. In the inside room ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. While Mrs. Danenhower was there did any part of this conversa- 
tion transpire! — A. Not to my recollection. 

Q. Did you sit silent while 3 on were in the inner room and Mrs. Dan- 
enhower was there! — A. We were introduced to Mrs. Danenhower, and 
Mrs. Danenhower stated that a good deal of the joy she felt at meeting 
her son was marred by the grief she felt at so many men being lost on 
the expedition. 

Q. Was that said in the inside room! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was that said before the other conversation commenced! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Was Mr. Danenhower then sitting or lying down! — A. I think he 
was sitting at that time; I could not be positive. 

Q. In what part of the conversation was it that he laid down! — A. 
He laid down on the lounge very soon after we went into the room. 

Q. How many minutes do you say you were in the inside room! — A. 
We were in the inside room all the time. 

Q. You first said that you were in the outer room and that you had 
greetings! — A. Nothing of the kind. 

Q. Did you not say that in the outer room you congratulated him on 
his return! — A. I simplj^ said that as we passed in he shook hands with 
us, and he showed us into the inside room. 

Q. Did you not say that when you saw him in the outer room you 
congratulated him on his return! — A. Yes; while we were walking into 
the inside room. 

Q. But you had that much conversation in the outside room! — A. 
While we walked through the doorwijy from one room to another; the 
outer room was very much crowded. 

Q. Now, did you have any conversation with any of Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower's friends at the time! 

The Witness. In the outside room! 

Mr. Arnoux. Anywhere. 

A. With Mrs. Danenhower in the inside room. 

Q. Is that the only one! — A. The only one I recollect. 

Q. Did she or any one tell you that Lieutenant Danenhower was suf- 
fering at the time, and did you not see compresses on his eyes! — A. I 
don't remember any one stating anything except Lieutenant Danen- 
how^er that he felt weak. But he had something over his eyes. I think 
that he had been to the physician that day; if I don't mistake he said 
so, and that he had something over his eyes, I don't know what it was. 
At this late date I do not recollect. 

Q. Now, sir, did he use the words '^ship's side"! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did lie use them more than once! — A. Not tliat I recollect, except 
in reference to the statement I have made. 

Q. Did he use them more than once in reference to that statement! — 
A. No, sir; not to my knowledge. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 159 

Q. Then I ask you, as a matter of fact, did he use the term more than 
once?— A. To my recollection, nob more than once. 

Q. Did he use the words ''ship's side" in any other connection than 
that you have given!— A. Not to my recollection at present. 
Q.'^Is your recollection accurate on that! — A. Excellent. 
Q. Then, according to your recollection, are you as willing to swear 
that he only used the words "ship's side" in that connection as you 
were willing to swear awhile ago about the other word that he used? — 
A. What other word? 

Q. Do you remember the word I asked you if you were positive 
about? — A. I do not know what word you asked me about. If you will 
tell me I will tell you whether I remember it. 

Q. The word I asked you about was "arrest."— A. Yes, I am as pos- 
itive. 

Q. Now, are you as positive that he only used the words "ship's side" 
once as you are that he used the word "arrest"?— A. I am as positive 
that he used the words " ship's side " as " arrest." 

Q. Are you as sure that he used the words "ship's side" in the con- 
necnection that you have given as you are positive that he used the 
word "arrest"?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When was it that you next had a conversation with Lieutenant 
Danenhower? — A. I think the next time I had a conversation with 
Lieutenant Danenhower was in Washington. 

Q. That does not answer the question when it was. — A. I think about 
the time of the Court of Inquiry, to the best of my recollection. I won't 
be positive, however. 

Q. When was it that you had the third conversation with him ?— A. 
I think I met Lieutenant Danenhower in New York, and the third con- 
versation was on board the free ship. 
Q. I ask you when ? — A. When the bodies arrived. 
Q. Can you give any idea of the month or year or time? — A. Well, it 
was the last part of February that the bodies arrived. 
Q. What year?— A. This year. 
Q. 1884?— A. Yes. 

Q. Have you since you have been in Washington had au}^ conversa- 
tion with Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. Yes. 

Q. Have you ever had any correspondence with Lieutenant Danen- 
hower ? — A. In relation to a letter received by me from my brother, I 
think, stating that Lieutenant Danenhower felt sore or felt annoyed 
that the impression had been created among the newspapers that he had 
told me all relating to the expedition. I wrote a letter to him stating 
that I never made any such statement to any newspaper. 

Q. Did you ever write more than one letter to Lieutenant Danen- 
hower? — A. It is possible, but not to my recollection. 

Q. About what time was it that you wrote the letter to which you 
have referred? — A. That was during the court of inquiry, I think, while 
he was in Pennsylvania at Chad's Ford, or some place like that. 

Q. Did you ever write to him on the subject of that conversation 
which you stated you had with him in the Fifth Avenue Hotel. 
The Witness. In reference to that special conversation ? 
Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. No, sir 5 I never did. I wrote to him in relation to a letter re- 
ceived from my brother. 

Q. When did you first hear any rumors affecting your brother or 
against this expedition? — A. Shortly after the news of the failure of 
the expedition reached this country. 



160 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Can you tell when that was *? — A. I cannot fix the exact date. I 
fix the date of the news as arriving, and some time after that. 

Q. When did you first have any conversation with Fireman Bartlett? 
— A. I think 1 met Fireman Bartlett in New York for the first time 
last February or March. I might have seen him before, but I won't be 
positive. To the best of my recollection I think it was about that time. 

Q. Did he, at your instigation, write the letter Avhich you produced 
the other day ?— A. I stated to Mr. Bartlett 

Q. (Interposing.) No; answer my question. Did he write the letter 
at your instigation ; yes, or no 1 — A. I Avould state that I told Mr. 
Bartlett that 1 was desirous of procuring a Congressional investigation 
into the Jeannette expedition, and in order to do so it was necessary, 
or would be proper, to show that the survivors, or a number of tbe 
survivors, thought it was necessary, and 1 asked Mr. Bartlett if he had 
any objection to so stating and he said he had not, and I asked him to 
reduce that statement to writing, which he did. 

Q. When was tliat conversation 1 — A. To the best of my recollection 
that was on the 23d day of February. 

Q. From whom did you obtain the material which was embodied in 
the petition sent by you to Mr. Washburn and presented by him to 
Congress *? 

The Witness. Which; this last? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. From information derived from papers found on my brother's 
body, from statements that 1 had learned Mr. John P. Jackson, the 
New York Herald correspondent, had made as to his investigation into 
the matter, from the remark that Lieutenant Danenhower had made at 
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, and from the general gossip and drift of talk 
that was going about in relation to the matter. 

Q. Had you seen Mr. Jackson personally ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Had you any other papers than those which you have presented 
to this committee ? 

The Witness. In relation to what ? 

Mr. Arnoux. In relation to the matter on which you based the pe- 
tition. 

A. I have a half a trunk full of papers, as far as that is concerned. 
What do you mean ? 

Q. Did you say just now that the petition was based upon the papers 
which you believed to have been on your brother's body 1 — A. Partly; 
yes. 

Q. Have you presented those papers to this committee ? — A. All of 
them in relation to his treatment. 

Q. Did he have a note-book, among others ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that note-book here ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Will you state to the committee what that note-book in general 
consists of? — A. It consists of a general history of the party in a short, 
condensed form, from the time the ship was lost to September 30, I 
think. 

Q. Tlien, if I understand you aright, this is a brief diary of the 
events that transpired from the time of the loss of the sbip to the time 
he finished writing 1? — A. Very brief; yes. 

Q. Has that ever been printed *? — A. Yes. 

Q. Is it contained in the record of the Naval Court of Inquiry 1 — A. 
In one part of that report it is stated that it is ; but it is not. 

Q. There is a reference made to that, and an explanation 3 but is 



JEANNETTE ll^JQUIRY. 161 

there any copy of it printed that is in the hands of the chairman ? — A. 
There is a copy of it in the hands of the chairman of the committee. I 
would also state that the memorial was based on statements made by 
Mr. Newcomb to my brother in Kew York, and also statements made 
by Mr. Newcomb to me while in New York — this last memorial. 

Q. Will you tell me who stated to you that other members of the ex- 
pedition besides your brother were treated with every outrage '^ — A. 
Mr. Newcomb. 

Q. Did he say that all the members of the expedition were treated 
with every outrage? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Every outrage? — A. Well, every indignity or 

Q. (Interposing.) I ask you that word? Did he say every outrage? — 
A. Yes. 

Q. Do you swear that he did? — A. I swear that he used the word 
"outrage" with the meaning of indignity. 

Q. I do not ask what the meaning was. Did he use that word, and 
say that other members of the expedition were treated with every out- 
rage? — A. To the best of my recollection, yes, sir. 

Q. When did he tell you that?— A. In New York City. 

Q. I say when ? — A. In February of this year. 

Q. Did he tell you who of the members of the expedition besides 
your brother he claimed were treated with every outrage? — A. He 
stated himself. 

Q. Did he state anybody else? — A. He stated that Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower was very badly. treated. 

Q. No, no; but I am saving with every outrage? — A. He stated him- 
self. 

Q. You say your brother and other members, in the plural. Were 
there any other members besides your brother and himself who were 
treated with every outrage? — A. I do not recollect. 

Q. Do you understand that suspension and arrest in the Navy mean 
the same thing ? — A. Not being familiar with the technicalities of the 
Navy, I cannot answer." 

Q. I ask you what you understand, sir? — A. My understanding is 
that they amount to the same thing practically. 

Q. When you used the words '' suspension, or arrest," did you mean 
the same thing or a different thing?— A. When I used the word "sus- 
pension," I meant that it was an absolute arrest without the i)liysical 
fact of being locked up. 

Q. When you use the word " arrest," what do you mean by that as a 
physical fact? — A. A suspension with being locked up. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Locked up? 

The Witness. Deprived of personal liberty. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Who was it that told you that several volunteered on the 3d of 
October to go in search of their missing shipmates? — A, I do not rec- 
ollect that I made that statement. 

Q. I read to you from your petition this : 

On the :kl day of October following he said Melville had fully recovered and with 
him all his men, and that several of the party urged him to push ahead and not delay, 
several volunteering to go in s. arch of their missing shipmates. 

And I ask you, having read that to you, who told you that on the 3d 

day of October several volunteered to go in search of their missing 

shipmates? — A. In the first place, I don't know from that that you read 

that I made any such statement. In the noxt place I do not know that 

11 J Q* 



162 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that is a correct copy of the statement that I made. In the third place 
the language that you use there is no evidence that I made the state- 
ment or meant to convey the impression that Mr. Melville recovered 
on the 3d of 1. ctober and that men volunteered on exactly the same day. 

Q. Were you told by anybody that on the 3d day of October sev- 
eral volunteered to go in search of their missing shipmates ? — A. I was 
informed that from the day the party reached 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I did not ask what you were informed, 
and I think the committee ought to say that I have the right to ask a 
question of that kind and receive an answer without the witness making 
a statement which does not reply to my question. I ask him was he 
told that on the 3d of October several volunteered to go in search of 
their missing sbipmates. That is a question that can only be answered 
yes or no. What I want to know is, if anybody did inform him that on 
the 3d of October anybody volunteered to go in search of their missing 
shipmates. 

The Chairman. He can answer what the fact is. 

The Witness. I have no recollection as to the exact date. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did any one inform you, or were you informed in any manner, that 
on the 3d of October Melville had fully recovered, and with him, all his 
men? — A. His recovery is stated in his evidence before the Court of 
Inquiry. 

Q. Is that all you know on the subject? — A. I was so informed by 
Mr. Bartlett also. 

Q. Who told you that Melville gave no directions or adopted no 
means for spreading the news of the missing boat? 

The Witness. At what time ? 

Mr. Arnoux. At any time. 

A. Mr. Bartlett. 

Q. Who told you that the Court of Inquiry ruled out nearly every 
question that would bring out the true history of the expedition? — A. I 
judged so from the report. 

Q. On that you wholly base the statement which you made in your 
petition, do you?— A. And the statement that Mr. Lemly made that he 
would not ask any question that reflected on a dead man, and the state- 
ment that he would reserve the right to object to any questions that he 
pleased. 

Q. Does that prove to you that he ruled out nearly everj^ question 
that would bring out the true history of the expedition ? — A. I think 
in the light of the Court of Inquiry and the light of the testimony given 
here, it is pretty conclusive. 

Q. You think so? — A. Yes. 

Q. But I ask not for your opinion but the fact. Was that the opinion, 
or what you based your statement upon? — A. It was one of them. 

Q What was the competent authority that you referred to when you 
said that "many of the witnesses by competent authority were at the 
time dei)endent upon, under the jurisdiction of, and afraid of the i)erse- 
cution of the Naval Dai)artment"? — A. The ofiticial stenographer of the 
Court of Inquiry. 

Q. Was that the only authority ? — A. That was the only authorit5% 
I judged it was good authorit^^ — the official stenographer of the court. 

Q. Do you know whether your brother was notified of the sessions 
of this Court of Inquiry and invited to be present? — A. I cannot tell as 
to that. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 163 

Q. Where was it that you had your first conversation with Colonel 
Eemey ? — A. In his room in the iJ^avy Department. 

Q. Was it there also that you had the first conversation with Mr. 
Lemly 1 — A. Yes -, in another part of the room. 

Q. About what date was it that you had the first conversation with 
Kemey and Lemly ! — A. That I could not fix without reference to some- 
thing 

Q. (Interposing.) As nearly as you can recollect now ?■— A. It was in 
the early stage of the Court of Inquiry. I could not fix even the month 
without a definite reference to dates. 

Q. Is not your memory of dates good '?— A. It is ; but the time has 
elapsed so that I could not tell. 

Q. Was it p^fter you had tbis conversation with Lieutenant Danen- 
howerf — A. Yes, sir; necessarily. 

Q. Have you given the entire conversation that you had on that 
occasion with Mr. Lemly ?— A. As well as I can possibly recall it at the 
present moment. 

Q. Did you, at that interview, see the papers which it was alleged 
had belonged to your brother ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what condition were those papers at the time you first saw 
them! — A. They were put up in a package with some odds and ends 
that were found, and had much the appearance that they have at 
present. 

Q. Were any of them, and if so what, matted together as if they had 
been in a wad f — A. Yes. 

Q. Was the note-book a part of that wad !— A. That I cannot recol- 
lect. 

Q. Was the part which they said was written on some sheets of fools- 
cap a part of the wad ? — A. That I cannot recollect. 

Q. Were not the telegram, that letter which you have read, and let- 
ters generally the papers that comprised that wad !— A. ISTo, sir; to the 
best of my recollection they were all loose. 

Q. Do you recollect what papers they were that comprised that 
wad ? — A. That I do not recollect. 

Q. Do you recollect any of the papers that Avere in it? — A. I can give 
you an idea what papers were in the entire package. 

Q. ]So, I am speaking now of the papers that were together in the 
wad. — A. Ko, I cannot. 

Q. Did you have any trouble in opening them to keep from breaking 
the leaves! — A. They had been examined before- 

Q. (Interposing.) Do you know that they had been!— A. So Mr. 
Lemly told me. 

Q. I ask you if you know ! — A. So he told me. I was not there. 

Q. Was there any difficulty in examining those papers! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was it in that conversation that you told Mr. Lemly that you 
came there to get and make public those charges against your 
brother! — A. To the best of my recollection either there or at the Eiggs 
House. 

Q. I want to know which it was.— A. That I cannot state positivel3\ 

Q. Can you, by reflecting, tell whether that was a part of the conver- 
sation that you had at the time that you were at the Department in the 
first interview you had with Lemly, or subsequently! — A. My impres- 
sion is it was at the Department. 

Q. When was it you had the next interview with Mr. Lendy ! — A. I 
think it was that afternoon, or the next day at the Eiggs House, 



164 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. When did you have the third interview with Mr. Lemly? — A. At 
the Riggs House. 

Q. I said wlien? — A. They were consecutive, one day after another. 

Q. Then you had the first two conversations on the same day, and the 
third conversation on the next day ?— A. I saw Mr. Lemly in the morn- 
ing at the Nav3^ Department, and I won't be positive whether I saw 
him that afternoon at the Riggs House or not. I think he made an 
ai)])ointraent with me there and did not keep it. 

Q. I am not asking you when you did not see liim; I am asking you 
when you did see him. — A. I am prett^^ positive I saw him the next 
day, and at the Riggs House. 

Q. Altogether how many interviews did you have with Mr. Lemly? — 
A. I should say three or four, to the best of my recollection. 

Q. After seeing Mr. Remey, did you see him again to have any con- 
versation with him in reference to this matter? — A. I have no knowl- 
edge of any conversation with him particularly on that subject. 

Q. Did any part of the conversation which you had at the Depart- 
ment with Mr. Lemly take place in Colonel Remey's presence'?— A. No, 
sir; we were on the other side of tlie room. Mr. Remey was not pres- 
ent, except when we were introduced, when a general conversation took 
place. 

Q. Was it at the Riggs House, in the second interview, that Mr. 
Leml^^ said to you that you had better not go to the sessions unless 
sent for! — A. Yes. 

Q. Was it in that conversation that you said you desired to bring out 
every thig about the expedition! — A. I told him that at each and every 
conversation. 

Q. Did you tell him that in the first conversation! — A. To the best 
of my recollection I told him I wanted all the facts out in relation to the 
expedition. 

Q. Did you tell him that in the first conversation! — A. In the first, 
as well as my memory serves me, as in the others; more particularly in 
the others. 

Q. Did you tell him in the first conversation that you desired to 
bring out everything about the dif&culty between your brother and 
Captain De Long! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell him that at the Department! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell him that at the Riggs House! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell him that again at the second conversation at the 
Riggs House! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell him that in the fourth conversation! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In each and every conversation you had with Lemly, that you 
wanted the truth known! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you think at that time from anything that you had learned 
that the difficulty between your brother and Cai)tain De Long had any- 
thing whatever to do with the loss of the Jeannette! — A. I believed 
that the difference between the officers 

(^. (Tnteri)osing.) I say between your brother and Captain De Long. 
I am not asking you about the officers. Now please to confine your- 
self to answering my questions. 

A. What is the question! 

Q. Did you believe at that time that the difficulty between your 
brother and Captain De Long had anything to do with the loss of the 
Jeannette! — A. Well, I could not think that, because he was not a 
seaman. 

Q. Did you understand that the naval inquiry was in reference to the 



JEA.KNETTE INQUIRY. 165 

loss of tbe Jeaiiiiette'? — A. My under standiDg of the naval inquiry was 
tbat it was an inquiry into the loss of the Jeannette and the conduct 
of the officers and men. 

Q. Did you understand that it was their general conduct, or such 
conduct as contributed to the loss?— A. That I could not say. 

Q. In which conversation was it that you had with Mr. Lemly that he 
suggested to you that you should employ counsel ? — A. It was in the 
last conversation. 

Q. Had he previous to that time made such a suggestion ? — A. I think 
he did ; I would not be positive though. 

Q. Having given as fully as you can all the conversations between 
Mr. Lemly and yourself, and having told nothing about writing out any 
questions, how did it happen that you did write out and send to the judge- 
advocate in that investigation questions to be put to the witnesses'? — 
A. I left in Mr. Lemly's hands a number of questions written bere. 

Q. How came you to take that coursej had anything in conversation 
led up to it? 

The Witness. How do you mean 1 

Mr. Arnoux. Had there been anything said in the conversations you 
had with Mr. Lemly on the subject of writing out any questions to be 
put 1 — A. Mr. Lemly asked me to leave him or send him what questions 
I wished to ask, and that hewouUl reserve to himself the right to object 
to any questions that reflected on any dead men, and that any ques- 
tions he did not think proper he would object to. 

Q. Did he state in what way you might possibly ask improper ques- 
tions'? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he state to you that the court followed any rules of evidence, 
and that hearsaj^ evidence was excluded? — A. It is possible; but not 
to my recollection now. 

Q. Did he give you any reason why he wanted no questions put in 
regard to the dead men? — A. No; not to my recollection. 

Q. Was that the whole conversation on that subject?— A. That is 
the substance. 

Q. Did you remonstrate against it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did you say in remonstrance? — A. I stated that it was uu- 
fair; that we wanted these questions asked, and he said he felt it his 
duty as judge-advocate to object to any questions he saw fit. 

Q. And you thought it would be untair for him to object to any ques- 
tions you chose to put"? — A. Any questions that would bring out the 
facts of the expedition. The joint resolution i^rbvided for investigation 
into the conduct of the officers. 

Q. And you understood that to refer to all the gossip, and scandal, 
and petty quarrels, and misunderstandings that might have taken place 
during the whole time they were together, did you? — A. I supposed 
the resolution of Congress intended to bring out everything in relation 
to the expedition. 

Q. And everything that was said between the officers on board the 
vessel ? — A. Not necessarily. 

Q. In other words, did you understand that resolution to be that they 
were to wash all the dirty linen thej^ could possibly? — A. No; I don't 
think they could have done so in the short space of time the court sat. 

Q. And you did not think that was a part of their inquiry? — A. I 
thought it was a part of their inquiry to get all the facts in relation to 
the expedition out and as to the conduct of every man on the expedition. 

Q. And that is what you understand this investigation to be now? — 
A. Yes; to get at all the true facts of the expedition. 



166 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And do yon think it is a matter of the slightest moment to a na- 
val conrt of inqniry to know what was said between two officers where 
it had nothing whatever to do with the management of the ship or the 
ultimate results of an expedition? — A. That is a matter I would leave 
to the committee or the court to decide for themselves. 

Q. Was your brother a married man'? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What was your brother's age when he left Cork? — A. He left there 
in 18G4, I think. 

Q. What was his age? — A. Well, he was 40 when he died. 

Q. Is that the best answer you can give to my question? — A. He 
was 23. 

Q. What education had your brother when he left Ireland ? — A. He 
received a classical education at Saint Vincent's Seminary, the principal 
school in that portion of the country. 

Q. Did that embrace a scientific course? — A. Yes. 

Q. To what extent? — A. To the usual extent taught in these semi- 
naries. 

Q. To the extent of the high schools? — A. The standard of the high 
schools there is considerably different from here. 

Q. Can you tell me to what extent his classical education was car- 
ried? — A. That I cannot tell. I was never at that school, and it is im- 
possible for me to tell each and every branch of the study. 

Q. Do you know anything about any branch of the study there? — ■ 
A. I know they teach all the English branches and all the classical 
studies and modern languages. 

Q. Do you know to what extent they carry study in any branch in 
that school? — A. I was not there; I cannot tell. 

Q. Do you know whether they go beyond what would fit a student in 
that school for college? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know how far in the collegiate course the curriculum there 
extends? — A. That wouhl be impossible for me exactly to determine. 

Q. Were you in tluR conntry at that time? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Where were you ? — A. 1 was there. 

Q. Were yon at the same school? — A. No, sir. He was nine years 
older than I. 

Q. Were you at the same town ? — A. Yes, naturally. 

Q, Did yon go to the same school with your brother? — A. No, sir. 

Q. At no time? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you afterwards go to the same school? — A. I went to a branch 
of it. 

Q. To the same school your brother did?— A. The old school was 
discontinued. 

Q. Did they not have the same professors and tutors? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did they give up all their tutors, as well as the school? — A. The 
whole thitig was reorganized. 

Q. When did you see your brother first after he came to this coun- 
try? — A. 1 came with him. 

Q. Where did he land? — A. In New York. 

Q. What did he undertake to do? — A. He was one of the civil engi- 
neers on the Northern Pacific Eailroad. 

Q. In wliat capacity did he work on the Northern Pacific Railroad? — 
A. As civil engineer. 

Q. In what capacity? — ^A. He was in the engineer department in the 
city of New York. 

Q. How long did he remain in that? — A. That I cannot possibly 
answer. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 167 

Q. As near as you can recollect? — A. That would be 1mi)ossible for 
me to tell without hunting the matter up. 

Q. When did he go into the employ of the Northern Pacific Eailroad 
in their New York office? — A. That would be impossible for me to tell. 

Q. Can you give the year? — A. I think it was 1866. 

Q. And have you any idea about how many years he remained there ? 
— A. I could not tell. I think he left there to take charge of the rec- 
lamation of the New Jersey meadows, what are known as the swamp 
lands of New Jersey. 

Q. About when was that?— A. That was in 1867. 

Q. Do you know under whom he was? — A. He had charge of it. 

Q. Who was the party who employed him? — A. The New York Iron 
Dike and Land lleclamation Company. 

Q. How long did he remain in their employ? — A. I think it was until 
the work was finished. 

Q. It is not finished yet.— A. That part of the work was finished. 

Q. Can you tell me how long he remained there? — A. I could not 
possibly. 

Q. Have you any idea how many years he was employed there? — A. 
It must have been two years or so. 

Q. Down to what time in what year was it that he left them? — A. I 
could not positively fix these dates. 

Q. Give as nearly as you can what year it was your brother left the 
New Jersey Improvement Company?— A. In 1868, or along there. 

Q. What did he next do? — A. Next he was chief engineer of the 
Marsh Land Company in New York, and one of the directors. 

Q. What property did they have charge of? — A. They had charge of 
the reclamation of lands, and the purchase of lands under the act incor- 
porating the company in appointing commissioners to condemn lands. 

Q. But I say what lands did they have charge of? — A. All the swamp 
lands in Kings, Queens, and Eichmond counties. 

Q. How long did he remain in that company? — A. He remained in 
that company, I think until, the time that he went on the Herald weather 
bureau. 

Q. Do you recollect what year that was ? — A. That I could not fix. 

Q. And from that time on did he remain in the Herald weather bureau 
until the starting of the Jeannette expe'Jition ? — A. He made a proposi- 
tion, as I remember it, to Mr. Bennett to cable storm warnings to Europe 
and make predictions of the weather. 

Q. I do not ask about that. I ask if he remained there ? — A. I am 
just giving you an outline. 

Q. I am not asking for an outline. — A. He remained there, with the 
exception of being a delegate or representative to the Meteorological 
Congress in Paris. 

Q. Was he in the employ of the Herald or had he left the employ of 
the Herald when he went to Paris ? — A. He was in the employ of the 
Herald. 

Q. Then I ask you was he in the employ of the Herald from the time 
that he went there until he went on the Jeannette expedition ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Adjourned. 



168 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Washington, D. 0., Wednesday, April 9, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof beiog 
present j also counsel on either side. 

Daniel F. Collins resumed the stand. 

The Witness. Mr. Chairman, before the counsel resumes his ques- 
tions I would like to add a little to the testimony I gave yesterday in 
relation to the interview with Mr. Danenhower at the Fifth Avenue 
Hotel, in the fact that he spoke to me at that time about the Sunday 
that several of the members of the expedition left the ship and went 
to liunt a bear. I repeated it in my first statement, but forgot it for a 
moment yesterday. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. In regard to the interview that you had with Lieutenant 
Danenhower, will you state now, as fully as you recollect, all that he 
said in regard to the bear? — Answer. Yes, sir. He stated that a bear 
was seen off the ship on Sunday when the ship was near Herald Island, 
and that Mr. Niudemann, himself, and my brother, and I am not sure 
whether there was a fourth party, went after the bear. Mr. Mndemann 
was in advance, and they hunted the bear for a time, when he rec- 
ollected that the ship had to be prepared for inspection, and he returned, 
and that the others followed up Mr. Mudemann, not knowing but he 
might get into trouble or receive some injury, and that when he re- 
turned to the ship the captain asked him who was absent, and he ex- 
plained to the captain, and that an order was issued next day that no 
one should leave the ship without special permission. 

Q. Was that told you by Lieutenant Danenhower before or after the 
other part of the conversation which you detailed yesterday? — A. That 
I could not be positive about. 

Q. As near as you recollect? — A. That I hsive no recollection of. 

Q. Can you not recollect whether that was before he told you that 
your brother's life had been such an uncomfortable one? — A. I have no 
recollection on the point. 

Q. Can you state whether it was before or after the time that he said 
to you, as you have given it, that if he had been in your brother's place 
he would have gone over the shiji's side ? — A. I have no recollection on 
the point. 

Q. Then you have no recollection of the sequence of the conversation 
that took place at the Fifth Avenue Hotel? — A. I have a general recol- 
" lection, but no specific recollection, whether that statement was made 
before or after he made the statement of the life my brother led. 

Q. Now, I ask you if you have any recollection of the sequence of 
that conversation? — A. I have given the conversation in about the se- 
quence as I understood it. 

Q. Did he make any comment upon the order which you say he told 
you was given the next day? — A. I have no recollection on that point. 

Q. Did he tell you in the course of that conversation that it was hell 
in the Arctic regions for three years ? 

The Witness. In that conversation did he tell me that was what was 
hell? 

Mr. AuNOUX. The life your brother led; that itwas hell in the Arctic 
regions for three years? — A. I don't remember the wording; I have no 
recollection at the present time. 

Q. Did you not, in making your opening statement to the committee, 
state it in about those words? — A. That was about the substance of the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 169 

remark. But the exact words I gave then as nearly ns I conlcl re- 
member. 

Q. No NY that > oil are under oath, and giving them as nearly as you 
can remember, do you remember that Lieutenant Danenhower said to 
you that life was hell in the Arctic regions for three years ! — A. I don't 
remember exactly the words '•'- three years," nor do I remember the words 
that I used in my previous testimony, when I was under oath as well 
as now. 

Q. I am not speaking of the time when you were under oath ; I am 
speaking of the time when you were making a statement not under 
oath. — A. At what time was that? 

Q. When you opened this matter? — A. I was under oath then, sir. 

Q. The oath had been administered to you, but the statement was 
not a sworn statement % — A. I considered it so. 

Q. You did? — A. I was under oath before tliat statement was made. 

Q. Did you understand that the committee was taking that as testi- 
mony in the cause ? — A. I have no understanding of what the under- 
standing of the committee was. 

Q. I am asking what you understood % — A. I did not pay any atten- 
tion to the matter. 

Q. If you had supposed that you were testifying to the matter then, 
why did you take the witness stand and submit to an examination yes- 
terday % — A. I did not suppose anything. 

Mr. OuKTis. It was because I told him so. It was at my direction. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. I want to inquire of you how many conversations you had with 
your brother before the Jeannette sailed from San Francisco, of which 
you spoke yesterday ? — A. The conversation lasted all the time — three 
or four days nearly. 

Q. Did you have more than one conversation with your brother at 
Saint Paul? — A. I had no conversation with my brother at Saint Paul. 

Q. Where did you say you had the conversation with your brother? — 
A. I stated that it was in Minneapolis. 

Q. Did you have more than one conversation at Minneapolis? — A. 
Naturally it should be broken by night-time, if it continued three or 
four days. 

Q. I did not ask what was natural. I asked for a fact, not a conclu- 
sion. — A. That is a fact. We did not sit ui^ all the nights for three or 
four nights, talking. 

Q. Do you recollect the date when you commenced to have that 
series of conversations with your brother at Minneapolis? — A. 1 do 
not, sir. 

Q. Give as nearly as you can the date when that conversation took 
place ? — A. It took place wliile he was on his way to the ship in San 
Francisco. I think it was in May 'or June, 1879. 

Q. About June, 1879 ? — A. Either May or June j I could not be pos- 
itive. 

Q. Had you at that time read in the newspapers the interview alleged 
to have been had between Captain De Long and a newspaper corre- 
pondent which was published in the Washington Post ? — A. No, sir. 

A. At the time you had the conversation with him at Minneapolis 
had your brother seen the article in the Washington Post ?— A. Evi- 
dently he had, or he would not have spoken to me on the subject. 

Q. You know nothing further than from that conclusion, do you ? — A. 
No, sir. 



170 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What did your brother tell you was contained in that article in 
the Washington Post? — A. He stated to me that Lieutenant De Long 
was reported by the Washington Post as stating or saying that the civil 
scientists that were going on the expedition, which he understood to 
mean Mr. Newcomb and himself, were going as mere accessories, and 
the work proper would be done by naval officers. 

Q. When he used the word '' accessories," did that strike you as being 
a word that reflected in any way upon your brother? — A. Most de- 
cidedly. 

Q. Did it seem to disturb your brother's peace of mind that he should 
be called an accessory? — A. He seemed to be annoyed at it, but did not 
believe that Mr. De Long had made the statement. 

Q. I only ask you about the word. He was annoyed ; and did you 
share in his annoyance ? — A. I thought it vfas a very strange remark. 

Q. I say did you share in his annoyance? — A. Naturally. 

Q. What do you understand the w^ord accessory to mean? — A. Ac- 
cessory is one who assists, or one not in charge, not the main person. 

Q. Did you suppose at any time that your brother was to be in the 
main charge of the expedition? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you suppose at anytime that Captain De Long was not to be 
in the main charge of the expedition? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you suppose that the Navy was to be accessory to your brother 
and Mr. Newcomb? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then in what way was this word ''accessory" so oftensive to you 
and to your brother? — A. From the fact that from the instructions and 
all the information that my brother possessed at that time, as far as he 
told me, he was to be in charge of the scientific work that he was sent 
to do. 

Q. Would he not still be an accessory of the expedition if that view 
were true? — A. Well, I suppose you can view the word accessory in a 
half a dozen lights, if you choose. 

Q. AYas not, so far as j^ou know, the work that your brother was 
sent to do limited to the meteorological work of the expedition ? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. Did your brother have any scientific knowledge of deep-sea sound- 
ings or of the use of transit instruments ? — A. I should judge naturallj^ 
as a civil engineer. In the first place, I know he had a knowledge of 
deep-sea sounding, and, secondly, I suppose his profession and general 
scientific study would give him a knowledge of the other. 

Q. That is all that you know on the subject? — A. Tbat is all that I 
know on the subject. Of course I am not prepared to state what he 
knew and what he did not know. Naturally, I cannot do that. 

Q. How had your brother acquired a knowledge of deep-sea sound- 
ings ; you say that you know that he had? — A. I remember that when I 
was young he took charge of the soundings of the sunken shoals and 
rocks and of the sea-coast outside Queenstown Harbor, on which one of 
the large ocean steamers was wrecked. 

Q. And is that what you call deep-sea soundings? — A. That is what I 
referred to in my statement. 

Q. The soundings around one of the harbors of Ireland? — A. It was 
not in one of the harbors; it was away off the coast. 

Q. Do you not know as matter of fact that the soundings all the way 
across the Channel from Great Britain to France are not deep sea sound- 
ings? — A. I have not studied that subject; that is a thing I am not 
informed about. 

Q. You do not know anything about it ? Now, can you state post- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 171 

tively of your own knowledge that, except as he had acquired a knowl- 
edge of loeteorology in the weather bureau of the INew York Herald, 
your biother had any scientific knowledge 1 — A. I will state that he did 
not learn anything about meteorology in the ISTew York Herald weather 
bureau from the fact that it was he organized the bureau, and he must 
have had some knowledge before that. 

Q. What I mean to reach is this: Did he have any scientific knowl- 
edge outside of the knowledge of meteorology which he displayed in 
the Herald bureau 1 — A. That is a matter that I could not possibly an- 
swer. I could not tell what another man's knowledge is upon any subject. 

Q. Do you know whether your brother knew anything about the ad- 
justment of portable transit instruments ? — A. If you will explain to 
me exactly what a portable transit instrument is, I will try to answer. 

Q. Well, I ask you the question'? — A. I do not know in the first place 
what a portable transit instrument isj if it is the instrument used in 
land surveying, he did. 

Q. Conceding that your idea about that is correct, for how long a 
time did he have such knowledge, as far as you are aware 1—A. As long 
as I can remember. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) Will you look at the letter which I now show 
you dated the 5th of April, 1879, and signed Jerome J. Collins, and state 
whether you know in whose handwriting that letter is"? — A. That is 
his signature. 

Q. Can you state whether that letter is in your brother's handwriting 
or not? — A. Yes, it is in his handwriting to the best of my knowledge 
and belief. 

Mr. Arnoux. I propose to read this letter. 

Mr. Curtis. There is no objection, although we do not know what 
it is. 

Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

Herald Bureau, 
TFasJdngton, D. C, April 5, 1879. 

My Dear Sir : I spent the greater part of to-day at the Naval Observatory, where 
I preseuted your letters to Admiral Rodgers and Professor Harbness. Both gentlemen 
express willingness to further our work in every way. The Admiral was less grumpy 
than usual, I am told, and seemed anxious to he agreeable. He suggested that it 
would be difficult to manipulate a portable transit instrument on the expedition, and 
that the sextant should be used principally for determining position. He also re- 
marked that the Coast Survey people were more familiar with the use and setting up 
of the smaller instruments than the officers at the Observatory, and that I had better 
take some instruction from them. However, Professor Harkness told me that he 
would post me on everything relating to adjustments, &c., and I am going on Monday 
to take instruction at the Observatory. The drawings of the pendulum were finished 
this afternoon, and are now ready for the instrument-maker. Lieutenant Perry, of 
whose kindness and attention I cannot say too much, showed me over the Observa- 
tary, and took pains to exhibit the principal instruments. If it is possible to get one, 
we ought to have a chronograph f6r special observations. Perhaps one may be se- 
cured in New York if not in Washington. For pendulum observations and transits 
the instrument would be invaluable, as eye and ear noting admits of a serious per- 
sonal error. However, if we cannot get a chronograph, a good quarter second ' ' stop " 
chronometer might answer for our work. I mean one wherein a special second hand 
could he operated so as to measure the duration of movements. 

The more I see into these operations the more I am impressed with the value of 
electrical a.gency in operating little mechanisms with precision. If you use a tele- 
phone there must be a battery or generator, and this could bo utilized for an occa- 
sional display of the electric light, &c. Please look at the plans of an illuminated 
"buoy" which Mr. Connery has. My brother sent them to him, I understand. They 
may be useful for some purpose or other, especially for marking routes, that is to say, 
paths over the ice, between the ship and a land station during the Arctic night. I 
understand they burn for a very long time. 

Captain Franklin, of the Hydrographic Office, has made me acquainted with Lieu- 
tenants Lyons and Jewett of the Metearological Department of the Navy, both ex- 



172 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

ceediugly geuial gentlemoii. Lieuteiiaut Kelly is also attached to tliis department, 
and has helped to nuike my visit to Washington as pleasant as possible. Let me say 
that they all speak oFyou with unstinted praise. 

Suppose you will soon he down this way. Perry says he thinks you are coming 
during the week. Is this so ? If it is I will he very glad, as we can straighten out 
many things in a day or two. 
Yours trulv, 

JEROME J. COLLINS. 
Capt. George W. De Long, 

Neiv York. 

Mr. Curtis. We also oifer that letter. 

Mr. Arnoux. There is no '' we also." The letter is in evidence. 

Mr. Curtis. Are there any more like that! 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

Mr. Curtis. Consider that you may read tliem at any time. 

Mr. Arnoux. I shall read whatever the committee allow me to read. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do you know when and where your brother joined the Jeannette? 
— A. That is a matter I can only fix by his letters. 

Q. Well, sir? — A. The navy-yard in San Francisco. 

Q. I asked you also when. — A. I cannot tell when, sir. 

Q. As nearly as you have any information. — A. I suppose it was as 
early as June or eTuly, 1879. 

Q. Do you know that the ship Jeannette had sailed from Havre to 
San Francisco ? — A. Simply by the report. 

Q. You have been so informed, have you not? — A. I read it in the 
papers. 

Q. Well, you believe as well what you read in the i:>apers, a report 
about the sailing of the Jeannette, as you do about the statements of 
Mr. Jackson, do you not ? — A. I, did not state that the statements I 
heard of Mr. Jackson were in the papers. 

Q. You said there were some statements in the papers on which you 
founded your x)etition. — A. I said from the statements contained in the 
papers found on my brother's body. 

Q. Did you not say that there were also some statements in the news- 
papers "? — A. I do not think so. 

Q. I understood you so. Now, did your brother send to Mr. Bennett, 
after the conversation that he had with you in Minneapolis, to inquire 
whether he was placed in such a dreadful position as accessory in that 
expedition ? — A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Have you any inforioation on that subject? — A. Not that I recol- 
lect at this moment. Poj^sibly by examining carefully a whole mass of 
papers T might find something. I have no information that I recollect 
at this moment. 

Q. J)\d your brother, in the course of the conversation at Minne- 
apolis, say anything about inquiring of any one to ascertain whether 
Captain De Long had been properly or improperly quoted in the use of 
the word "accessory"? — A. Not to my knowledge. I have no recollec- 
tion at this time about that. 

Q. Do you know of liis making any inquiry of Mr. Bennett or of Mr. 
Connery, except as api)eared in the letter. Exhibit Q. R. (page 318) con- 
tained in the record of the Court of Inquiry? — A. At the present mo- 
ment 1 do not recollect. 

Q. Was there not a telegram found on his body, and among those 
papers, which had some reference to that subject? — A. Yes, there was a 
telegram. It is in the hands of the committee. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 173 

Q. Do you know what question is referred to in this telegram wherein 
Mr. Connery says "I do not like to give any opinion about the question 
in your two letters"? — A. I, of my own knowledge, cannot state that. 

Q. You have no knowledge on the subject? — A. Of course, personally, 
I have no knowledge. 

Q. I see this telegram is dated April 8. Was it before that date that 
you had the conversation with your brother at Minneapolis *? — A. I 
stated it was in May or June. 

Q. Did your brother, in the course of his visit with you at Minne- 
apolis, say anything about the expected route to be taken by the ves- 
sel? — A. Ko, sir ; not to my recollection. 

Q. Did he tell you that the boat had gone to San Francisco for the 
l)urpose of exploring the Polar sea through Behring Strait "? — A. I have 
no definite recollection on that point. 

Q. What is your best judgment as to general recollection *? — A. Well, 
any effort on my i)art to make a statement on that point would be simply 
stating Avhat I was not positive of, or what I was not in any way sure 
of at all. I have no recollection at all on that pointj if I had I should 
state so. 

Q. Have you no recollection that your brother said anything to you 
on the subject of the cruise"? — A. We talked in a general way about 
the ship going oft on an Arctic exploration — whether they were going 
by Behring Strait 5 — general talk in that way; but any talk about a 
definite route to be taken I have no recollection of. 

Q. But was it not your understanding that they were to go by way 
of Behring Strait to the North Pole? — A. That was my understanding. 

Q. Did you know that Mr. Bennett bought, or intended to buy and 
lit out, another vessel, to go by Spitzbergen, to meet the Jeannette*? — 
A. I heard something about it. Who I was informed by I cannot pos- 
itively state; but I think, as I remember the rumor or conversation, it 
was Mr. Bennett's intention to fit up a ship and send her up the other 
wa3^ I do not know anything about the purpose of meeting the Jean- 
nette. 

Q. Did you hear or know the name of the vessel that he proposed to 
fit out for that purpose? — A. Now that I recollect, I think that my 
brother stated to me in New York, before I went to Minnesota, that it 
bad been Mr. Bennett's intention to send an expedition up there, but 
he had abandoned the idea. 

Q. Did he say where he proposed to send the expedition? — A. No, 
sir ; I cannot recall that positively. 

Q. Now, what I am asking you is, whether you ever heard that it was 
Mr. Bennett's intention to send a vessel by way of Spitzbergen to 
meet the Jeannette when she should go through Behring Strait and 
come westward ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You said yesterday that you were not called or subpoenaed as a 
witness before the Court of Inquiry. — A. Yes. 

Q. Did you anticipate that you would be so subpoenaed ? — A. I antici- 
pated it so much that I wrote to Mr. Washburn on the subject, as well 
as 1 recollect, that I had received no notification from the court. 

Q. Were you in any way a party to the exi:)edition ? — A. Not that I 
know of. 

Q. Did you know of your own knowledge any fact that would throw 
any light upon the loss of the Jeannette? — A. Not at that time. 

Q. Then for what purpose did you expect to be subpoenaed before the 
Court of Inquiry if you had no information that you could give them on 
+he subject of the loss of the vessel I — A. I did not say I expected to be 



174 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

subpoenaed. I simply said I expected to be notified in some way or my 
attention called to it. The only notification I ever received was an in- 
vitation from Mr. Lemly to a personal meeting in Washington with him. 

Q. The question I put to you was whether you expected to be sub- 
poenaed, and I understood you to answer that you did'? — A. If I did it 
was not my intention to do so. 

Q. In regard to this present inquiry, so far as you are aware, were you 
not the sole complainant *? — A. I cannot say. 

Q. So far as you are aware ? — A. From conversations with Mr. ]N^ew- 
comb, he thought he was very much 

Q. (Interposing.) No, uoj I am not speaking of what people thought 
but I am speaking of your attitude in obtaining the present inquiry. — 
A. This present inquiry was obtained solely through my eflbrts. 

Q. Now, Judge Curtis, who has appeared here, has appeared as your 
Ijersonal counsel retained by you, has he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And in the examination of the witnesses, have you not largely or 
constantly framed questions which you have given to him in writing to 
propound to the witnesses "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you think, from all that you have learned in connection with 
this matter, that there was any mismanagement of the exi)edition in 
starting from San Francisco and going through Behring Strait? — A. 
That is a question that I prefer to leave to the committee to judge. 

Q. I ask whether you have any opinion on that subject ? — A. I should 
prefer to reserve my opinion until all the gentlemen have testified. 

Q. You are not ready at the present time to form any such opinion? 
— A. I have not so stated. 

Q. Are you ready at the present time to form or express such an 
opinion? — A. I prefer not to. 

Q. I do not ask .you what it is, I ask you have you formed an opin- 
ion on that subject? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now, if it had been Mr. Bennett's direction and wish that the ex- 
pedition should start from San Francisco and go through Bering Strait, 
would that influence your opinion in regard to the mismanagement of 
the expedition ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. I)o you think it was a matter of mismanagement that the boats' 
crews did not take pick-axes with them when they landed on the delta 
at the mouth of the Lena ? — A. I never so stated. 

Q. I did not say that you had so stated. I ask you the question 
whether that is your opinion ? — A. On that point I am not prepared at 
the present time to express an opinion. 

Q. Have you formed an opinion on that subject at the present time? 
— A. I have not. I can hardly say that I have. I have not paid 
enough attention to the matter. 

Q. Do you understand that when the different boats' crews landed 
at the Lena delta they had all that they were able to carry? — A. It is 
my understanding from the evidence given here that when the boats' 
crew^ landed and i)roceeded on they had a good deal more than they 
could carry. 

Q. Now, believing that, do you think it would have been wise, if they 
had it in their power to make selection, to have left behind some of the 
things which they carried and to have carried pick-axes instead? — A. I 
am not prepared to form any opinion with regard to pick-axes. 

Q. You heard that among the things that were carried was the doc- 
tor's medicine chest? — A. I understood it to be testified that the doc- 
tor's medicine chest was carried nearly empty. 

Q. But they carried the medicine chest with what medicines were in 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 175 

it, did you not so understand? — A. Yes j Mndemann said there was very 
little medicine in it. 

Q. Now, as a i:)hysician, do you not think it would have been wiser 
if they had had the choice to have left the medicine chest behind and 
taken pickaxes? — A. From Mndemann's testimony that there was 
nothing but compound cathartic pills in the medicine chest, I do not 
think it would have done them much more good than pick-axes. 

Q. Then you understood Mr. Mndemann under oath to say that there 
were compound cathartic pills in it? — A. I either understood him to 
say that under oath, or it was outside of the committee meeting. 

Q. (Submitting a map.) I show you a chart on Avhich you will see a 
dotted line which is stated to be the timber line, which is a degree or a 
degree and a half south of the delta, and ask you, assuming that that 
is the timber line, whether you think it would have been judicious in 
them to have carried axes for the purpose of chopping down trees on 
the delta? — A. That is a question that I cannot possibly answer, not 
being an expert in North Siberian travel. 

Q. You have never had any North Siberian travel, then ? — A. No, 
sir; fortunately. 

Q. You said in regard to the money which you loaned to Mr. Bartlett 
that you made an entry of it in a memorandum book ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Have you that memorandum book here?— A. Yes. 

Q. Will you tell me on reference to the memorandum book how many 
entries you made in that memorandum book prior to the one to which 
you refer? — A. Fifteen or sixteen. 

Q. Were they all on the same page ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And were they made at the same time? — A. No, sir; one after 
another. 

Q How long prior to the one relating to Bartlett was the first one 
entered in that book ? — A. I made the first memorandum probably some 
four or five days before that. I could not possibly state. 

Q. Did you make them all on the same day? — A. Oh, no. They 
cover a time of at least a week. 

Q. How long have you been a physician? — A. Eleven years. 

Q. In what school did you graduate? — A. Bellevue Medical College 
Hospital, New York. 

Q. Is that the regular school ? — A. Yes. 

Q. And did you have a classical education ? — A. Yes ; I went through 
a seminary. 

Q. And after tliafc went through a post-graduate course in medicine? 
—A. Yes. 

Q. Besides any influence from the Navy, in your judgment as a physi- 
cian, all other things considered, would it have been better to put the 
charge^of an expedition like that of the whale-boat's crew in the care of 
man who was physically well or of one who had for a year and a half 
previous been on the sick-list ? — A. I have no evidence to judge 

Q. (Interposing.) No, I am not asking you on that basis. I put a 
supposititious question to you?— A. I do not know how sick the indi- 
vidual was. I do not know what his mental or physical condition was. 
That is a question that no physician can answer without having all the 
facts before him. 

Q. Then it would depend upon his physical and mental condition ? — 
A. I should say, of course, it would depend upon the condition of the 
man. 

Q. But if all other things were equal, and one man was well and the 
other sick, which in your judgment would have been the proper one to 



176 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

hnve put at the head? — A. As I said before, it would depend upon how 
sick the man was. A-uian might have tooth-ache and call himself sick. 

Q. If a man called himself sick, even with tooth-ache, and another 
was well, which in your judgment was proper to put at the head? — A. 
I do not think the tooth- ache would make much difference. 

Q. But if a man would make that as an excuse, would you not, under 
such circumstances, say the other man ought to be put .at the head? — 
A. If I was at the head and one complained of tooth-ache I would put 
the other man in charge. I would not certify to the man Avith tooth- 
ache beiug fit for duty. 

Q. But if the man were actually sick, so that he was under the care 
of the physician from the 1st of January of the year previous and down 
to the middle of June, and had suffered to such an extent that his eye- 
sight was permanently affected by his sickness, would you not, as a phy- 
sician, say that it would be wiser, if all other conditions were equal, to 
put a well man at the head? — A. If the man was totally unlit and not 
able to assuirie that charge 

Q. (Interposing.) I did not say totally unfit. — A. I will confine my- 
self simply to unfit for duty. If a man was unfit for duty I would not 
have him on duty. 

Q. I did not x)ut the question if he was unfit for duty, but I say a 
man sick to the extent which I have spoken of? — A. If a man was sick 
to the extent you have spoken of he naturally in that condition would 
be unfit for duty. 

Q. Do you know the correspondent of the New York World? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. Do you know auythiug about the comi)osition of the article which 
appeared in the New York World on Tuesday, April the 8th ? — A. I 
neither heard of, saw, or in the slightest knew anything about its com- 
position, and no one was more astonished to read it than I was. 

Q. Does that article truly represent your feelings in respect to this 
matter? — ^A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any personal animosities to gratify in this investiga- 
tion?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any personal desire to bring discredit unnecessarily on 
any member of that expedition, living or dead? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Is it true, as stated in that article, that you have spent $3,000 in 
procuring testimony to bring before this committee? 

The Witness. You mean in the way that I have paid foj? testimony 
or spent it directly 

Q. (Interposing.) I will read exactly what it is: "But this time Dr. 
Collins has spent over $3,000 in getting evidence." — A. No, sir; there 
is no truth in it whatever that I have spent $3,000 in getting testimony 
together. 

Mr. Curtis. It must have been written after dinner. 

Mr. Arnoux. I thought so. I felt that it left the doctor in too shock- 
ing a })osition to stand as a matter known to this committee, and I 
knew the counsel would have some delicacy in asking his client in de- 
fense of that, and I thought it only right to ask him to correct such an 
outrageous article as that ? 

The Witness. It is shameful. I am thankful to counsel for calling 
attention to it. I will state that some one told me that IMr. Austin was 
the correspondent, and 1 went to him- and asked him about it, and he 
told me that he did not write it and knew nothing about it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 177 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) I show you that letter. Do you know 
whether that is Mr. Bennett's handwriting? — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. In connection with the question I asked the witness 
about the course I would like to read a letter from Mr, Bennett. It is 
as follows ; 

Stone Valley, Newport, 

Tuesday t September 2. 
Dear Mrs. De Long: 

The inclosed may interest you. I am almost certain we shall hear from them soon, 
and I shall not give up hope for this year till late in October. Did Captain De Long 
ever speak to you about which side of the Pole he would attack? I mean, would he 
attempt to go round by the Russian side and try to get into the Atlantic that way, 
or come down to the left of Wrangel Land into Baffin's Bay ? 
Faithfully yours, 

J. G. BENNETT. 

Q. I wish you to read to the committee the note-book of your brother. 

Mr. Arnoux. I would say to the gentlemen of the committee I have 
read part of ifc, and so far as the evidence has gone in regard to language 
the most sensitive friend of Captain De Long could not object to any- 
thing that has been testified to here with the exception of one single 
word. Mr. Bartlett said that in reiterating an order Captain De Long 
reiterated it with an oath. But when Bartlett testified he put the thing 
with another word first, and corrected it and changed it, and then he 
stood by it. ];:^ow, I think that the journal shows distinctly and clearly, 
although by inference, that Captain De Long never used any such lan- 
guage to Mr. Collins. 

Mr. Curtis. Do not make any argument about it ; read it. 

Mr. Arnoux. I am only explaining why I want it read. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, I simply want to call the attention of the commit- 
tee to page 236 of the record of the Court of Inquiry. You will notice 
in the testimony of Professor Il^ewcomb this statement : 

The Witness. He kept a large journal in a wooden box made by the carpenter, Mr. 
Sweetman. That book, I think, was lost. Further than that I do not know. If this 
book was the one referred to, I think it was lost with the ship. 

The journal of Mr. Collins is not here. Neither is that memorandum 
or series of memoranda or diary, or whatever you may be pleased to 
call it, that he is said to have kept in a secret way after he was deprived 
of writing materials. That is not here. And then as you [Mr. McAdoo] 
were not here during the first two days, I will take the liberty of stating 
that it appeared in the proof, I think the testimony of Bartlett, that 
there was apparently much more taken from the body of Collins than 
was put in evidence here. 

Mr. McAdoo. I will make a note of that point. 

Mr. Arnoux. Bartlett said he thought the little bundle of crumpled 
papers had more to it when he handed it over. 

Mr. BouTELLE. In looking over his testimony I notice he said be- 
fore the Court of Inquiry that he knew of nothing that was not repro- 
duced. 

Mr. Arnoux. But at this time he thought the package was a little 
larger, how much larger he could not state 5 that it was a little crum- 
pled. Now that is all he said about it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If any question arises about his testimony we can 
call him to the stand again. 

Mr. Curtis. I thought I would call the attention of Mr. McAdoo to 
it, as he was not here. 

12 J Q* 



178 JE ANNETTE ^ INQUIRY. 

Mr. McAdqo. I am very glad you did it. 

Mr. Curtis. The journal is not here. It is only a note-book. 

Mr. McAdoo. Is there any evidence that Collins had a journal ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes; Professor Newcomb says so on this page [indicat- 
ing!. 

Mr. Arnoux. He says he had a large book he kept in a wooden box 
which went down in the ship. 

Mr. Curtis. Proceed doctor. 

The Witness. Do you want me to read everything in the book? 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. I mean that part which is a journal. First, I will ask you, was the 
leaf when you first saw it as it now appears ? 

The Witness. Which leaf ? 

Mr. Arnoux. There is a torn leaf just before the beginning of the 
diary — there [indicating]. — A. Well, titiat, of course, I could not posi- 
tively swear to, but I should judge so by this thing being colored here 
[indicating]. 

Q. You have no recollection ? — A. I have no recollection. 

Q. Your best recollection, judging by the book, is that it was in that 
condition when it was first handed to you f — A. I would state that I 
have no positive knowledge on the subject at all. 

Q. But I say your best judgment is ? — A. I could not give my best 
judgment. 

Q. Is not that your best judgment, by the soiling there ! — A. A day's 
rubbing might cause that. You can see that yourself. 

Q. You never tore the leaf out 1 — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. Goon. — A. (Eeading:) 

Events of June, 1881. — Party started to island; sighted 16tli May; on morning Slst 
May boat on sled, provisions, &c., Melville, Nindeinann, Bartlett, Sharwell, Erichsen, 
Dunbar; island stated to be only 15 miles off; nearly S, S.W. ; really over 25 miles. 
Party landed on 2d of June; hoisted Hag, &c.; returned end of five days; Dunbar 
enow-blind ; some of men suffered belly-ache ; very bad traveling ; heavy ice ; over- 
loaded; ship drifted west, and on 8th broke drift by floe parting ; she was tied up in 
half berth; on the 11th the ice closed on and crushed her; all hands on ice; ship 
sunk about 4 a. m., 12th. Evening of 11th captain asked me to read off meteorologi- 
cal log for him to copy into ship's log ; did so; assisted in hauling stuff to first camp 
from near ship ; first camp pitched about two hundred yards off; after turned in, floe 
split right across door of our tent ; turned out lively and shifted everything farther 
off; bobbed about until evening of 17th jorepariMg" to go south ; nothing ready ; started 
with a rush, and bursted three sleds first journey ; no experience governing movement ; 
result, mess of worst kind; men growling among selves at the mismanagement; 
halted half day for repairs, another day for shelter from rain ; stiff' neck and horrible 
pain in upper chest third day out ; tried to work ; rubbed liniment ; better after, and 
worked digging and hauling until the evening (morning) 5th July, when ordered by 
captain to do no more work, as I was under suspension since Dec. 2d, 1880; " had 
observed that I worked," &c., when he saw necessity would order me ; was to do no 
more duty work until reach the United States ! Bien ! Spoke doctor next day (wet) ; 
said depressing effect of inaction forced on me under circumstances ; no satisfaction 
beyond platitudes; no stigma attached to me; commanding officer took responsibil- 
ity, &c. : marched two or three days with the Bashi Bazouks ; then asked if I could 
clean and carry my rifle ; yes. First day shot a seal ; handsomely recovered by men 
in dinghy; general rejoicing over fresh meat. Next day shot another seal, which 
floated until got ; both excellent in stew; got two shots at a youug walrus; finally 
lost him ; missed a seal at short range on account of goggles ; two days after, about 
20, Foxy died. Next day got a shot into head of walrus ; animal dived and came up 
some 200 yards away spouting blood ; doctor found him swimming, and he and Dun- 
bar got him after firing five shots into his head ; I got tusks; young bull. 

Land sighted on morning of Sunday, 10th July; very distant, bearing SW. S.; on 
day of the Ist, seal killed; wo found it bearing W. X S., and changed course di- 
rectly for it. Up to 18th or 19th the captain and Dunbar called it water, until we 
got so close as to see the cliffs. Similar signs of land to S. SE.; 23d killed two 
seals ; lost first ; sunk quickly ; both shot through head. Several lieavy hauls over 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 179 

very open and bad leads, Ibiit ice generally good. Newcomb put under arrest on 
charges by Danenhower — impudence. Star under arrest, charges by Melville, since 
13th ; throwing away a wet slipper which was put on his sleeping-bag. Chipp on 
duty since IGth and doing well. One day the men worked twenty-two hours ; last 
spell nine hours, and to bed supperless ; general growling. This occasion of New- 
comb's trouble. Sent for by Chipj) on 22d, a. m., and ordered from commanding offi- 
cer to make sketch of land ; did so. Commanding officer said it was his duty to tell 
me that the emergency demanded his ordering me to do so. I said, '' All right, sir." 
Made sketch in hve sections. Pencil note-book furnished by commanding officer; 
handed it over to commanding officer. None of the officers or men yet know where 
we are, but we are close to island and drifting to SW. This morning about 4 a. m. 
Goetz killed a bear near camp. A bear chased Sweetman last evening, but got awav 
when hunted. Eecord of shots to date : 11-51, 12-51, 13-51, 14-51, 15-51, 16-31,17-01, 
18-01, 19-51, 110-51, 111-51 ; 4 seals ; 1 walrus killed ; 1 bird hit on wing ; 1 sealmissed ; 
1 walrus hit twice. 

Sunday, July 24tli, evening.— " Turned to" at 8 P. M. Fogp~lat. N. 76° 40', long. E. 
151"^ 25', by observation and record in sketch-book. Drifted rapidly past island in 
fog ; made poor progress otherwise ; many leads with running ice. Passed low point 
very rapidly, and drifted into the bight inside, which proved a deep bay. Land showed 
steep cliffs and stony valleys. 

July 26. — During a. m. turned out and saw land close. High bluff of cliff inside, 
low valley, but fog shut it again. Evening. — I make a sketch of island from W. to 
E. Drifting W. rapidly. 

27th. — Very rapid drifting. Camped on floe until noon, when ran in toward shore 
and camped. Heavy ice ; good going. 

28. — Made a run for shore, and after several narrow escapes from running ice got 
on land ice all safe. Went into camp, and after supper com. off", had all hands mus- 
tered, we marched ashore; flag planted island; *'new discoverj,'^ Bennett Island; 
three cheers. 

^Oth. — Date changed ahead to E. longitude ; sketched face of point ; lots of myrs 
killed by men ; stone on cliff; latter baysalt and trap coal veins burned very well in 
and under stones. 

31. — Dull day ; suffered two or three days sharp dysentery ; in the evening notified by 
Chipp to be ready for boat expedition for next day ; got gun ready ; told by capt. to 
make collections and sketches. 

Aug. 1. — Left camp at 11 a. m. Boat could not be launched until 4.30 p. m. ; ice 
too crowded in shore, got off and moved up coast about f mile, and camped on shore 
ice as we could not proceed; Chipp, myself, Stveatman, Leech, Wilson, Manson, 
Sharvell, Kuhne, eight in all; good prospect in morning; got away at 8 a. m. and 
went along coast in very open water about 16 miles and could see on as many more 
when we turned back ; had driven ashore on foot of slope of an old glacier ; plenty 
of driftwood, a little moss and grass ; land there low and stony ; collected plants 
and stones ; found fox jaw, but no'other signs of quadruped life. Got back to camp 
at 9 p. m. and returned to main camp next day, at noon. 

Fourth. — All day cold; wet and miserable; eat some walrus flipper and hyde, very 
good; Dunbar made atrip other side, about 15 to 20 miles, with dog-sled, Aneguin 
and Alexy ; back one day before us ; found nothing but a walrus tusk and some 
signs of grouse and foxes ; a bear came to his camp while he was away. 

Aug. 6th. — Left Bennett Island after breakfast, in boats. They returned and 
brought off sleds and stuff"; 10 dogs icluding four shot by order Eri'chsen, executor. 
After dinner went around floe in boats, pulling and sailing; sleds crossed floe; 
camped bet. com. off. and C. E. 

Aug. 7th. — Started in boats after breakfast ; shot at seal twice ; missed first, grazed 
second ; lost him in young ice; abandoned one dog; Alexy two dogs; Johnny Arm- 
strong, Smike, and Wolf abandoned on ice ; worked through ; fair going, but pulled 
out twice ; camped ; killed a seal and lost him. 

Aug. Sth, — Killed a seal after breakfast ; got him ; missed a seal later in day ; poor 
going for a while, but fair distance made. 

Aug. ^th. — Shot a seal after dinner, would have got him but not allowed to shoot 
toward bow ; passed a young hoojuk ; he dived before I could shoot ; good going. 

Aug. 10th. — Encamped; shot a seal from boat ; very good hit; lost him; shot an- 
other during dinner halt ; lost him ; fair to middling going, from 10th to 17th good. 

17th. Fired at hoojuk on ice ; several came around camp water but none got, 
though two hit by myself and Bartlett ; killed three seals ; lost them ; quite a num- 
ber of seals showing. 

18th. A poor day's work until evening, when got through pack; strong stormy wind 
from northwest ; snow ; opened pack at camp ; shook tilings up ; some tents had to 
be moved back ; cold and miserable. 

19^/i. Pack all slack ; safely aboard and under way ; made about ten miles before 
dinner, and had meal in boat ; were going well when second cutter showed signs dis- 



180 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tress; fibe was stove in, and had to be hauled out for repairs ; lost three hours; much 
troubled by moving ice; finally got away, and made considerable distance until the 
wind went into east with southing ; when, after supper, hauled out on iioe and camped ; 
we are now in the open water, and preparations made for boat voyage to the nearest 
coast; everything extra thrown away; ammunition and guns distributed; don't 
think our position is known; my gun went wholly out of commission on 17th ; used 
Chipp's since: can't shoot it well, as not used to it; Erichsen sick to-day ; everything 
and everybody cold and miserable; hauled out on floe; strong wind from SSE. 
abeam; saw low land abeam, but no one would admit it was land; called it open 
w^ater. 

20 to 29. Camped on floe within sight of low land to S. and W.; captain said we 
were to N. of New Siberia ; but on 28th land sighted to southeast, and we found we 
were N. of Thaddeus Island instead, and drifting through the channel between the 
two islands; this shows our position, by observations, to be 70 to 80 miles out ; daring 
our 9 days in camp I shot three seals, got one ; Dunbar 2 ; Nindemann 1 ; Bartlett 1 ; 
I made two bad misses. 

29/-/t.— After dinner Chipp reported a lead opening to S. ; moved boats over floe 
piece and got under way about 1 p. ra. ; kept on for a mile or two, when tied up wait- 
ing for an opening; on Chipp's report of a practicable opening under way again, and 
kei)fc going until about 8.30, through fair, open ice; camped. 

30//(.— Out at 4 a. m. and away at 5; kept on all day ; saw E. point of Thaddeus Island 
in a. m. and SE. point at noon ; went for it, and landed after much efl:brt by trans- 
ferring })eople and stuff boat to boat ; camped on bluff; after supper Alexy and I out 
for reindeer ; found lots of tracks but saw no deer; long tramps over tundras; very 
tired. 

31s^— Left at 7 a. m., coasting to the N.SW.; saw winter huts marked on chart; 
reached most southerly point Thaddeus Island at 4 p.m.; could not land ; too shoal ; put 
out for next small island ; water very shoal; scarcely enough to float the first cutter ; 
spent a miserable night in the shoals, tacking, backing and filling to clear the long, low 
bank that seemed to go on our starboard side parallel to the course; chilled through 
and sick from motion of boat ; incident, anchoring with a keg of alcohol and pem- 
mican cans ; simply awful muddle, tied up at 4 a. m., Sept. 1st, to piece of grounded 
ice until second cutter came up, had breakfast and brief rest ; then off before fine 
strong wind to SSW. ; going sometimes six knots; lost second cutter about 3 p. m ; tied 
up to a floating floe piece at 5 p.m.; had supY)er and camped to wait for second 
cutter; I don't believe she will turn up until we reach the Lena, as wind is so strong 
and drift so rapid that she can't find us; the real value of black boats and tanned 
sails apparent now. 

2nd iSep. — Wind blowing gale from S. E. ; still camped ; commanding officer '^ played 
out." 

3rd September. — Camped ; Aneguiu reported second cutter after dinner ; she came to 
at the floe edge, one mile away, and Chipp, with Kuhne, crossed men to camp to re- 
port. They got to us at 6 p. m. ; we had ducks for dinner ; excellent. 

4//j Sept. — After breakfast hauled boats and stuff to the floe edge in towards land 
lead ; after dinner got afloat and ran along floe edge until brought up by ice ; ran 
through heavy sea towards land; finally got ashore on low land of Koltenoi island 
and camped close to beach ; com. off. got overboard as we started ; in afternoon built 
big fire and tried to dry our clothes. 

Fifth day. — Foggy, but calm ; parties went out hunting, but got nothing ; I found 
hut and made sketches; Alexy found Russian coin, 1840; I found many small things; 
all brought in; wind changed to N. W. 

C)ih. — Started along beach ; after a short row in boats, we made about five miles, 
where we had dinner ; we then hauled out our boats and stuff and carried them about 
a quarter of a mile, and got within five miles of Sledge island, where we hauled out 
and camped. 

7th. — Up at 5 a. m. ; after, breakfast, and got under way at 6.30 ; cleared island Spt. 
at 9 and away S. SW. to SW. ; wind freshened and we had to go about on account of 
ice ; finally got through, and had a strong beam wind, which raised the sea so as to 
make our overloaded boats take in water at every roll ; run before it a day and night. 

Sth. — Morning; we hauled under shelter of floe piece a little and then got away; 
everybody wet and miserable ; worked along through ice and smoother water all day 
until 4 p.m., when we hauled otit and camped on a floe-piece, very tired and ex- 
hausted. 

9th. — Sea nearly calm all day; saw Stolbar Island E. SE., way and under oars made 
fairway; I raised the Sumiuawoki Island about 3 p. m.; started for it and nearly 
reached it when fog *' shut" in and we had to camp on a floe piece about one mile 
from beach. Regular hitch business; yonng ice making. 

lOth. — Under way ; rounded north end of island and came along west side ; landed 
for dinner, found tracks of deer ; after dinner hunting party followed deer tracks; 
they^ot one doe ; missed a fawn; then hauled in and commenced to dress and cook 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 181 

meat; for extra dinner and supper; some grumbling among men at delay on this 
island, as we have a fair wind and open sea, and are only 96 miles from Barkin. This 
is our 90th day from the ship, and for the sake of a feed of meat we are delaying or 
losing two good days. 

VMJi, Sunday. — Camped on south end of island; parties sent out hunting but noth- 
ing got except a few ptarmigan. 

I'Slh, Monday. — Started at 7.30 a. m. and by 9 a. m. were at end of second island. 
Fair but brisk wind. Went along well together until noon when stopping for dinner 
by an ice floe. After dinner went on. W. boat stove by running on floe during the 
difficult navigation of the floating ice. Hauled her out and repaired her temporarily. 
Patch and grease. Went on, wind freshening to very strong. Sea very rough and 
threatening at about 3; W. boat run ahead and we lost sight of her. Second cutter 
astern and out of sight at about 4 p. m. From that forward we saw neither of these 
boats. About the time the second cutter disappeared the sea was running mountains, 
and we shipped one sea which nearly swamped us, filling our boat to the thwarts; 
bailed her and had her hardly clear when she gibed and nearly capsized, breaking 
mast step and disabling her. Then the C. O. had the alcohol keg hove over as a sea 
anchor; then the oars, the sail and yard, and an old sail or sled cover tied bagwise. 
The boat would not come up and ride to it, but lay in the trough of the sea all night 
and most of next day. I never experienced anything and hope never to know of a 
similar case of utter misery. Wet by every sea, trembling with cold, hopeless excej^t 
in the mercy of Almighty God, we sat, jammed together, for nearly 72 hours. I 
make no attempt to describe what we experienced. Fortunately, the surgeon served 
out small doses of brandy during Ist 36 hours, and that helped to warm us for a little 
while; bailing continually. All the hair fairly washed off my parky as I sat under 
every sea that came over. Finally, through the mercy of God, the sea and wind mod- 
erated, and though wet, we had a respite from the utter misery of the storm. Baf- 
fling winds now kept us afloat, so that when we sighted the low coast of the Lena 
Delta we were five nights and six days in the boat, cold and wet. Even now a new 
trial of endurance bad to be met. The water on the coast was so shallow that the 
boat could not come within one and a half miles of land. We therefore lay all Friday 
and most of Saturday, the 17th and 18th, aground by a piece of shingle ice ; and in 
the afternoon all hands, except the commanding officer, surgeon, Boyd, and Erichsen 
had to go overboard and walk the boat towards the land. We got within a mile 
when she grounded again, and we had to back our sleeping gear ashore in a snow 
storm. Subsequently the rest of the men made several trips back to boat, and C. O., 
surgeon, and two sick men had to foot it ashore. I remained with cook, who was 
very sick. My own feet were almost frozen, the big toe of right foot being black and 
blue and feelingless. Got a big fire going and dried out somewhat. Boyd and 
Erichsen's feet in an awful condition. Go's hands bandaged up ; all broken out. 
Cook almost useless. 

Sunday, 19th. — Remained in camp. M«n brought in everything from boat and she 
was abandoned. Alexy shot a gull, which made soup for 14 of us. When fortified 
with a little pemican grease it was excellent. Made a fire near camp, as we had 
plenty of driftwood, and dried out clothes. Everything on me was saturated. 

Monday, Idtli. — Left camp about 1 p. m., after abandoning everything but two tents, 
1 stove, i blanket for each man, some rubber bottles of alcohol, and a lot of truck, log- 
books, &c., &c., which weighted down the men beyond their strength. We wore not 
long under way when we came to water which gave us all wet feet. Camped about 
6 p. m,, about S. SW. of landing-place. Turned in and slept [?] 7 in a tent, so misera- 
bly that I would rather be out in the open air. The ground was saturated with water. 
Tuesday, 20th. — Started from camp and made slow way, as Erichsen was completely 
broken down, and lay on the ground saying he would die, but could not go on. Co. 
and surgeon went back and boosted him along. Deer tracks seen by all hands. 
After dinner Alexy and Nindemann went after a small herd, but could not get up with 
them. Later, and before supper, Alexy, Nindemann, and myself went out after the 
deer, but could only find fresh tracks leading about S. W. We abandoned the No. 1 
tent at last evening's camp, so had to cut No. 6 in two and sleep [?] on hurdles with 
a wind-guard [?] of a log at our heads and the half tent as a coverlid. The results 
were awful. The cold was horrible, and the jam worse. A more miserable night it 
would be difficult to experience, and could not be out of the place we were in. We 
had a big fire, plenty of wood, but the general plan of running the machine that has 
been our bane so long, still holds like a horse-leech and sucks our chances of escape 
away. 

Wednesday, 31si. — Up and away about 7.30 a. m., and made very good way until din- 
ner, which we had in a blinding snow squall by the bank of a river, which is an out- 
fall of the Lena. The sick are getting along very well. After dinner, followed river 
bank left southward until we reached two huts on low bluft'. One of the seappears to 
be quite new ; the other perhaps a few years old ; wooden skeleton covered with sods. 
We camped in these. Alexy started out to examine some huts he saw. He remained 



182 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

away late, and got back as we turned in. Leg of deer and two tongues. He killed 
two, and we all turned out and ate voraciously of the meat. Slept rather cold. 

Thursday, 22nd. — A party of men under Nindemann went out and brought in the 
deer meat. We had soup for supper ; very good. I remained in hut all day. The fresh 
meat caused looseness of bowels. Sick men improving by rest, but all hands complain 
of feet. 

Fiiday, 23rd. — Remained in hut all day; weather clear and fiue ; no hunting. Sick 
better. Had regular and good allowance of meat^ with soup twice. Made sketches 
of scenes on route for Com. C. O. Repaired pants. Getting ready for a start to-mor- 
row. Gortz made a pair of blanket mittens for me on Thursday ; very warm and good. 
Greased my feet, which relieved them considerably. 

Saturday, 24th. — Up at daybreak, and had soup and boiled meat. We are leaving 
nothing eatable behind us. Started early and walked all day, making fair progress, 
considering the condition of the party. Had our rations of deer meat. Camped at 
night on logs under shelter of half tents. Miserably cold and uncomfortable. 

Sunday, 2bth. — Turned out very much chilled. After breakfast went ahead, and at 
dinner eat our last ration of meat. Prayers. Good-bye fire. On again, and arrived, 
by God's mercy, at evening at a large enough hut to hold the party. Remained there 
for night. 

Monday, 26th. — Made a raft in morning, and crossed arm of river in small parties. 
Much delay. Nindemann put under arrest for grumbling to himself. He is to be 
tried by court-martial, &c., &c. Had dinner on right bank, under bluff". Went on 
and camped again under blulf. Made a better rig for shelter by tricing up the tents 
as a lee, and lying around the fire. 

Tuesday, 27th. — Alexy shot a big buck, Deo gratias. Meat hauled in. We had eaten 
our second last ration of peramican. We turned to and eat about three pounds apiece 
of deer meat with tea, finishing about noon; then uji, and each man taking a load of 
meat, in addition to his old load, went ahead until night, when we camped down un- 
der the bluff, making a fair shelter. 

Wednesday, 28th. — Up at daybreak, and after a long and painful march reached an 
old hut on the point, between main river and arm leading southeast of thereabouts. 
We camped in hut and repaired it somewhat. Collected wood, and a big fire built 
on point to attract attention of the natives. Closely packed and uncomfortable from 
cold. 

Thursday, 29th. — Doctor, self, Nindemann, and Alexy off hunting. Nothing seen 
but a few x^tarmigans. Alexy shot a gull ; soup of him for fourteen of us. No wood 
for a raft near us. Small two-man hut up Second River, which was probably made in 
August. Fish-bait in traps nearly fresh ; piece roasted and eaten. Alexy and Ninde- 
mann fixed up a fish-line and baited hooks with bird gut, but up to turning-in time 
no bite. Our allowance of meat, one-half pound a meal, and it is not filling. A 
sense of void jiossesses one all the time with haunting memories of former feeds. 
Visions of plenty cross the mental sight and produce a painful reaction on the gas- 
tronomical department. Turned in, close packed, and passed a cold and miserable 
night. 

Friday, 30th. — Up to a meager breakfast. Erichsen's toes cut off from both feet. 
This is very sad, as it cripples a big, able man, and puts an end to his calling as a 
seaman. I hope the good and merciful God, who has preserved us so long, will bring 
us all out of this peril, and incline us to testify to His mercies before all men. Alexy 
and Nindemann out hunting ; other hands hauling wood. River inclined to freeze 
over and give us a bridge. 

Q. I wish to ask you a hypothetical question which the committee 
yesterday said could be put. If you had a guest at your house and you 
asked that guest not to be so intimate with your servants, and the guest 
should repeat that remark to the servants, would you not consider that 
it was an improper act ■? — A. Well, that is so peculiar a question that I 
really do not know how to answer it ; it would all depend on what my re- 
lations were with the guest. 

Q. You being the host, having a guest? — A. I should look entirely 
upon what the guest had to do with them. It would depend on the na- 
ture of my relations with the guest and the character of the servants. 

Q. You would not consider that that was tattling ? — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. In connection with the other letter, I would like to 
read the letters of introduction which Captain De Long gave to Mr. 
Collins, which caused him to visit these gentlemen in Washington and 
make this report. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 183 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly ; I have no objection to that. 
Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

No. 150 West Eleventh Street, 

New York, March 29, 1879. 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). What book are you reading from ? 
Mr. Arnoux. From the press-copy book. 
Mr. Curtis. Whose ? 

Mr. Arnoux. They are press copies of Captain De Long's letters de- 
livered to Mr. Collins, and which Collins in turn delivered to these gen- 
tlemen in Washington as letters of introduction, and upon which he 
wrote the letter which has been read and which pleased Judge Curtis 
so much. 
Mr. McAdoo. Were these press copies made at the time ? 
Mr. Arnoux. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. It is in no sense legal evidence, but I will not object 
to it. 
Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

No. 150 West Eleventh Street, 

New Yoi% March 29, 1879. 
Professor S. F. Baird, 

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. : 
Sir : Permit me to introduce to you Mr. Jerome J. Colling, of the New York Herald, 
■wlio is to accompany the Arctic expedition under my command as our meteorologist. 
May I ask for him the courtesies of the Smithsonian and the favor of your personal 
advice and suggestions in anything which you deem good for the success of the ex- 
pedition. 

Very respectfully, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant Commanding Arctic Str. Jeannette. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer that also. 

Mr. BouTELLE. We will consider it in. - 

Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

Ne. 150 West Eleventh Street, 

New Yorlc, March 29, 1879. 
My Dear Tom : Let me make Mr. Jerome J. Collins, of the New York Herald, ac- 
quainted with you. He is going with me as our meteorologist, &c., and proceeds to 
Washington to book up and practice at the Smithsonian and the Observatory. I 
have introduced him to Admiral Eodgers, Professor Baird, Captain Franklin, Professor 
Harkness, and Dr. Bessels. Help him along in any way you can, and charge it to ac- 
count of gratitude. 

Faithfully yours, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG. 
Lieut. Thos. Perry, U. S. N., 

Naval Observatory, Washington, D. C. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer that also. 
Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

No. 150 West Eleventh Street, 

New York, March 31, 1879. 

My Dear Sir : Under date of March 28, Captain Patterson, Superintendent Coast 
Survey, informs me that he will spare us — 

3 hydrometers, 

1 6-iuch transit, 

1 reflecting circle. 

Will you please look at these instruments, and if they need no repairs have them 
boxed up and retain them in your possession until further orders. "A bird in the 
hand," &,c. There were a number of portable transit theodolites, with altitude and 
azimuth circles, in the Coast Survey instrument room, of which a few might be ob- 
tained by delicate management. Lieut. H. E.Nichols, of the Coast Survey office, is a 



184 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

frieud of mine, and will aid you if you mention the subject to liim from me. These 
theodolites read to one minute of arc, and will come in handily in sledge traveling. 

Let me coumiend to you the advantage of jogging Dr. Bessels' memory on the sub- 
ject of a loan from the Smithsonian Institution. 

I should like you to return me the list of instruments, in Dr. Bessels' handwriting, 
retaining a copy for your own information. 
Respectfully, 

GEORGE W. DG LONG. 
Mr. J. J. Collins, 

Washington, D. C. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer that also. 

Mr. Arnoux. I read a telegram sent by the Western Union Telegraph 
Company, dated Kew York, July, 1879. Received at San Francisco 4th, 
1879 : 

Capt. G. W. De Long, 

Arctic Steamer Jeamiette : 
Mr. Bennett has cabled the following to be forwarded to you: B. C. Jenkins, F. R. 
A. S., writes me as follows : Is it possible for your expedition, passing through Bering 
Strait, to sail east and lix position magnetic pole, which unvisited since Ross discov- 
ered in Boothia, 1830. Have good reason believe magnetic ])o\e travels round pole of 
earth in about five hundred years, and since 1830 has traveled from Boothia to Prince 
Albert Land, to latitude 72° 15', longitude 114° 45'. Proof of this statement appears 
in March number transactions Royal Academy, Dr. Linci, of Rome, and been ap- 
proved by commission appointed by Royal Academy Sciences, Brussels. To examine 
question by practical demonstration is, however, essential. Possibly your expedition 
might easily accomplish it. Great importance of matter may be inferred from fact 
all magnetic lines on charts are approximated now to point in Boothia, 1,200 miles 
away from place where pole is now. These lines are consequently misleading for 
northern regions. 

BENNETT. 

Mr. Mc Adoo. Was that published as one of the exhibits at theformer 
inquiry ? 

Mr. Arnoux. No, sir ; I think not. I read a telegram dated New 
York, 5, 22, 1879, received at Burlington, Iowa, 1.50 p. m., and to Capt. 
George De Long, care General S. L. Glasgow; 

The following cable I received from Mr. Bennett this morning : 

'* Conner Y, 
'^New York: 

'' Cannot yet understand from your cable who Mudge is. "Was willing make great 
exception, Longfellow being old personal friend, but cannot consent any other lay- 
man going on expedition. Impress this fact upon Do Long. Tell De Long have ut- 
most conlidence his success. Wish him cable me list officers, and scientists selected 
so I may reserve right to any individual selected by him or Government. Regret ex- 
ceedingly I cannot bo there to bid him God speed, but hope to bo on hand to con- 
gratulate him upon successful return. Tell him I have greatest confidence in his 
energy and pluck and I thank him sincerely for his fidelity to me. Say also, he may 
push forward to north next spring with perfect confideuce, for if icebound I shall 
spare neither money nor influence to follow him up and send assistance next year so 
neither he nor his men will be in danger. Wish this to be an American success, not 
another Nares affair. Tell him in case he returns next year unsuccessfnl, which I 
don't believe possible, I shall most certainly send another expedition on following year, 
and continue doing so until successful, but had rather victory should be his than 
anothers. Should Do Long not return next year, or in fact never, the widows of men 
belonging to expedition will be protected by me. Should like him tell thisto his men 
upon their departure. 

"BENNETT." 

Please acknowledge receipt of this immediately. 

CONNERY. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer that also. 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, I read a letter from Captain De Long to Mr. Ben- 
nett, which I believe relates to that. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 185 

[Arctic steamer Jeannette at sea, latitude 49° 24' N,, longitude 152° 37' W.] 

July 25, 1879. 
My Dear Bennett : 

At the first general muster of the officers aud men of this vessel, held after the ship 
was placed in commission and turned over to my command, I acquainted them with 
80 much of your cablegram to me of the 22d May, as relating to your sending a vessel 
north next year, and extending your protection to the widows of any of them who 
might lose their lives while engaged in the work of this expedition. 

I am requested hy them to return you their sincere thanks for your generous thought- 
fulness and to express to you their assurance that the recollection of it will nerve 
them to increased efforts in trying moments to make the expedition what you and 
they so much desire — a success. 
Faithfully yours, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 

Lieut. Commander. 

Q. (Exhibiting to witness letter dated April 18tli — no year.) Is that 
your iDrotlier's handwriting*? — A. To the best of my knowledge it is. 
Mr. Arnoux (reading) : 

Herald Office, April 18. 

My Dear Captain : I suspect you think I am in Washington carrying out your in- 
structions about the pendulum. I could not leave the city, and have been spending 
spare hours working up in photograph^^^. I will get away to-morrow or Sunday night 
at latest, and put things in shape at once. 

I will see Professor Baird, Dr. Bessels, Fauth & Co., &c., without delay. I will 
call at Green's to-morrow and find out if he can make the thermometer frame 
(spectrum) with black bulbs in vacua, covered by colored receivers. This plan will 
give the best results. Bessels does not think much of the idea, but he shrugs his 
shoulders at so many things that I am inclined to make the experiments anyhow. 
The " Smithsonian's contributions to knowledge," sent by Professor Bail d, contain all 
information about the pendulum and other experiments we need. 

We must have a portable dark room for field photography. It will be very port- 
able and not bigger than a good hand-satchel.- If I don't see you at the office to- 
morrow (Saturday), write me anything you have to say at Washington. 
Truly yours, 

JEROME J. COLLINS. 

Capt. G. W. De Long, U. S. N. 

Mr. OuETis. We offer that also. 

Mr. Arnoux. I would like right here to read, although I have not 
the proof of it — there is no doubt of it — a letter from the Coast Sur- 
vey office in regard to the instruments (reading) : 

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, 

Washinglon, April 22, 1879. 
Dear Sir : I regret very much to have missed your call. In regard to your req uest 
for additional instruments I can only say that those which have been supplied have 
been so transferred from the Coast Survey service by direction of the superintendent, 
C. P. Patterson, and that it is not within my power to go beyond his instructions in 
the premises. 

Very respectfully, 

J. E. HILGARDE, 
Assistant in charge of office. 
Lieut. George W. De Long, U. S. N., 

Ebhitt House, Washington, D C. 

Another letter (reading) : 

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Office, 

B^ashington, April 8, 1879. 
Dear Sir : By to-day's express I forward to your address, care of New York Herald 
office. New York, two (2) boxes containing — 
One transit theodolite with stand. 
One reflecting circle. 



186 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Four specimen water bottles. 
Six hydrometers with two cups. 
Please acknowledge receipt. 
Very respectfully, 

J. E. HILGARDE, 

Assistant in charge. 
Lieut. George W. De Long, U. S. N., 

150 West nth street, New York City. 

Mr. James Green, 20 Vv . Fourth street. New York, has been instructed to deliver to 
you seven deep-sea thermometers which are in his keeping, taking your receipt for 
the same as you have already been informed in office letter of the 4th inst. 

G. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) I also show you a letter dated May 15, 
1879, aud ask you if this letter and signature are not in the handwrit- 
ing of your brother '? — A. To the best of my belief it is. I won't be so 
positive about that signature. It is not his ordinary one. 

Mr. AitNOUX (reading) : 

May 15, 1879. 

Dear Captain: Mr. Twombly says he will look over the list and see what second- 
hand instruments he can find and which he is willing to sell very cheap. As to cups, 
wire, carbons, and other matters required for telegraphy, he suggests that we buy 
them. I don't think you will get anything for nothing from the Western Union Com- 
pany. They take little interest in our outfit. Mr. Connery will let us have a com- 
plete set of Wheatstone friction telegraph instruments formerly used in the office. 
They are admirably adapted to working short lines and need no battery. Of course 
the sending of a message will necessarily be slow, but as friend Neville says, ''time 
is no object." If you have time look at them in the library. Get some of the boys 
in the city department, a stenographer, to take notes of what you want me to do 
after you leave. It will save time. He can give me a copy which I will read and 
ask any special instructions before yon go. 
Yours, 

COLLINS. 

Mr. Twombly will give an answer on Monday next. 



Mr. Curtis. We offer that also 
Mr. Arnoux. Right in that coi 
of Captain De Long's in regard to some instruments [reading] : 



Mr. Arnoux. Right in that connection I would like to read a letter 



No. 150 West Eleventh Street, 

New York, March 20, 1879. 
Hon. I. I. Hayes, 

Albany, N. Y. : 
My Dear Sir : Among the instruments which I desire to use in the Arctic expedi- 
tion may be named a gravity pendulum. I am unable to find anybody in New York 
who has made one, but I am informed that you have had one made somewhere, and 
that you may possibly have it yet in your possession. 

Will you please give me some information on this subject and permit me to borrow 
your pendulum long enough to serve as a model for instrument makers. 
Very respectfully^ 



GEORGE W. DE LONG. 



Lieut. U. S. N. 



By Mr. CURTiS: 

Q. Now, Mr. Arnoux questioned you in reference to a conversation 
you had with Mr. Newcomb in New York. How soon after the return 
of the survivors of the expedition did you see Professor Newcomb in 
New York ? — A. I met Mr. Newcomb in New York for the first time, I 
think, last February. 

Q. What was the conversation that you had with Professor Newcomb 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1 87 

in reference to the Jeannette expedition, its management or tlie treat- 
ment of its crew, or any of the persons connected with the expedition? 
— A. I had several general conversations with Mr. ^N'ewcomb. 

Q. Well, the first conversation? — A. I cannot positively recollect 
everything that transpired. 

Q. Give us the substance of what you remember; I do not care for 
the exact words. — A. Mr. Newcomb told me that himself and my brother 
had been outrageously treated on the Jeannette. 

Q. Did he tell you anything that your brother had said to him in re- 
gard to that treatment? — A. He told me about his being arrested and 
deprived of the use of his instruments. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. Did he say he was arrested? — A. Arrested, I think was the word 
used to the best of my recollection. Of course this conversation I can 
only give to the best of my recollection. He stated that he was de- 
prived of his instruments and allowed to do no work for eighteen months, 
I think ', also that he was treated very badly, outrageously ; that he had 
made an elaborate collection of dried specimens there, and had them on 
the deck, and the captain came along one day and had them thrown 
overboard, after his spending a great deal of care and labor on the 
specimens. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Professor Newcomb was attached to the expedition also in a scien- 
tific capacity, as you understood ? 

Mr. Arnoux. i object to his testifying to that j certainly that would 
not be competent even as hearsay, for he says he knew nothing of the 
matter. 

The Chairman. The ground that this is put on is that these were all 
persons attached to the expedition, and it is the conduct of those per- 
sons that is under investigation now. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What other conversations did you have, if any, with Professor 
Newcomb ? — A. He stated to me that he was put under arrest, and that 
other men on the expedition were put under arrest for trivial causes. 

Q. That other men were put under arrest for trivial causes ? — A. 
Yes. 

Q. Well, anything else ? — A. That Mr. Melville at one time put a shot- 
gun to his head and told him, God damn him, that he had killed lots of 
better men than him often. 

Q. I did not understand you; please repeat that. — A. As I remember 
it, that Mr. IsTewcomb said Mr. Melville put a gun to his head, and says 
he, '' You little God damned Yankee son of a bitch, I could kill," or 
" would kill, lots of better men than you." 

Q. He referred to him as a native of ]N"ew England, then ?— A. I should 
judge so. 

Q. Is that all that was offensive that was said ? — A. l^o, sir ; he also 
related to me the fact that Captain De Long called him into his room 
one day and asked him why he did not talk on the expedition, and he 
said that was a personal matter for himself. 

Q. Why he did not do what ? — A. Why he kept silent, and he said 
that was a personal matter for himself, and he would talk when he liked 
and he Would not when he liked ; and said he (I think he used these 
words), " Damn jou,ril make you talk, if you don't." 



188 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 
Q. What did you understand him to mean by talk 1 — A. He meant 
keeping sileut on the ship and not holding general conversation. Mr. 
Newcomb can explain that better than I can. I am only giving the con- 
versation as well as I can. Mr. Newcomb asked him, " Captain, don't 
I do my duty on this ship ?" and the captain said, "Yes 5 I take God 
damned good care that yon do." 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Was there anything else said of an offensive character, not to be 
repeated in the presence of ladies? — A. No. There were hundreds of 
things said that I do not recollect. In fact, I prefer Mr. Newcomb to 
state what he knows. 

Q. (Submitting a paper to witness.) What is that letter? — A. It is a 
letter addressed to my brother and found among his papers, signed J. 
G. Bennett. 

Q. Eead it. — A. (Beading :) 

Hotel Bristol, Paris, January ISth, 1879. 
Dear Mr. Collins : 

Please seud me a memorandum of the instruments and equipment necessary for 
your observations during the Arctic expedition and let me know as fully as possible 
what system you proi>ose to follow, together with any suggestions you have to make 
about the meteorological or other branches of the scientific service of the expedition. 
Who do you think would be a good man to select from the Smithsonian Institute as 
generally useful and particularly in the departments of geology and mineralogy ? 
Write me fully, and make any suggestions that occur to you. 
Truly vours, 

J. G. BENNETT. 

P. S. — I would also like to have you make some inquiries about the feasibility of 
balloons, not for making ascents, but to assist in lifting and dragging sledges when 
the wind is favorable, 

Q. Judge Arnoux seems to be exercised somewhat about the word 
" instruction" in a letter of introduction by Captain De Long to some 
official in Washington. Although it was not a term employed by your 
brother, you see nothing in any of those letters that militates in your 
judgment against his capacity at all, do you ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. There are none of us too old to learn, are we ? — A. Not to my knowl- 
edge. 

Q. Neither physician, lawyer, nor warrior. It in your judgment does 
not detract from a man's merit and capacity that he is modest, that he 
seeks to learn, does it 1 — A. No. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) What is that card ? — A. That is the mem- 
bership card of the French Society for the Advancement of Science. 

Mr. Curtis. I will offer that. 

The front side of the card is as follows. 

Association Franfaise pour I'Avancement des Sciences, 7e Session, Paris. Aoftt 
1878. 
Mr. Jerome Collins, Membre Etranger. 
Signature du Titulaire. H. 
Signature du President. E. Henry. 

Stamped : 

^'Association Fran^aise, 7^ Session, 1878. - Paris.*' 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



189 



On the fourth page is the following : 

"CONGRES DE PARIS. 



A leur arriv(5e h Paris MM. les membres de 1' Association Frangaise sont pries de 
passer au Secretariat General afin d'y dounor lenr adresse et d'y faire coD,tr61er la 
prdsente carte qui ne sera valable qu'apres I'apposition du timbre de 1' Association. 

Timbre de l'Association. 



Stamj) of tlie Association. 



On the two interior pages is spread a map of the city of Paris. 

Q. Yon were requested yesterday to remember what you had stated 
in your memorial or petition relative to what w^as told to Mr. Melville on 
the 3d day of October. Do you know what I refer to? — A. I believe 
you refer to my statement that Bartlett informed me that he proposed 
to go to Bulun or look for De Long on the 3d of October. 

Q. That is it exactly. What have you to say on that subject, if any- 
thing! — A. I simply state, to the best of my knowledge and belief, Mr. 
Bartlett did make that statement to me. 

Q. And it was in the belief and recollection on your part that he did 
make that statement that you incorporated it into the petition or 
memorial ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I think you have gone very fully into the matter of your motives 
and sentiments in this investigation. You never from the start have 
entertained any sentiment or feeling of a vindictive character against 
anybody, have you ? — A. No, sir; I have not. 

Q. Your sole object has been to seek after and to discover the truth 
in regard to this expedition ! — A. That is the fact. 

Q. However, the search might result to any person or persons ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And you believed at the time, as the correspondence to-day de- 
velops, that when Captain De Long and your brother departed on that 
unfortunate journey they were friends'? — A. Yes; to the best of my 
knowledge and belief. 

Q. And certainly up to that time neither your brother nor j^ourself 
could have had any feeling on this subject? — A. No, sir; my brother 
was most emphatic in stating that he did not believe in the truth of the 
Washington Post interview. 

Q. In fact the confidence of your brother in De Long survived the most 
positive evidence of the truth of that interview, did it !— A. Yes, sir. 



190 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. I have a question or two to ask you relative to the conversation 
between you and Mr. Lemly. I understood you to say that Mr. Lemly 
said he would object to such questions as reflected upon the dead ? — A. 
Yes, sir 5 that was my statement. 

Q. You are sure he said that? — A. Absolutely. 

Q. I understood you to say that he advised you to employ counsel? — 
A. He suggested it, and said he thought it would be a good thing to 
have counsel, in the last interview I had with him at the Eiggs House. 

Q. Now, I will ask you if what he said relative to the questions pro- 
pounded by you was not to this effect: That he would put the questions, 
but that he would object to such questions as depended merely on hear- 
say, and leave it to the court to determine the admissibility of those 
questions? — A. He never made any such statement to me. To my 
knowledge and recollection he stated to me that he would object to 
questions being admitted that reflected on the dead, and that he reserved 
the right to object to any questions that he did not consider proper; 
that, while he would ask some of the questions, he would immediately 
after object to their being answered. 

Q. Those that were hearsay ? — A. I had no conversation with him 
that I remember about hearsay testimony. 

Q. That he would object to all answers where the witness did not 
speak from his knowledge ! — A. He did not use those words to me in rela- 
tion to it. He stated that he should reserve to himself the right to ob- 
ject to any questions immediately after asking them, as judge-advocate 
of the court. Mr. Lemly was very frank in the matter. 

Q. Then you saj^ he did not confine himself to reserving the right to 
object to questions on the ground that the answers would be hearsay ? — 
A. No, sir ; he reserved the right to object to any question that he saw 
fit immediately after asking it. He said in his capacity as judge-advo- 
cate he would ask the question and then immediately after object to its 
being answered. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What kind of questions would he object to ? — A. He did not 
specify. 

Q. Yes J he was referring to some kind of questions he would object 
to ? — A. Any questions reflecting upon any one who was dead. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Was any one present at the interview between you and Mr. 
Lemly ? — A. No, sir ; I met Mr. Lemly at the Biggs House after the 
first meeting, as well as I recollect. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. You have read this record, have you not ? 

The Witness. Which record ? 

Q. The record of the Board of Inquiry. — A. Oh, yes, I have gone 
over it. 

Q. Have you not seen that questions were asked which might have 
elicited matter derogatory to the dead ? — A. I could not state just at 
this moment. 

Q. If answered one way that they might elicit matter derogatory to 
the dead ? — A. I could not possibly say at present. 

Q. Then you sa}^ that the only reservation was not that the witness 
would be required to Si)eak from his own knowledge? — A. I have no 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 191 

recollection of any such statement on tlie part of Mr. Lemly. I have 
stated it as fully as I can recall it. 

Q. Did he advise you not to appear before the Court of Inquiry?— A. 
Yes, until sent for — unless sent for. I am most positive in that assertion. 
It was at the Eiggs House. 

Q. Were you not informed by letter a-s well as in person that every 
facility would be given to you for presenting to the court such facts as 
you desired ? — A. Mr. Lemly's letters are in the hands of the committee; 
all that I have received in the matter. 

Q. Did you get a letter from himi— A. I turned them all over. Mr. 
Lemly was very kind in the matter, and requested me to meet him in 
Washington. 

Q. And he offered to present such questions of fact pertaining to the 
investigation as you might possess? — A. I do not recollect his making 
the assertion as to facts, and there is no such statement in any of his 
letters. 

Q. Did you write a letter to Mr. Lemly in which you expressed your- 
self as satisfied with the course which he pursued 1 — A. I wrote a letter 
to Mr. Lemly in which I stated that I felt perfectly satisfied that any 
question that the court would admit, and that he would not object to, 
would be asked by him. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. That was prior to the meeting of the Board of Inquiry ? — A. That 
was during the session of the Board of Inquiry. I think I have an 
answer to that letter. 

Q. That was an expression of confidence as to what he would do 
rather than an exi^ression of satisfaction at what he had done ? — A. 
Yes, sir ; I stated that I felt perfectly satisfied that any question he 
would not object to, and that the court was disposed to admit^ would be 
asked by him as well as if asked by counsel. 

By the Chairman: 
Q. You did not write a letter to him stating that you were satisfied 
with the course which he was pursuing during the progress of the in- 
quiry ? — A. There is but one letter in relation to that matter, and I think 
I have a copy of it here. It was in relation to some statements that I 
think appeared in the paper, and I said that I was perfectly satisfied 
that any question that he would not object to and the court felt disposed 
to admit would be asked by him, and I think that my belief was right 
in the matter; every question that I submitted to him that he did not 
object to or the court did not object to was admitted as a fact, and I had 
no reason to object to Mr. Lemly's course in the matter, other than he 
objected to questions that I believed the court should have admitted. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. That opinion you formed afterwards? — A. That was the opinion 
I formed after my return from Washington ; I wrote the letter from 
Minneapolis, Minn. 

Q. When you wrote him that letter stating that you were satisfied 
that his course in regard to the questions and the course of the court 
would be satisfactory, was that letter based upon the conversation that 
you had had with him in which he told you the course that he was in- 
tended to pursue? — A. I did not write him any letter in which I stated 
that the action of the court, or his action, was perfectly satisfactory to 
me altogether. 

Q. You do not quite understand me; you say that you wrote him a 



192 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

letter in wMch you said you felt perfectly satisfied that his course and 
that of the court m regard to these questions would be satisfactory and 
proper? 

The Witness. That his action and the action of the court would be 
satisfactory f 

The Chairman. Yes. 

A. No sir ; I never made such a statement. 

Q. Let me hear again just what you did say you wrote him ? — A. I 
wrote him stating that I felt perfectly assured that any questions that the 
court would admit, or that he would not object to, could be just as well 
asked by him, and that he would ask these questions as well as counsel. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. That was in answer to the suggestion that you should employ pri- 
vate counsel ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In that conversation which you had with Lieutenant Danenhower, 
in which you say he said that your brother had a life of hell, or words 
to that effect (I forget the exact language), are you sure that was the 
expression, instead of an expression like this : That life had been hell 
in the Arctic regions for three years ; that is, your brother's life, intend- 
ing to convey the impression that the lives of all of them had been hell 
in the Arctic by reason of their sufferings ?— A. The impression con- 
veyed to my mind, and it clearly was what Mr. Danenhower meant to 
convey to my mind, was that my brother's life had been a perfect hell 
in the Arctic — his individual life. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You have copies of two letters that you wrote and addressed to 
Lieutenant Lemly ; will you be kind enough to read them? — A. (Eead- 
•ing:) 

Minneapolis, Minn., December 16, 1»82. 
Sir: Some two weeks ago I wrote joxi in refereuce to procuring a list of the ques" 
tions handed you, also a request for the action of the Court of Inquiry in reference 
thereto. I have not had the honor of as yet receiving a reply. 

From the accounts published in the Critic I find that several of the questions sub- 
mitted by me to you were not asked witnesses, but of course this may be an omission 
of full publication on the part of j^ublishers of the paper. I see by the papers that 
Colonel Gilder, special correspondent of the New York Herald, has arrived. As he 
traveled all over the Cape Bykotf and Geeomovialocke district, one month after Mr. 
Melville, I think he would be able to give valuable information in relation to the 
country, distances, difficulties of travel, and the possibility of rescue of De Long and 
his men. I would therefore request that Colonel Gilder be called before the Board. 

It having come to my knowledge that certain parties were anxious to examine the 
papers and memoranda found on my brother's body, I have to request that all appli- 
cations for such purpose be refused unless the parties have written permission from 
either my brother, Mr. B. A. Collins, or myself, to do so. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, yours, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 
To Master C. M. Lemly, W. S. W., 

Judge-Advocate, Jeannette Court of Inquiry, Washington, D. C. 

Q. Read all the letters to Lemly. — A. (Reading :) 

Minneapolis, Minn., November 25, 1882. 
Master C. M. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge-Advocate, Jeannette Court Inquiry, Washington, D. C. : 
Dear Sir: I would feel much obliged if I could get an official record of questions 
handed to yon, also the list of questions objected to or ruled out by the court. I have 
also instructed by tchigrani, a friend in Washington, Mr. Frank Hessler, to copy letter 
found on my brother's body in reference to trouble with De Long. I would take it 
as a favor if such person be given full and free access to all papers left by my brother. 
I am, dear sir, respectfully yours. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 193 

Minneapolis, Minn., November 38, 1882. 
Master C. M. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge-Advocate, ^c. : 
Dear Sir : Your letter 24tb, I received to-day. We are perfectly satisfied to let 
our case rest in your hands, feeling assured tliat any questions that would be admitted 
will be asked by you. The paragraph in the Critic, I knew nothing about, andit 
is only one of the thousand absurd statements that have been made during this in- 
quiry. 

I would feel much obliged if I could procure exact copies of all memoranda found 
on my brother's body. I have Avritten to my brother in New York, and have asked 
him if there were any other questions he desired sent to you. As yet I have received 
no answer. 

I am dear sir, yours, very respectfully, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 

Minneapolis, Minn., December 5, 1882. 
Dear Sir: I would feel obliged if you would furnish me a complete list of all the 
questions submitted by me to you for presentation to the Court of Inquiry. I have a 
copy, but desire an official one. I have carefully examined the evidence, so far given 
by Nindemann, but have failed to find any of the questions to be- asked by you. I 
would be glad, in Nindemann's case, to get an official copy of the questions asked and 
the answers, as well as the objections, if any, that may be made to any of the same. 
I am, dear sir, very respectfully, yours, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 
Master C. M. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge-Advocate, Jeannette Court Inquiry, Washington, D. C. 

Minneapolis, Minn., ^prii 1, 1883. 
Master C. M. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge- Advocate, Jeannette Court Inquiry, Washington, D. C. : 
Dear Sir : I inclose a list of questions to be asked Mr. Bartlett in his examination 
before the court relative to matters connected with the Arctic expedition fitted out by 
Mr. James Gordon Bennett, of New York. 
Respectfully, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 
By Mr. Arnoux ; 

Q. Will you turn to page 160? Before the Court of Inquiry this ques-* 
tiou was put to Mr. Melville, the witness then upon the stand : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Do you know anything further than you have 
stated of the alleged trouble between Lieutenant Commander De Long and Mr. J. J. 
ColUns? 

The Witness. No. 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Did De Long ever speak to you about a diffi- 
culty with him ? 

That question was objected to and excluded on the ground that it 
called for hearsay evidence. Did you prepare and send to him that 
question ? — A. I do not recollect at this time. 

Q. What is your best recollection ? — A. I am not prepared to state. 
I might possibly find it among my papers. 

Q. On page 232 of that record, in the testimony of Mr. IN'oros, it 
says : 

Cross-examination by the judge-advocate in behalf of the late Jerome J. Collins. 

Were those questions which were asked prepared and sent to him by 
you ? — A. I could not state at this moment whether they were prepared 
and sent by me or prepared and sent by my brother in New York. 

Q. It was by one or the other of you ! — A. By one or the other ; yes. 

Q. Now, on page 236, when Mr. Newcomb was on the stand, it says : 

Cross-examination by the judge-advocate in behalf of the late Jerome J. Collins 

Bo you make the same answer in regard to that ? — A. Of course. I 
do not know what the questions are. 
13 J Q* 



194 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Suppose you look at them and say whether they were prepared by 
either your brother or by yourself? — A. (After referring to record.) 
Yes ; these questions, I think, were prepared, but I could not think 
which of us prepared them. 

Q. I say they were prepared by either your brother or yourself? — A. 
Yes J to my best recollection. 

Q. On page 242, in the examination of the witness Tong Sing, the 
following appears on the record : 

Cross-examined by the judge-advocate in behalf of the late Jerome J. Collins. 

Was that question prepared by your brother or yourself? The ques- 
tion is — 

What, if anything, do you know of any difficulty between Chief Engineer Mel- 
ville and Mr. Jerome J. Collins ? 

A. I have no positive means of identifying these questions ; they 
must be on file in the Navy Department if we wrote them ; it is not to 
be presumed that they destroyed the questions. 

Q. Is it not to be presumed they would be put in the record as on be- 
half of the late Jerome J. Collins uuless it was cross-examination prepared 
by either you or your brother, is it ? — A. I am not prepared to answer. 

Q. You have no recollection whether you asked any questions on that 
subject or not? — A. I cannot tell what questions I did ask. 

Q. I ask you have you any recollection whether you prepared and 
sent to the Judge- Advocate-General any questions to be propounded to 
Tong Sing? — A. I cannot recollect at the present time; I can easily as- 
certain by looking over my memorandum book. 

Q. When Lieutenant Danenhower was a witness on the stand did 
you or your brother prepare and send to the Judge- Advocate-General 
questions to be put to him ? — A. I think all the survivors were more or 
less 

Q. (Interposing.) Just answer the question. — A. Yes, that is my best 
impression. 

Q. Did you or your brother prepare the questions which the Judge- 
Advocate-General refused to put to the witness Bartlett on the ground 
that they were hearsay ? — A. I cannot at this moment state absolutely. 

Q. (Eeading:) 

Did Mr. Collins speak to you on the matter, and what did he say ? 

A. That I would not be prepared to swear to. 
Q. (Reading:) 

From your conversations with Mr. Collins have you any reason to suppose that Mr. 
Collins had papers, other than a small note-book, on his person ? 

A. I think I prepared that question. 

Q. And the next question also [reading] : 

Did ho [Mr. Collins] tell you of his having letters addressed to persons in New 
York ? State all he said. 

To that the same objection was made.— A. I am not prepared to state. 
I think that either one of us prepared that question. 

Q. And the next question, which was excluded [reading] : 

State as fully as possible the different conversations you had with Mr. Collins rela- 
tive to his treatment, the loss of his note-book, and all other matters. 

A. I could not state as to that question, whether I prepared it or my 
brother prepared it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 195 

Q. So far as you are aware did the Judge- Advocate-General refuse to 
put any questions which you wrote except those that he thought objec- 
tionable on the ground that they called for hearsay evidence ? — A. That 
I cannot answer, not knowing all the questions. 

Q. Have you ever examined the record of the court of inquiry, to see 
what questions were not answered, or not put to the witnesses 1 — A. I 
have goue over the record several times, and there were quite a large 
number of questions put. 

Q. I say that you put, or that were put, to the witnesses, and not al- 
lowed to be answered ! — A. 1 could not answer without going over it 
in detail. 

Q. Did you ever examine the record to see what questions you re- 
quested to have asked which were not asked ? — A. That I do not re- 
member. 

Q. Are you prepared to state now to the committee that there are 
any questions that you desired to have asked that the Judge- Advocate- 
General refused to put, on any other ground than that it was hearsay 
evidence ? — A. That I am not prepared to answer. 

Mr. Curtis. It was proposed by us to call Lieutenant Danenhower 
after Dr. Collins, but Professor Newcomb is here from a distance, and 
he is very anxious to get home to his family, and with the permission 
of the committee 1 will examine him, so that he may be enabled to do 
that. 

The Chairman. Certainly. 

Eaymond L. Newcomb was here called and examined, without being 
previously sworn, with the understanding that he was to be sworn sub- 
sequently by Mr. Cox, the chairman of the committee. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. What is your full name? — Answer. Eaymond Lee N^ew- 
comb. 

Q. Where do you live ? — A. Salem, Mass. 

Q. What is your profession ? — A. Naturalist. 

Q. How long have you been a naturalist! — A. Since 1869. 

Q. What do you mean by the term naturalist? — A. The term in my 
judgment may be applied to any one who studies natural history, orni- 
thology, zoology — the lower orders. 

Q. Simply studies it? — A. Studies it and investigates. 

Q. And experiments ? — A. Works it out to the extent of his ability 
and deriving what information he may have opportunity to derive. 

Q. Did you know the deceased, Jerome J. Collins? — A. I did. 

Q. Of course you know the late Captain De Long ? — A. I did. 

Q. How did you come to be attached to this expedition? — A. Incon- 
sequence or as the result of a letter written me by Prof. Spencer F. 
Baird, the 29th of April, I think, was the date, asking me if I would like 
to consider myself a candidate for the position of naturalist and taxi- 
dermist on the expedition about to start for the North Pole. 

Q. Who is Prof. Spencer F. Baird? — A. Superintendent of the Smith- 
sonian Institution and United States Commissioner of Fish and Fish- 
eries. 

Q. What did you reply to that letter ? — A. I do not remember ex- 
actly, but I replied in the affirmative and stated that I would be glad 
to go. My words were, part of them, that '' the position would be a 
stepping stone to honor which was life itself." 

Q. Have you any information or knowledge of the way and manner 



196 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

aod extent of tlie fitting up of the Jeannette? — A. Superficialj not in 
any official capacity; simply from my powers of observation, common 
sense applied to looking over the thing. That is all. 

Q. You term it superficial 1 — A . I do, because I was not, as you might 
say, a nautical man. 

Q,. What struck you as superficial in the outfit of the Jeannette? — 
A. I think you misunderstand me with regard to the word superficial. 
I do not mean to say that the work was done carelessly. I do not 
mean to imply that; at least, not yet, any way. What I mean to say 
is that my views in the premises were next to those of an outsider. I 
supposed everything was going all right, and had my own bug-hunter 
duties to look out for, and had my hands full, and I supposed other 
people had the same. 

Q. You were to be the naturalist of the expedition. Now what were 
your duties as such naturalist? — A. Various. 

Q. Tell them as rapidly as possible. — A. In detail, to look alter the 
specimens of fauna and flora, botanical, zoological, ethnological — any- 
thing; that IS what I understand to be the duties of naturalist under 
such conditions. 

Q. Had you any specific directions or instructions, either from the 
Government or Professor Baird? — A. No; being left to myself en- 
tirely. 

Q. Your duty, then, was to make such general observations in the in- 
terest of natural history as were possible, and also to collect whatever 
specimens might be valuable to natural history? — A. Yes; to obtain 
whatever I could in the way of natural history. 

Q. And to that purpose were you furnished with the proper x)ara- 
phernalia? — A. With a very good one. 

Q. What did that consist of! — A. Taxidermist implements. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to explain to us the general popular 
meaning of that word taxidermist! — A. A person who prepares speci- 
mens of natural history. 

Q. Who stuff's them, I suppose! — A. Y^es ; for cabinet museums and 
collections, and of any kind, whether fish, insects, flesh, fowl, or what 
not. I had a knife, file, gimlet, pins, i)aper, tape, twine, and all those 
little incidentals that would be required in this position. 

Q. Did you have any difiiculty with Mr. Melville!— A. Not while the 
ship lasted ; not while we had the ship. 

Q. Did you, at any time during the voyage of the Jeannette or after 
the voyage ceased by the destruction of the vessel, or at any time du- 
ring the history of the expedition, have any difficulty with Mr. Melville! 
— A. We came to words once or twice. 

Q. Describe the first occasion and state what was said and what was 
done, giving as particularly as your memory will serve you the words 
used by you and by him ! — A. The first that I recall was, I think it was, 
on Thaddeus Island. 

Q. Where is that ! — A. It is one of the new Siberian group north of 
Siberia. I think it is the one that we reiiched after leaving Bennett 
Island. There was a question about serving the food one night at 
camp and Bartlett treated me in a way I thought was not man-fashion, 
not as dignilied as it might very easily have been, and I S[)oke to Mel- 
ville about it and failed to get any redress. 

Q. What did you say to Melville vibout it!— A. I merely spoke to 
him saying I thought Bartlett might conduct himself in a little differ- 
ent manner toward me; that it would be very pleasant to me if he 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 197 

would, and that I felt I would be able to do the same towards him. 
That is the gist of it. 

Q. What did he reply to that? — A. Then the question came up about 
rank, and I said I supposed I was an officer — something of that kind. 
Then, Bartlett being a fireman, and myself, togeiher with Dunbar and 
Collins, being enlisted as sioaple seamen — nothing more in the premises, 
although w^e supposed we would be treated as gentlemen — the question 
of seaman stuck out pretty i)lainly at times. That is the way the mat- 
ter stood. 

Q. My dear sir, you see you are not answering my question. When 
you made this complaint to Melville, you stated the words in which you 
made it ? — A. The general words. I do not mean to say they were the 
specific words. 

Q. Of course, I do not expect you to give the exact words. When 
you made this complaint to Melville, what did Melville say to you "? — 
A. I cannot repeat his exact words, but the substance was, he could 
not do much in the premises, because it was a question which one ranked 
the other, whether it was Bartlett or I, and that Bartlett was a fireman 
and I a seaman, and there the matter dropped. 

Q. In point of fact, although you were the naturalist attached to the 
expedition, you had been entered upon the books of the ship as a sea- 
man, in order to couform to a law ot Congress 1 — A. I presume so. 

Q. In reference to the regulation governing the N^avy, but from the 
beginning, as understood by you, and as expressly defined when you 
were taken into the employment of this expedition, you were to dis- 
charge the duties of a naturalist. Is not that so '? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that you were not in any way to discharge, or attemi)t to dis- 
charge, the duties of a seaman '^ — A. Eo, sir. 

Q. And at the time you were entered as a seaman on the books of 
the ship, the necessity of so technically entering your name was ex- 
plained to you ? — A. It was stated to me to be a mere matter of form. 

Q. And it was not stated to you at the time that your name was en- 
tered as a seaman on the books of the ship that you would be expected 
to receive the treatment of a seaman ? — A. No, sir ; if it had been I 
would have stayed at home. 

Q. Melville refused on that occasion to give you any satisfaction j 
was that all that occurred on the occasion of that first interview ? — A. 
To the best of my recollection, yes. 

Q. Now, you say that there were one or two occasions; when was the 
second occasion ? — A. After we reached Lena Delta. 

Q. By the way, professor, with which party were you ? — A. The Mel- 
ville party; with Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Melville. 

Q. Yours was the only party really, with the exception of Noros and 
Nindeman, that survived ?— A. It was. 

Q. What was the difficulty there ; please state the origin of it, the 
circumstances connected with it, and what was said and what was done 
by both of you ? — A. I should say that he did not like me and tried to 
spit his spite out in different ways and was rather inclined, as the usual 
expression is, to sit on me, something of course that one man in rank 
maj^ easily do to another, and the consequence was that it made me feel 
unpleasantly, as it would any man. Some orders were givent about fix- 
ing a rope on the sail of the whale-boat. 1 think Mr. Cole had some- 
thing to do with the job at the time. I took hold as well as I could 
and it was very plain to be seen that I was in bad odor with him — that 
is, to me — and the consequence was, that I was ordered to desist, a.nd 
then he used profanity to me. 



198 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What did lie say? — A. He said, '' God damn it, I have seen better 
men than you are shot for doing less than that." That was the action 
I took in dropping the rope's end. I said, "You can shoot me, i<f yon 
want, there is- a rifle in the boat and here is a place to shoot, but you 
have no right to talk so to me, and you know it." 

Q. ilad Melville any authority in that ship except as chief engineer? — 
A. I cannot say. 

Q. You did not conceive that any fault that you had committed on 
that occasion was worthy of or provoked any such action on his part, 
did you ? — A. I think men would be in turmoil every day if notice was 
taken of things twice as bad. 

Q. What did he say Avhen you told him " There is the rifle," and so 
on? — A. To get iuto that boat. 

Q. Was he in an angry, disturbed condition ? — A. I should say he was. 

Q. Had you prior to that addressed him in any disrespectful way ? — 
A. I have no recollection of doing so. 

Q. Had you intentionally done any act that would justly incur his 
censure? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Had you in every particular, so far as your knowledge and ability 
extended done everything in your power to aid in the rescue of the 
party with which you were connected? — A. I had, to the best of my 
knowledge and recollection. 

Q. Now, I believe you had some misunderstanding with Captain De 
Long; will you be kind enough to tell the committee what was the char- 
acter of that misunderstanding, and what was said and done growing 
out of it, or in reference to it by you and Captain De Long? — A. I do 
not know that I can begin at the beginning, but I will begin where I 
can. 

Q. Start in the middle. — A. I might read from some notes made by 
myself. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Made at that time, sir ? — A. After the time, just within two or three 
hours. 

Q. While the thing was fresh in your memory ? — A. Yes, sir ; with- 
out a question. These are the identical papers, under date of August 
12th, 1880 (reading) : 

In the starboard chart room I showed the captain a big crab, after which, as he 
was going out with sextant for the noon observation, I asked him if he would inquire 
of Mr. Dunbar whether he noticed the Uria Grylle flying he shot with rifle yester- 
day. The captain said, *' Why don't you ask him?" I replied, '^ Because, sir, he has 
declined any relations with me." The captain then said, ''Well, I shall have to in- 
quire into this and find out what the matter is." I said, "Well, captain, I really 
wish you would." He then went out on deck with the sextant. This was just before 
12 M., noon. Mr. Collins was sitting in the cabin, port side, at the time and was a 
witness to the conversation. The same day after tea he had a talk with Mr. Dunbar 
on i)ort side of the poop. Afterwards, he interviewed me in the same place, again 
expressing his purpose to find out what the trouble was. He said it was " child's 
play, «&c."; said "he wouldn't have it again"; told me to erase "in charge" from 
wherever I had written it coupled with my name as naturalist. The interview was 
brief. 

I had written it coupled with ray name as naturalist of the expedi- 
tion. 
Q. What did that mean j erase it from what? — A. Eraseit from cases. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. How did you sign your name ? — A. Eaymond L. Newcomb, natu- 
ralist in charge. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 199 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Where did this appear ? — A. On boxes ; that is, on a little mem- 
orandum on them, and to my name was added the words " in charge," 
which he objected to. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Who objected ? — A. Lieutenant De Long. 
By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Where did he object ; in official communications ? — A. Yes ; once 
it was. 

Q. I do not mean that he objected in official communications. — A. 
(Submitting a paper.) There is a rough copy of an official communica- 
tion where those words were used. That will show you how it was done. 

Q. Where did he want you to erase those words from ? — A. From 
wherever they were written. 

Q. Where were they written as matter of fact ? — A. They were writ- 
ten on boxes containing specimens, skins, and so forth, stored in the 
after part of the cabin as the best place to put them. In the corner I 
would have case No. so and so, '^ Specimens, Steamer Jeannette, Eay- 
mond L. ]S"ewcomb, Naturalist in charge." 

Q. He told you to erase those words, "in charge," from the box? — 
A. He did, and I scratched them out, and you will find in a book here 
in Washington where I scratched them out. 

By Mr. OuRTiS : 

Q. You obeyed him ? — A. I did, sir. 

Q. And these words, " Eaymond L. Newcomb, Naturalist in charge," 
were only written upon boxes that contained matters relative to your 
own department ? — A. Exactly 5 and written there for this purpose, that 
when I got home, if I were to get there, and the specimens came home 
with me, they would know when they went to the Smithsonian, as un- 
doubtedly they would, " Newcomb was the man j he can tell us about 
them J " and I would be sent for. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Would they know any better with the words on ? — A. I thought 
so at the time 5 I thought it would lead them more conclusively to say 
so. 

Q. Would it be more conclusive than if it was *' Eaymond L. New- 
comb, naturalist?" — A. Yes, I think so. 

Q. That they came from you? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Was it your habit to date all your communications " Naturalist 
department, Arctic steamer Jeannette? " — A. I do not know whether I 
did or not. 

Q. (Indicating a letter.) You have in this instance ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you consider it a department ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. The fact is you did as directed? — A. As nearly as I could. 
Q. Now go on with your memoranda. — A. (Eeading:) 

The interview was brief. The time was about 7 p. in. Again in his room he had a 
alk with Mr. Dunbar. He had the cabin vacated, he, Dunbar, and I remaining. I 
was questioned, threatened, told to speak in certain tones, &c., by him, charged with 
intention of writing a letter and contemptuous deportment by Mr. Dunbar, once 
treading on his foot and another incident in the pantry — rubbing against him acci- 
dentally that was. 



200 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Again lie talked witli Dunbar, called executive officer in, and then me, asking again 
about that letter, and telling me ''Perhaps " Mr. Dunbar could " refresh " my memory. 
This was before Mr. Chipp, who was seated on port side of cabin, near Mr. Dunbar. 
He stood in front of stove and I stood near door of port chart room. Time about 9 
p. m. Mr. Dunbar said I came to him with complaints, little things, couldn't just 
say what; said he despised me, &c. ; afterwards retracting the words "despise" and 
'' complaint" ; the result of all this leaving matters as unsettled as before. 

Q. Leaving what unsettled? — A. That same spirit of turmoil and 
strife that was manifested so largely. 

Q. On the part of whom towards whom 1 — A. That is pretty hard to 
say ; all hands, in most cases, a large part of the time. I do not know 
what I can say better than to remark that it seemed, if I may say so, 
from the time the Jeannette was put into the ice that the Jeannette 
expedition was of but little account ; that, so far as seamanship was 
concerned and navigation, the ice took charge of matters, and that in 
consequence of that fact it seemed that the Jeannette expedition was 
practically a failure, and it seemed to me that owing to that fact Lieut. 
De Long had got himself into a bad situation, and was bound to create 
turmoil and strife, and out of the investigation to come afterwards, to 
save his own neck, so to speak, by fomenting disturbance among others. 
I am merely giving those as my impressions at the time, and those are 
my impressions to-day. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Has your experience and course of professional and practical life 
been such as to lead you to believe that your opinion as to the manage- 
ment of the ship in point of seamanship would be of value ? — A. Well, 
at home I was always used to sailing boats and yachts and that sort of 
thing myself, and could take hold of it and do it to-day. I always had 
my own ideas. Sometimes I thought things were done crooked. 

Q. Then, you have enjoyed such experience as would make your opin- 
ion of the seamanship and management of value ! — A. Of some value, 
undoubtedly ; not as good as all the others, but as good as some. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. How long had you been aboard the Jeannette before these dis- 
turbances ? — A. As soon as we got away from communications from 
home the appearance of things began to change. The atmosphere of 
the mess seemed to change 5 the tone of the management seemed to 
change. 

Q. How long was it from the time the Jeannette left San Francisco 
until she was crushed in the ice ? — A. She left San Francisco the 8th of 
July, 1879, and was crushed in the ice the 12th of June, 1881. 

Q. You had some experience during that period in watching the nav- 
igation of the Jeannette, did you not? — A. The ice took charge 

Q. (Interposing.) I mean from the time she left San Francisco until 
she was crushed ? — A. Oh, yes ; at the same time it may be just to those 
in charge of the navigation of the vessel, in all the departments I might 
say, to remark — I have been told j I do not know that I noticed it par- 
ticularly — that the Jeannette would not stay under sail alone ; that she 
would have to have steam as auxiliary in order to make her go about, and 
at best she was a very slow vessel. That might be said in justice to the 
navigators. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Will you state what circumstances induced you to believe that 
Captain De Long was endeavoring to foment strife among his officers in 
order to cover the failure of his expedition ? — A. It seemed to me as if 
he was a very ambitious man. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 201 

Q. I did not ask you that. I want you to state any fact that led to 
that conclusion ? — A. I do not know that I can give you a fact. 

Q. Will you state any fact or circumstance in your knowledge which 
caused you to believe that Captain De Long desired to foment strife 
among the officers of the expedition as a cover to the failure of it ? — A. 
I do not know that at this moment I can recall a personal fact, one 
that I know about personally. 

Q. Do you remember anything that Captain De Long said that was 
calculated to make that impression upon your mind? 

The Witness. Calculated to make the impression that he was trying 
to foment strife ^ 

Mr. BouTELLE. Yes ; among his officers *? 

A. Only my own experience that I have stated. 

Q. Have you stated anything he said which caused you to form that 
impression *? — A. His action towards me led me to think so. 

Q. I ask you for anything that he said ? — A. None except that. 

Q. Kone except what 1 — A. No more than the things that I have 
stated and read. 

Q. Irrespective of what you have stated, do you know of anything 
that Captain De Long ever said which w^as calculated to imi3ress upon 
your mind the belief that he was seeking to foment strife among the 
officers ?— A. Not personally. 

Q. Do you know of any act of Captain De Long which came to your 
knowledge that impressed you with the belief that he was seeking to 
foment strife among those men upon the ship 1 If so, please state the 
act. — A. His action towards me. 

Q. Well, what ? Please state the act which caused that impression 
upon your mind 1 — A. The one act or statement that he made in telling 
me to erase those words ^' in charge." 

Q. That caused you to think . A. (Interrupting.) It indicated 

to my mind that he was looking after the smallest matters on board 

Q. (Interrupting.) Now do not let us get away from the point ? — A. I 
am not. 

Q. Do you regard that act of ordering you to erase those words from 
boxes as calculated to impress upon your mind the belief that he was 
seeking to foment strife among the officers of the expedition? — A. As a 
direct answer to that question, no, sir. 

Q. Will you state any act of Captain De Long's which you think was 
calculated to produce the effect which you have stated 1 — A. I think his 
act of arraigning me in the cabin before Mr. Chipp and allowing Mr. 
Dunbar to say that he despised me. 

Q. That is hardly an act. That was a negative. Was there any- 
thing in that interview which Captain De Long did or said that caused 
that impression ?— A. Other than these general matters, no, sir^ noth- 
ing to the best of my recollection now. 

Q. Was there anything at that interview which Captain De Long 
said or did which caused the impression upon your mind that he was 
desirous of fomenting strife among the officers?— A. Not other than I 
have stated. 

Q. That is hardly an answer. Was there anything that you have 
stated or that you now think of which Captain De Long said or did at 
that interview which was calculated to impress upon you the belief that 
he was seeking to foment strife among the officers ? — A. I cannot say 
that there was, but I had the feeling. 

Q. Ah, I did not ask that. I understand that you had the feeling ; 
you say so. But what I want 'to get at for my own guidance are the 



202 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

facts upon which you formed that impression, whether you had any facts 
to base it upon ; if you had, I want to know them. — A. 1 do not know 
as I can state them, but I cannot in my own mind separate them. 

Q. Then you know of no specific act or word of Captain De Long 
which caused that impression on your mind *? — A. I cannot remember 
now. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What was the personal bearing of Captain De Long toward his 
subordinates, and more especially towards the civilian element in the 
expedition; that is, his manner? I am not now asking about the ex- 
pressions you have sworn to, but what was his manner in dealing with, 
and treating the subordinates on the expedition, and more especially 
the civilian element? — A. I use the same expression as I used once before 
with reference to Mr. Melville ; it seemed his general desire to sit on 
them, to keep them down as much as possible. 

Q. Was he reserved or otherwise? — A. As a rule, reserved; at times 
decidedly so. 

Q. In giving orders to or making requests of the members of the ex- 
pedition, was his manner imperious or otherwise? — A. I should say 
rather imperious. 

Q. The officers of the expedition messed together — Mr. Dunbar and 
yourself, and so on? — A. The commissioned officers messed together 
with the exception that Captain De Long did not always eat with us. 
He sometimes had his meals served in his state-room ; breakfast, I think, 
more particularly. 

Q. Was there much sociability or otherwise prevailing at the mess? 
— A. There seemed at the start to be a fair social condition of affairs. 
Rather suddenly it died, and I do not think it ever revived ; its life was 
very brief. Its life was about the length of time we were in communi- 
cation with home. After that it seemed to differ. That is my impres- 
sion. 

Q. State the difference, if you can — that is, state incidents showing it 
began to differ, if you can : what alteration took place in the conduct of 
the men towards each other? — A. They grew more reticent, withdrew 
to themselves more. That is the most general way I can put it. 

Q. When you sat down to meals after that would there be pleasant 
conversation around the table? — A. As a rule, so far as my memory 
serves me, no, sir. 

Q. Was it customary among the officers of the expedition and civilians 
to have any consultation as to the course things were taking or as to 
what it would be wise to do under certain circumstances ? — A. In gen- 
eral conversations we had ; nothing more, and not numerous, either, so 
far as I remember. 

By Mr. BouTELLE: 

Q. Did you ever make a voyage on a naval vessel beiSore ? — A. No, 
sir; and I do not care to do so again, either. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of the customs which prevail on board 
of naval vessels ? — A. Limited. 

Q. Is it your understanding that a commanding officer of a naval ves- 
sel, as a matter of rule, maintains a great degree of social intimacy 
with the subordinates under his command ? 

The Witness. Ordinary naval vessels, sir ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Yes. 

A. I am sure I could not tell you. I never was on a voyage on one. 

Q. Then yen judge of the relations between Captain De Long and 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 203 

the other ofiQcers simply from the basis of your experience on that trip 
or from your experience as a civilian on shore 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And not from any experience of the customs prevailing on board 
naval vessels ? — A. No 5 that is all. 

Q. Do you, under those circumstances, feel qualified to pass judg- 
ment or to give an opinion as to whether the reserve which Captain 
De Long maintained was greater than that which is habitual to the com- 
manding officer of a vessel of the naval service *? — A. 1 could not draw 
comparisons. 

Q. Do you know of any act of Captain De Long's on that cruise which 
was unbecoming an officer and a gentleman ? — A. I do not think he 
treated me at all times, to say the least, as one gentleman should treat 
another. 

Q. On what occasion did Captain De Long treat you in an unofficer- 
like and ungentlemanly manner, and in what way? — A. In this instance 
that I have read to you. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Have you read all your data ? — A. I have not, sir. 
Q. You had better read it all. — A. (Reading : ) 

August 12, 1880. In the starboard chart-room I showed the captain a big crab, 
after which, as he was going out with the sextant for the noon observation, I 
asked him if he would inquire of Mr. Dunbar whether he noticed the Uria Grille flying 
he shot with rifle yesterday." The captain said, "Why don't you ask him?" I replied, 
" Because, sir, he has declined any relations with me." The captain then said, " Well, 
I shall have to inquire into this and find out what the matter is," I said, "Well, cap- 
tain, I really wish you would." He then went out on deck with the sextant. This 
was just before 12 noon. Mr. Collins was sitting in the cabin port side afcthe time, and 
was a witness to the conversation. The same day, after tea, he had a talk with Mr. 
Dunbar on port side of the poop. Afterwards he interviewed me in the same place, 
again expressing his purpose to find out what the trouble was. He said it was 
"child's play, &c" ; said " he wouldn't have it again"; told me to erase "in charge" 
from wherever I had written it coupled with my name as naturalist. The interview 
was brief. The time was about 7 p. m. Again, in his room, he had a talk with 
Mr. Dunbar. He had the cabin vacated, he, Dunbar, and I remaining. I was ques- 
tioned, threatened, told to speak in certain tones, &c., by him ; charged with intention 
of writing a letter 

Q. (Interposing.) To whom was this letter written?— A. The expres- 
sion ^'a letter," referred to one which I was said to have written to a 
newspaper at home, and in that letter it was said I had written that 
Lieutenant De Long was a i)rofane Catholic, and Mr. Melville was a man 
who did not believe in God. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You had not written any such thing*? — A. I had notj if I had, the 
files of the Salem Observer would show it. 
Q. Go on with your reading. — A. (Eesuming reading.) 

Charged with intention of writing a letter and contemptuous deportment by Mr. 
Dunbar, once treading on his foot, and another incident in the pantry. Again he 
talked with Dunbar, called executive officer in, and then me, asking again about that 
letter, and telling me ''perhaps" Mr. Dunbar could " refresh" my memory. This was 
before Mr. Chipp, who was seated on port side of cabin near Mr. Dunl)ar. He stood 
in front of stove and I stood near door of port chart-room. Time about 9 p. m. Mr. 
Dunbar said I came to him with complaints; little things ; couldn't just say Avhat ; 
said he despised me, &c.; afterwards retracting the words "despise" and " complaint ;" 
the result of all this leaving matters as unsettled as before. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Now read the other memoranda that you have. — A. Then matters 
went along comparatively quiet. I had no further trouble again until 



204 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the 16th of Kovember, 1880, when the incident occurred of which this 
is an account. I was told to make a statement and submit it to Lieu- 
tenant De Long. I accordingly did so. This is the copy : 

Arctic Steamer Jeai^nette, beset in the pack, 

November 16, 1880. 
Lieut. George W. De Long, 

Commanding Arctic Steamer Jeannette: 
Sir : In compliance witli your verbal order I submit the following statement : Re- 
turning from bunting to-day I reported to Mr. Cbipp my return to tbe sbip. He told 
me of a fox in port cbart-room tbat tbe captain wanted prepared for the collection. 
I came on board sbip, carried rifle below; time, 12.55 p. m. : got my skinning tools; 
came up in cabin ; time 1 p. m. ; entered port cbart-room ; found Mr. Dunbar there 
handling a fox. After waiting about half a minute I spoke, saying, ''I should like 
to come there." His reply was, "You can come when I get through." After a brief 
interval I said: ''Allow me to pass, please." At this I did pass behind and to the 
left of him, setting my tools and candle on the bench, in nowise interfering with his 
proceedings. After depositing my tools as above stated I said: "I have orders to 
work here." He said, "I've been pushed round all I'm going to be by you "; took a 
small piece of line from oif the fox and went out from the chart-room. 
Very respectfully, 

RAYMOND LEE NEWCOMB, 
Seaman and Naturalist, Arctic Steamei^ Jeannette. 
By Mr. OuRTis : 

Q. Anything else, sir? — A. That was Novem.ber, 1880. I would like 
to retrace my steps a moment, because I find a copy of a paper dated 
December 14, 1879. I think 1 have been asked if I considered the nat- 
uralist department a department of the expedition. 

Mr. McAdoo. I asked you that question. 

The Witness. I say that 1 did. Here is a communicaation which 
shows it [reading] : 

Naturalist Department, Arctic Steamer Jeannette, 

December 14, 1879. 
Sir : As it is quite possible that the members of this expedition may find specimens 
and notice matters of interest during their walks when away from the vessel, I would 
like to suggest the propriety of some means being established whereby I may, in my 
position as naturalist, become possessed of the knowledge of such occurrences, in order 
to preserve the same for the benefit of the expedition. Casual inquiry is the only 
way I have of ascertaining these things at present. Asking your consideration of the 
above, I remain. 

Respectfully, 

RAYMOND L. NEWCOMB, 

Naturalist in Charge. 
To Lieut. George W. De Long, 

Commanding Arctic Steamer Jeannette. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did you get a reply to that 1 — A. I got none whatever. 

Q. Proceed. — A. Then the next incident that I remember was in the 
summer of 1880 or 1881 ; I do not remember the year ; it was about 
putting the dredge over the side. 1 went out on the deck. I think 
Seaman Dresler, now, dead, had charge of the deck. I said, ^' Dresler, 
is the dredge over the sidef" He said, "Yes." Soon it was hauled, 
and I was sent for to take charge of the materials in the dredge. The 
sieves that are used for washing out the specimens were taken to a hole 
in the ice alongside the vessel to be washed out. They had been stowed 
away all winter and were not where I could get at them right off and 
be sure they were in ])roper condition. As I remember now they were 
on top of the cabin stowed away. Some little delay was experienced 
in getting them. Mr. Ohipp found one and commenced to wash out 
the specimens, and the captain noticing Mr. OIiipp washing those out, 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 205 

asked me why I was not doing it. I immediately went out there, and 
then came back and said that I would be glad to attend to these mat- 
ters if he would give me a little preliminary notice in order that I 
might get my sieves ready. He said, '' I did not consider it necessary to 
notify you." I said, '^ Very good, sir," and retired. Then matters went 
along until we got on the retreat, when, if I remember correctly, Bart- 
lett was given charge of a tent party that had previously been under 
Lieutenant Danenhower's charge, and the results were that some con- 
versation occurred between Mr. Danenhower and myself, and Mr. Da- 
nenhower felt himself offended or aggrieved. 

Q. Give the language if you can. — A. I do not know that I can. 

Q. Well, the substance of it. State what Mr. Danenhower's manner 
was. — A. He seemed to have felt injured, as if he was able to do the 
work, and he thought it was too bad not to be allowed to do it. That 
was the impression I had on my mind. However, Bartlett was placed 
in charge of our tent party at the time, and there came up some ques- 
tion — I do not remember w^hat the question was now — between Danen- 
hower and myself, and I think he said to me something about my speak- 
ing to him. 

Q. What did he say about speaking to him ! — A. I do not remember 
the words particularly. 

Q What was the tenor of it ? Was it to speak to him or not to speak 
to him, or what ? — A. The chances are it was some objection to my man- 
ner of speaking to him. I remember I said to him at the time " You are 
not in charge now, Mr. Danenhower." He said, '' Who is in charge?" 
Said I, ''Bartlett." I did not apologize to him. I must say I after- 
wards wished I had. The results were that he reported me to Captain 
He Long, and after some little time, I do not remember whether it was a 
day or two or longer, I was suspended from duty and ordered to turn my 
shot-gun and ammunition over to Mr. Chipp and march in the rear with 
the working forces. 

Q. Ha^^ you any other memoranda ? — A. Yes, I have here some words 
torn out of a book of mine. I do not know where the other part is now. 
My papers are quite scattered, some of them : [Reading.] 

Lieutenant De Long's words to me at tliat time were, '' You will keep in the rear." 
I accordingly turned " Betsy " — 

That was the name I gave my shotgun — 

over to the executive officer. Next I knew Chipp called me and told me he had 
spoken to captain about my gun, and the result was I could "let it stay in boat or 
take care of it again, as I chose, and by and by it will be yours in toto." Therefore I 
infer it is not returned free yet. However, ' * Betsy " and I are chums again . 

I remember in si)eaking of the gun, when Captain De Long told me 
to turn the gun over to Chipp, said I, "The gun is my private prop- 
erty." He said, ''It is the property of the expedition now, sir." I said, 
" y ery well," and turned it over to Chipp, but that same gun afterward 
fed the whole ship's party. 

Q. Is that all you remember'? — A. IiTo, sir. [Reading.] 

During the last interview near first cutter the captain and I were alone, but after 
this Mr. Chipp and the men coming up from rear with sleds he (the captain) informed 
Mr. Chipp before the men, and in a loud voice, that I was under arrest. 

Then the next entry is : 

Saturday, a. m., July 30. — I was sent for to come to No. 6 tent. Kaak came to 
tell me. Captain De Long informed me he found it necessary to restore me to duty, 
&c., under the circumstances. My memorandum was handed me, and I therefore 
understand I am on duty as hugs again. I was told I would not be put at other duty, 
duty. What a checkered career! Perhaps it is only temporary. 



206 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I had, August 8, at noou, a brief conversation with Mr. Chipp, the result of which 
was (he spoke to Captain De Long) that I was on duty for the present, or until he 
saw fit to take further action, and I was only to do what other officers did, i. c, in 
the way of work. 

Q. Have you aoy other memoranda! — A. There was no written order 
accompanying my being put on duty. This is another memorandum : 

January 21, '81. — This a. m. at breakfast I asked steward to give me a piece of 
t'^ast from the mutton platter ; steward took my plate, and was just going to help me, 
when a spoon was taken iip from the mutton platter by the right hand of Ambler, 
who looking toward me, after clearing his mouth of food, said, ''Mr. Newcomb, Zhelp 
to this dish when it is before we." I said, " I don't care for any, thank you. Steward, 
give me my plate," which he did. I thou called for a clean, small plate, which stew- 
ard brought, when Ambler ordered steward to remove ''this dish" from the table, 
which was done. Collins saw the whole affair. 

Then matters went along — I suppose I was a prisoner, I don't know 
how to interpret it — until I got this order from Lieutenant Danenhower 
at Irkoutsk. His eyes were affected then and he was somewhat indis- 
posed, and he ordered me to take charge of certain writing matters. 
The order reads : 

IRKOUTSK, February 3, 1882. 
Mr. R. L. Newcomb, 

U. S. Navy, present : • 

Sir : You are hereby temporarily relieved from arrest and detailed as a writer to 
assist in copying public documents. 
Very respectfully, 

JNO. W. DANENHOWER, 

Lieutenant, U. S. N. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Have you read all your data*? — A. Yes ; all, sir. 

Q. Now, do you remember, as matter of fact, any conversation be- 
tween you and Captain De Long, in which he charged you as being 
reticent ? — A. Yes, sir ; I do. 

Q. What was that conversation 1 — A. I remember that one day he 
spoke to me in the cabin and wanted to know why I was so silent, or 
the cause for my reticence ! And I said to him I preferred to maintain 
silence for personal reasons -, that was all. 

Q. Did you give them ? — A. I did not. He then said he did not know 
that he could allow me to do so ; that the police discipline of the vessel 
required that he should look after matters. I then asked him, *' Do I 
not do my duty, sir ? " And he said, " Yes, and I will take good care 
that you do." ^' Very well, sir," said I, " If I do my duty I must re- 
spectfully continue the privilege of maintaining this silence." 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Officially *? — A. No, sir ; officially I did my duty. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did he tell you he would make you talk ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you express to him the reasons you had for reticence ? — A. I 
did not. 

Q. Had you any reasons for reticence ? — A. I felt that it was a meas- 
ure of prudence for me to maintain silence so far as 1 could. 

Q. Why '? — A. Because I thought in all probability there might be 
investigations when we got back, and 1 preferred to have as little as 
possible laid to my door. 

Q. Did you know Mr. Collins? — A. I did. 

Q. Was Mr. Danenhower able to work on the retreat when Bartlett 
was put in charge f — A. I should think he was. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 207 

Q. Were you or not interfered with by Captain De Long in the dis- 
charge of your duties, or was the property that belonged to your de- 
partment interfered with ? — A. At the time the Jeannette was crushed, 
not finally, but broken on her bow, in January, 1880, I think it was, a 
barrel of calcine plaster was taken from my stores and mixed with ce- 
ment to try to stop the leak forward. 

Q. Were you or not interfered with by Captain De Long in the dis- 
charge of your duties, or was the property that belonged to your de- 
partment interfered with '? — A. I^ot directly. 

Q. Well, indirectly ? — A. Specimens were brought on board the ves- 
sel, logs of wood, bones of fish, and other things. They were labeled 
by others than myself, and placed wherever it was deemed proper, not 
passing through the naturalist department. 

Q. Was any property belonging to your department, specimens or 
otherwise, thrown overboard ! — A. At Ounalaska some birds that I 
saw were partially tarred were thrown overboard because they were 
of no further use. They had been hanging in the port chart-room. 
The doctor came in and says, "Whew, what an odorj why, it is those 
birds. Take them out." Says I, '^I don't smell anything except the 
natural odor of a bird of that kind. I hardly think a person used to 
the odors of a dissecting room ought to object to that." Says he, " You 
will find I do, sir." Shortly after that De Long put his head in the 
door and said, '•'• Remove those birds." I said, " All right." I took 
them out and hung them on the starboard side of the bridge. Shortly 
after that, at Ounalaska, they put some black substance on the ship — 
tar or something of the kind — and it got on my birds, together with 
some coal dust, or something, and they were of no further use and I 
threw them over the rail. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Was the removal of your birds done at the suggestion of the doc- 
tor ? — A. I cannot say. 
Q. What do you think ? — A. I should think it was. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What sort of a bird do you say it was that was so fragrant % — A. 
The common sea-fowl of our Arctic coast. I don't know as I can specify 
the particular species now. They were swamp birds of the northwest 
coast. They might have been Murres^ or they might have been Puffins 
or Guillemots. 

Q. Were you through with them as naturalist ? — A. After I threw 
them overboard? 

Q. When it was ordered that they should be thrown overboard ? — A. 
They were not ordered to be thrown overboard. I said I threw them 
overboard myself. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. My understanding about the birds is this : That those birds be- 
came useless by reason of the tar and coal dust on them, and you threw 
them overboard ? — A. Yes j they were ruined as ornothological speci- 
mens. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. That is the reason you threw them overboard ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not throw them over on account of their odor ? — A. I^ot 
at all. 

Q. What was the order given in reference to them on account of the 
odor ? — A. To remove those birds from the chart-room. 



208 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. To where ? — A. To take them from there. 
Q. You were not ordered to destroy them ? — A. Ko, sir. 
Q. But simply to take them somewhere else ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. At the time the removal was ordered were you through with them 
as a naturalist ? — A. No j I proposed to skin them. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Where was the port chart-room *? — A. On the left-hand side of the 
vessel, aft. 

Q. What connection with the officers' quarters had it? — A. It was 
separated from them by a partition. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did they smell badly? — A. They could not smell very bad, because 
they were freshly killed. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. I would like to ask you, in view of the form in which the question 
was put, whether your department had been interfered with by the 
commanding officer; do you uuderstand that there were any depart- 
ments on board that vessel which were not under the authority of the 
captain? — A. I do not know that there were; I never knew that there 
were. I always supposed that everything was in charge of the com- 
manding officer. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) Does that represent a rough sketch of the 
location of the apartments? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did the door of that chart-room where the birds were open into 
the cabin? — A. Yes; on the left-haml side. 

Q. Then, if the birds had been offensive the odor would have been 
noticed in the cabin ? — A. If it had been sufficient to reach so far. 

Q. Well, how far? — A. If the birds smelled badly enough. A bird, 
for instance, mi^ht have a natural odor that would permeate a closed 
door so that you would notice it. 

Q. This was a state-room opening into the cabin ? — A. Yes; separated 
from it by a partition. 

Q. It was not separated when the door was open ? — A. If I remember 
aright, the door was either unhung or kept open. 

Q. (Indicating committee-room doors.) For instance, this is the cabin, 
and that door opens into the state-room ; was that the situation ? — A. 
Relatively. 

Q. Then, if there had been a seriously bad odor in the state-room there 
was nothing to prevent its permeating the cabin? — A. No, sir; but the 
birds were fresh — killed within twelve hours of th« time they were taken 
there. 

Q. You did not think that they were sufficiently offensive to require 
removal? — A. I did not even smell them at all. 

Q. What did the doctor say was his opinion in regard to them being 
offensive? — A. I remember I said to him that I did not suppose a per- 
son used to the odors of a dissecting room would object to it. 

Q. You thought it was not so bad as the odor of a dissecting-room? — 
A. I know it was not. 

Q. But the doctor noticed there was an odor ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then what did the doctor say ? — A. I said I did not suppose he 
objected, and he says, "You will find that I do, sir." 

Q. And the next thing was an order from the captain ? — A. The next 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 209 

thing was a verbal order from the capfcaio. He put his head in the door 
and said, '' Mr. Newcomb, yon will remove those birds, please, some- 
where else. 

By Mr. Aknoux: 
Q. Was not the door between that room where you had the birds and 
the cabin unhung so that the door was ojjen 1 — A. I don't remember 
whether it was unhung or kept open, but the passageway was open a 
great deal of the time. I do not remember, I am sure. I am under the 
impression, however, that the door was unhung. I could not say defi- 
nitely. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. The fowls had been freshly killed, you say ^—A. Yes. 
Q. And there was no odor to them, except their natural odor *? — A. 
Nothing in the least. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. ISTo odor of decomposition ? — A. Not in the least. 

Q. What did the doctor smell when he came in there 1—A. I am sure 
I could not tell you, sir. 

Q. Then it was a question between you and the doctor as to the 
smelH~A. Exactly. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you believe at the time, and do you believe now, that it was 
a sort of a petty annoyance of you *? 

The Witness. Did I then think so ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you now think so ? — A. I have hardly given it a second 
thought. 

Q. You say you knew Collins 1 — A. I did. 

Q. Did you ever have any conversation with Collins in reference to 
his being placed under arrest or suspension ? — A. I do not now recall 
the conversation. 

Q. You knew the fact that he was put under arrest or suspension, 
did you not 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. No\^ did he have any conversation with you on the subject of the 
relations between himself and Captain De Long *? — A. I do not recall 
any special conversation. 

Q. Well, any general conversation on that subject ? — A. Something 
to the effect that he was off duty and under arrest. 

Q. Did he use the word arrest? — A. That I would not swear to. 
You might say he was suspended. Certainly he was, because he was 
not attending to the duties he had previously attended to. 

Q. Did he tell you the cause of his suspension ? — A. I am under the 
impression that he told me in a general way that he was not taking 
his observations ; that he was in the cabin j had stopped to light his 
pipe, or something of the kind, and that Lieutenant De Long came in, 
and I have heard it said he overhauled him for taking so much time to 
attend to it, and further words ensued, and the upshot of the whole 
thing was he was then and there relieved from duty. 

Q. And so far as you know was he ever restored to duty until the 
time of his death ? — A. No, sir ; not up to the time we separated. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Were you with the De Long party *? — A. No j I was with Danen- 
hower and Melville on the whale-boat. 



210 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You spoke of up to the time when you separated *? — A. Well, sir, 
as far as I know. 

By Mr. GuRTiS : 

Q. Did he complain to you that his instruments were taken from 
him? — A. I have a general recollection of his speaking about Mr. Mel- 
ville's having more or less to do with the photographic apparatus, and 
also the fact that tbe observations that he had been previously taking 
were afterward being taken by Mr. Mndemanu, and Captain De Long, 
and some others, 1 do not know who, exactly. 

Q. And after his suspension did you notice any irregularity in the 
taking of observations — that they were made less frequently than be- 
fore ! — A. It strikes me they were, though I do not recall. The first 
year they were taken hourly. After that they were taken less fre- 
quently. 

Q. That is, by Collins ? — A. Not all of them by Collins, of course, 
being hourly observations. Some of them were taken by him. 

Q. While Collins was doing duty the observations were taken with 
great regularity and accuracy, were they not! —A. I should say they 
were, sir. 

Q. After his suspension did he complain to you that the observations 
were taken irregularly and not altogether accurately at times ? — A. I 
am under the impression that he did. 

Q. Do you know the relations between Captain De Long and Mr. 
Chipp ! — A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. Were they friendly or unfriendly? I do not ask you to state what 
the origin of them was. — A. I cannot give you the origin of them. I 
observed rather a coldness between them in a general way; as we saj^, 
in a homely fashion at home, that there was not much love lost between 
them. 

Q. As fiir as your present recollection serves you, how was that in- 
dicated, by any act or word, that you now remember? — A. A general 
reserve in a social way. 

Q. Their intercourse was restricted to official intercourse ? — A. Official 
intercourse mostly, as far as I recollect. 

Q. He was De Long's first lieutenant, was he not f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Next in rank to him ? — A. Yes, I think so 5 he was first lieutenant 
and executive officer. 

Q. Do you remember that Captain De Long directed Mr. Collins to 
remove the words '* scientific observer" from his official communica- 
tions ? 

The Witness. Do I personally remember it ? 

Mr. Curtis. Was it told to you!— A. I do not recollect it, sir. 

Q. Do you know of it of your own knowledge! — A. 1 have no recol- 
lection of it. 

Q. You have no recollection or information about that subject! — A. 
That he was ordered to remove the words "scientific observer!" 

Q. Did not Captain De Long direct Mr. Collins to remove the words 
"scientific observer" from his official communications ! — A. I have no 
knowledge of such a fact. 

Q. Are you aware that Captain De Long states that in his memo- 
randum ! — A. I am not. I never saw his journal kept on the retreat 
that I remember. 

Q. Although you have never trod the deck of a man-of-war, or you 
have never had any great experience as a seaman, you claim to have 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 211 

the ordiuary judgment of a sensible person, do you not? — A. Yes, al- 
though I never enlisted before. 

Q. And you are not conscious that the Almighty has gifted even na- 
val officers with any conspicuous ability outside of a knowledge of the 
routine of their profession ■? — A. I do not know that 1 am. 

Q. You are not conscious that the unfortunate laymen are so far be- 
neath them in capacity as to prevent their sensible judgment on sensible 
and common sense things, are you*? — A. I do not know that I am. 

Q. (Submitting a map) Will you be kind enough to look at that chart. 
Did you ever see it before ? — A. Not this one ; no, sir. 

Q. Point out on that map, if you can, where the Jeannette sank. — A. 
(Indicating.) There is the spot where she was supposed to be lost. 

Q. How far in a course due south to the Siberian coast is it from the 
point or the spot where the Jeannette sank ■? — A. It seems to be about 
500 miles. 

Q. How do you estimate the distance ? — A. I estimate 60 miles to a 
degree. 

Q. What is the distance from the place where the Jeannette was lost 
to the Indigirka Eiver in a straight line ^: — A. I never measured it. 

Q. Measure it now. — A. That is a deltaed river. I will take it to 
the nearest arm. That is less than 500 miles. 

Q. The distance from the place where the Jeannette sank to the delta, 
where the body of De Long was found, is very much greater than the 
distance from the spot where the Jeannette was lost to the Indigirka 
Eiver, is it not! — A. In lecturing on the Jeannette expedition people 
have asked me how far the Jeannette was from the land at the time she 
was crushed. My answer has been 500 miles or thereabouts from the 
Lena delta. 

Q. You are not lecturing now, and that is not the question I am put- 
ting to you. The question I am putting to you now is one of compari- 
son, and be kind enough to follow the question in your mind, and if you 
see fit you can put the answer in your next lecture. As matter of fact, 
the distance from where the Jeannette was sunk to that portion of the 
delta where the body of De Long was found is very much greater than 
the distance from where the Jeannette was sunk to the line of the In-^ 
digirka Eiver, is it not 1 — A. I should say it was. 

Q. Nearly twice as great? — A. I do not know about that. 

Q. And the distance from the spot where the Jeannette was sunk to 
the spot where the body of De Long was found is also very mucli 
greater than the distance from the spot where the Jeannette was sunk 
to the Yana Eiver, is it not ? — A. I prefer to look at the chart before I 
speak. 

Q. Well, it is so — nearly twice the distance, so I will suggest that you 
put that in your lecture. Do you know personally the treatment that 
Collins received while on board the vessel. How was he treated by the 
officers as you yourself observed ?— A. He was not treated as men ordi- 
narily treat each other on shore. 

Q. State how he was treated. — A. His opinions were frequently 
laughed at. 

Q. As for instance ? — A. I do not know that I can specify, but I know 
that the general deportment, I might say (with the exception, perhaps, 
of Mr. Ghipp and Mr. Danenhower, who, so far as I remember, were gen- 
erally on friendly terms with Mr. Collins), of the captain and the doc- 
tor and Mr. Melville — I do not mean to say they were all together in a 
clique trying to annoy any one, but my impression was, as it seemed 
to me, that they would just as soon as not poke fun at him or annoy 



212 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

him in a small way and joke at his expense, singing some song or tell- 
ing a joke, or something of that sort. 

Q. He was very sensitive ? — A. I think he was 

Q. He was a man of a refined mind ? — A. Yes, sir. I think he was 
a man particularly qualified to suffer keenly under such little annoy- 
ances. He had no opportunity of going away from them to relieve him- 
self from them. 

Q. He had not the cold, brutal temperament of a callous man ? — A. I 
do not think he had. He was a very warm-hearted man. 

Q. He was very sensitive to indignity ? — A. I should think he was. 

Q. I believe he was of Irish birth. Do you remember that Irish songs 
were occasionally sung in his i^resence ? — A. I have a general recollec- 
tion that they were. I have a general recollection that Mr. Melville 
used to sing Irish ditties. I do not know that he intended to offend 
anybody, but Collins felt himself offended by it. 

Q. Your impression from your observation, so far as the treatment of 
Collins by De Long and Melville and the doctor is concerned, is that 
they did not treat him with that consideration that he was entitled to 
as a gentleman of his position ? — A. That was my impression or idea, sir. 

Q. Is there anything that you now remember that Mr. Collins stated 
to you in reference to his arrest or suspension, or in reference to his 
general treatment on board of the vessel that you have not referred 
to ? — A. I do not recall anything. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do you know of any outrage having been committed ujjon any 
person by any other person connected with that expedition from the 
time the ship left San Francisco until the time you separated in the dif- 
ferent boats ? — A. I have no personal knowledge. 

Q. That is all I want. I am not asking for gossij) and slander. — A. 
Not opinions. 

Q. Not opinions. Do you know of any such outrage ? — A. I do not 
recall personally. 

Q. Do you know of any indignity that was put upon any member of 
the expedition by any other person ? — A. The treatment that I person- 
ally received at Mr. Melville's hands, for instance, and as I felt from the 
captain's hands. 

Q. Is that the whole of the acts of indignity that you know of during 
that expedition ? — A. It covers all that I recall at present. 

Q. Do you know of the arrest of any person from the time you left 
San Francisco until it was crushed in the ice "i Do you understand ? I 
use the word arrest. — A. I understand I was arrested. 

Q. That was on the ice. I say from the time that the ship left San 
Francisco until she was crushed in the ice. — A. Not directly. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. What do you mean by directly ? — A. Not i)ersonally j that I was 
within ear-shot of such things or an eye-witness. 

Mr. Curtis. That is what you mean by your answer to the first ques- 
tion, I suppose ! 

Mr. Arnoux. He knows what is within his own personal knowledge, 
and he says he has no knowledge of any such acts. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. (Resuming.) Were you present at the time when Mr. Melville sent 
Kusmah, or employed Kusmah, to go to Bulun ! — A. I was with the 
party at the time. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 213 

Q. JS'ow, can you swear that he gave no directions and adopted no 
means for spreading the news of the missing boats at the time he sent 
Kusmah to Bulun ? — A. I cannot. I do not know what effort he did. 
make. 

Q. Were you examined before the Naval Court of Inquiry ? — A. I was. 

Q. Did you there testify to the whole truth, so far as it related to the 
loss of the Jeannette? — A. I answered the questions they asked me. 

Q. Did you answer the questions fullj^ and unreservedly, according 
to the oath that was administered to you to tell the truth, the whole 
truth, and notliing but the truth ? — A. As well as I could, under the 
circumstances. 

Q. Is there anything in the testimony that you gave before the Naval 
Court of Inquiry that you wish to alter, add to, or modify ? — A. I en- 
deavored to answer truthfully those questions, so far as 1 was able. If 
I had been free and untrammeled, I might have answered the same 
questions in different words. 

Q. In what way were you not free and untrammeled when yon were 
examined as a witness before the Naval Court of Inquiry *? — A. I was still 
in the service of the United States, and, as I said here, I had been ar- 
rested. I did not know what the action would be in the premises, and 
I felt that while I must answer as honestly as I could, still I must be 
as guarded as possible. 

Q. Now, I repeat again, having taken the oath that you did, to tell 
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth^ is there any an- 
swer whatever that you gave before the Naval Court of Inquiry that you 
wish to alter or change in any respect 1 — A. Some of the questions that 
I have answered here this afternoon, if I had felt myself as free to do so 
then as I do now, I would have answered as I did here. 

Q. Were those the same questions as were put to you before that 
Board ? — A. I could not say until I see them compared side by side. 

Q. I want you to answer the question exactly that I put to you. Is 
there any answer that you gave to the questions put to you by the Court 
of Inquiry that you want to alter, modify, or change in any particular 
whatever? 

The Chairman. It is fair to the witness to read the question and the 
answer to him, and ask him if he has anything to modif^^ or change in that 
particular answer. 

Mr. Aenoux. I do not propose to waste the time of the committee, 
but I propose the witness take his testimony and read it through. 

Mr. BouTELLE. You might ask the witness, I should think, whether 
he thinks of anything. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do you now recall any answer that you then made that you wish to 
alter in any respect? — A. I do not know that I do. 

Q. Do you recall any fact which would be properly brought out in 
answer to any question which was put to you before the Naval Court of 
Inquiry, that you would like to mention here ? — A. I do not remember 
the questions. My ideas and recollections are somewhat mixed on these 
points. 

Mr. Curtis. I do not like to keep on objecting, but in the language 
of the chairman, it is fair to the witness that he should have an oppor- 
tunity of comparing his testimony given before the Board of Inquiry 
with his evidence here. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Unquestionably, if he desires it. 

Mr. Curtis. Outside of thait I have no objection to make. 



214 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. BoTJTELLE. If the witness knows of anything he wants to change, 
unquestionably he ought to have an opportunity to change it. 
The Witness. 1 do not know of anything now, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Will you please to repeat the entire conversation that you had 
with Mr. Melville at Thaddeus Island, and state what the cause was 
out of which that conversation arose ? — A. I cannot repeat the whole 
conversation as it occurred there, but the cause was the fact that I did 
not feel 1 was treated by Bartlett 

Q. (Interposing.) You are not giving a fact; you are telling about 
your feelings. Tell the fact about that matter. — A. The cause was the 
fact that, being served with food by Bartlett at the time, his actions 
towards me were taken in such a manner that I was aggrieved. 

Q. That is only telling the result. Can you not tell the fact, so that 
we may know whether you had any good cause to feel aggrieved ; what 
was it that was said and done between you and Bartlett? — A. I cannot 
repeat the exact words. His deportment towards me was disrespectful, 
and was as intentionallj^ so as it possibly could be. 

Q. What were the transactions f — A. I do not remember the details — 
not every detail. 

Q. Give me the details as far as you recollect them. — A. When we 
reached Thaddeus Island, I think it was towards night, and we were 
waiting for supper. I think our food at that time was pemmican. If 
I remember rightly, Bartlett was doing the cooking or the serving. It 
was spooned out or dished out into these tin pots for each member of 
our party, and there was some little incident that happened between 
Bartlett and myself 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no; do not skip that. Let us know what the 
incident was. — A. I will tell j^ou all that I remember. I cannot do any 
more. 

Q. I guess you can recollect that if you try to. — A. I do not think I 
can. 

Q. Was it not that you wanted Bartlett to pass to you a pan of that 
pemmican and he refused to do so, saying it was not his place to act as 
your servant ? — A. Now that you recall the fact to my mind, I remem- 
ber it. I did not previously. 

Q. That is a fact? — A. That is a fact as it stands. 

Q. And for his refusal to pass you that you made complaint to Mr. 
Melville ?— A. I spoke to Bartlett first, before I spoke to Mr. Melville. 
I remember that. Your question brings it back very clearly. 

Q. You made a great fuss with Bartlett about his refusing to pass 
you that pan 1 — A. I do not know what you would call a great fuss. 

Q. You know what you would call a great fuss! — A. Yes. 

Q. Very well.— A. No ; I did not make a great fuss withBartlett. 

Q. How long a controversy did you have with Bartlett over his re- 
fusal? — A. I did not time it. I did not have any watch. 

Q. You have a general recollection as to things without using your 
watch, have you not"? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you tell how long that lasted ? — A. It might have been a 
minute or two, and it might have been five minutes. I do not think it 
was more. 

Q. Then what did you do as far as Melville was concerned? — A. Eat 
my pemmican, because I was hungry, and let the matter drop. 

Q. Didn't you go and complain to Melville about Bartlett ?— -A. I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 215 

thought it was understood that I did speak to Melville. I did speak to 
Mr. Melville. 

Q. How soon after the incident when yon asked or ordered Mr. Bart- 
lett to act as your servant and he refused to do it, was it that you spoke 
to Mr. Melville about it ? — A. I would like to say that I did not order 
Mr. Bartlett as my servant, but I asked liim to do it. I did not con- 
sider Bartlett at any time on the expedition as my servant in any partic- 
ular. His whole deportment towards me at the time was as if he 
thought I was ordering it of him when I really was not. 

Q. How long was it after that that you had the conversation with 
Melville when you complained of this act ? — A. I think it was that same 
night before going to bed. 

Q. How long after the transaction took place 1 — A. I do not know. 
It was that night,. I think, before going to bed. 

Q. Was it within. two hours ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Was it within four hours 1 — A. I do not know. 

Q. Was this at dinner-time when the thing took place 1 — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. What meal was it ? — A. It was at supper. 

Q. How long after supper was it before you usually went to bed 1 — 
A. I don't know that either. I hadn't any watch to keep time. 

Q. Was it pretty soon after supper? — A. Yes, pretty soon ; I do not 
recollect the time. 

Q. What did you say to Mr. Melville, as nearly as you recollect? — A. 
The substance of it was that I thought Bartlett had spoken to me very 
disrespectfully, and I wanted him, if he would, to iDrotect me from fur- 
ther insult of the kind. 

Q. What was it Bartlett said to you that you considered so disre- 
spectful and insulting ? — A. I do not remember the words. 

Q. What was the substance *? — A. He gave me to understand " there 
it was, to help myself"; something of that kind. I do not mean to say 
those were his words. I do not remember whether he used profanity 
or not. 

Q. When you made that remark to Melville, what did he say to 
you ? — A. As I remember now, he raised the question, whether it would 
be proper to make any attempt to correct matters at all, because Bartlett 
was a fireman and I was a seaman, and the question of rank, if there 
was any, was left unsettled. 

Q. And did he not say he thought it was too trifling a matter to raise 
any controversy over, and to let it drop ?— A. I do not remember that 
he did. 

Q. Or did he not say words to that effect ? — A. I do not remember 
that he did. 

Q. Did he not say that he thought you had better stop your quarrel- 
ing over such a matter ? — A. I do not remember that he did. 

Q. Will you swear that he did not so state ? — A. I do not remember 
that he did or did not. I have no distinct recollection on that particular 
point. 

Q. Now, then, w^e come to the next matter; at or after leaving the 
Lena delta, what was it that he then said to you there ? Give the whole 
of that matter. — A. I think it was after we were discovered by the na- 
tives on the Lena delta. 

Q. About what day ? — A. On or about the 20th or 21st of September, 
1881, along there. Something required attention about the sails. 

Q. What was it! — A. Something about the ropes; I don't remember 
exactly. I remember that 1 had a little piece of rope in my hand. It 
may have been a part of the halyard, it may have been the sheet ; I 



216 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

don't know which it was ; and Mr. Cole came along to take tlie job ont 
of my bands, and I wanted to doit. I hardly remember those incidents 
just as they occurred there. 

Q. Let us see if I can refresh you in regard to that. Was it not a fact 
that you and Mr. Cole were working up the sail on the beach ? — A. We 
were standing on the sandy beach near those huts where we stopped 
over night with those natives. 

Q. And did not you and Mr. Cole have a dispute in regard to some- 
thing at that time. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Who was Cole ? — A. He was our boatswain, sir. '. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did you not have a dispute? — A. I do not know as we did, sir. 

Q. Did you not both square off at one another as if you were going to 
strike f — A. I do not remember whether we did or did not, 

Q. A few minutes ago you were able to recall some incident by my 
bringing it to your attention ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now can you not remember sufficiently in so important a matter 
as this you speak of what was the origin of it *? — A. If I could I would 
tell you. 

Q. I say, can you remember by being refreshed by the question I put 
to you that that was the fact in this instance also ? — A. If I could I 
would tell you. 

Q. What do you tell me 1 — A. I tell you that I do not remember on 
the particular points you mention. 

Q. JSTow did not Mr. Melville, when you were both in that attitude, 
call upon you to desist ? — A. I do not remember. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Do you remember that that was not the fact ? — A. I do not, sn\ 
I do not recollect those incidents j I only recollect the words used to- 
wards me. 

Q. You remember those distinctly, but you do not remember the 
cause of it! — A. I do not, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. When he called upon you to desist did you say you would not ? — 
A. I do not think I did. 

Q. Will you swear that you did not ? — A. I won't swear that I did 
not. I do not think I did. I have no recollection of saying anything 
of the kind. 

Q. Did he not then tell you to shut ui3 !— A. He may have and he 
may not have. 

Q. We are not here investigating what may have been. We are tr^^- 
ing to get at the facts. I ask you if he did not say so ? — A. I do not 
remember that he did. 

Q. Will you swear that he did not ? — A. I do not remember that be 
did not. 

Q. Did you not tell him that you would not, and that he had no au- 
thority to stop your mouth ? — A. I told him that he had no right to 
speak to me in the way he did after swearing at me. 

Q. Did you not tell him that he had no right to stop your mouth ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Nor words to that effect ?— A. I told him that he had no right to 
si)eak to me in that way. 



JEANNETTE " INQUIRY. 217 

Q. ]^o ; I am speaking about that you told bim tbat be bad no rigbt 
to stop your moutb, or words to that effect? — A. I do not think I did. 

Q. Then what was it he said to you"? — A. Just as I have said—" God 
damn you, I have seen better men than you shot before now." 

Q. Was that all that he said ?— A. " Get into that boat." 

Q. Is that all that he said on that subject"? — A. As far as I remem- 
ber now. 

Q. Did you ever tell anybody that he ever said anything different 
from that f — A. I do not remember that I ever did. 

Q. If you ever did tell anybody anything different from that, was it 
true"? — A. I never told anything different. It could not have been 
true ; I do not see how it could be. That is all I remember. If I made 
any other statement I have forgotten it. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville then put a gun to your head?— A. I never saw 
him put a gun to anybody's head. 

Q. Answer my question. — A. He did not. 

Q. Did you ever tell anybody that he did "? — A. I did not. 

Q. If anybody ever stated that you so said did that person tell the 
truth •?— A. They made a mistake of memory. 

Q. Dr. Collins has testified to-day that you told him that Mr. Melville 
put a shot-gun to your head and said, with an oath and an improper 
expression, that he could kill you, or words to that effect?— A. There 
was no shot gun in the boat but mine. 

Q . Did yoii ever say anything of that kind to Dr. Collins ? — A. ISTo, 
sir^ Dr. Collins is mistaken in his recollection of the case. 

Q. And such is not the truth, is it? — A. Certainly not. Dr. Collins 
was laboring under a misapprehension and mistake of memory. 

Q. Did you not know at the time that the boat was put in the ice, 
and the party divided up into three parts, that one part was put under 
the command of Mr. Melville, another under Mr, Chipp, and a third un- 
der Captain De Long ? — A. That was from Bennett Island ; yes. 

Q. Now, from that time onward did anybody remove Mr. Melville 
from the authority of the whale-boat to your knowledge ?— A. I do not 
mean to say that I personally know that he was put in command, but 
he did assume the control and direction. 

Q. Did you not understand that it was done by the authority of 
Cai)tain De Long? — A. Yes ; I so understood; but if you ask me how 
I understood it I could not tell you. 

Q. I have not, and I ask you to your knowledge whether Captaiii De 
Long ever revoked that authority so given to Mr. Melville?— A. I do 
not know that he did. 

Q. Have you any belief that he ever revoked it"?~A. I have no 
knowledge that he did. 

Q. Was he not in command when the boats separated ?— A. I do not 
know about that. Mr, Danenhower was doing a man's duty at that time. 

Q. Was not Mr. Melville in command of the boat when the boats sep- 
arated, and did he not continue in command up until you reached the 
Eussian settlement? — A. I should not think he did, not practically 
speaking. 

Q. I am not asking you about practically speaking ; I am asking 
about the position of Melville. Did you not understand that he was in 
command of the boat in which you were? — A. As following out your 
line of questioning from the start of Lieutenant De Long issuing the 
orders, yes. 
Q. Now, will you please to tell the date when it was you think that 



218 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

you had your first misnnderstaiidinj? with Oaptam De Long*? — A. My pa- 
pers will show you the date. 

Q. I do not ask for your papers; I ask for you to tell me ; your papers 
are not under oath j you are. — A. (Referring to a paper.) The 12th of 
August, 1880. 

Q. That was the first? — A. The first that I recall now ; there might 
have been others, but I have no recollection of them. 

Q. I am not asking for what might have been ; we are asking for facts 
and not suppositions ; what was the first misunderstanding, as you call 
it, that you had with Captain De Long ? — A. About the question I had 
with Dunbar, with reference to finding certain birds. 

Q. Did you consider it as proper to ask the captain of the vessel, hav- 
ing the rating and the position of Captain De Long, to act as your mes- 
senger between you and Mr Dunbar? — A. My lack of knowledge of 
naval discipline unfits me completely for answering your question. 

Q. I ask you whether you considered it proper to ask him to act as 
your messenger? — A. At that time I did, sir, or I should not have asked 
him. 

Q. Why did you not ask Dunbar yourself? — A. For the reason I have 
stated here ; that he had declined relations with me for reasons best 
known to himself. 

Q. And so because you did not choose to speak to Mr. Dunbar your- 
self you wanted the captain to a.ct as a go-between between you and 
Mr. Dunbar, did you ? — A. Not necessarily. 

Q. I did not ask whether it was necessarily. I asked as a fact. Did 
you ask him to act as a go-between between you and Dunbar at that 
time ? — A. I did not use the word go-between. 

Q. I did not say that you did. I ask you as a fact whether you wanted 
him to become that ? — A. I asked if he would "ask Mr. Dunbar whether 
he noticed the bird which he shot yesterday flying." 

Q. Answer the question whether you expected the captain to act as 
your go-between between yourself and Mr. Dunbar when he refused to 
hold relations with you. 

The Chairman. Whether you expected the captain at that time would 
comply with your request ? — A. I was in hopes that he would. 

Q. Is that the time when you considered that the captain was foment 
ing strife among his officers? — A. 1 would prefer to look at the notes, 
sir, if you please. (After referring to his papers.) I should think it was. 

Q. When you sav among his officers, do you mean yourself? — A. I 
do. 

Q. Did you ever know of his fomenting discord among other officers 
besides yourself? — A. I have no personal knowledge. 

Q. Did you consider Captain De Long's declining to act in the ca- 
pacity of carrying a message from you to Mr. Dunbar was fomenting 
discord? — A. It seemed as if my request was a very sim})le one. 

Q. That is not the question, but the question is whether his refusing 
to carry a message from you to Mr. Dunbar was fomenting discord? — 
A. I did not understand tbat he flatly refused to do so. 

Q. Then did you consider the fact that he did not do it as fomenting 
discord ? — A. I thought it showed a lack of harmony. 

Q. Won't you ])lease to answer the exact question I have put to you? 
I want to know whether that declining or failing to carry that message 
was fomenting discord ? — A. It might be considered part of it. 

Q. By you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, when was the second act that you have complained of in 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 219 

re£;ard to Captain De Long ? — A. [After referring to his papers.] It was 
the 18th of November, 1880. 

Q. Let me ask you, on the 12th of August, 1880, when this act took 
place, were you in the ice ! — A. Certainly. 

Q. And you had then been on the expedition for more than a year, 
had you not! — A. I had been attached to the expedition for more than 
a year. 

Q. When did the vessel sail from San Francisco ? — A. The 8th of 
July, 1879. 

Q. And to the 12th of August, 1880, was more than a year ? — A. Yes; 
but not in the ice. 

Q. You had been on the ship more than a year, and the first thing 
that you have to complain of was this refusal or failure of the captain 
to carry a message for you after you had been on the vessel for more 
than a year ? — A. That is the first thing of which I have any kind of 
recollection now. 

Q. ]Now, what was the transaction on the 16th of E^ovember, 1880 ? 
Was that in regard to striking off the words ''in charge" from the 
boxes ? — A. Oh, no, sir j that was on the first affair, or incidental to the 
first affair. 

Q. Up to the time of this affair of the 12th of August, 1880, had there 
been, in your opinion, any disposition on the part of Captain De Long- 
to sit down ur)on you ? — A. On this occasion when I asked him in 1879; 
that is what yon mean [indicating] ! Here is a copy of wliat I wrote 
him, asking that there might be some means established whereby I should 
receive notice of specimens of natural history brought on the ship, that 
I might take care of them. 

Q. And no notice was taken of that 1 — A. I did not receive any. 

Q. Are you positive that no notice was taken of that ! — A. I am posi- 
tive that I never received any. 

Q. Do you not know that Captain De Long made such an order ? 

The Witness. That he promulgated an order that the men were to 
bring the specimens to me *? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. No, sir; I do not know anything of the kind. 

Q. Would you be surprised now to know that he had made such an 
order 1 — A. I would. 

Q. If you found that he had made such an order would that remove 
every grievance that you have in regard to that matter? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you not think it would have been a sufficient compliance with 
your request that he should make a general order on board the ship that 
that should be done with you after that f — A. I do not think so, be- 
cause I think he might have told me that he made the order. 

Q. Do you not think it was reasonable for him to expect if he had 
given a general order on the iShip that you would know of the fact '? — 
A. If there had been a general order. 

Q. Therefore, if you had known that there was a general order given 
would it not remove all grievance that you have in regard to that ? — 
A. No, I don't know as it would. Mine was a direct i)ersoual commu- 
nication to him and from the head of the Department to the lowest one 
in the service, 1 understand that an official routine and form is observed, 
and in this case if that general order was issued it would have been ob- 
served also, as I understand. 

Q. Was not that all that you wanted to have done by the letter ? — 
A. It was perfectly right it should be done, it seems to me. 



220 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. But I say, was not that wliat you wanted ? — A. Yes ; that was 
what I wanted, but it was not done. 

Q. Did not the giving of a general order accomplish all that you 
asketl for in that matter'? — A. It njight accomplish the object, but I 
should not know it; I would have no knowledge of it. 

Q. I am not speaking about your knowledge 5 I only asked if that 
would not reach the result? — A. The benefits accruing might be all 
right. 

Q. Did not many of the men after that time bring you specimens of 
natural history? — A. I do not reuiember whether they did or notj the 
memorandum will show. 

Q. I am asking for your recollection. — A. Well, I do not recollect so 
many of those things, sir. 

Q. This is the important part. You wanted to have these specimens 
given to you, and you considered it a grievance that you did not get a 
direct reply from the captain in regard to the mntterf Now I ask, as a 
matter of fact, did not the men bring you after that time specimens of 
natural history? — A. They may have done so, but I do not remember. 
As I told you, the memorandum here in Washington will show you. 

Q. I am asking you. You are under oath here to tell the whole 
truth f — A. I do not recollect whether they did or not. I remember 
the si)ecimens came on board of the ship — pieces of drift-wood. 

Q. You won't swear that they did not ? — A. I would not swear either 
,way. 

Q. Xow, what was the grievance on the 16th of September, 1880 ? 

The Witness. Would you like me to read the copy of the letter which 
I wrote! 

Mr. Arnoux. No, sir; I want to know what it was about. 

A. It was ail about an Arctic fox that was brought in. The affair 
occurred in the port chart-room, as I stated here. 

Q. Now, when you say that as a rule the intercourse seemed to die 
out, did that seem to you to have any special origin? — A. It seemed to 
wither like a plant for want of nourishment. 

Q. And was there any one person that you considered in any special 
manner to blame for that ? — A. Well, I don't know, I am sure. You 
might consider Captain De Long the pot that held the plant. 

Q. But I say was there any one person whose conduct brought that 
about, in your judgment ? — A. Well, it would be pretty hard to answer. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins show any more desire to maintain intercourse and 
to prevent this withering, as you call it, than SLuy other person on board 
the boat? — A. I should say he did on some accounts, certainly. 

Q. Was it when he complained of the Irish songs that he showed a 
desire to keep up a good feeling? — A. No, sir; it was when he wrote 
that ditty for the Christmas entertainment there in 1879 or 1880, one or 
the other. 

- By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Where were you at the time he wrote it ? — A. In the ice, sir. I 
think it was Christmas, 1879, but I do not remember ; the log will show, 
probably. 

Q. How many Christmases were you in the ice ? — A. Two. 

Q. Was it the first or second one? — A. That I do not remember, I 
am sure.* 

Q. It was in the ice anyway? — A. Yes; my impression is it was the 
first. I am pretty sure it was the first, now that I recall it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 221 

Bj Mr. Curtis : 

Q. How early in the voyage was it that ColUns complained of the 
Irish songs that Melville sang? — A. I do not know anything about 
that. I only know from hearsay. 

Q. You testified to it on your direct examination? 

The Witness. That I was personally present ! 

Mr. Arnoux. You testified to it as a fact. 

A. I testified to it as Mr. Collins told me. 

Q. When did Collins make the statement to you; do you know what 
year it was ? — A. No ; I do not. 

Q. Did you ever hear Melville sing Irish songs when Collins was 
present? — A. I might and might not have heard him. 

Q. Did you ever know of Melville singing any Irish songs when Col- 
lins was present after Mr. Collins told you that he didn't like it? — A. I 
do not recall, sir. He was always singing, more or less, those sort of 
pieces. 

Q. Will you swear that after you had a knowledge that it was offens- 
ive to Mr. Collins that Mr. Melville ever did it in Mr. Collins's hearing? — 
A. I would not swear either way, because it is too uncertain. Perhaps 
he did ; perhaps he didn't. 

Q. Kow, when was it that there was no general conversation at the 
table ; when did that commence ? — A. In the beginning of 1880, 1 think 
likely. 

■Q. Do you recollect any circumstances connected with it? — A. I do 
not know as I do. It seemed as if everybody was suffering under a 
general feeling of depression, and that that was incentive enough to 
make them withdraw into their own shells. 

Q. Was that after the long Arctic night had set in ? — A. Certainly. 

Q. You commenced to tell of a circumstance that took place about 
taking some material out of your stores to repair a leak, or out of the 
stores in the department to which yoa belonged. Will you finish that 
explanation ? — A. It was merely a barrel of calcine plaster ; that was 
all. 

At this point the committee took a recess until Monday, the 14th in- 
stant, at 10.30 o'clock a m. 



Washington, D. C, Monday, April 14, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

Eaymond L. Newcomb resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. How many difficulties altogether did you have with Mr. 
Melville during the entire time that you were connected with the expe- 
dition ?— Answer. I do not remember anything more than the boat affair 
on the Lena, and the affair with Bartlett. 

Q. You say you only recollect two ? — A. I do not recall any more 
than that, sir. 

Q. Was the first one where you thought Bartlett treated you in a way 
not as dignified as it tnight have been? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Kow, in what respect was his treatment like an indignity ? — A. 
If I recollect now, he said there was my grub ; if I wanted it I could 
take it. 



222 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And you thought it was not diguified for him to answer you in 
such a way 1 — A. I thought he might have handed it to me as a friend ; 
that he shoukl have pushed it along a little nearer to me. 

Q. But I say what was the part that constituted an indignity ? — A. 
When he spoke that way, giving me to understand, there it was, I could 
take it or leave it. 

Q. You thought it was not dignified for him to answer you altogether 
in that style ? — A. 1 do not know about the special word dignified. I 
do not think it was friendly, to say the least of it. 

Q. You said on your direct examination that Bartlett treated you in 
a way you thought was not as dignified as it might have been *? Did you 
mean to use that word dignified? — A. I do not know that I attach any 
special meaning to that word other than I thought he might have been 
more courteous. 

Q. Then you did not mean to use the word dignified in that con- 
nection'?'— A. No; I do not know as 1 would. I would use the word 
courteous. 

Q. Who stated to you that entering your name as seaman on the books 
of the ship was a mere matter of form ? — A. I think Lieutenant De Long 
at the time he did so in San Francisco. 

Q. Who was present at that time ? — A. I think there was a gentle- 
man in his room, but I do not remember that any one else was present. 

Q. Can you give the exact conversation that you had with him on the 
subject? — A. 1 could not, sir. 

Q. Any more than you have given ? — A. ISTo, sir; I could not. 

Q. When was it that you first formed the opinion that Mr. Melville 
did not like yout — A. After the beginning, perbaps, of the year 1880. 

Q. Was that before the first difiiculty that you had with him, or after- 
w^ards, or at the time of it"? — A. It was before. 

Q. Can you sustain your opinion by giving any fact whatever on 
which to found it? — A. I do not know as I can, any more than natural 
instiuct. The whole aft mess of the ship seemed to divide off. 

Q. No, no. We are confining ourselves to one man — your relations to 
Mr. Melville. — A. I had very little direct relations with Mr. Melville. 

Q. When did he first commence to spit his spite out against you? — 
A. Iremembertbat I used to carry ahuntiug knifein theleg of mymocca- 
sin, and I occasionally would hear the words, "Take care; cut you 
deep ; razor in his boot." 

Q. Is that what you call spitting his spite out against you ? — A. That 
was the beginning of it. 

Q. But, I say, is that what you alluded to when you said he spit his 
spite out against you? — A. There might not have been much spite 
about that. The more direct spite was at the time of that dilference 
we had there on the Lena delta, to which the word spite would more 
properly apply. 

Q. Kow^, then, if I understand you at present, he never did spit out 
any spite against you until that affair at the delta? — A. I do not know 
that he did — any special spite. 

Q. When was it that he first commenced to sit on you? — A. Date it 
from the time of the Lena Kiver affair. Understand, in fact, the most 
of the practical side of the question began there, as I remember. 

Q. So, then, your unpleasant feeling toward Mr. Melville began when 
you were on the Lena delta; is that correct? — A. No. You might say 
that I felt uni)leasantly, not being, as I felt, righted in reference to that 
little matter between myself and Bartlett, further back. 

Q. Did that rankle in your mind against Mr. Melville all the time, so 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 223 

as to make you feel unpleasantly towards him ? — A. Whenever I thought 
of it I was inclined to view it unpleasantly. It would not be in my 
mind all the time. 

Q. This is the question that I put to you : Did you feel unpleasantly 
toward Mr. Melville from the time of that incident which you have first 
mentioned ? — A. When it came to my mind I did. 

Q. Well, when it did not come to your mind ! — A. I do not see how 
I could then, sir. 

Q. Independently of that, did you have any feeling on your mind 
against Mr. Melville ? — A. ISTo, sir. I understand what you mean now. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. 0., Tuesday, April 15, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10 o'clock a. m., all the members thereof 
being present. Also counsel on either side. 

Eaymond L. Newcomb resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Did you think that you were in bad odor with Mr. Mel- 
ville, and, if so, when did you first so think! — Answer. After that 
incident on the Lena delta. 

Q. How long after!— A. As soon i s it had finished. 

Q. You never had occasion to think that you were in bad odor with 
Mr. Melville before tbat time, did you? — A. JS^ot especially. 

Q. Did you generally! — A. I do not know that I did. 

Q. Now, was it not a fact that on that occasion you were guilty in a 
certain degree of insubordination and disobedience! — A. I could not 
say whether I was or not. I ain not sufficiently acquainted with the 
rules of the service to inform you. 

Q. Had you not learned anything of the rules of the service during 
the whole time that you had been connected with the expedition ! — A. 
Very little. 

Q. Not sufficient to enable you to answer that question ! — A. I do 
not think I had. I never read them through. 

Q. The next incident that you alluded to on your direct examination 
was a matter connected with Captain De Long, and you read it from u 
memorandum as occurring about the 12th of August, 1880. Do you 
recollect of that incident, independent of the paper you read from 1 — 
A. I do not. 

Q. Have you any recollection of the transaction at all, except as it 
appears on that paper ! — A. I am trying to separate in my mind the 
two incidents — on the deck and in the cabin. On the deck was the firpt 
one 

Q. (Interposing.) I am speaking now of all that transaction connected 
with the 12th of August, 1880. — A. I say I think on the deck was the 
first one, and I have an idea 

Q. (Interposing.) Take it as a whole— the whole matter. — A. Oh, I do 
not remember the whole of the matter. 

Q. I say do you recollect it as a whole, independent of what you 
wrote upon the paper! — A. Not as a whole; no, sir. 

Q. State to the committee what was the matter out of which that 
controversy arose with Mr. Dunbar. 

The Witness. You refer to the incident mentioned as occurring in 
November! 



224 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Arkoiix. Yes. 

The Chairman. Mr. Arnoux wants to know what caused the cold- 
ness of leeliug on the part of Mr. Dunbar towards you, the result of 
which was he would have no conversation with you. 

The Witness (to Mr. Arnoux). Shall I answer that question *? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes; that is what I want to know. 

A. That is a thing that I, to this day, do not understand. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. What was it that he said to Captain De Long you had done at 
that tinje? — A. 1 cannot state specifically. 

Q- I do not care whether you state it specifically or in any other 
way. — A. 1 know that the — - 

Q. (Interposing.) No, T want to know what was the circumstance that 
he called to the captain's attention at that time. — A. I do not remem- 
ber. 

Q. Have you no recollection whatever about it? — A. I do not re- 
member the special circumstance, sir. 

Q. 1 did not ask for the special circumstance. Give me what you 
recollect about it. — A. Shall I relate the incident as well as I can? 

Q. ]S^o, sir; I want to know that part which you did not put down on 
your i)aper. — A. i do not remember it, sir. 

Q. Have you any recollection about it? — A. I have not. 

Q. Kot the least?— A. I cannot get at what you mean. 

Q. W^hat I mean is very plain. What was it that Mr. Dunbar said 
you had said or done at any prior time as a foundation for his not 
speaking to you, or that he accused you of at that time ? — A. I did not 
know what his reason was for not speaking to me, and, as I say, to this 
day I do not know. 

Q. Did he at that interview state any facts to the captain against 
you I — A. ]S^ot in my judgment against me. 

Q. Whether it was in your judgment so or not, did he state any fact 
to ihe captain that you recollect ? — A. He stated that I pushed by him 
in the chart -room in a rude manner. 

Q. W^as that all that he stated f-^A. All that I remember that he 
stated. 

Q. Is it not a fact that at that interview Mr. Dunbar stated to Cap- 
tain De Long that you had tried to get the men to sign a paper pro- 
testing against an order which Captain DeLong had made, and did you 
not then say to him, " Prove it"? — A. I do not remember that I did, 
but I think it is very unlikely, for I never made such a statement and 
never handed such a statement to anybody. 

Q. I did not ask you whether you made such a statement, or handed 
such a statement to anybody. I asked you whether that was not what 
you said. — A. I do not remember that I did. 

Q. I ask whether that is what he said to any one. — A. I do not re- 
member. 

Q. What was it Captain De Long said was child's play on your part? — 
A. 1 do not know of anything which he said was child's play on my 
I)art any more than on the part of others. 

Q. Did you not say he said to you that it was child's play ?— A. Yes. 

Q. 1 now ask you what it was he said to you was child's play. — A. 
As I understand it what he referred to was the fact that people could 
have little difl'erences and refrain from speaking to each other; that 
such actions as those were child's play. 



JEANNETTE INQUIilY. 225 

Q. Did you think he characterized that in any harsh manner'? — A. I 
do not remember now that he specially did or did not. 

Q. Fow, what was it that Mr. Dunbar said he despised you for! — 
A, I give it up, sir. 

Q. Did he not tell you what it was*? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you ever despise anybody? — A. I do not recall that I did. 

Q. Do you swear that you never in your life despised anybody % — A. 
I may have and I may not have done so. 

Q. I did not ask you what may or may not have been. I ask you for 
a fact. — A. I could not tell you as a fact now. I am on pretty good 
terms with the most of humanity. 

Q. You say you are on pretty good terms with the most of humanity. 
What terms are you on with the rest of humanity! — A. I do not recall 
anybody that I am on bad terms with. There are enough that I am 
able to get along with not to bother about the rest. 

Q. I want to know whether in your life you never despised anybody j 
can you answer that question! — A. I do not know that I can. 

Q. Did Captain De Long or Mr. Dunbar in that conversation make 
any threats! — A. 1 am under the impression that what might be con- 
strued as a threat perhaps was the remark of Captain De Long when he 
told me to speak more respectfully, or to speak in a more respectful tone. 
That perhaps might be construed as a threat. 

Q. No, no 5 I did not ask what might be, but 1 ask whether any threat 
was made at that time! — A. ]No threat in framed sentence. 

Q. Was there auy threat uttered in the course of that conversation 
by Captain De Long or Mr. Dunbar! — A. I think sometimes a threat 
can be implied in a tone of voice outside of the words used. 

Q. I am not asking you what is implied in a tone of voice. I can 
order you to do a thing. That is not the i)oint. Was any threat 
uttered! — A. I think a threat was implied. 

Q. Was any threat uttered, is my question ! — A. Not in so many 
words. 

Q. Then, will you tell me in what way anybody threatened you at 
that time, if anybody did threaten you! — A. 1 think that instinct will 
tell a man when a person has arrayed himself against him and when he 
has not. 

Q. I am not asking you that ; I am asking a specific thing. Did any- 
body threaten you at that time ! — A. I answer, no, sir ; not in words. 

Q. 1 ask you, did anybody threaten you ! — A. Not in words. 

Q. Did anybody in any other way threaten you! — A. In tone of 
voice, sir. 

Q. Did anybody in any other way threaten you at that time! — A. In 
tone of voice, as I understand. 

Q. Now tell me what were the words uttered at the time you were so 
threatened. — A. I cannot give them specially, but generally he told me 
to speak in a more respectful tone. 

Q. And what was the toue of voice accompanying those words which 
you understood to mean a threat! — A. Oh, I could not repeat that to-day. 
It is too long back. 

Q. What did you consider the threat was! — A. Well, the implication 
was if I did not speak more respectfully something might happen. 

Q. In other words, he gave you a command at the time! — A. I sup- 
pose all those things he said to me were in the nature of a command 
spoken. He was my superior officer. 

Q. I am speaking about those things you say you were threatened 
with. Was that a command! — A. At that time I understood it was. 
15 J Q* 



226 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did not you understand that, as to every command given to you, 
without regard to any tone of voice, punishment would follow disobe- 
dience? — A. I did. That is the very point I mean. 

Q. That is whafc you mean by being threatened *? — A. Yesj I have 
gotten at it now. 

Mr. Curtis. It has dawned on you at last. 

Mr. Arnoux. I am examining the witness. 

Q. (Resuming.) I put the question : Do you consider that every time 
an order was given by Captain De Long he threatened the men when 
he gave the order? — A. I have no opinion in the premises outside of 
my own, in the case of the instance just referred to. 

Q. Did you in any other order that he gave you consider that you 
were threatened by Captain De Long? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did not every order, in the same way that order did, carry with 
it the implication that a man would be punished for disobedience ? — A. 
Well, yes, you may say so according to the Navy regulations, of course. 

Q. You say that Dunbar said you came to him with complaints — little 
things. Did he tell what the little things were ? — A. No, sir ; he did 
not specify a siugle tiling. 

Q. What occasioned Mr. Dunbar to retract the words " despise" and 
'''■ complaint"; was it because of what Captain De Long said to him 1 — 
A. Yes; I think it was. As I remember now he told him he ought not 
to speak so ; he must not speak so. 

Q. Then, in that case Captain De Long was rather tending to smooth 
over things than to promote strife between the officers '? — A. In that 
particular instance he was. 

Q. How long had the ship been from San Francisco when it was put 
into the ice ? — A. The ship left San Francisco the 8th of July. She was 
put into the ice, as I remember it, about the 4th of September following. 

Q. That w^as within two months ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, do you tell this committee that you formed the opinion wathiu 
two months from the time the expedition sailed that it was of little 
account ? — A. I did. 

Q. Did you not understand that the ship woiild be put into the ice? — 
A. I had no understanding in the matter, sir. 

Q. I do not mean that you had any particular understanding, but I 
mean did you not suppose that when the ship sailed she would sail up 
to the part of the Arctic Ocean where she would be in the ice ? — A. I 
undoubtedly thought the ship would come in contact with the ice some 
time, certainly. 

Q. Then did you suppose that as soon as she got in contact with the 
ice the expedition was to be of little account? — A. I did not. 

Q. Then how did you form the opinion that on her first contact with 
the ice the expedition was of little account ? — A. Because if you had 
been there and seen how the ice took charge of the expedition you would 
have the same opinion I have, that there was a good deal of ice and not 
much seamanship. Seamanship was of very little account. 

Q. Do you think there was any more ice there than in any other part 
of the Arctic Ocean? — A. I am not acquainted with the Arctic Ocean. 

Q. So far as the experience you had in those twenty-two mouths is 
concerned. — A. It was all around us as far as I could see, except some 
little way to the southward where we had come in ; but those means of 
escape even were cut off. 

Q. Did not the ice freeze as far to the south as you could see when 
the Arctic winter came on? — A. As far as I remember it did, but not in 
September. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 227 

Q. But it did later. Did you not expect to be there, as you under- 
stood it, for more than a year^ — A. No, sir; I do not know that I did; 
because, as I understood in the first place from Professor Baird, when 
I first started to go on the expedition we were to spend a portion of the 
first season along the northern coast of Siberia looking for traces of 
Nordenskjold, and possibly lookiug for traces of Wrangel Land if op- 
portunity ofi'ered. 

Q. Did you not know that the ship was provisioned for three years ? — 
A. I had no idea how loug she was provisioned for. 

Q. You had not heard anything about it? — A. I had heard general 
conversation. 

Q. From general conversation, did you not know that the ship was 
provisioned for three years *?— A. From two and a half to three years 
was what 1 remember. 

Q. And did you not know that when she went into the ice she was 
trying to reach Wrangel Land? — A. No, sir; I did not. I did not know 
what she was trying to do. 

Q. Did you never hear that? — A. I have no definite recollection that 
I did, sir. 

Q. You stated that it seemed to you that Lieutenant De Long had 
got himself into a bad situation. Just now you were not able to express 
an opinion even about the provisioning of the ship. Will you tell me 
how it was you learned so much more about the situation of the ship 
than you did about provisioning? — A. Because I was on deck and could 
look over the side and see the ice, and I could not look into the hold 
and see the provisions, neither did I get a list of the provisions. 

Q. As you looked and saw the ice did that inform you that you were 
in a bad situation? — A. Unquestionably, in my mind, it made me feel 
so. When I say Lieutenant De Long was in a bad situation, I meant 
the ship and the persons under his charge. 

Q. You do not mean it was a bad situation personally for Lieutenant 
De Long?— A. No such thing; I meant to say his placing us in there 
was a bad situation for us all. 

Q. Was it possible, now, as far as your knowledge goes, to have been 
put in a bad situation if the vessel had kept on northward or attempted 
to go into the ice at any time? — A. It would have been in the ice-pack 
anyhow. 

Q. Then, that bad situation was owing to the region and not anything 
connected with the situation of your party ? — A. The bad condition was 
owing to the region, but the putting the ship in was owing to the man, 
I suppose, in this case Lieutenant De Long. 

Q. Did you not say you understood the expedition had for one of its 
objects to go north? — A. To go north, yes; but not into the ice that 
way, because, as I have stated to you, I understood through Professor 
Baird that a large portion of the first season we were to spend along 
the northern coast of Siberia and visit Wrangel Land. Apart from that 
I had no understanding at all. 

Q. Did you suppose that was its purpose and object ? — A. I do not 
know, sir. 

Q. I ask you did you not suppose so? You did not know at the time 
that you were in a bad situation. You swore to it as a positive fact, or 
was it that it seemed so to you? — A. Well, it seemed so to me pretty 
powerfully. 

Q. If you can express your opinion on that, why can you not express 
it as well on the destination of the ship or the ultimate' purpose oi the 
expedition ?— A. Because I could not say positively about it. 



228 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you never hear anything about it! — A. No, sir. I heard 
through the papers, for instance, that the Jeannette was going to try 
to find the North Pole. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Had you any idea when you shipped what the object of the expe- 
dition was to be! — A. To go north, sir. Professor Baird stated to me, 
in a letter asking me if I would like to consider myself a candidate for 
the position of naturalist on this expedition, that much of the time 
would be occupied along the northern coast of Sil)eria and possibly ex- 
I)loring Wrangel Land, and I think he said Herald Island. Other than 
that I had no information. 

Q. You did not expect to be able to leave the expedition after it had 
finished with that first part of the object ? — A. Oh, no, sir. 

Q. Did you inquire where the ultimate destination was to be? — A. 
No, sir; I did not. I had no one to inquire of. 

Q. Then you started without knowing where you were going '? — A. I 
did, sir, most undoubtedly, except with the general idea that I was 
going north into the Arctic. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you not suppose or know that it was at that time believed 
that Wrangel Land was a continent and extended to the Pole! — A. I was 
very little informed on Arctic matters when I first left home to go there. 

Q. That does not answer my question. You might have known noth- 
ing, and yet might remember that as a fact. — A. Well, I did uot know it. 

Q. Well, did you know at that time that Wrangel Land was only a 
small island ! — A. I did not know it, nor did the world know it, as I 
understand, until the Rodgers came back. 

Q. Well, you were part of the world at the time you speak off — A. 
Not at that time, sir. 

Q. If you did not know that Wrangel Land was supposed to be a 
continent, how are you able to say that the world at large so believed 
until the return of the Rodgers expedition! — A. I did not say that; if 
I did, I wish to correct the statement. 

Q. What did you say about the world at large! — A. I said, nor did 
the world at large until after the return of the Rodgers. 

Q. Nor did the world at large know what! — A. Know that Wrangel 
Land was a continent. 

Q. How are you able to say the world knew about Wrangel Land 
being a continent, if you did not know it yourself! — A. 1 am speaking 
of general knowledge, as men are ordinarily able to know a thing. 

Q. When did you first learn that the world at large was ignorant of 
the fact that Wrangel Land was not a continent! — A. Alter I got home. 

Q. And before that time you thought the world at large generally 
supposed it was a continent ! — A. I hadn't any idea in the world, only 
that the Jeannette proved it was not. 

Q. Did you understand that the Jeannette proved that fact! — A. I 
know that. 

Q. Did you understand it was a fact to be proved by the Jeannette! — 
A. Not necessarily. 

Q. That it was one of the purposes for which she went there ! — A. 
One of the things to be proved any way, whether it was her purpose or 
not. I should say, presumably, that she was to take hold of any woi k 
that came in her way. I do' not know specifically, but I should say, 
generally, yes. 



JEANKETTE INQUIRY. 229 

Q. Was it not a part of your work to do any thing you could in the 
way of discovery between the beginning of the ice pack and the Pole'? 

The Witness. You mean the expedition as a whole? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. I have no special knowledge, but I should say, generally, anything 
that we were ordered to do. 

Q. Did you ever except in the instance that you have spoken of — the 
instance in relation to this language of Captain De Long's — know of 
Captain De Long attempting to create any turmoil or strife"? — A. I do 
not recall an instance now. 

Q. Will you tell me whether this evidence is correctly reported as 
it appears here on your direct examination : 

It seemed to me that the Jeannette expedition was practically a failure, and it 
seemed to me that owing to that fact Lieutenant De Long had got himself into a had 
situation and was hound to create turmoil and strife. 

Q. Did you use that language ! — A. I do not remember whether I did 
or did not, sir. 

Q. In view of what you have now said, have you any explanation to 
make of it, if you did use that language ? — A. I do not know that I can 
correct what has alreadj' been said. 

Q. Is that true ? — A. As by my evidence already given, so far as I 
know, yes. 

Q. Have you not to-day shown that it was not true ? — A. I do not 
know that I have. 

Q. Now, leaving yourself entirely out of consideration, is that evi- 
dence true ? 

The Witness. That he intended to create strife or tried to ? 

Mr. Arnoux. That — 

It seemed to me that the Jeannette expedition was practically a failure, and it 
seemed to me that, owing to that fact, Lieulfenant De Long had got himself into a 
bad situation, and was hound to create turmoil and strife. 

A. Well, I would prefer to alter the word ''bound," because I do not 
know that he was hound to, or that he really intended to. I say, in gen- 
eral terms, that it seemed so to me. 

Q. Kow, I am asking a specific question. Leaving yourself out of 
consideration, is that statement true 1 — A. I think I would rather have 
some other word than the word hound in there. 

Q. Now, sir, m the instance you have spoken of, you have shown that 
instead of being bound, or trying, or intending, or effecting any strife 
and turmoil, that Captain De Long's conduct was such as to allay the 
strife in that matter between yourself and Dunbar, have you not f —A. 
Only in a portion of it, sir. 

Q. Was not that, so far as it went, calculated to allay turmoil and 
strife'? — A. So far as that particular case went, possibly it was. 

Q. It was not a possibility, but a fact? — A. In regard to that particu- 
lar part, for he afforded me at that time protection. 

Q. Was there anything in which he failed to afford you protection in 
regard to that matter ? — A. I think his arraigning me at the time that 
incident occurred was subjecting me to a very trying ordeal. 

Q. Was it not proper to arraign you and Dunbar both for not speak- 
ing to each other? — A. I cannot answer that question, sir. 

Q. But you think it was an improper thing to do? — A. I think a man 
has a perfect right to hold his tongue, or speak in a social way, as he 
chooses, after he has performed his official duties. 

Q. Was it not a part of your official duty you wanted Captain De 



230 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Long to perform when you requested him to ask this question! — A. It 
was a favor I asked. 

Q. Was it not a part of your connection with the natural history of 
the expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was not that your official duty! — A. To look after the natural 
history of the expedition, yes. 

Q. Then in regard to this question that you wanted the captain to 
put for you, was not that your official duty ! 

The Witness. Was not the question my official duty! 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. If I wanted the question put at all, it might be. But it was not 
absolutely necessary that the question should be put. 

Q. You wanted it so much that you wanted the captain to put it for 
you ! — A. It came in my mind at that time. 

Q. Is it not the fact that you wanted him to put the question for 
you! — A. If I had not wanted him to put it I should not have asked 
him to. 

Q. If you had not wanted to know about this thing you would not 
have asked him! — A. I should have said nothing about it. 

Q. Now, then, as a part of your official duty, was it not your duty to 
have gone to Dunbar and asked yourself! — A. No, sir; I do not con- 
sider there was any official side to that particular question. 

Q. Was it a social matter whether you spoke to Dunbar about mat- 
ters connected with natural history ! — A. I had no orders to speak to 
Dunbar, and therefore I could not 

Q. (Interposing.) I did not ask you that. I want to know whether 
it was a social matter about speaking about these words! — A. It 
might be. 

Q. I did not ask what it might be, but was it in this particular in- 
stance at all a matter of social conversation ! — A. I am unable to an- 
swer that question as directly as you want me to. I should say it might 
be officially or non-officiall}^ 

Q. Then did this arraigning of you have anything to do with your 
mere social intercourse with Mr. Dunbar! — A. The arraigning of me in 
this particular instance was to find out what this so-called child's play 
was. 

Q. But, I say, had that anj^thing to do with your social intercourse 
with Mr. Dunbar! — A. Well, I should say it had, and I would like to 
say right here that our official relations and our social relations were 
unavoidably brought close together often. 

Q. That may be, but I was talking about these birds that you wanted 
to know about being a mere matter of social conversation with Dun- 
I)ar! — A. I would like to say that came up in the Pacific. We had 
those social conversations. It might be the next time that I spoke to 
him that some special thing would happen, and I would like to know 
specially what he knew about it then, and I would ask him, before the 
time of our estrangement. Then after that I withdrew to myself and 
got along as well as I could. 

Q. I want to know whether in this particular instance De Long was 
interfering with your social relations with Mr. Dunbar; was it not 
rather a matter of your professional relations, so to speak! — A. As I 
remember his words, he said he would inquire into it and find out what 
the matter was. 

Q. You do not answer my question. You tell something entirely 
difi:'ercnt. I did not ask for his words. I want to know what he was 



JEANNEITE INQUIRY. 231 

doing. Was he inquiring into anything that was social ? — A. I should 
think he was, because, as I say to you, these two matters go along so 
closely I cannot separate them. 

Q. If you cannot separate them do you think that Captain De Long 
could separate thera ? — A. Well, I do not know. 

Q. Do you think he was able to do more in that respect than you are? 
— A. I do Jiot know, sir. He was paid more, and was at the head of 
the expedition. 

Q. How^ much were you paid'? — A. Fifty dollars a month — a very 
scanty sum. 

Q. You were willing to accept it and go'?~A. J did not go for money. 
I went for glory, and got very little. 

Q. Did you not accept the wages ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You went for glory. Were you the only man on the expedition 
who went for the same thing? — A. I think not, sir, considering there 
were seamen who got only $25 a month. 

Q. Did you think the officers went for any less glory than you ? — A. 
They got more money. 

Q. That is the way you measure it. Did you think these seamen 
went for twice as much glory as you did because they got only half as 
much as you got! — A. I do not; no, sir. 

Q. You seem to know more about the seamen than you do about the 
officers; why is that? — A. I do not know, sir, unless it was because I 
was a seaman myself. 

Q. And as such under the orders of the captain? — A. I presume so. 

Q. And was not every man who enlisted as a seaman under the 
orders of the captain ? — A. Every man on the ship, as far as I under- 
stood, sir. 

Q. Did you ever hear Captain De Long or anybody else say that he 
was trying to save his own neck? — A. I do not know that I did. 

Q. Did you ever think that he was trying to save his own neck? — 
A. I do not know that I did. 

Q. Did you ever see or know of his doing anything that indicated 
that he was trying to save his own neck? — A. 1 do not know that I 
specially recall anything. I think everybody was looking out for num- 
ber one as well as they could. 

Q. Did Captain De Long try any more than anybody else did to save 
his own neck? — A. I do not know that he did, sir. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of any fact on which any one could pred- 
icate such an opinion as that? — A. I do not recall any special instance 
now. 

Q. Can you recall any general instance ? — A. I cannot now. 

Q. Did you ever know of his trying to foment any disturbance 
among the others on the vessel?— A. Not personally. 

Q. When was it that you got away from communications from home? 
— A. After we left St. Lawrence Bay. Wait a moment ; there might 
have been papers put ashore at a point where we stopped on the north- 
ern coast of Siberia, where it might be possible for some vessels to stop 
and get them and return to the States. 

Q. No, no ; I am asking where was it that you got away from com- 
munications from home? — A. The last letters we sent home were from 
St. Lawrence Bay. 

Q. But I say the communications you got from home? — A. San Fran- 
cisco, 



232 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You said on your direct examination — 

As soon as we got away from commimications from liome the appearance of things 
began to change. 

Do you mean to say tbey began to change as soon as you left San Fran- 
cisco! — A. Ob, no; I do not mean to say that; as soon as we left St. 
Lawrence Bay. 

Q. You were talking about the men and yourself, in your judgment, 
having some other motive than mere pay ; did you think that any of 
the officers had any other such motive? — A. Yes, undoubtedly. 

Q. What motive did you conclude influenced the officers? — A. Well, 
in a general way, all I can answer is that they had interests of some 
kind. Mr. Collins was interested in meteorology ; the doctor in ice ex- 
periments, freezing ice under a microscope, as I afterwaids saw him do; 
Mr. Chipp in electricity, and Mr. Danenhower had some matters, and 
Mr. Dunbar I fancied perhaps was looking after new whaling grounds. 
I think everybody had some motive inducing them to go there. 

Q. What motive do you think De Long had? — A. 1 do not know, I 
am sure; the same in general, I suppose, perhaps intensified. 

Q. For finding whales? — A. The last application may not be so 
literal, sir. The same general way; that he had some intense desire 
to go north to find out what he could, I suppose, of the hidden secrets 
there. 

Q. And you considered him a very ambitious man, did you not? — A. 
Most decidedly. 

Q. Ambitious for fame ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And the fame that he expected to get was by a successful ex- 
ploration to the IS^orth Pole? — A. Yes. 

Q. And that you understand was his motive in putting his ship into 
the ice ? — A. Yes; and that is why I would like to say that we were in 
a bad coiidition when we were first put into the ice, and if we wanted 
to get north, putting the ship in the ice seemed to me to be a sudden 
termination of things, and that she was in a bad situation to go farther; 
at least, right away. 

Q. How nmch farther north was the ship when you abandoned her? 
— A. That I do not know. I asked Mr. Melville the question this 
moruing. 1 thought Ave had drifted 5 degrees ; that would be 300 miles. 
Mr. Melville told me it was 13 degrees, so I do not know. 

Q. I am not asking you to testify to what Mr. Melville said. — A. I 
do not know, sir. I thought I did know, but now I do not. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What was your opinion before this conversation ? — A. 1 thought 
we were 5 degrees, or 300 miles, farther north. 
Q. To the north ? — A. Northward and westwar(L 

By Mr. Arnoijx : 

Q. Did you not understand that you drifted a great deal more to the 
westward than you did to the north ? — A. No, sir. I thought the general 
drift was to the northwest. 

Q. ]Jo you mean that the entire drift was 300 miles? — A. Yes, sir; 
made uj) of a good deal of zigzagging around. 

Q. But you say the general drift was oidy 300 miles ? — A. Yes; that is 
all I thought it was. 

Q. Would you be surprised if you knew it was four times as great?— 
A. I should be surprised, sir. 

Q. Would that alter your opinion as to some things you have stated? — 



JEANNETTE IKQ17IRY. 233 

A. Kot things tliat I know, sir. If I was trying to find tlie Nortli Pole 
alone, in the first place, I should not go up on that sid.e. 

Q. It you had been permitted, what would jon have done differently 
from what Captain De Long did! — A. I am unable to tell, sir. I could 
not place myself in that situation to-day. 

Q. And yet, unwilling to tell what differently you would have done, 
you feel that you are competent to criticise Captain De Long for doing 
what he did ? — A. So far as I have gone I would like to say that I do 
not know that I would call it a criticism so much as merely my opinion 
on the condition of the expedition at that time. 

Q. You said that you considered the act of Captain De Long in 
arraigning you in the cabin and allowing Mr. Dunbar to say that he de- 
spised you, was an act that you thought was calculated to produce the 
effect of fomenting strife among the officers. Is that the only act that 
Captain De Long did that had that result, as far as you are concerned! — 
A. No, sir; I do not think it is, for the simple reason that I w^as placed 
under arrest on the ice, or at least suspended from duty. I do not 
know what a formal arrest is, because I never was arrested yet, but I 
was suspended from duty and my shotgun taken from me,' and Captain 
De Long informed Mr. Chipp that I was placed off duty, or some such 
words, and to take my shotgun. It was done before the men in such a 
way that I considered that another instance. That is all. 

Q. That is two. Now, are there any others'? — A. I do not recall any 
now, sir. 

Q. We will come to that shotgun a little later on. We haven't got 
to that point in the expedition. — A. I give them as they occur to me, 
without regard to dates. I am not going on dates at all, but as that 
circumstance came to my mind I spoke of that. 

Q. Those are the only two in regard to Captain De Long that you 
recollect now! — A. The first one on the poop of the cabin, and the 
second one in the cabin, and this other one. 

Q. The one on the poop of the cabin and in the cabin related to the 
same matter, did tht^y not! — A. You must understand, sir, that the 
first one was in August and the second in November. The first one 
was about those words "in charge." 

Q. Oh, I thought that was part of the same transaction. — A. I did 
not understand it so. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. What was it about, this "in charge"! — A. I had "Raymond L. 
Newcomb, naturalist in charge," written on some boxes, and he inquired 
what I had written on those boxes, and I told him. Then I said, "I 
will erase the words, 'in charge,'" and he said, "I wish you would," or 
something like that. I do not remember anything more than that he 
seemed to want it done. 

Q. Are you citing that as one of the instances in which he was fo- 
menting strife! — A. I cited it as one of the instances in which he man- 
ifested a disposition to feel unkindly towards me. 

Q. I understood you to cite instances which to your knowledge caused 
you to feel that he was fomenting strife. I want to know whether this 
was one of them! — A. I do not think I, could tell you, really; I hardly 
have an opinion about that, except so far as my evidence has been 
given here. 

Q. Then you would not think of citing it as an instance if you have 
no opinion about it!— A. It showed a spirit of dislike towards me, and 
I regarded it in that manner as one of the conditions to promote strife. 



234 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Strife between you and whom? — A. The difference between he 
and myself, for instance. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How could that be strifb among the officers? — A. I was one of 
them in one sense, certainly. 

Q. Do you understand that a quarrel between two men is fomenting 
strife between men? — A. I think it is very likely to be contagious, sir. 

Q. Is that what you understand by the use of the word strife and 
fomenting strife between meo, that, if you have a conversation with 
another man, and differ in it with that person, that is fomenting strife? 
— A. It might be the small beginning. 

Q. We are not talking of what might be. Was that fomenting strife 
between men or officers? — A. As I say, I regarded myself as an office) . 

Q. Just answer the question without a long speech, can you not; did 
I not understand you to testify that he told you to strike off those 
words "in charge" in the same conversation that you had with Dun- 
bar ? — A. No, sir; I don't think you did; I won't say for certain, though. 

Q. If you so testified, is it correct or not? — A. If I said so, undout3t- 
edly it could be. If I could learn the instance again 

Q. (Interposing.) One moment. Is it correct or not ? That is wliat 
I want to know. — A. I cannot separate, at this moment, in my mind 
the facts of these several incidents, for they are getting to be consider- 
ably mixed. 

Q. Do you mean to say that you cannot tell whether what you just 
now stated as having taken place in August did take place in August ? 
— A. I believe it did take place in August. 

Q. Now, did it take place at the time you had the conversation with 
Dunbar? — A. I do not think I said I had this conversation with Duq- 
bar. 

Q. I mean this conversation between Dunbar and the captain and 
yourself. — A. It commenced in August, as far as I remember, and it 
began with tha.t incident about the words ''in charge," and the order for 
them to be erased. 

Q. Did that have anything to do with Dunbar ? — A. I do not think 
it did, except 

Q. (Interposing.) Was Dunbar a party to that transaction when the 
captain ordered you to erase the words "in charge"? — A- Not to that 
particular part of it. 

Q. Was that matter brought up at the time you had the interview 
you have spoken of — at the time of the interview between Dunbar, the 
captain, and yourself? — A. Not at the time of the order to erase the 
words "in charge," sir. 

Q. Was there any order given to you at that time to erase the words 
"in charge"? — A. I do not think there was. 

Q. Was anybody present at the time the captain gave you the order 
to erase the words "in charge" or when you offered to erase the words 
"in charge," and he said he thought you had better do it? — A. No, sir; 
I do not think there was, now. 

Q. And you offered yourself to erase the words, did you ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And the captain thought you had better do it ?— Yes, sir ; some- 
thing like that. 

Q. He acquiesced in what you said ? — A. He gave me to understand 
he wanted it done. 



JE ANNETTE IKQUIRY. 235 

Q. He gave you to understaud he wanted it done when you offered to 
do it? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you think Captain De Long in his conduct showed any differ- 
ence in his treatment of yourself and Collins from what he did the other 
officers? — A. I do not know whether he arraigned any other one of the 
after-mess as I was arraigned. In that respect I think he did treat 
them differently. 

Q. Were any of the others present except the parties who were inter- 
ested in the matter? — A. I do not think there were; so far as I recol- 
lect, no, sir. 

Q. He arraigned you as privately as the circumstances permitted, did 
he not? — A. Generally, I presume he did, sir. I do not think I could 
say more. 

Q. Then, so far as you know, you were ignorant of his arraigning any 
other person? — A, So far as I have personal knowledge. But with re- 
gard to the privacy of the thing, the steward might have been passing 
in and out. 

Q. Oh, that might be. There might have been forty men passing in 
and out, only you did not have so many on the boat. Did you know of 
his arraigning Mr. Collins ? I am not talking of hearsay, I want to know 
your own knowledge. 

The Witness. Personal knowledge? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes, sir. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. When Captain De Long came into the cabin in the morning, did 
he not always salute all the gentlemen? — A. I do not know whether he 
always did so or not. Generally he did. 

Q. So far as you know, did he not do it ? — A. As far as I remember 
at present, he did. 

Q. And did he make any distinction in that respect between you and 
Mr. Collins and the other officers? — A. I do not remember that he did. 

Q. Did he not salute all alike and say, "Good morning, gentlemen?" 
— A. I think he did. I think that is considered a part of the official 
business, and he did it. 

Q. We are not talking about what is considered part of the official 
duty 5 we are talking about whether Captain De Long did that. Did 
he not do so ? — A. So far as I remember, I say he did. 1 think he was 
quite particular about those smaller matters, as a rule. 

Q. In what way, if anything, as far as Mr. Collins is concerned, was 
this statement of yours true : 

His manner in dealing with and treating liis subordinates on the expedition and 
more especially the civilian element was not quite commendable. 

I^ow I sav except so far as you were concerned, was that statement 
true? 

The Witness. Is that a statement that I made, sir ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I thought it was, but I see after I get through read- 
ing that you did not make it. I put it to you as a question. It ap- 
pears as a statement on the record, but I see it is a part of the ques- 
tion of the counsel. 

Q. Now was his manner of treating and dealing with the officers of 
the expedition, and more especially the civilian element, different from 
that of the others ? 

The Witness. Was Captain DeLong's treatment of Mr. Collins 
different from that of ths other civilian members ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Any of the other officers. 



236 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Witness. Collectively you mean ? 

JNIr. Aknoux. Yes. 

A. 1 should think there was more reserve about it, sir. 

Q. Will you state any fact on which you found that opinion ? — A. I 
cannot recall, only in a general way. 1 remember that he would say 
sometimes, " Good morning, Ohipp," and if Mr. Collins came in, and he 
said, " Good morning. Captain," he would reply, " Good morning, TWr. 
Collins." There seemed to be more reserve about it. 

Q. Did he treat all the officers with equal familiarity ! You recol- 
lect he said, ''Good morning, Chipp." Did he say, "Good morning, 
Danenhower" "I — A. I do not remember whether he said "Danenhower," 
or "Jfr. Danenhower," and I don't know whether he always addressed 
Chipp as " Good morning, Chipp." I do not think he did. 

Q. Did he address Mr. Melville in that way? — A. He may have and 
may not. I am only telling you what I remember, sir. 

Q. What is your best recollection f — A. 1 could not say whether he 
did or not. 

Q. Did he address the doctor in that way? — A. I think he called him 
professionally, "doctor." 

Q. So he called Mr. Collins "Mr. Collins," and he called the doctor 
" doctor," and sometimes he would address his next officer as " Chipp "? — 
A. As far as I remember, yes. 

Q. Did you ofteu hear him call him "Chipp"? — A. I do not know 
about that, I am sure. 

Q. Did you often hear him call Lieutenant Danenhower " Danen- 
hower"? — A. 1 do not remember about that, whether he called liim 
" ilf r. Danenhower" or "Danenhower." 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Do you remember whether he said " Mr, Chipp" or " Chipp?" — 
A. I remember that incident, not in a special way as to other facts con- 
nected with it, but that he would say sometimes coming out of his 
room — I can almost see him now take his handkerchief out of his 
pocket and say, "Good morning, Chipp," or sometimes "Good morn- 
ing, gentlemen." 

Q. Do you remember his saying " Good morning, Chipp?" — A. I re- 
member he had that habit. 

Q. Did you hear him say so in any particular instance? — A. I should 
say he would be quite likely in the line of his duty to say " Good morn- 
ing, Chipp," or something of that kind. 

Q. Do you reujember any other instance in which he said it ? — A. 
No, sir; 1 do not. 

Q. Do you remember whether he addressed him in that way more 
than once? — A. I think it is very probable that he did. I have that 
general recollection. 

Q. Do you remember any more clearly in regard to that as to whether 
he said " Good morning, Danenhower," or not ? You said that he might 
or might not have said " Good morning, Mr. Danenhower," or " Good 
morning, Danenhower." Do you recollect any more clearly in regard 
to his manner of addressing Mr. Chipp than you do as to his manner of 
addressing Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. 1 can only say that I feel 
that 1 do, but I am unable to substantiate it. 

Q. I am oidy asking your recollection ? — A. That is the best of my 
recollection 

Q. You think you recollect that better?— A. Yes, I recollect that 
better. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 237 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. When was it that you were charged with writing a letter? — A. I 
think that was on the occasion of that arraignment in my interview 
with Captain De Long in Mr. Dunbar's presence somewhere in August. 

Q. What was said about the letter"? — A. I do not remember except 
in a general way. I remember that 1 was said to have written letters 
home to newspapers, 1 think, wherein 1 had stated that Captain DeLong 
was a profane Catholic? and Melville a man who did not believe in God. 

Q. Who said that you had written that letter? — A. Mr. Duubar. 

Q. AVas that one of the accusations that he brought against you? — 
A. Yes; to the best of my recollection, it was. 

Q. Had you written any letter to a newspaper! — A. I had, but I had 
not seut it. 

Q. You had written a letter? — A. I had written a letter, but it had 
not been sent. 

Q. Had you in that letter written anything about the fact that Cap- 
tain He Long was a Catholic? — A. Not in the least. 

Q. Had you written any such thing as was alleged about Mr. Mel- 
ville? — A. I^ot in the least, sir. 

Q. Hid you on that occasion deny it? — A. I did, and produced the 
letters. 

Q. You did know that Captain He Loug was a Catholic? — A. I did 
not know what his religion was, neither had I written about it. 

Q. Hid you ever hear it said that he was a Catholic ? — A. I do not 
remember whether I have or have not. I know he read the Ei)iscoj)al 
service there on the ship. 

Q. At the time Mr. Huubar accused you of writing about his being a 
Catholic, you did not know ? — A. 1 do not know whether I did or not. 
1 reiJiember producing the letters. 

Q. Ho you reniember at the time that you had the impression that 
that was his religion ? — A. I had no knowledge at the time and I have 
not to-day. 

Q. Now, did Mr. Hunbar charge you with writing anything else? — 
A. I do not think he did. 

Q. How many letters had you written to that paper ? — A. One to that 
special paper. 

Q. I understood you to say you produced the letters ? — A. Yes, sir ; 
letters. Two letters, one addressed to the Salem Observer, and one brief 
letter addressed to the Forest and Stream. 1 should have sent them from 
Ounalaska, but was not allowed to do so. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not understand about this letter in which some- 
body was charged with having spoken of Captain He Long as a profane 
Catholic ; was there any such letter? 

Mr. Arnoux. The witness had written a letter to the Salem Observer, 
The letter had never been sent. Captain Hunbar said that Mr. New- 
comb had written a letter to that paper which contained certain expres- 
sions, and Mr. Newcomb denied it and produced the letter which showed 
that the expressions were not in it. Am I correct ? 

The Witness. You are, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Was Captain Hunbar's statement based upon having seen theletter 
in ])rint, or did he pretend having seen that letter after you had written 
it? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How did Captain Hunbar i>retend to know about the contents of 
theletter? — A. I think he implied that I had sent those letters home. 



238 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. That he had seen them in the newspapers? — A. No, mr; because 
that was an impossibi]it3^ I should judge it to be that he thought he 
had knowledge, some way or other, as to the character of them. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Besides charging you with writing letters, did Mr. Dunbar at that 
time charge you with contemptuous deportment *? — A. I have no recol- 
lection that he did. 

Q. Do you swear to the best of your recollection he did not? — A. I 
will. As far as I remember, he did not. 

Q. And your recollection in respect to that is just as clear today as 
it was when you first went on the witness stand? — A. I should say it 
was. I do not remember that he did. 

Q. If he had done it you think you would recollect it, do you not? — 
A. 1 think I should. 

Q. Now, we will come to the other transaction which you have spoken 
of, where you felt that (Japtain De Long's conduct was open to criti- 
cism. Where did that take place ? 

The Witness. To what one do you refer? 

Mr. Arnoux. The other transaction. 

The Witness. Won't you please specify it? 

Mr. Arnoux. You have only specified two, as I understand, one this 
matter about Dunbar, and the other about Lieutenant Danenhower. 
Am I correct? 

The Witness. Taking the shot-gun away was incident to that, sir. 

Q. That is the transaction. Do you remember out of what that 
grew? — A. I do not know that I can say more than that it seems to me 
now, as I remember, as if it was one of the results of a difference be- 
tween Lieutenant Danenhower and myself. 

Q. We are not talking about results, we are talking about causes. 
What was the cause? — A. I do not know that I can get at it any more 
than goiug back to it just the way I think of it. 

Q. You have not told the cause of that difterence ? — A. I think it was 
in consequeuce of a difference 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no; I am not asking about the consequence, I 
am asking about the cause? — A. It was, in fact, in consequence of a 
difference between Lieutenant Danenhower and myself. I am trying 
to get at the cause. 

Q. Now, I am not asking about the consequence of the difference, I 
am asking about the cause of the difference. — A. I am trying to get at 
the cause. 

Q. AVhat was the cause of the difference between you and Lieuten- 
ant Danenhower ? — A. I did not understand that to be your question 
before, sir. The cause of the difference between Lieutenant Danen- 
hower and myself was, as I remember, he was placed off' duty, that is, 
not allowed to have charge of our tent, and I think Bartlett was placed 
in charge, and some question came up. We had been working late — 
or the party had, I do not know that I had been doing much — and were 
hungry, felt like something to eat, I did myself, before going to bed 
that night. 

Q. Do you know that the men did ? — A. I think I remember Bartlett 
saying that he would like some supper, or something to eat. 

Q. Then, what did you say or do in the matter ? — A. I do not remem- 
ber specially, but I must have made some remark that I wished we 
could have it, or something like that, that I should like some myself. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 239 

Q. Then what did Lieutenant Danenhower say?— -A. I cannot re- 
member, sir. 

Q. And tlien what did you say to Lieutenant Danenhower ?— A. That 
I do not remember. 

Q. Did that memorandum which you had here the other day show any- 
thing about that cause of difference ? — A. IS'o, sir 5 it had nothing on it 
at all about it. 

Q. Did you not have a piece of paper which had something on it 
about that transaction ? — A. None whatever. 

Q. Nothing about what the captain said on that occasion to you! — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. This matter, then, was a matter which you recollected and had no 
memoranda connected with ? — A. I had memoranda about those things, 
but they have been all misplaced. 

Q. You have not now? — A. No, sir; I have not. 

Q. Now, I want to know if Lieutenant Danenhower did not charge 
you with having been guiltj^ of first using language tending to produce 
discontent among the men, and second, when remonstrated with by 
Lieutenant Danenhower, using insolent and insubordinate language to 
him ?— A. Now you speak of that, I remember of his using the expres- 
sion to me that I was insolent to him. The other part I do not 
remember. 

Q. Now, if you recollect that he charged you with being insolent to 
him, do you recollect what it was you said that constitued that inso- 
lence ? — A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. That is all forgotten ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q, You do not remember 1 — A. There were words between us, but I 
do not remember what. 

Q. I read to you from Captain De Long^s journal what he has entered 
in regard to it. See if it refreshes jonr recollection: 

Mr. OuETiS. Do you offer the journal ? 

Mr. AuNOUX. 1 will read this. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to anything being read from that journal, or 
any extract taken from that journal in which a fact is assuuied. Now, 
we have no objection whatever to the entire journal going in, and al- 
though we have not had the opportunity of examining the journal, owing 
to being occupied daily in the matter of the examination of witnesses, 
still, for the purpose of facilitating this investigation and arriving at 
the truth, we are perfectly willing that the journal shall be put in in its 
original form as an entirety, and become an exhibit the same as the rec- 
ord of the Board of Inquiry. But we do most strenuously object to 
any extract or any portion of the journal being made the i3asis of an 
assumption of fact on which to question a witness. I think our con- 
cession as to the admission of the entire journal is a very liberal one, 
and if the journal is admitted in any of its parts, it should be admitted 
in its entirety. 

The Chairman. The journal itself is primary evidence, and when 
primary evidence is attainable, that must be produced. 

Mr. McAdoo. Otherwise you would get in the whole journal by asking 
from just such portions as you wanted. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is it not competent to ask a question in any way you 
choose ? 

Mr. Curtis. But the learned counsel incorporates in his question an 
extract taken from the journal of Captain De Long. Now, whether that 
is for the purpose of influencing the mind of the witness in any particu- 
lar direction^ I do not know. 



240 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. MoAdoo. If Judge Arnoux will ask this witness a question, and 
say upou bis own responsibility that the extract is taken from De Long's 
journal, very well. 

Mr. Curtis. The entire journal was never made an exhibit in any 
court of inquiry or in this investigation. What we have been striving 
to get throughout is the entire journal by getting the original journal. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit, gentlemen, that we have now a pretty fair 
illustration of the manner in which this thing is to be done. The 
counsel j^araded himself the other day by saying that he did not i)ro- 
pose to object to anything. What have we objected to ? We have 
objected to just such things as these things ; that is to say, purely hear- 
say evidence. I objected to Collins saying what Newcomb told him 
when Newcomb was under subpoBua. That evidence was allowed. 
But the moment the counsel finds anything he does not like, notwith- 
standing his solemn pk^dge that he would object to nothing that we 
offered, he starts up and makes an objection, and some of the com- 
mittee seem to think there is force in the objection, after having ruled 
over and over again that things like that could be admitted. 

The Chairman. All these that have been given are declarations of 
the members of the expedition. All the hearsay that lias been let in 
has been that of the members of the expedition. Kow here there is 
original evidence, and if it is to go in as part of the journal of De Long, 
the journal being present here before the committee itself, the rule of 
law is that the primary or original evidence shall be used when it is 
obtainable. Now, when primary or original evidence is not attainable, 
then secondary evidence may be used. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not understand that this matter so far as it has 
progressed is an offer on the part of the counsel to put any portion of 
Captain De Long's statements in evidence. 

Mr. Curtis. I understand that he is asking this witness whether 
such and such statement is true. 

The Chairman. He may put a question of fact without saying it is 
the contents of a paper. The rule is this : The contents of a paper 
cannot be given in evidence if the paper is itself attainable to prove its 
own contents. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I understand that. 

Mr. Arnoux. Let me ask you if precisely the same rule is not true in 
this, that the declaration of a party cannot be given in evidence, where 
a party is alive, as a fact? Now is it any different to say that this is 
De Long's journal than to let Dr. Collins come on the stand and swear 
Newcomb told him something as being a fact that trans])ired"? I say 
this in precisely the same position. Dr. Collins testified that a man 
told him a certain fixct. 

Mr. BouTELLE. And the man was sitting in the room. 

Mr. (Utrtis. That is not the question. 

Mr. McAdoo. I want to say in justice to myself that the rule is en- 
tirely different. Dr. Collins was allowed to state what he did because 
they were all parties to this transaction. But here is a written docu- 
ment, and you produce and read this document and do not put it in 
evidence. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I understand it is in evidence. 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir; the original journal in its entirety has never 
been i)ublislied. 

Mr. lioUTELLE. I want to say for myself it is beyond my power of 
comprehension to understand how the object of ascertaining the truth, 
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in relation to this expedition 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 241 

can be furthered by reason of teclinical objections against allowing us 
to know the statements made by Captain De Long in his journal. 

Mr. Curtis. We want it in evidence. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I understand the journal is in. 

Mr. CuKTis. No, sir. 

Mr. BouTELLE. :Now, we have a witness on the stand who has over 
and over again, as the stenographic report will show, testified he did 
not remember, he did not know, he had no recollection, and as often as 
his memory has been refreshed by citing from the record of his former 
testimony, or some other record of the event, he has in almost every in- 
stance said he does remember. Now, here is a case in which he said he 
did not remember, and the counsel proposes to ask him in relation to 
that which was matter between him and Captain De Long based upon 
some data in reference to this afiair which he finds in this journal. 

Mr. McAdoo. Put the journal in evidence. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. I do not want to have a great deal of my time em- 
ployed hereafter in listening to what seems to me to be wholly imperti- 
nent. 

Mr. Curtis. If that refers to me, I simply answer we want the whole 
truth, and the journal has never been in evidence. 

The Chairman. The rule is to go to the highest source. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. I shall test the thing by and by, by asking the wit- 
ness such questions as appear to me to be pertinent, and the committee 
will rule as to the pertinency of them. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. I read this to you from Captain De Long's journal. See if it re- 
freshes your memory : 

Thuesday, July 21. 
I to-day placed Mr. Newcomb under arrest, intending bringing him to trial by court- 
martial for (1) using language tending to produce discontent among the m'en* (2) 
when remonstrated with by Mr. Danenhower, using insolent and in subordinate 'lan- 
guage. It appears at 3 p. m. on the 18th there was some slight complaint in No. 3 
tent about there being no supper ordered. I had considered every one to stand in 
more need of sleep than of cold foodj particularly as it would have taken jfifty minutes 
to make coffee or tea, and hence at once piped down. Mr. Newcomb, however joined 
in the growl, and, as Mr. Danenhower states, made the remark that it was a pity or 
it was a shame that after men had been working so hard they must turn in without 
something to eat. Upon Danenhower's remonstrating, ''It may be hard for the men 
who are working, but for us who are not working it is not hard, and we should not 
be the first to complain," Newcomb replied, "I was not speaking to you and I do 
not count myself as in the same category with you." Danenhower told him he had 
said enough, and to stop. Newcomb replied, "No ; I will not stop ; I will take orders 
from Bartlett, and not from you ;" and further along, that the crisis had come ; that 
the issue must be met; "You have made yourself disagreeable, &c. ; " comment is 
unnecessary. 

Having read to you this statement, does it in any way refresh your 
recollection ? 

Mr. McAdoo. Let me ask you as a member of the committee, from 
what do you read ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I am reading from Captain De Long's private journal ? 

A. Yes J it does. 

Q. What have you to say in regard to that transaction ?— A. That of 
the statements there made some of them are true. 

Q. That is all you have to say !-^A. The general tenor of the state- 
ment is true as far as I remember nowj the exact wording I cannot of 
course say about; I should not have remembered it if it had not been 
recalled to me. 

16 J Q* 



242 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not see but that we have made a step of pro 
gress in getting at the truth. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. And did not Captain De Long then, as a punishment to you and 
sustaining the charges which Lieutenant Danenhower had made, take 
your gun away and order you to the rear! — A. I think he did. He 
took the gun, and I should judge that was what it was done for. 

Q. How long was it before the gun was leturned to you? — A. I do 
not remember about that. It might have been two or three days. 

Q. And it might have been the next day, might it not! — A. I do not 
think it was. 

Q. It might have been, I say. — A. It might: yes. 

Q. Will you tell me when was the time that Captain De Long charged 
you with being reticent! — A. I could not say whether it was incidental 
to that occasion in August 

Q. (Interposing). That is to say, the matter with Dunbar! — A. Yes, 
sir; I could not say whether it was at that time or not. 

Q. Do you recollect of his having made any such charge as that at 
any other time! — A. I do not, sir; I hav^e no recollection of it. I am 
under the impression that it was at or about that time. 

Q. And was it then that he said that he would make you talk! — A. 
I don't think he ever used just those identical words at all. 

Q. He never said that in substance, did he! — A. Ko, sir; but now 
you speak of it, I do remember, because my memory is refreshed to this 
extent, that he said to me that his official duties required that he 
should look after the police of the ship. Those were the words he used 
— that he did not know that he could permit me to maintain this silence. 

Q. But he did not use any such language as that he would make you 
talk, did he? — A. I haven't the slightest recollection of it. 

Q. And you would liave a recollection of it if he had! — A. I should 
have. 

Q. And when you were asked on your direct examination, ^'Did he 
tell you he would make you talk," and you answered, "Yes," you did 
not understand the question! — A. I did not, most decidedly; if I had 
I should never have said so. 

Q. Did you think that Captain De Long, or whoever took that calcine 
I)laster to repair the leak, did anything that was improper! — A. I did 
not, sir. I thought they did a very good thing at the time. 

Q. Did you ever have any other trouble or dispute or difference with 
the doctor than that about the birds! — A. Yes, on the retreat. 

Q. What was that! — A. We were working on what I called the road 
gang. There was Lee, the machinist, and myself, and then afterwards 
Lee and the doctor and myself, and the sleigh making up the road- 
working force to break the ice and make the roads more passable. 

Q. What did you have to do that with! — A.. One or two pick-axes 
and one or two shovels. 

Q. Then you did have pick -axes and shovels on the retreat! — A. Yes, 
I remember two. I lost one overboard myself. I remember that. 

Q. AVell, besides those two altercations that you speak of with the 
doctor, did you have any other altercation with the doctor ? — A. No, 
sir; I do not recall anything. 

Q. Did you not flatter yourself that you had rather got the best of 
the doctor when you answered him in the way you did when he spoke 
about those birds ! — A. I don't know but I did. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 243 

Q. You thought it was a pretty neat retorts — A. I thought it Avas a 
fitting reply. 

Q. And you thought it was rather a witty one ! — A. Yes, I should 
think so ; it might be said so. 

Q. And do you not think you generally like to answer back ; when 
you think you can get in a good hit? — A. I always like a good joke. 

Q. That was not a joke ; it was a hit. — A. Well, a retort. 

Q. If you think you can get the best of somebody, you always do it? — 
A. Sometimes it is not worth while to try. 

Q. Did you not, while on that ship, do if? — A. I said for a long 
while I maintained this silence. 

Q. You answered him, at that time, in the spirit of giving him a lit- 
tle bit better shot than he had given you on those birds? — A. You might 
say so ; I do not remember the exact experience. You might call it so 
and welcome, sir. « 

Q. Did you ever tell anybody that Captain De Long threw those 
birds overboard, sir? — A. I threw them over myself. 

Q. I ask you, did you ever tell anybody that Captain De Long had 
thrown them overboard? — A. I do not think so; I do not see why I 
should. No, sir; I do not think I did. 

Q. It has been stated in this investigation that you did so state. 
Did you ever so state? — A. No, sir ; it would be safe to say I did not. 

Q. And as a matter of fact the captain did not throw the birds over- 
board, but you did so yourself voluntarily? — A. He did not, and I do 
not think he knew when they went over the rail nor where they had 
gone to, and I never heard him inquire. 

Q. Did you go to any island after the time the birds were thrown 
over? — A. We were in Ounalaska Island jat the time. 

Q. Did you put any property ashore there? — A. No, except I carried 
my own shot gun, and went off once. 

Q. I mean you did not leave anything? — A. No, sir. 

Q. So as matter of fact under whatever circumstances these birds 
were lost it made no difference, there was nothing preserved as natural 
history of the expedition? — A. Only two or three birds that are in the 
Smithsonian Institution. Those specimens were collected while I was 
acting as naturalist. 

Q. Did you not get those after you got to the Lena delta? — A. No, 
sir; up in the ice. 

Q. You got three or four ? — A. There were eight altogether. 

Q. Did you have them before the ship went down? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What kind of birds were those that you threw overboard ? — A. I 
do not know the species ; they were Guillemots, web-footed Arctic birds. 

Q. Do you know the scientific names of all birds and all that you 
got ? — A. I did at that time. 

Q. Were these common birds? — A. Very common. Birds that I 
killed at Oogalgan Island. 

Q. And there were plenty of them to be shot? — A. Lots of them. 

Q. So that they were no special loss, Avhoever destroyed them ? — A. 
Vessels are by there every year, and there are lots of specimens of them 
here in Washington now. 

Q. You said on your direct examination you always supposed that 
everything was in charge of the commanding ofiflcer. By that you 
meant Captain De Long, did you not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did you not know as matter of practical everyday life that 
not only everything but everybody on board the ship was under com- 
mand of Captain De Long?— A. Yes, I should say I did. 



244 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Aud 3^011 understood that Captain De Long was to be captain 
when you shipped on the vessel, did you not"? — A. Certainly, sir. 

Q. Aud you understood by shipping on the vessel that you were to 
be under his orders, did you not *? — A. Certainly. 1 would like to say, 
however, that I understood the fact of the enlistment to be only a mat- 
ter of form. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. You do not mean a matter of form as regards your being under 
his orders, do you ? — A. I understood that it was done in order that 
everybody might be under discipline, and I also further inferred — I do 
not know that I heard it there, but I have had a good deal of conversa- 
tion since I got home. After I got back some people thought it might 
have been a special appointment, giving relative rank, but I threw all 
that out of consideration at the time, and when I signed the ship's books 
in Cai)tain De Long's presence, in San Francisco, he said, "Just write 
your name here, sir ; it is a mere matter of form j everybody has to be 
under discipline." 

Q. Did you understand by its being a mere matter of form that you 
were not to be subject to the discipline of the ship ? — A. Well, I sup- 
posed of course I would be subject to the discipline, if occasion required, 
as much as anybody in the ship, but that, so far as it went, it was only 
a matter of form ; that it could not be else ; that if I went I would have 
to go in that capacity. 

Q. You supposed that everybody on board the vessel would be sub- 
ject to the official discipline of the Navy ? — A. Yes, sir. I supposed, of 
course, that all due allowance would be made for different people in 
different occupations. 

Q. Had you read the act authorizing the expedition? — A. No, sirj I 
had not. I never heard of it until April, 1879, one month before I went 
away. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Is not this the fact : that you mean you understood yotir shipping 
as a seaman was a matter of form, but that you supposed when you did 
so ship that you and every other person on board were subject to the 
orders of the captain? — A. Certainly. 

Q. About what time was it that this transaction took place with the 
doctor ! — A. It was on the retreat. I do not know the date. 

Q. I now speak about the birds. — A. It was the last of July, 1879. 

Q. Pre\iious to that time, did you think that the doctor had any ill- 
will towards you! — A. No, sir 5 I thought he was a pretty good sort of 
a fellow. 

Q. Did you think he did that from any feeling of ill-will towards you 
personally f — A. No, sir; I do not think he did. 

Q. Did you think he in any way intended to annoy you ? — A. No, sir; 
1 think he was slightly nettled by smelling the odor there. 

Q. In other words, you think that he thought he perceived a disagree- 
able odor and he wished to have it removed ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you did not think there was anything unreasonable in that?— 
A. Yes, 1 did, for the simple reason that a man used to the odors of the 
dissecting room should not object to the fumes arising from freshly killed 
birds. 

Q. Are you accustomed to a dissecting room? — A. You might call the 
workshop of a taxidermist a dissecting room, not of human bodies, but 
of animals and birds. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 245 

Q. Do you kDOw anything about the odors of the dissecting rooms 
which a doctor frequents ? — ^A. No, sir ; I do not ; very little. 

Q. Were you ever in the dissecting room of a physician ! — A. Not in 
the dissecting room of any college as yet, but with a gentleman of 
Boston, once, yes. 

Q. And were they then dissecting? — A. No specimens had been 
handled; that is, none had been prepared. 

Q. So that when you made that reply to the doctor you only went on 
the general supposition? — A. The general principle, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Might it not have been that the doctor thought that the other 
officers would not be so used to odors as himself! — A. I spoke perhaps 
without giving it any more than a brief hasty thought. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Do you think that the doctor when he said that that smell was offen- 
sive to him meaut to annoy you in any way? — A. I do not think he did. 

Q. You do not think he did f — A. I could not say so. 

Q. And when he asked to have those birds removed did you think 
that he meant to annoy you? — A. No, sir; I only thought he was a 
little thoughtless. 

Q. On your direct examination you were asked this question: "Did 
you then believe, and do you now believe "that it was a sort of a petty 
annoyance of you 1 And you answered, "Yes." Will you explain that I — 
A. I would rather change it. My ideas on these matters, as this investi- 
gation proceeds, are gradually growing clearer than they were when I 
first came on the stand. 

Q. And now you say, if you did so answer, you either did not under- 
stand the question or you do not propose to have that answer stand? — 
A. Either one. I did not understand it. After that date we held very 
pleasant social relations. 

Q. You were asked in your examination, speaking of Collins, " Did 
you not know the fact that he was put under arrest or suspension," and 
you answered, " Yes." Now did you ever hear in any way or shape that 
he was put under arrest? — A. I cannot separate the arrest from the 
suspension from duty. After a certain point he did not do work of any 
kind except use his rifle. 

Q. Was he confined in any way ? — A. Shortly after getting into the 
ice there were some bears started, when Collins, Danenhower, and my- 
self went after them, and I think it was the first Sunday in the month 
or something of the kind, anyway. We were not back on time, and the 
upshot of that was there was an order issued telling us all to report 
for leave before we went away again ; and as I remember, Mr. Collins 
staid on the ship quite a while rather than ask permission of the 
captain to go away from the vessel. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. That was not a confinement applied to him ? — A. Certainly ; it was 
of him I was speaking. 

Q. He applied it to himself, did he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you understand that he remained on board by virtue of any 
instructions which imposed restrictions on him which were not imposed 
on others? — A. It was self-imposed, as far as I am able to remember now. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Now I repeat the question I put to you. Did you know at any 



246 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

time of Mr. Collins being arrested or in any way deprived of his liberty 
or being confined in any way*? — A. Not personally. 

Q. You never saw any indication that he was deprived of liberty, did 
you f — A. Only when he was walking in the rear of the retreat party, 
or often er on one side somewhere, not taking hold as he had previously 
done, as we had all started in to do. 

Q. Did that deprive him of his liberty? — A. I do not think it did, sir. 
That was the construction I put upon it. 

Q. I am asking about a man's free agency to move about. Did you 
ever know, during the time Collins was on the boat, of his being deprived 
of his liberty? — A. Not personally. 

Q. Did you at any time that you were on the boat 

The Witness (Interrupting.) Do you mean on the ship? 

Mr. Arnoux. That is what I mean — on the ship. 

The Witness. I say I did not personally. 

Q. Did you know, by observation, hearsay, or in any other way at 
any time on the ship, that Mr. Collins was deprived of his liberty of free 
locomotion ? — A. No, I cannot say that I did. 

Q. Do you mean to be understood as telling this committee that you 
think the observations were taken irregularly after Mr. Collins was sus- 
pended from duty ? — A. I think they were. 

Q. I mean irregularly? — A. Yes. 

Q. Were they not taken regularly but at less frequent intervals than 
they had been the first year?— A. That I could not say, I am sure. 

Q. Now I ask whether you wish to be understood to mean that you 
testify that they were taken irregularly after Collins was suspended 
from duty? — A. As I understand, you want to know whether the obser- 
vations were taken at one o'clock, quarter past two o'clock, or whether 
at one o'clock, three o'clock 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. (Interposing.) He asks whether they were taken irregularly or 
less frequently ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Aenoux: 

Q. Do you mean to say that after his suspension the observations 
were taken irregularly? — A. I do not know about that. 

Q. I want to know whether you mean to be understood as so saying ? — 
A. No, I do not say so. I know that they were taken less frequently, 
but at Avhat hours I do not know. 

Q. Do you not know as matter of fact that the observations were 
taken more frequently the first year than the second year? — A. Hourly 
observations were taken the first year. 

Q. Do you know how frequently they were taken the second year ? — 
A. No, I do not ; nor at any other time. I think as far as observations 
were taken, however regularly on the ship, on the retreat they were 
taken irregularly. 

Q. lam talking about on the ship? — A. No, I do not know. 

Q. And so, if you had stated that after his suspension, referring to 
the time when he was suspended on the ship, that the observations were 
taken irregularly, you either did not understand the question or wish to 
correct your answer? — A. I do. I did not understand the question 
when it was first put to me. 

Q. When was it that you first formed the opinion that the relations 
between Lieutenant Chip and Mr. Collins were such that there was "no 
love lost between them." 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 247 

The Witness. Between Collins and Lieutenant Ohipp? 

Mr. Abnoux. Yes. 

A. I do not know as I can answer that question. I am sure I could 
not give the date. 

Q. Now, is it true that the relations between Lieutenant Ohipp and 
Mr. Collins were of such a character that " there was no love lost be- 
tween thera"! — A. The last recollection that I have of the relations of 
Collins and Chipp was that Collins and Chipp were quite friendly 
together, not specially so, but generally so. 

Q. As much so as any of the others? — A. Yes, I should say so, un- 
less it was Mr. Chipp and Mr. Dunbar; who were quite intimate with 
each other. 

Q. Then, if you used that expression, you did not intend it to ai)ply 
as between Collins and Chipp — that ''there was no love iost between 
them" — did youf — A. N^ot then; I cannot specify the dates, you un- 
derstand, but further back it seemed to me as if Chipp thought Collins 
was a kind of a funny man, but nothing more than that ; but afterwards 
they came to discover qualities in each other that they rather liked 
than not, and they seemed to hold friendly relations. 

Q. At the time Chipp thought Collins was a kind of a funny man, it 
did not produce*any rupture ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Neither did it follow that " there was no love lost between them," 
did it?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Excuse me, I misunderstood. Mrs. De Long has called my atten- 
tion to my mistake. "What were the relations between Mr. De Long 
and Mr. Ohij^p ? — A. They seemed to be more official than social. 

Q. Was there any discourtesy in act or speech that you ever noticed 
between them ? — A. No, sir ; I have an indistinct recollection that there 
was some question about a box of Leibig's extract of beef, as to who 
was responsible, whether Mr. Chipp or not. 

Q. Up to that time did you ever see anything in the relations of Cap- 
tain De Long and Lieutenant Chipj) that would be the subject of any 
adverse criticism on your part ? — A. No, I do not recollect that I did. 

Q. And how long had you been on the retreat when this matter about 
Liebig's extract of beef occurred? — A. That I do not remember, I am 
sure. It covered half of our distance to the shore. I do not know but 
that it might have been either before we reached Bennett Island coming 
south, or between Bennett Island and New Siberian Island. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins frequently express his opinion in the cabin? — A. 
No, sir ; I think he was pretty reticent, as a general thing. 

Q. How often did you ever hear him express an opinion ? — A. I don't 
recall a single instance. 

Q. Did you ever hear him express an opinion on anything that was 
not connected with meteorology ? — A. That is a question I could not 
answer. I do not remember. Yes, I do 5 in the general way of conver- 
sation he did; still I could not specify. 

Q. And how were his ox)inions generally received? — A. Well, I hardly 
know what to say. 

Q. Do you have any recollection on the subject at all, or is your mind 
a blank ? — A. Pretty nearly a blank as regards that particular fact. 

Q. Then there was nothing that challenged your attention in that re- 
spect ? — A. Only with regard to the reception of his opinions. Except, 
I would say, that after his difference with the captain, if he said any- 
thing it was received with a sort of a smile. Well, I don't know how 
you would construe it. It was so slight and was quietly manifested, 



248 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and I am at a loss how to express myself about it. I sensed it. That 
is the only way I can express myself. 

Q. Did you ever receive his opinions with a smile *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were they opinions which would naturally create a smile? — A. 
Collins had a good deal of a humorous vein at times; they were so put. 

Q. When you spoke of this you did not speak oi' i^, in the way of 
criticism ; that it was in unkindness towards him? — A. It m\ght be taken 
so or might not. 

Q. Was it that they were laughing at him, or laughing as the natural 
result of the remarks he made? — A. You might use the expression 
"laughing in their sleeves" at present^ a quiet "pooh, I don't believe 
it." 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Was that the way you laughed at him? — A. I do not know, I am 
sure. He used to talk pretty hard about things, and I would ask him to 
let up, but only in that way, between he and I, never in any serious 
manner at all. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did any of the officers smile at his remarks any more freely than 
you did? — A. Not any more freely than I did, because I was rather more 
intimate with him than they. 

Q. Did their smiles ever break out into laughter? — A. It seems almost 
as if I could hear the doctor say, " Oh, Collins" — something of that kind ; 
but I could not give you the data about it. 

Q. Tell us as nearly as you can recollect or specify an instance which 
caused the doctor to say "Oh, Collins." — A. I could not do so, sir. 

Q. Did you ever say "Oh, Collins" in such a way? — A. He used to 
have a certain way of quoting Pinafore until I got tired of it, and I 
would take a pipe and would say, "You give me the ear-ache ; I am going 
out; let me know when you get through and I'll come back." 

Q. Was there any personal ill-will on the part of any officer of that 
vessel manifested towards Collins, in your judgment, in this smiling or 
laughing at him? — A. Not in that way. But there seemed to be an 
atmosphere in the cabin, as I say, of quiet contempt for the man. I can- 
not express myself any more effectively. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What was your opinion of the origin of that feeling? — A. I do not 
know. It seemed to grow. 

Q. I mean in a general way. Of course, if you noticed it, it made an 
impression on your mind. What caused it? — A. Well, I am unable to 
tell what caused it. 

Q. I mean what was your impression in regard to this manifestation 
in the mess ? What was your impression as to the general spirit of it ? 
Was it in the nature of your feeliug in regard to the repetitions of Pin- 
afore, or was it in the nature of hostility, or unfriendliness, or conspir- 
acy ? — A. I think it might be generally summed up in the elements of 
officers and civilians and of the difference naturally existing between 
them. 

Q. You could hardly make that distinction because you have cited 
yourself as one of the persons? — A. Not in that sneering way, not any- 
thing contemptuous. 

Q. Now you are striking a different line of statement. What was the 
nature of the contemptuous treatment he received ? — A. Just as I say; 
that quiet looking up at a person from reading a book and putting 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 249 

down the book, ^'' Humph," or something of that kind in the cabin if an 
opinion was given by Mr. Collins. Somebody might say " Humph," look 
up in just that kind of way, and look down again [illustrathig]. From 
those little things I gather the idea that people are objecting. 

Q. Would that be as likely to emanate from you as some of the others'? 
— A. I should hardly think so, for the simple reason that my relations 
with him — with the exception of Mr. Danenhower, who was on intimate 
relations with Collins — were more intimate than those of anybody else 
In a social way. 

Q. Did you not say, a few moments ago, that you said to Collins you 
would go out and stay on deck until he got through with his perform- 
ance! — A. Yes 5 but that was only in the way of good nature. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Who are the ones that sneered, if you can specify"? — A. I could 
not specify any one. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Danenhower do it! — A. I never heard him. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville do it! — A. I do not know that I can recall an 
instance; but my honest opinion is he would be as likely as any one. 

Q. But the question is as to a fact. Did he, to your recollection, 
actually do it! — A. I do not remember, sir. 

Q. Now, did this singing of Pinafore interfere with your work! — A. 
Ko, sir. His quoting Pinafore, or singing Pinafore, interfered some- 
what at times; but 1 used to ask him to wait awhile and let me get 
through, or something of that kind. 

Q. Did you have occasion to do the same with any of the officers of 
the vessel ! — A. I^one of the other officers, sir. 

Q. I ask you whether you had occasion to do the same thing with any 
other member of the cabin mess ! — A. I do not know as I did ; no, I do 
not remember anything of the kind. But at the same time I would like 
it understood that these remarks of Mr. Collins in nowise hampered or 
prevented me from accomplishing what I wanted, but they were in the 
line of good-natured banter. 

Q. Was there not as much a determined effort of good-natured ban- 
ter on the part of the others of the cabin mess as there was on the part 
of Mr. Collins ! — A. No, sir ; because I was more with Collins ; I with- 
drew from the others. 

Q. And was there any more motive towards him, or can you any bet- 
ter judge the motive of the men in their banter with him than in their 
banter of yourself; can you any better judge than you can of your own 
motive! — A. No; I do not think I can. 

Q. Then why do you pass judgment of condemnation on them that 
they seemed to be doing it in a different spirit ! — A. I did not do the 
same thing. 

Q. I understood you to say you joined with the rest in smiling at his 
remarks ! — A. I smiled at his jokes, but I did not sneer at him. 

Q. Did you not sneer at him when you told him to shut up ! — A. I 
do not think I used the words " shut up." 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. What was it you said! — A. I might have said '' Let up." 
Q. Is it your opinion that Mr. Collins's rendition of Pinafore was as 

annoying to you as Melville's Irish singing was to Mr. Collins ! — A. I 

am sure I could not compare them, sir. 
Q. What would be your opinion on that point ! — A. I fancy that Mr. 

Collins might be more sensitive than I would under similar conditions. 



250 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins ever get up and go out on deck ? — A. I do not 
remember, sir. 

Q. You did ? — A. Oh, that is another thing. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. I read to you and ask you whether this is not a true statement in 
regard to this matter : 

Collins is the same Collins, getting off puns all the time, some of them good, and 
some wretchedly poor. For awhile we all steadily refused to see his puns and used 
to look at him as innocently and inquiringly as babies when he got one off, asking 
him to explain two or three times over, until he finally exclaimed that our intellects 
must be weakening in proportion as we increased our distance from San Francisco. 
Now, however, we let him jiun away, praise the good ones and condemn the bad 
ones. 

Now I ask you whether that is not a fair and just statement of 
what took place in the cabin in regard to the intercourse of the officers 
with Mr. Collins! — A. I would prefer the statement that I have made. 
I cannot separate my feelings from my own construction of the matter. 

Q. Is it not a fact that he was fond of getting off" puns? — A. Yes; 
little jokes. 

Q. Is it not the fact that they did ask him at times to explain them? — 
A. That I do not remember. 

Q. Is it not a fact that they appeared not to understand these puns 
at the time? — A. The fact so far as I remember is that they appeared 
to care very little about them anyhow. 

Q. Well, will you say that the statement that I have read to you is 
an incorrect statement of what took place at times in the cabin? — A. I 
would rather not say so. I would rather not say other than what I 
have expressed. That is the way I honestly feel and believe about it. 

Q. No matter what you say. I ask, was the statement I have read to 
you incorrect as to what took place sometimes in the cabin? — A. That 
is a very difficult question for me to answer. 

Q. Do you understand that a callous man is necessarily either cold 
or brutal? — A. No, sir; I do not. 

Q. Did you understand this question when it was put to you and you 
gave the answer that you did: 

Q. He [speaking of Mr. Collins] had not the cold, brutal temperament of a callous 
man? — A. I do not think he had. 

Do you understand that necessarily a callous man is cold or brutal, or 
both? — A. A hardened disposition, you mean? I do. I say that such 
men are apt to be. 

Q. Do you understand that necessarily a callous man is a brutal 
man? — A. I think the qualities are pretty apt to go together, sir. 

Q. And do you think that such men are necessarily cold? — A. Well, 
I think that might be put in, too. 

Q. Cannot a man be warm-hearted and yet at the same time be very 
brutal? — A. He might, but such qualities do not generally go together. 

Q. Is it not a combination often found in men? — A. I do not think 
they are generally found together. You will have to ask some more 
expert person. 

Q. Now, did you understand that Mr. Collins intended to offend any- 
body by his Pinafore singing and by his puns? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you any more understand that Mr. Melville intended to offend 
anybody by singing and telling Irish songs and stories? — A. No, sir; I 
do not think that he did. 

Q. Did you ever have occasion to go on deck to escape the Pinafore 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 251 

songs of Mr. Collins ? — A. I remember one occasion when I did take my 
pipe and go out of the cabin. 

Q. Did you ever know of an instance where Collins had to leave the 
cabin to escape the Irish songs or stories of Mr. Melville f — A. Not per- 
sonally, sir. But at the same time I did not go out because there was 
any intended persecution or annoyance to myself from Mr. Collins. 

Q. Did you think there was any intended i)ersecution or annoyance 
of Mr. Collins in Mr. Melville's singing and telling Irish songs and 
stories ? — A. I do not know. I used sometimes to consider it was rather 
bad taste. 

Q. That is not the question. The question is whether or not there 
was anything malicious in it. It is not a question of taste, but a ques- 
tion of malice. Can you not distinguish between those two in your 
mind'?— A. Yes; if they get far enough apart I can. 

Q. Did you think that there was anything malicious in what Melville 
did ? — A. I do not know that there was, specially. 

Q. Did you think there was generally ? — A. I think Collins would 
have been more comfortable if that had not been done. 

Q. But, I say, did you think it was intended to be generally malicious 
at any time? — A. I cannot personally say so. I have a feeling that it 
was more or less so, but I would not swear that it was positively so. 

Q. Have you any change to make on that subject from what you said 
on Wednesday last ? — A. No, sir, except that I do think that the whole 
thing was calculated to annoy rather than anything else. 

Q. On Wednesday last did you not express this opinion in speaking 
of this singing of Melville's : "I do not know that it was intended to 
offend anybody"? Did you not so testify? — A. I do not remember, and 
I do not know that it was intended to annoy Mr. Collins, but I think it 
would have a tendency to do so. 

Q. I do not ask you about tendency, but I ask you if you have any 
new light to-day from what you had on Wednesday last ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you adhere to the testimony given on Wednesday last: ''I do 
not know that it was intended to offend anybody"? — A. Yes; I adhere 
to that statement. 

Q. That Mr. Melville did not intend to offend anybody by singing his 
Irish songs, and in "anybody" you include Mr. Collins? — A. In singing 
Irish songs I do not know that he really intended to offend anybody. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Mr. Collins used to sing Pinafore songs and it was 
troublesome or disagreeable to you and you went out ? Now, the dis- 
tinction t understand counsel to be trying to ascertain is the difference 
between that being somewhat disagreeable to you and Mr. Collins 
singing those songs for the purpose of annoying you. Now, in the same 
way Mr. Melville might sing an Irish song and the singing of that Irish 
song might be extremely disagreeable to some other gentleman, and yet 
Mr, Melville might or might not sing that Irish song with the purpose 
or intent of making it disagreeable. 

By Mr. Aenoux : 

Q. Now, having had that explanation from Mr. Boutelle, what do ,^ou 
say in regard to the intent of Mr. Melville in singing those Irish songs; 
do you think that he intended to annoy or offend any gentleman in the 
cabin? — A. I cannot say that I do. 

Q. And in your testimony you do not mean to express an opinion 
that he did, as a matter of intent, do you? — A. I cannot say that I do. 

Q. Now, did Mr. Collins at any time to your knowledge refrain from 



252 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

social iotercourse with tlie geutlemeu in the cabin? — A. Yes, in a gen- 
eral way, for quite a while. 

Q. And did he not continue that for a long time with some of the 
members of the mess ? — A. Yes, quite a while. 

Q. And did he in any way do anything to try to lessen that distance 
that existed ? — A. I do not think he did anything to either increase or 
lessen it. He left it where it was. 

Q. Did you understand me to ask you about increasing it? 

The Chairman. I think the witness has the right to put it in the 
alternative. 

The Witness. I think I am trying to do the best I can in answering. 

Mr. BoTJTELLE. I think that is a fair answer. He wanted to convey 
the impression that it did not increase or diminish it. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. On your direct examination this question was put to you and this 
was your answer : 

Q. Did Collins show any more desire to maintain intercourse and to prevent this 
withering, as you call it, than any other person on board the boat ? — A. I should say he 
did, on some accounts certainly. 

A. I will tell you what I meant by that. For instance, when the 
Christmas entertainment or the holiday entertainment in the deck- 
house took place, I know he contributed a long and amusing paper, 
bringing in all hands in a humorous way, and having a tendency 
thereby to raise the social and the whole atmosphere of the party on 
the ship. 

Q. What Christmas was that ? — A. I think it was the first Christmas 
in the ice ; I will not say for certain. 

Q. Do you recollect any other act that he did tending to lessen this 
want of harmony which you have spoken of? — A. Well, I think his 
general deportment was rather in favor of healing breaches than widen- 
ing them. 

Q. I thought you said he did nothing to widen or heal them ?— A. 
That is the general impression I have. 

Q. Then you look at it differently from what you did not five minutes 
ago ? — A. It is like a balance beam, and the balance was in favor of Mr. 
Collins rather than the mess. 

Q. Now you say that he did it more than any other man 5 is that true? — 
A. I do not know that that is true. You might say more than any 
other man who had any unpleasant relations with him at all or any less 
social relations. Mr. Danenhower, for instance, had very pleasant rela- 
tions with him. He was inclined to be a social man. 

Q. Do you know how it came about that this non-intercourse first 
commenced ? — A. I cannot recall an instance to prove it. 

Q, Did you ever hear anythiu<: about the course you took when the 
ship went down ? 

The Witness. How do you mean — the compass course ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes ; the compass course. 

A. I have an idea that there was an order written by Captain De Long, 
and I think it was handed around, that our course would be south, or 
somewhere near that course. 

Q. Now, how long did that course continue ? — A. That I do not know, 
sir. I am sure in going to Bennett Island we went out of a southerly 
course, if my memory serves me right. 

Q. Did you not afterwards change your course from south to west 
or southwest ? — A. Yes ; I think now, since you speak of that point, that 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 253 

we could not make a southerly course, as I understood, from the point 
of the loss of the ship to where the whale boat party brought up in the 
Lena delta. 

Q. I am not talking about the final result. 1 am talking about the 
beginning of the journey. Did you know what course you started when 
you commenced "? — A. I think we started to take a southerly course. 

Q. Do you know of anj change from that course *? — A. No ; 1 do not, sir. 

Q. You know that you did afterwards change from that course? — A. 
To the best of my knowledge and belief, owing to the fact, I say, of 
going to Bennett Island. 

Q. While yoa were on the ice traveling did you have any storms *? — 
A. Head winds. 

Q. How many times 1 — A. Oh, I could not tell you about that. They 
were not as likely in the summer time as in the winter. 

Q. I am asking as a matter of fact. — A. I do not remember. 

Q. You remember that you had them, but do not remember how 
many ? — A. I do remember that we had them. 

Q. Judge Curtis, in putting a question to you, prefaced it with these 
words : '^ Although you have never trod the deck of a man-of-war." Is 
that true? — A. I think it is; yes. 

Q. Before you went on the Jeannette you never had trod on the deck 
of a man-of-war ? — A. Yes, I was on the Kansas in Salem Harbor at one 
time. 

Q. Were you never connected with any vessel of the Navy before you 
went on the Jeannette? — A. Yes I was, about two months, as a writer 
on the receiving ship Ohio, in Boston — two or three months or there- 
abouts ; a little while. 

Q. In what year was that? — A. Ten or twelve years ago; I do not 
remember the year, sir. 

Q. You have mentioned certain matters that you had against differ- 
ent officers. Now is there anything in addition to what you have men- 
tioned that you have against Dr. Ambler ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Is there anything in addition to what you have already mentioned 
that you have against Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Is there anything in addition to what you have already mentioned 
that you have against Mr. Melville? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Is there anything in addition to what you have already mentioned 
that you have against Captain De Long ! — A. No, sir ; I do not recall 
anything. 

Q. Is there anything in addition to what you have already mentioned 
that you have against Mr. Chipp ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How did you know that Bartlett was in charge of the tent in that 
matter that came up in connection with Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. 
I won't say whether Mr. Chipp or Bartlett himself told me, but one or 
or the other ; I think Mr. Chipp ; I feel pretty sure it was. 

Q. When was the matter that you referred to on Wednesday that 
occurred in the cabin about Dr. Ambler and the toast ? — A. I do not 
understand you. 

Q. About the mutton broth and the toast ? — A. Oh, I do not remem- 
ber the date, sir. 

Q. As nearly as you can recollect ? — A. I could not give it to you. 

Q. Could you not tell the year? — A. No, sir; I could not. 

Q. Was it when you were in the ice? — A. Yes. 

Q. While you were on board the ship? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that is the nearest you can give it? — A. As near as I can 
give it. 



254 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you consider tbat Dr. Ambler was animated then by any hos- 
tility towards you in what he did? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you read over your testimony given before the Court of In- 
quiry? — A. I have not looked at it. 

Q. Did you understand me to read it? 

The Witness. When ? 

Mr. Arnoux. On Wednesday. 

A. I have not read it yet. 

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Collins writing on board the vessel? — A. 
Yes, repeatedly. 

Q. Did you find that he was in any way, at any time, deprived of the 
use of pen, ink, and paper? — A. I could not answer that, sir. 

Q. You never observed that he was? — A. Well, he was deprived of 
the opportunity of keeping the meteorological papers. 

Q. I do not ask you about that. I am speaking about his having the 
opportunity of using pen, ink, and paper? — A. I have no knowledge 
myself. He might have had only the opportunity to use a pencil. It 
may have been pen, iuk, paper, and i)encil. I do not know. 

Q. Did you not see him writing as trequently after the first year that 
you were on board the vessel as you did the year before, except so far 
as writing his meteorological observations were concerned ? — A. I never 
saw him writing much outside of the meteorological observations. 

Q. Were you intimate with Mr. Bartlett? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Were you aware of any intimacy between Mr. Bartlett and Mr. 
Collins? — A. Not i)ersonally, sir, although I have heard Collins say 
that Bartlett was a good clever man. 

Q. Do you think that arose out of any intimacy? — A. No, sir; I do 
not know what started it. It was merely a remark he made to me. 

Q. When Mr. Melville said to you that better men or as good men as 
you had been killed for such acts of insubordination as that to which he 
referred when you were on the delta, was it the oath or the remark fol- 
lowing the oath which you considered reprehensible? — A. The whole 
thing. 

Q. Did the oath in your judgment mean anything? — A. I do not know 
what such oaths mean; their ordinary understanding. 

Q. Was the oath offensive? — A. Yes, it was offensive. Oaths are 
generally offensive to any man. 

Q. I am not asking you about other men. lam asking you to testify 
about yourself. You understood that, did you not? — A. Yes. 

Q. Can you not answer for yourself? — A. To be sworn at is very dis- 
agreeable to me. 

Q. To you?— A. Yes. 

Q. And that is the only time that you have mentioned that you were 
sworn at during the whole time that you were on the expedition ? — A. 
The only time that I remember, sir. 

Q. Did Captain De Long ever use an oath in speaking to you ? — A. 
No, never, sir, that I remember. 

Q. It was said that, when you told Captain De Long, in the course of 
the interview that you had with himself and Mr. Dunbar you considered 
your intercourse with others was a })ersonal matter. Captain De Long 
said, '' Damn you, I'll make you talk." Now, is any part of that true?— 
A. I do not think it is, sir. 

Q. Then it was further said that the captain said, ^' I'll take God- 
damned good care you do." Did he ever use any such language to 
you?— A. To the best of my recollection, never. 

Q. You said on your direct examination that you considered Captain 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 255 

De Loug rather imperious. Did he manifest it at any other times to 
you than those that you have mentioned 1 — A. He always carried him- 
self in that general way to me. He impressed me with the idea that 
he rather preferred not to mingle specially, but rather to hold himself 
aloof. 

Q. Is that what you understand by the word '' imperious " ? — A. No ; 
that is not the strict definition of the word " imperious." 

Q. Did you understand that I asked you about the word "■ imperious'* ? 
—A. Yes.^ 

Q. Will 3^ou try and answer, then, what I ask ? — A. Please repeat the 
question. 

Q. What act or fact other than those you have already mentioned is 
there on which you base your opinion that Captain De Long was rather 
imperious ? — A. I do not know that I can recall any at present. 

Q. Did you ever see any act toward any officer or man that you would 
characterize as imperious on the part of Captain De Long ? I speak 
now of any act toward any officer or man other than toward your own 
self. — A. I do not know that 1 do. 

Q. Was he not a gentleman in all his bearing toward his officers and 
men except in the instances to which you have referred toward your 
own self? — A. So far as I personally know, yes, as I now recall. 

Q. A distinguished admiral of the Navy told me that he considered 
the retreat, after the loss of the vessel, as very remarkable and heroic. 
Do you join in any such opinion 1 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that on the ground, first, that it is endeavor- 
ing to incorporate into the record the opinion of an admiral of the Navy 
in regard to the matter being investigated ; and second, upon the ground 
that so far as a comparative opinion on the part of this witness is con- 
cerned he is incompetent to express it. 

Mr. Arnoux. I object to the objection, sir, on the ground that the 
counsel solemnly pledged himself in the presence of the committee that 
he would not object to any question that I would put. 

Mr. Curtis. 1 will not object to anything pertinent and germane to 
the inquiry, but I will not allow the gentleman surreptitiously to get 
into the record what he alleges to be the opinion of another. 

The Chairman. I do not think that the question is a proper one, 
bringing in the opinion of an admiral who was not connected with the 
expedition, and who had no further knowledge of it than the world at 
large. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. If any person should express the opinion that the retreat was a 
remarkable and a heroic thing, would you join in accord with such an 
opinion ? — A. Eemarkable and heroic ; yes. 

Q. NoAv, who planned that retreat, so far as you know*? — A. I do not 
know. 

Q. So far as you know 1 — A. I do not know. 

Q. Do you not know that Captain De Long and the principal officers 
did plan it ? — A. It is my belief that they did, but I have no positive 
knowledge of it. 

Q, I do not ask for your positive knowledge; I ask for your best 
belief in regard to this matter? — A. I believe that they did. 

Q. Who are the ones that you believe so did it; which officers, with 
Captain De Long?— A. Those on duty. 

Q. Who were they? — A. All, with the exception of Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. Name them, please. — A. Lieutenant Chipp, Mr. Melville, and the 



256 . JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

doctor. That is all I remember now. Mr. Dunbar may have been called 
in ; 1 do not know. Mr. Collins may have been asked, but it is not my 
belief. I would like further to say that Mr. Danenhower may have 
been asked, but I do not know that he was, and I do not think he was, 
because at that time I understand he was on the sick list. 

Q. Now, sir, do you not think that it was the result of wise counsel 
and forethought, and the skillful execution of those plans, that any 
survivors remained? — A. I do not know that I do, sir. 

Q. Do you think that if you had gone on any point on the coast of 
Siberia you would have been just as likely to have survived as if you 
had gone to the Leua delta? — A. I cannot help thinking if we had 
struck a settlement sooner it would have been better. 

Q. Would you have struck a settlement any sooner than at the point 
to which you had gone? — A. I think on the Indigirka River there is a 
settlement. 

Q. How far is that from the delta? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Do you know of a settlement on the Siberian coast between the 
Indigirka Eiver and the Lena delta? — A. I could take a chart and show 
you, but could not tell you from my own memory. I know that the 
distance straight away south from the point where the ship was lost is 
less — I think so now — to the Indigirka River than it would be in a 
southwesterly course. 

Q. That could not fail to be the case if the coast was uniform in its 
latitude? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then you think it is not by reason of any forethought or any 
skill that anybody is alive? — A, Oh, no; I do not say that. It may 
have been by reason of forethought and skill, but that it is wholly 
attributable to those things I do not think. 

Q. That is, you think if there had been no forethought taken as to 
the provisions, for instance, that you shonld have, it would have made 
no difference in the result? — A. No, sir; I think that forethought had 
some effect, exercised some influence over the circumstances of even 
those things which afterwards happened. 

Q. Did vou at anv time after leaving the shii> suffer for the want of 
food?— A .'Yes. 

Q. Were you short of rations? — A. Yes. 

Q. Before you reached the Leua delta? — A. Yes. 

Q. Were you short of rations before you took to the boats? — A. Of 
course we did not have as much as we would like. I would not like to say 
we were short. At the beginning of the retreat we had plenty of pemmi- 
can, wholesome, nutritious food, but after awhile rations were reduced, 
and before we landed, if I remember aright, they were quite small, only 
a few ounces per meal, something of that kind, which was less than I 
craved. I think all hands would have eaten more if they had had it. 

Q. You generally had a pretty good appetite? — A. Yes, sir; I did. 

Q. Now was there any tool or implement that you needed that you 
had not provided on that retreat up to the time that you reached the 
Lena delta? — A. Well, sir, on board the ship there were a lot of nice 
boat comi)asses, which were not taken. 

Q. No, no. I am asking about the tools and implements that you 
needed that you did not take. — A. May I ask if a compass is not an im- 
l)lement incidental to work in the ice and navigating? 

(The chairman here administered the oath to the witness.) 

Q. Ill what way did you feel that you had lost anything on the re- 
treat, up to the time that you reached the Lena delta, by the want of 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 257 

any shiiVs compasses'? — A. Well, I don't know that I can answer that 
question, but I cannot help feeling that a proper boat's compass 

Q. No, no ; we do not want your feeling, we want the fact. — A. I do 
not know what was lost. 

Q. Do you know how to use a ship's compass ? — A. Commonly, yes. 

Q. Do you know any difference between a ship's compass and any 
other compass'? — A. Yes. 

Q. Will you please to tell us "? — A. I do not know that I can go into 
details, but I know that the general appearance is different, and a 
number of those things. 

Q. I ask you to tell me the differences, if you know. — A. There were 
used on the retreat some little flat compasses, called, I think, azimuth 
compasses. A boat's compass, or ordinary compass such as was used 
on the Jeannette, called spirit com])asses, made in Boston, is designed 
particularly for use on board a vessel, where it might be said to follow 
the motion of the vessel on the water. The other compasses, as I under- 
stand it, were called azimuth compasses, and were primarily designed 
for work in surveying. 

Q. I want to know what difference that made so far as you know in 
the retreat.— A. I think very likely that there was more time taken 
up, because courses are not so readily obtained from the use of those 
compasses as from the proper use of boat compasses. 

Q. How long a time were you on the water"? — A. I don't know 5 be- 
cause we might go through the water for a half a mile or a mile, and 
then haul out over the ice. 

Q. I do not talk about the half a mile or mile, but I mean when you 
used the boats"? — A. That is just what I am getting at. You must un- 
derstand that there is ice and there is water. 

Q. Did your compasses help you in getting through a little piece of 
water to a piece of ice '? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not have occasion to sail the boats from the ice to the 
Siberian coast '? — A. Yes. 

Q. Very well. How long were you doing if? — A. From the time of 
the separation, three or four days; my recollection is from the 12th to 
about the 16th. 

Q. How much do you think the time wouhl have been shortened if 
you had had the other kind of compasses *? — A. I cannot say. 

Q. Do you think it would have been shortened at all? — A. I cannot 
help feeling that it would, but I cannot say how much. 

Q. Do you know, as matter of fact, that it would have shortened the 
time "? — A. No, sir ; I have no means of knowing. 

Q. Were you not a large part of that time in a gale ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did you not put out drags on the sides of the boat to keep 
the boat from swamping ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What did you put out "? — A. We rigged out what is called a sea 
anchor. 

Q. Did not that delay the progress of the boat 1 — A. I do not know 
that it did ; it made the position of the boat much safer. 

Q. Did it not have a tendency to impede the progress of the boat 
and to keep its stern to the wind, the bow heading to the course of the 
wind! — A. I do not see how you are going to get the bow and the stern 
of the boat in the same direction, sir. 

Q. 1 mean one being the direction from which the wind came and the 
other to which it was blowing. — A. It had a tendency to assist what is 
called lying-to; that is, keeping her head-on to the sea and easing the 
motion. 

17 J Q* 



258 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Do you not know enough to know that that sea anchor tended to 
impede the course of the vessel"? — A. I do not know that; I cannot 
say. Of course, it made her slower. 

Q. Would having a compass of the kind you have spoken of have 
affected the speed of that boatf — A. In the way that 1 have stated 
in enabling us to get our course more correctly, and perhaps more 
promptly, I think it would. 

Q. Do you know that you needed anything of the kind for your 
course f — A. I believe it. 

Q. I am asking your knowledge, not your belief. — A. I know that if 
we had had them it would have been better for us. 

Q. Do you ? — A. I do really think so. 

Q. No, no; you said you knew it. Now, do you know it?— A. As 
far as I am able to know anything, I know it. 

Q. Are you able to know anything'?— A. Yes; considerable, I hope. 

Q. Very well. Will you tell me any deviation from your course that 
was due to the lack of having this kind of instrument that you speak 
off^A. I took no observations with them; therefore I am unable to 
tell you anything about them. 

Q. Was there anything else besides the proper kind of compass that, 
in your judgment was lacking ? — A. I should like first to say that I 
am not acquainted with the use of a sextant, but I know that such in- 
struments are used for taking such observations at sea, and thereby 
establishing the position of a vessel, or to, as in our case, travel over 
the ice, I really believe. 

Q. 1 do not ask your belief; I ask for your knowledge. — A. Sextants, I 
believe, would have been good things if they had been in the boat boxes. 

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge that they would have been 
of any advantage at the time you were in the boat"? — A. I feel satisfied 
that if a sextant had been in our boat 

Q. (Interposing.) I did not ask you did you feel satisfied; I asked you 
for your knowledge. Do you know it? — A. I do know it. I am unable 
to substantiate it, but I know it and shall stick to it. 

Q. W^as there anything else that was lacking? — A. Good charts. 

Q. Were any of those in the ship? — A. I have seen charts such as 
we had at that time. 

Q. Were there any of them in the ship ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know that they did not take any charts with them? — A. 
I did not see them. 

Q. I did not ask you that. Do you know that they did not take 
them? — A. I believe as firmly as I believe anything that they were not 
taken. 

Q. I do not ask for your firm belief; I ask for your knowledge. — A. 
I have no i)Ositive knowledge, as 1 now recall, that they were or were 
not taken. 

Q. Was there anything else lacking that you know of? — A. Some of 
the clothing provided for the expedition was rather poor in quality. 

Q. I am not asking you about that ; I am asking about the lack of the 
things on the retreat that were furnished for the expedition? — A. Some 
of the clothing was on the retreat and it came in for very hard wear. 

Q. Was not that a natural result of the retreat itself? — A. Yes; 
naturally. 

Q. Was it not the best that you had on board the ship ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any better clothing being left and poorer clothing 
taken out of the ship at the time ? — A. Not from the ship's stores prob- 
ably, but in individual cases, yes. 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 259 

Q. Was nofc that from individual choice then 1—A. I do not under- 
stand it so. 

Q. Did 3^ou have any better clothing on board than what you took 
with you ^ — A. I did not ; I took the best I had. 

Q. And you did that because you were left at liberty to take what 
you chose of your own clothing? — A. 'No, sir; we threw on to the ice 
or took out of the ship what we could gather hastily at the time and 
the disposition of them was made afterwards. 

Q. Did anybody prevent your taking of your clothing what you 
wished to take !— A. From the ship at the moment of breaking over 
on the ice, no, sir ; but g'Oing south, yes. 

Q. After the selection was made of clothing on the ice were you pre- 
vented from taking what you desired of your own clothing? — A. I 
would have taken more than I did. 

Q. Were you prevented from taking what you desired of your own 
clothing?— A. Yes. 

Q. Did you carry your own clothing with you ? 

The Witness. Where to ? 

Mr. Arnoux. On the retreat. 

A. Yes. 

Q. All that you selected you carried ? — A. All that was taken after 
the final settlement of what was to be allowed I carried, certainly. 

Q. Was every man limited as to the amount in weight that he should 
carry ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Were you limited in weight ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Were you limited in quantity ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you, in making the selection of the quantity, select what you 
pleased? — A. No, sir; I did not understand it so. I understood that a 
schedule was made out of what each person was to put in his kua^^sack, 
so many shirts, &c. 

Q. That is what I mean. In taking so many shirts, &c., did you not 
take just as many as you pleased to that number? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was it dictated what kind of shirts you should take? — A. No. 

Q. What prevented you taking what you pleased ? — A. Because I 
unfortunately got a very good shirt into the common pile before my own 
pile was made, and it got into some other one's knapsack aud I lost it. 

Q. I am asking whether you were prevented by any orders from tak- 
ing just what you wanted to the extent any man was allowed? — A. To 
the extent allowed, each man had opportunities. 

Q. Did you go back with the parties to see the bodies at the time? — 
A. No, sir ; I did not go back with any jjarties. 

Q. You never saw those bodies did you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did it strike you as at all a curious fact in an investigation which 
purports to arrive at the truth that the counsel for Dr. Collins asked 
you questions in regard to other officers that simply were reflecting upon 
them ? — A. 1 do not think I gather your question fully enough to answer. 

Q. Then I will put the question in this way. Did the counsel in ask- 
ing you questions about the different officers in your judgment inten- 
tionally ask you any question which would bring out an answer which 
was favorable to that officer? — A. I do not think so. I do not remem- 
ber that he did. 

Q. Did he ask you any question which in your judgment was calcu- 
lated to bring out an unfavorable answer in regard to Mr. Collins? — A. 
As to the effect which his questions would have on me I do not remem- 
ber either way. 

Q. Do you not remember that he asked you whether Mr. Collins was 



260 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

not a warm hearted gentleniau, and all such things'? — A. I thought you 
asked me that this morning. 

Q. ^'o. Do yon not remember he asked you that on Wednesday"? 

The Witness. Would that come in the regular examination"? 

Mr. Arkoux*. Yes. 

Tlie Witness. Then the question was asked me. 

Q. But I say do you not recollect he asked you such a question? — A. 
I do not remember that Mr. Curtis asked me such a question, but inas- 
much as he was the first examining lawyer, of course he must have 
done so. 

Q. Now, I ask you again, did it strike you as singular at all in an in- 
vestigation which is said to be in the interest of history and the truth 
that you were called upon to tell things derogatory to other officers'? 

The Witness. When, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. On Wednesday. 

The Witness. The idea has never struck me before. 

Q. Were you asked to tell all the things you could against Captain 
De Long, and did you not in so doing bring out certain memoranda 

and papers that showed A. (Interrupting.) I remember now that I 

brought out memoranda and cited those instances. 

Q. And was it not in response to questions to bring outthings which 
in your judgment were unfavorable to Captain De Long ■? — A. I should 
prefer to hear the questions read again, because I do not remember 
down to a tine point. 

Q. Do you not remember in general that you were asked questions 
where you had controversies with Captain De Long "? — A. Yes ; in a 
general way. 

Q. And do you not recollect in general that you were asked the same 
thing in regard to other officers ? — A. I believe that I was. 

Q. And do you not recollect that you were not asked to state one 
fact that was favorable to any of them ? — A. I am sure I do not. 

Q. Do you not recollect having any such questions put to you? — A. 
I have no positive recollection about it. 

Mr. Danenhower. Mr. Chairman, may I ask some questions through 
the counsel (Mr. Arnoux)"? 

The Chairman. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. In naming the officers who used their skill and judgment during 
the retreat did you intend to leave out the name of Lieutenant Danen- 
hower ! — A. Not by any means. 

Q. Did you intend when you were speaking about the retreat to say 
that Lieutenant Danenhower did not exercise great skill and judgment 
in the gale? — A. On the contrary, instead of saying he did not do so, I 
most emphatically say that he did so; and our being here to-day is 
largely due to the fact that we had that man in the boat. 

Q. And his professional skill in the boat, in your judgment, during 
the gale, contributed largely to the safety of the party in that boat? — 
A. 1 unhesitatingly say so. 

Q. And was not that gale an important part of the experience you 
had to undergo •? — A. Most decidedly so. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Will you please do me this favor? If you do not understand a 
question, say so at the time so that there will be no further trouble ? — 
A. I will try to. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 261 

Q. Can you state a single instance, or cite a single question put to 
you in the course of this examination by the counsel of Dr. Collins, or 
at any other time, in which you were requested to give an answer unfa- 
vorable to anybody ? — A. I do recall that I have been. 

Q. if any such thing occurred, if any such fact exists, your intelli- 
gence teaches you that it must be in the record, does it not ! — A. Yes. 
sir. 

Q. And did you mean to be understood in response to the summing 
up question of the counsel of Mrs. De Long and Mr. Melville and Mr. 
Danenhower and the others, that the counsel for Dr. Collins at any place 
or at any time in the course ot this examination, so far as you are con- 
cerned, and so far as anybody else is concerned, to your knowledge, 
ever put any question, intimated, suggested, or hinted at any question, 
that required you to give an answer unfavorable to anybody! — A. No, 
sir ; I do not recall an instance now. 

Q. And you kept a record and some notes of the history of that ex- 
pedition other than the memoranda that you have read here, did you 
not?— A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Where are they! — A. I do not know where they are to-day. 

Q. Where were they yesterday ! — A. That I not know. 

Q. Where were they a month ago! — A. That I do not know. In fact, 
I have a little statement that I will read to you. 

Q. You need not read anything to me, if you please. When did you 
last see them! — A. The last recollection 1 have of seeing them was at 
the time when I finished my report as naturalist. 

Q. And when was that ! — A. Last year. 

Q. Where were they then ! — A. In the rooms of the Essex Institute. 

Q. Where is the Essex Institute! — A. Salem, Mass. 

Q. Are they there now ? — A. I do not think they are ; I do not know, 
though, whether they are or not. I do not know where they are. 

Q. flow long ago was it that you finished that report !— A. Last fall, 
if I remember correctly, or in the beginning of autumn. 

Q. At the time you made your report to the Essex Institute, did you 
leave that record and those notes with the report ! — A. The report was 
made to the Government. The notes from which I made it were placed 
in the institute for safe keeping. 

Q. The record and notes ! — A. The record and notes from which I 
made it. 

Q. The record and notes from which you made your report to the 
Government were placed in the Essex Institute for safe keeping ! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you any information that they are not there now! — A. The 
information of the janitor of the institute. 

Mr. Arnotjx. I object to that. We will have a ruling whether what 
the janitor tells him about the papers is admissible. The man is alive, 
and can be brought here if this committee think it is proper, and as we 
have gone back to fundamental principles of evidence 

The Chairman (interposing). I think, in the case of lost papers, it 
is admissible that the man has made search for them and is unable to 
find them. 

Mr. Arnoux. Unquestionably. I am only objecting to what the 
janitor told him. 

The Chairman. If he has applied to proper sources and got the in- 
formation there, that they are unobtainable, that is admissible. 

Mr. Curtis. He had not been asked what the janitor told him. 



262 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. (Resuming.) I ask you as a fact, liave you any information where 
they are now *? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Had you any information what became of them after you left 
them with the Essex lustitute ? — A. I was informed by this janitor that 
they were returned to my house. 

Q. What is the name of the janitor? — A. Mr. McGrane. 

Q. What is his first name ? — A. I think William. 

Q. William McGrane?— A. Yes. 

Q. And he lives in Salem, Mass. ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know the street on which he lives ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. When you were summoned here, did you search for them 1 — A. I 
did. I was summoned on very short notice I would like to say. 

Q. Where did you search for them ! — A. Where I commonly keep 
letters and papers at home. 

Q. And where is that ? — A. In a bureau drawer in a room in my 
house. 

Q. Did you search any other place? — A. Yes; I looked in half a dozen 
places. 

Q. When you received the information that this record and these 
notes of the expedition had been left at your house were you told with 
whom ? — A. My mother. 

Q. And did you consult your mother about them ? — A. I asked her if 
she knew where they were. 

Q. And did she deny knowledge of them ! — A. She said she could 
not recall them, or words to that effect. 

Q. Did she say she had not received them? — A. She did not give me 
any positive information about them -, did not know whether they were 
received or not then. 

Q. Did she say she had received them? — A. I do not remember that 
she did say so. They were brought home by this man and received by 
my mother — must have been. 

Q. Did your mother know where you kept your papers ? — A. She had 
no positive knowledge that I kept them any special i^lace. 

Q. Did she inform you when she received them ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And the first intimation you had in regard to this record and these 
notes was when you were subpoenaed here — of their having been left 
Avith your mother ? — A. I had occasion to look for them just before, after 
the funeral reception of the remains of the Jeannette dead in New York, 
and then I discovered that I could not find them. I went to the institute 
to try and do so. 

Q. Never mind ; not to take up the time, you were informed by the 
janitor something, in the search, and were informed by your mother she 
had received them ; did you request your mother to tell you where she 
had put them ? — A. Yes, I remember that now. 

Q. And what did your mother say ? — A. That she pat them in a table 
drawer in the sitting-room, and I went and got some papers which were 
said to be the ones, and carried them up to this bureau drawer in the 
room that I used for various purposes at home, and after getting this 
summons to come here 1 overhauled my papers but found only a portion 
of the notes, with some sketches, only a very few notes. 

Q. Then you took the papers which your mother said were the jiapers 
that had been sent from the institute for you, and you put them into the 
bureau drawer which was the usual receptacle, having taken them out 
of the table drawer ? — A. One of several places that I kei)t them. 

Q. And is that the last you saw of them ? 

The Witness. The sketches? 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 263 

Mr. Curtis. The record and notes. 

A. The record and notes that I made this report from are missing, 
and I do not know where they are. They were reported to have been 
brought home by this janitor. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to bring all your mental faculties to this 
one focus. When did you last see the record and the notes which were 
the basis of your report ? — A. At the institute last fall, sir. 

Q. And you were told that those papers were sent to your mother ? 
— A. I was. I was told that all my papers were sent to my house. 

Q. Those papers ? — A. No, I was not told that those special papers 
were sent; I was told that all my papers at the institute had been sent 
to my house. 

Q. After you were told that, did you yourself ever see the record and 
the notes again ? — A. I saw the sketches and those that I could recover, 
but not the ones from which I made that report, sir. 

Q. What did I ask you to keep your mind on ? — A. On the fact of the 
report, I think. 

Q. Is your memory as bad as that 1 — A. I am trying to do the best 
I can. 

Q. That is why I am trying to assist you. Keep your mind on the 
record and the notes. Did you ever see the record and the notes after 
you were told that they had been given to your mother "?-— A. I saw some 
papers, but not all of them. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Were these papers that you did find and that you have now, a part 
of the papers to which Judge Curtis refers ■? — A. A part, but not the 
papers from which I made my report last fall. 

Q. I understood the counsel to ask you about those papers from 
which you made your report ? — A. I have not seen those since last fall. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you make any search for them before you came here ? — A. I 
did. 

Q. How thorough a search ? — A. Through my house, and after that I 
went to the institute. 

Q. You have not found them ? — A. I have not found them. 

Q. Have you not repeatedly told different people within the period 
of a year that you i)ossessed the record and the notes which would give 
a whole and full history of the expedition; yes or no"? — A. I have no 
knowledge of those notes since last fall. 

Q. 1^0, no. Now keep your mind right on this, if you please. Have 
you not told people that you possessed the record and the notes which 
gave a full history of the expedition'? — A. I never had them, so I do 
not see how 1 could. I had my own private record and memoranda, 
but not any full and graphic account of the expedition. 

Q. Then you answer in the negative, do you ? — A. I do ; yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you were asked the other day did you witness any indignity 
or outrage on board the ship. When that question was put to you and 
you gave the answer that you did, did you not believe in your own mind 
that the question referred to some phj^sical indignity or outrage? — A. 
I would like to have the question read if I could. 

Mr. Boutelle. I think that would be fair to the witness. 

Mr. Curtis. I can repeat it from memory, almost. 

The Witness. What I mean is that there were questions put by you 
and questions put by the other counsel, and that I might be confused 
between the two, 



264 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I will put it ill a different way, so that you will understand it. Mr. 
Arnoux asked you, and 1 think I repeat almost his exact words: ''Did 
you," lelerring- to you, "know of any outrage or indignity perpetrated 
upon anybody on board the ship?" That was substantially his ques- 
tion. ]^ow, you answered that " No." When you answered no, did j'ou 
associate in your mind the idea of physical outrage or indignity only? 
— A. I meant that I did not personally know. 

Q. You know what a physical outrage is, do you not 'I — A. I should 
say I did. 

Q. A physical outrage, we will say, is the laying on of hands, we will 
say on ship ; an assault or personal ill treatment. That is what we mean 
by a physical outrage. Now, when you answered in the negative did 
you not believe that the question meant : " Did 3 ou know of any phys- 
ical indignity or outrage?" 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit we had better first inquire whether the witness 
remembers such a question being put to him. 

The Witness. I could not sw^ear to it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You know what a physical outrage is ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not know, ou W^ednesday last, in answer to a question of 
Judge Arnoux, " Was any outrage or indignity perpetrated on board 
the Jeaunette, to your knowledge," you auswered "No"? — A. I an- 
swered, "Personally, no." 

Q. Very well. Then we are agreed on that. Now, then, be kind 
enough to follow me. When you answered " No," did you not in your 
miud associate the idea of outrage and indignity with some physical 
outrage and indignity ? — A. I do not know as I did. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. With a view of simplifying the matter, I would like to ask a ques- 
tion : Do you know, or do you think of any indignity or outrage perpe- 
trated on that expedition to which you have not testified ; I mean per- 
sonally ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then you have testified already to all of the things which could, 
in your own view, come under the head of outrage and indignity ? — A. 
Personal knowledge; yes, as far as I can recollect to the best of my 
ability. 

Q. Then, when you testified that you did not know of any cases of per- 
petration of indiguity or outrage, you meant either physically or other- 
wise, did you ? — A. I did ; I meant that I was not present when any- 
thing, either physical or mental, was done, as far as I can recall. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Mr. Arnoux has asked you about your opinion and purpose in re- 
gard to many matters. Now permit me to ask a question in that regard : 
If it be true that Mr. Collins was suspended, or arrested, without just or 
adequate cause or provocation, that his instruments were taken from 
him, that the object of his mission on the expedition was defeated, that 
he was prevented from aiding in the rescue of his companions — was pre- 
vented from saving his own life by the fact that he was not permitted 
to work or aid in the work of the retreat — not permitted in any way to 
assist his companions on that retreat, taking all those circumstances 
together, would you not consider that he was the victim of an outrage 
and an indignity ? — A. Assuming those things to be true, yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 265 

Q. Now, in point of fact, be was suspended, was he not ? — A. Yes, 
sir ; he did no work there. 

Q. In point of fact, so far as your personal knowledge extended, up 
to the time that you parted company with him, he was not permitted to 
perform duty either as a meteorologist or to aid in the rescue of the party, 
was he ? — A. Not so far as I know. 

Q. And up to the time of your separation from the party of which he 
constituted a member, you and he were in daily contact, were you not 1 — 
A. Just about. 

Q. And have you any reason now to change your mind from what you 
stated on Wednesday, that Collins did complain to you of this treat- 
ment which he described, and did complain to you that his instruments 
were taken from him, and did complain to you that writing materials 
were denied him ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Oh, no ; he has not stated that. 

Q. He did so complain to you ? — A. I do not remember the fact. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins complain to you at all ? — A. He discussed matters 
with me at different times, the situation in which he found himself. 

Q. Hid he not complain to you of the treatment he received, and have 
you not so sworn ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Hid he not complain to you that his instruments were taken from 
him, and have you not so sworn 1 — A. I do not know whether I have 
sworn to it or not, but he did complain of his instruments, that the in- 
struments he used were taken away from him •, I won't say his instru- 
ments. 

Q. I will accommodate you. Hid he complain to you that the instru- 
ments were taken away from him or that any instruments were taken 
away from him ? — A. Yes ; I should say he did. 

Q. Have you not so sworn in this investigation'? — A. I do not remem- 
ber, sir. H" I have said it, I will say yes. 

Q. Now I ask you, is your memory so defective that you cannot state 
to-day what you swore to on last Wednesday *? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Mr. Chairman, I want to suggest whether it is not a 
little difficult for the witness to answer, being questioned in that way 
in regard to his evidence, because a witness might have answered in 
language which is not by himself as responsive to a question, and made 
an answer of the same general nature which counsel might put in a 
different form, and to ask him to state yes or no, whether he testified to 
that, would put him in an embarrassing position, it seems to me. H he 
is to be questioned as to what he did testify, he ought to be given the 
benefit of what he did say from the record. 

M]>. Curtis. We have no desire to deprive him of that; the record 
is here. I am simply asking the gentleman these questions for this 
reason — not that they impugn his motives in the slightest degree, buL 
it must have become apparent to the committee that in very many im- 
portant particulars his memory is verj^ defective. Now, whether his 
memory has grown defective since the expedition or not, as the result 
of his hardships or difficulties, we do not know. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not know that it is demonstrated to the com- 
mittee that his memory is defective; that is something for us to conclude 
after we have looked the testimony over. 

Mr. Curtis. To avoid all question I will cut up the inquiry I was 
putting to him. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think where there is a question as to what the wit- 
ness has testified, the much better method is to read the testimony. 



266 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. Eather than take the time of the committee, I will with- 
draw the question. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. I want the counsel to understand that I have not 
the slightest desire to impede his examination of the witness. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. l^ow I ask you, irrespective of what you have ever said before, did 
Mr. Collins complain to you that the instruments or some instruments 
or any instruments were taken from him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, irrespective of what you have ever said before — I am not 
asking you of your own personal knowledge, separate if you please, 
your own personal knowledge from what he said — did not Mr. Collins 
complain to you that his writing materials had been taken from him"? — 
A. I do not remember that he did except his meteorological jiapers, 
such papers as those ; that is all. 

Q. But he did complain that those were taken from him ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Now let us understand. Did he complain or did he state it with- 
out complaint ? — A. That is something I would like to separate. 

Mr. Boutelle. The question that counsel has asked is, did he com 
plain. 

Mr. Curtis. I will modify that ; I will say state ; 1 am bound to get 
this information. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is a totally different matter whether he complained 
or stated. 

Mr. Curtis. I will accommodate you ; I will use the word state so 
that there will be no misunderstanding between us. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did he state to you that he had lost or had been deprived of his 
writing materials ? — A. The meteorological papers and those things, 
yes ; but of his opportunity to keep private records, no. 

Q. He did not state that to you ? — A. No, sir j not that I remember. 

Q. Where have you been since the recess % 

The Witness. This afternoon % 

Mr. Curtis. Since tbe recess on Wednesday ? — A. About Washing- 
ton, in the city here; once out as far as Alexandria and back again. 

Q. I suppose during that time your mind has been more or less occu- 
pied with the subject of this investigation ! — A. Not a great deal, sir. 

Q. And I suppose in the course of that time you have conversed with 
some people about it ? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. I suppose you have conversed with Lieutenant Danenhower, for 
instance? — A. Very little. 

Q. And Mr. Melville.— A. Very little. I do not know that I have 
conversed ixxiy with Mr. Melville, only in the most general way perhaps, 
but very little even then. 

Q. I do not want, even by implication, to do you an injustice. Will you 
please tell me whether in your judgment your memory is a good one or 
not ? — A. I do not think it is the best that ever was, not on dates and 
such things particularly. 

Q. You do not think it is the best that ever was in respect to dates ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you think it is phenomenal in respect to facts ; in other words, 
do you believe that your memory is at all times accurate in regard to 
facts ? — A. Not at all times strictly so, because I would not even rely 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 267 

on myself at all times for a positive recollection of all things. Some- 
times I remember things with a wonderful vividness, and at other times 
I do not, and I am annoyed by the fact that it is so. It is not the best 
memory in the world, but it is the best I have. 

Q. Therefore, it would not strike you with surprise that if you were 
unable to state what occurred last Wednesday with great accuracy, you 
might have the same failure of memory when you heard what you had 
stated three or six months ago to other people ; it would not strike you 
as remarkable, w^ould it? — A. No; I am not surprised at anything now- 
adaj'S, sir. 

Q. Then, it would strike you as perfectly natural that your memory 
in regard to certain facts ought to be more vivid, to use your word, in 
regard to recent events than in regard to remote events, would it 1 — 

A. As matter of theory it ought, but as matter of fact it is not. 

Q. Then, as matter of fact, your mind is the reverse of the general 
principle! — A. Not necessarily. 

Q. Now, let me refresh your memory. Do you remember of meeting 
in New York City, after the return of the survivors of the expedition, Mr. 

B. A. Collins ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I do not refer to the doctor ! — A. I understand ; you mean his 
brother, Bernard Collins. 

Q. And you remember where you met him ?•— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where was it ?*— A. In the Herald newspaper building, at the cor- 
ner of Broadway and Yesey street. 

Q. And do you remember how many were present at that interview ? 
— A. No ; I do not. I don't think there was any one present except the 
doctor, except there was a Mr. Clark around there somewhere. 

Q. Do you know^ a gentleman by the name of Clark, an editor of the 
New York Journal ?— A. I know Mr. Joseph Clark, an editor of a New 
York paper; I do not know whether it is the New York Journal. 

Q. Was Mr. Joseph Clark there at tbe interview '? — A. 1 do not re- 
member whether they were there all the time or only part of the time; 
but I remember both of those gentlemen were in New York. 

Q. Well, now, do you not remember that at an interview you had with 
Mr. Collins and also an interview you had with Mr. Clark, you stated 
that both yourself and Mr. Collins, referring to Jerome J. Collins, had 
a hell of a life on board the Jeannette owing to the way you were both, 
treated ? — A. I do not remember that I used those words. 

Q. Now, you have no reason to believe that either of those gentlemen 
would desire to misrepresent you, have you ! — A. Not in the least, sir. 

Q. And would you be inclined to believe, if they stated you had as- 
serted that, that their memory in that regard w^ould be better than 
yours ? 

Mr. Aknoux. I submit that is not a proper question for this witness. 
I supposed this investigation was in regard, to matters connected with, 
the Jeannette and with those who are survivors, as to their conduct 
and course on board the Jeannette, and not to inquire as to conversa- 
tions they had with other people, however interesting those conversa- 
tions may be. 

Mr. Curtis. I do not intend during the progress of this investiga- 
tion to say a single word further on the subject of any proof to be 
admitted or excluded. The principle is so clear to me that I do not 
think it needs any elaborate argument. Mr. Arnoux, in the course of 
his examination of this witness, endeavored to show, with great particu- 
larity, that the statement made by Dr. Collins on the stand in reference 
to what occurred between Melville and himself, and in reference to 



268 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

what occurred between De Long, Danenhower, and himself, was en- 
tirely erroneous, and he left the impression, or sought to leave the im- 
pression, on the public mind at least, that Dr. Collins had been sup- 
plying words for Professor Newcomb, and that Dr. Collins had been 
making statements in his zeal that were not justified by the facts. 
Now, then, were I in a court of law, I respectfully submit, even were this 
my own witness, and we would come within that rule in this investiga- 
tion, and it is fortunate that we do not, because we are compelled, to 
use the technical language of the law, to go into the camp of the enemy 
for our i)roof-— were I in a court of law, 1 could say, if this witness was my 
witness, which he is not (he is the witness of the Government), that he 
is mistaken; that there was a want of recollection on his part; that he 
did not remember the conversation correctly. I submit that I have a 
right to show on the cross-examination b^' calling his attention to it, or 
as the result of the cross-examination, that every word that Dr. Collins 
stated as to what this gentleman told him was true, and that it can be 
corroborated by other disinterested parties. I do not charge this gen- 
tleman with any intentional falsification. I say it is perfectly clear to 
my mind that it is the result of want of memory, which at times is in 
some cases very marked. Now, we want to get at the whole truth in 
this investigation, not only in regard to Mr. Collins, but in regard to the 
motives of Dr. Collins. I deny, I resent any insinuation^ intimation, 
hint, or suggestion, from whatever source it may come, that we have 
any but the loftiest motive in this proceeding, and I deny that any poU 
icy or evidence in this proceeding has been unnecessarily to harrow or 
wound the feelings of anybody. Finally, on this point, by the decision 
of the committee some days ago, a decision which certainly cannot have 
escaped the recollection of the learned counsel, it was determined, as 
this was not a judicial investigation, but a popular inquiry, directed, in 
the langunge of the resolution, in the interest of justice and of public 
good faith, to inquire into this expedition, that the committee would re- 
ceive all the testimony in this regard, and, in the language of the chair- 
man, and I think of one other member of the committee, when they came 
to pass upon it, they would give it that weight which in their judgment 
it merited. But certainly it is due to Dr. Collins that he should 
stand before the country in the light of one who has made statements, 
not upon any reckless impulse, but one who has made statements under 
oath, because he believed he was justified in making those statements 
from the assertions of others. That is all 1 have to say. 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, gentlemen, I think this question resolves itself 
in a nutshell. You are not here to investigate Dr. Collins, who certainly 
is not within the scope of this inquiry. I said distinctly at the time 
that it left a question of veracity between Dr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb, 
or a question of recollection. I did not charge anything upon Dr. Col- 
lins in the matter, but what I do say is this: If Mr. Newcomb had told 
a thousand diflerent peoi)le in a thousand difierent places that certain 
things had been done, and he comes here under oath and says that that 
is not so, but the transaction was thus and so, that that is what you are 
investigating, and not what he has told. It is a matter of no moment 
to know what Mr. Newcomb has said to any employ^ of the New York 
Herald or of any other paper, except so far as it may show or tend to 
show that that was the event which occurred. Now, his stating it so does 
not make it so. If it should happen hereafter that two witnesses should 
testify to a transaction, one of whom testified to it in the language used 
by the outsider, and the other denied it, it might corroborate the one 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 269 

who swore to it to bring somebody to say this other man also told him 
in the same language. But that is not the case here. There is no pre- 
tence b3^ anybody tbat, in regard to Professor Newcomb, Captain De 
Long threw his birds overboard, or that Mr. Melville put a gun to his 
head and threatened to blow his head off. There is not a man here who 
believes a word of it. Now, whether Mr. Newcomb has said it or not 
is a matter of not the slightest moment. You have the fact that he 
himself threw his birds overboard, that there was iio gun presented or 
used in that other transaction with Melville. ^STow, where is it going 
to end ? How^ long is this investigation going to last"? I submit, in the 
cause of truth and justice, in the interest of this inquiry, and of my 
own time, that you shall not take up the time with such an inquiry as 
that. 

Mr. Curtis. I will withdraw the last question and ask for a ruling 
on the question immediately preceding it. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Is your recollection so positive on that subject that you are pre- 
pared to swear positively that you did not ? 

The WrjNESS. Did not what 1 

The Chairman. Say that you and Collins had a hell of a life on the 
ship ? — A. I would not swear positively. 

Q- (Resuming). And I believe at all times you have intended in 
speaking of this expedition, both under oath and otherwise, to tell the 
truth ? — A. That is my object in life. 

Q. And, as you told us a little while ago, your mind at times is vivid 
with the recollection of a matter and at other times it is almost a blank 
in reference to that matter, is it not "? — A. Sometimes it is. As for the 
present, I might go away and remember some things, wbere under the 
pressure of existing circumstances here I would not remember vividly. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Do you have an idea that that is peculiar to you, or is that a com- 
mon habit to the minds of people? — A. I do not know, I am sure; but 
I have in my own case. I inherit that quality. I do not think there is 
a particle of doubt of that fact. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, permit me. I do not desire in the presence of the ladies or 
m the presence of anybody to repeat the exact words that Dr. Collins 
stated that Mr. Melville used at Ihe time of your trouble with him, but 
I will put this question to you : Have 3'ou not stated to Mr. Collins and 
others that the trouble between you and Melville occurred just as Dr. 
Collins narrated it, according to your statement to him ? 

Mr. Boutelle. Narrated it where ? 

Mr. Curtis. On the stand. 

Mr. Boutelle (to the witness). Did you hear his testimony? 

The Witness. I was here when Dr. Collins made that statement 
about putting the gun to my head. 

Mr. Curtis. I will not detain the committee. I vrill let that question 
stand for the present. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
- Q. You have stated here that the Jeannette determined the fact that 
Wrangel Land was an island. Were you, or any of the crew, on Wran- 
gel Land ?— A. No, sir. 



270 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. McAdoo. My iiuderstaridiDg of that Avas, tbat lie said until after 
the Rodgers expedition everybody supposed it was a continent. 

Mr. Curtis. But he said that the Jeannette expedition discovered 
that this was an island. I took down his exact words. It was one of 
the few things that I considered important, and I wrote it down. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, you stated that the Jeannette determined the fact that 
Wrangel Land was an island. I ask yon now, were j^ou, or any part of 
the crew, to your knowledge, ever on Wrangel Land'? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. I ask you if you, or any of the crew, had any means of information 
whether it was inhabited at that time *? — A. No ; I had not. 

Q. I ask you, if you can, to fix the nearest point in miles that you 
were to Wrangel Land, to your own knowledge? — A. I haven't any 
knowledge. 

Q. You cannot do it *? — A. Perhaps thirty or forty or fifty miles, or 
less ; I do not know. 

Q. I ask you if between the place w^here your ship was and Wrangel 
Laud there was an insurmountable barrier of ice I — A. There was a 
great deal of ice ; yes, sir. 

Q. And was it not in the attempt to penetrate that barrier of ice, in 
order to get to the island imagined to be Wrangel Land, that that dis- 
aster occurred ? — A. Oh, I don't know that it was. 

Mr. BouTEULE. Do you mean the disaster to the ship ? 

Mr. Curtis. You will remember, Mr. Boutelle, that Mr. Nindemann,who 
appears to have been a very intelligent witness, testified that on one theory 
alone the placing of the ship where it was finally entombed by the ice, 
long before it drifted on that journey to the northwest, was justified as 
an act of seamanship, and that was the theory that Captain De Long 
wanted to reach Wrangel Land. 

Mr. Boutelle. I did not understand him to testify specifically to that. 
I understood Mr. Nindemann to say that it was impossible to get any 
further north without going into these leads, as he called them, between 
the open water and the ice, and that in going into the leads a ship was 
at any time liable to be caught in the ice ; that it had to take that risk. 

Mr. Curtis. I think you are mistaken. He stated, as I have stated, 
both before the Board of Inquiry and here, that it was justifiable upon 
the theory of going to Wrangel Land. Now will the committee please 
look at the record of the Court of Inquiry, page 173. 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. What is your opinion of the advisability of 
putting the ship in tlie ])ack at that time? 

The Witness. If I had had charge of the ship at that time I should have done 
what Captain De Long did ; that is, if I had wanted to reach Wrangel Land. 

Mr. Boutelle. I understand that. But in his last examination there 
I am very positive that he covered the ground in the general way 
which I have indicated. And you can see that that is not at all irrec- 
oncilable because Nindemann might think if he wanted to reach 
Wrangel Land he would have put the shij) in at that particular place 
and time without testifying unnecessarily that he would not under any 
circumstances put a ship in the ice in time to reach the North Pole. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You never circumnavigated this island did you! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you any human testimony that it is an island or a continent, 
except from the report of the Kodgers expedition? — A. Our drifting 
across it and soundings that were daily taken — our drifting across 
where English navigators had alleged mountains existed. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 271 

Q. That shows the fallibility of charts and maps, does it not ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. These charts and maps are usually made as the result of the ex- 
perience of navigators who have penetrated to a certain extent towards 
the Pole, are they not ?— A. Undoubtedly, sir. 

Q. And in very many cases their charts and maps and estimates 
and deductions and calculations have been found to be great blunders ; 
is not that so ? — A. Oftentimes. 

Q. Now, one of the great blunders, as you estimate it now, was that 
to within a comparatively short time this Wrangel Land was supposed 
to be a continent extending to the Pole ! — A. I have heard some people 
say that they imagined or beh'eved it to be a continuation of Greenland. 
Q. I say the idea was that it was a continent extending to the Pole? — 
A. ^es, and reached over on the other side, connecting. 

Q. And so far as its being a continent is concerned it is simply an 
island ? — A. Yes 5 facts have i^roved it so. 

Q. That is, the latest scientific opinions *? — A. Certainly. 
Q. Kow, in point of fact, at the time of this trouble of yours with Mel- 
ville he was angry, was he ^^. — A. I should say he was. 

Q. Have you any doubt about it *? — A. No ; only that when a man 
swears he is mad — not alwa^^s, either. I will correct that statement. 
But under such conditions as existed then he was angry. 

Q. You admit that he said that he had shot men for less, or something 
like that ?— A. No, sir. 

Q. What were his exact words ?— A. '' I have seen better men than 
you are shot." 

Q. At the time he used that expression he was angry at you for some 
cause, was he 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And at the time he used that expression you knew he could han- 
dle a gun, did you not ? — A. Pretty well. 

Q. And at the time he used that exi3ression there was a gun handy, 
if he had seen fit to handle it, was there not "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you do say that knowing he could handle a gun and that 
there was a gun there, and that he had seen better men than you shot, 
that you invited him to shoot you ? — A. I told him that he could shoot 
there if he wanted to. 

Q. That was not mere pantomime on your part ; you meant it, did 
you not ? — A. I should think I did, if 1 ever meant anything. 

Q. You would not be apt to utter an expression of that kind unless 
you believed Mr. Melville intended violence to you ? — A. Not after the 
trying circumstance I had just passed through. 

Q. And on your conscience and your oath did you not believe at the 
time he made the remark, " I have seen better men than you shot," he 
intended mischief to you ? — A. Well, I cannot say I think he intended 
it altogether. My honest opinion is that he hardly intended to carry 
it out. 

Q. Then in point of fact, in spite of all this time consumed, the only 
difference between your statement and Dr. Collins' statement, as hav- 
ing been made to him by you, is the use of certain language and the 
gim not being actually, physically pointed at you; is not that the only 
difference ? — A. I should think so as near as I can get at it now. There 
was no gun pointed at me. 

Q. How far was the gun from Mr. Melville? — A. Oh, I am sure I don't 
know. It was in the boat. 
Q. How soon could he have reached it ? — A. In a very little while, 1 



272 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

suppose. I don't know whether the boat was ten teet away or 20 feet 
away. It was not a great way. 

Q. Then absolutely all the (lifference in the two statements is what! 
have stated ; that is, in certain language used and the position of the 
gun ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not imagine at that time that Mr. Melville had any tender 
paternal or fraternal feeling for you, did you ? — A. ISTot much. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, did you ever commit mutiny on board that 
ship? — A. No, sir; nor on board any other ship. 

Q. Or in the retreat! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Or did you ever commit any act of insubordination, disobedience, 
or disrespect, that justified any positive punishment of you! — A. In 
my judgment, no, sir; as a man, either, no, sir. 

Q. And whatever punishment was inflicted upon you, in your judg- 
ment, was the result of arbitrary caprice! — A. It was something I 
would never have submitted to but for being right where I was. 

Q. The result of arbitrary caprice ! 

(The witness did not answer.) 

Mr. Curtis. Do you know what that word means ! 

The Witness. Somewhat. ^ 

(The witness still did not answer.) 

Mr. Curtis. I will withdraw the question. 

Q. (Resuming.) About this letter; did you ever in that letter, or in 
any other way, verbally or in writing, state that Captain De Long w^as 
a profane Catholic! — A. No, sir; I never heard him swear in my life, 
that I know of. 

Q. Did you ever know his religion! — A. Never; I never tried to find 
out, and nev^er wanted to. 

Q. And did you ever state that Melville did not believe in a God! — 
A. No, sir ; I do not think I ever did. 

Q. Did you know anything about his religious sentiments at all! — 
A. I never thought he had any sentiment of religion at all. 

Q. But you never made the statement that he was a disbeliever in 
God! — A. No, sir; I never did. 

Q. And you never endeavored to provoke or challenge criticism of 
the olficers by the outside world by means of any correspondence of 
yours to newspapers in the United States? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now were you in any way intentionally insolent to Lieutenant 
Danenhower ! — A. The language that I used to Lieutenant Dauenhower 
at that time was used on the impulse of the moment and not with any 
premeditated purpose. 

Q. Now, what was the language that was charged as insolent — the 
exact words, if you remember! — A. Something was said to me about it 
a while ago. 1 remember it more clearly now. I think Mr. Davenhower 
said to me, or gave me to understand, that he and I were not doing 
much hard work; that we ought not to be the ones to complain ; and as 
I rem(nnber now, I turned around and said to him, '^ You can speak for 
yourself and I will speak for myself," or words to that effect. 

Q. Was that all! — A. I cannot repeat the exact words. The result 
of it was that he gave me to understand that I was speaking disrespect- 
f u 1 1 y — i n sol en tly — to h i m . 

Q. Do you now have any recollection of uttering any word more inso- 
lent than those you have just stated ! — A. I do not recall at this moment, 
sir. 

Q. Have you now a consciousness of ever having spoken intentionally 



J E ANNETTE INQUIRY. 273 

a disrespectful word to Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. No more than I 
have already mentioned, for in the main wis were very friendly. 

Q. Very well. Now, on this subject of being enlisted as a seaman; 
you did not believe when you went on board of that ship, although you 
were technically entered on its books as a seaman, that you were to dis- 
charge the duties of a seaman, did you 1 — A. Never ; if 1 had, I would 
have staid at home. 

Q. You believed and you were given to understand as the reason you 
were entered on the books as a seaman was to comply with the law of 
the Navy! — A. Yes, sir; I did; that is a fact. 

Q. And you at no time understood that, so far as the captain's dis- 
ciidine of the ship was concerned, you were to be compelled to discharge 
the ordinary duties of a seaman, did you ? — A. No ; on the contrary, he 
was particular to keep the two duties apart, I should judge. 

Q. And were you at any time aware that any of the officers of that 
ship ever ignored your professional relation to that expedition and that 
of Mr. Collins, you as the naturalist and he as the meteorologist, so far 
as the technical relation was concerned ; did they ever claim, in other 
words, that you had shipped as a common seaman"? — A. Only at the 
time of that affair concerning the passing of the soup. 

Q. Who claimed it then!— A. Mr. Melville. 

Q. Did any officer of the ship ! — A. Mr. Melville was one. 

Q. He was the chief engineer. — A. He was one of the officers. 

Q. Did any of the officers outside of him ever claim that you were 
shipped as a seaman! — A. I do not recall an instance. 

Q. And what was true in regard to you was true in regard to Collins, 
so far as your knowledge extends ! — A. Personally, yes, sir. 

Q. I suppose that when you answer that you do not know a thing 
personally you mean to say that you did not see it with your own eyes, 
and you did not hear it with your own ears ! — A. Yes ; that is what I 
mean. 

A. And it has no reference whatever to what you may have heard as 
the result of possible complaint or grumbling among others ! — A. No, 
sir ; it has not. 

Q. Now, I will ask you in this connection were any official charges 
ever made against you at all! — A. I do not know that there were. 

Q. Do you not think you would be apt to have known of them if they 
had been made !— A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Were you ever brought to trial! — A. No, sir. 

Q. So far as you know were any charges ever made against you offici- 
ally!— A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you now any reason for changing your testimony given on 
W^eduesday in reference to the sentiments and influences under which 
you testified before the Board of Inquiry! — A. I do not know that I get 
at your meaning fully. 

Q. You testified on Wednesday that your evidence before the Board 
of Inquiry was governed by certain influences, to this extent : that you 
vsimply answered the questions put to you and volunteered no informa- 
tion ! — A. Yes, sir ,• I did. 

Q. Have you any reason to change your evidence of that day now in 
that respect! 

The Witness. My evidence of last Wednesday ! 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, in that respect. What you said then was true, 
was it!— A. Yes, it was true. 

Q. Are you conscious that most all the matter that you have testi- 
18 J Q* 



274 • JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

fied to here was nottestified to before the Court of luquiry ? — A. I have 
not compared the two, sir. 

Q. I say in your best opinion "? — A. I have said many things here 
that I did not say there. 

Q. That you were not asked about? — A. Certainly, sir. 1, under- 
stand that to be the object of this investigation at present. 

Q. !N"bw, you say that Mr. ColUns to your personal knowledge was 
not deprived of his liberty. Did you not see him to the rear ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Did you not consider him under restraint ? — A. Yes, sir; I did. 

Q. Then why did you tell Mr. Arnoux that you did not consider him 
deprived of his liberty! — A. To my personal knowledge, I meant. 

Q. Did you not see hira to the rear ? — A. What I meant was I did 
not hear him ordered to keep to these places or to do thus and so. I 
was personally cognizant of the facts existing, but I did not hear the 
orders which he was carrying out under those circumstances. I saw 
the fact. 

Q. Your idea of a man's imprisonment, then, is that you do not know 
anything about his personal imprisonment, although you may see him 
in captivity, if you have not heard the order that sent him there ? — A. 
My idea was what I was persouallj^ cognizant of; that is to say, by my 
own eyes and what I personally heard. 

Q. He was sent to the rear. Did you see him to the rear? — A. Yes; 
I saw him various places. There was not much keepiug to the rear to 
it over that country'. He kept to the rear sometimes, whenever there 
was a chance. 

Q. And you stated at least three times during the course of this ex- 
amination, twice to Mr. Arnoux and once to myself, that he was sent to 
the rear ? — A. Yes, I said so. I did not say he staid there all the time. 

Q. I did not ask you that. — A. When I said he went to the rear it 
was true ; he did go. 

Q. Then it was true ? — A. Yes ; and it was equally true that he did 
not stay there all the time. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did he go to the rear ? — A. I know he was there. 

Q. Did you see Mr. Collins at the rear? — A. At times I did, and then 
again I didn't. 

Q. At those times that he was at the rear was it because of the acci- 
dents of the march or because he was ordered to be there ? — A. Inci- 
dental to the country that we were crossing; he hung to the line of 
travel. Then again I do know that he had a rifle, and hunted for seals 
some, and at those times he was not in any particular position. He 
went where he thought he could get a shot. 

Q. And when he was at the rear when you saw him, did he have the 
rifle? — A. He had most of the time — a Winchester rifle. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you not know, and have you not stated to several people that 
both you and Collins were sent to the rear under arrest? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was that true or false? — A. True, every time. 

Q. And when you said you were sent to the rear because you were 
under arrest, did you, or did you not mean it? — A. I meant it, or I should 
not have said it. 

Q. Do you mean it now?— A. I do, but it was not so all the time. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 275 

Q. I did uot ask you that. — A. I know, but it has got to be put in 
somewhere. 
The Chairman. He has the right to state that. 

By Mr. Curtis. 

Q. Kow, I ask you, do you not know that Collins was deprived of the 
right and the privilege of assisting in the rescue of his companions ; 
that he was not allowed to perform duty ? — A. I know that up to a cer- 
tain time on the retreat he was doing duty. 

Q. What I ask you is this : Do you not know, and have you not stated 
that at times Mr. Collins was deprived of the privilege of working, and 
assisting his comrades? — A. At times; yes, sir. 

Q. At the time you last left Mr. Collins was he physically vigorous ? — 
A. Yes, he appeared to be as well as any of us, as far as I could ob- 
serve. 

Q. He was an intelligent man? — A. Yes, most undoubtedly. 

Q. He was a good shot? — A. Yes, a good rifle shot. 

Q. He was a companionable man? — A. Yes, with me. 

Q. And showed every disposition to aid in the retreat, as far as you 
know ? — A. Yes, I think he did. 

Q. Under these circumstances, as stated before the Board of Inquiry, 
some twenty-one people at one time doiag the duty of thirty-three, do 
you not think the assistance of a man like Collins in the active duties 
of the retreat would have been very efficacious? 

Mr. Arnoux. Is not that matter for the committee rather than the 
witness ? 

The Chairman. That is a very plain, palpable fact. It would be the 
evidence of one man more. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You were asked about Mr. Collins and the matter o^the Pinafore 
singiDg. I would like to ask you the general question, did you ever 
kDOw Mr. Collios to say a disrespectful word to any of the officers or 
men? — A. i^o, sir. 

Q. Did you ever know him to do an unkind act to anybody on that 
expedition? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And did you ever know him to do other than the acts of a com- 
panion who desired to lighten the hours of your captivity, and in every 
way to aid the party in their retreat, and on board the ship ? — A. I be- 
lieve he did desire to do all that you say. 

Q. And is it not true that when you assembled on the ship on that 
Christmas day it was Mr. Collins who wrote the Christmas carol that 
was there recited or sung by the crew ? — A. Eecited by Boyd ; yes, sir. 

Q. Is it true that he was a sensitive man? — A. Very. 

Q. He was an Irishman by birth, and whether he had ground of com- 
plaint or not he felt that the idea was to annoy him by reason of his 
birth; did he not? 

Mr. Arnoux. That is objected to. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think the proper question would be to ask him what 
he said about it. 

By Mr. CURTiS : 

Q. I will ask you did he not say he felt annoyed by the singing of 
these song§? — A. I do not remember that he did. 

Q. Who did sing these songs? — A. Mr. Melville. 

Q. As matter of fact did he ever cause your ear to ache ? — ^A. I never 
had to go to a doctor, sir. 



276 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. That was a little metaplior indulged in on your part ? — A. A figure 
of speech. 

Q. Your imagination is vivid is it not? — A. That is a question, sir. 

Q. Then he did not make your ear ache in singing Pinafore; it was 
done to lighten the hours, to make matters as agreeable as possible, 
was it not? — A. Done to produce a feeling of gladness rather than one 
of sadness. 

Q. When he was singing Pinafore was he not trying as far as he could 
to keej) up a feeling of hope and confidence, and good feeling among 
the men "? — A. Oh, yes ; I think you might generally say so. 

Q. Was not that his object? — A. I think he had better state his own 
object. 

Q. Did it not occur to you that that was his object? — A. Well, I will 
tell you what occurred to me more than that. 

Q. What? — A. That I to some extent was annoyed by it, and that 
occasionally he would like to poke it at me in a good natured sort of a 
way, not for the purpose of any maliciousness. 

Q. Was there any ground of ill-feeling between you and Collins?— 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you believe that he was a man who would intentionally give 
offense to anybody? — A. I do not. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Did he ever sing '' Sweet Violets" or any of those new airs?— A. 
1 do not know. He was a very good vocalist. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I ask you this question : Whatever the causes, or whatever the 
facts might have been connected with the causes, are you not conscious 
that there was that feeling of difference or jealousy between the officers 
of the ship that you have spoken of in a general way?— A. If I was 
asked to tell liow, 1 could not do it, but I am conscious that the thing 
was in the atmosi^here there. I could not express myself tangibly to 
save my life. 

Q. As an intelligent human being, is it not a very great stretch of 
your imagination to believe that a man can be hostile without asserting 
it in words ? — A. A man can carry himself in a disagreeable way and 
not say a great deal. 

Q. There are some natures that can be affected by conduct of that 
description more than other natures can be by a blow ? — A. I think so. 
If a man strikes at you j^ou can see it ; you know what he is doing ; if 
he is working under disguise you cannot. 

Q. Now, something was said to you about a. callous man. I suppose 
the learned counsel thought he had found something in that word. Let 
me ask you, did you ever see anything peculiarly amiable in the charac- 
ter of a callous man? — A. No, I never did; I do not understand how 
the two could go together. 

Q. Now, you spoke of the fact that Collins refrained from mixing with 
the officers. Do you know of any reason for that? — A. No; I do not 
X)ersonally know. 

Q. Well, from what he said? — A. I do not remember now just what 
he did say about these things. 

Q. You knew in point of fact, so far as his statement to you could as- 
sure you of the fact, that these differences existed? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Now, you were asked did you consider this a remarkable and a 
heroic retreat. You answered "Yes." It was remarkable and heroic 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 277 

SO far as tlie courage and the endurance and fortitude of the men were 
concerned? — A. Wonderful. 

Q. Because it was a remarkable and heroic retreat that does not neces- 
sarily imply that it was a well-managed retreat in all respects, does it? 
— A. IsTot necessarily. 

Q. And whoever might give an opinion in that regard it would not 
shake your judgment as to the management of the retreat? — A. What- 
ever arose, my feelings about the Jeannette expedition cannot be 
changed. I have my feelings and nothing can change them. I shall 
stick to them. 

Q. Now, let me ask you one question right here. The delta in which 
the body of De Long was found was southwest from the spot where the 
ship was lost, was it not? — A. The delta was; ye^;'. 

Q. And directly south from where the ship was lost was the Siberian 
coast, was it not? — A. Yes; part of it. 

Q. Now, it does not require a very great knowledge Qf the geography 
of that region to understand that it was not necessary in order to get 
to the Siberian coast, where this ancient city was that you described, to 
go over 650 miles out of the way to the southwest, does it? — A. I think 
a course due south would have been nearer. 

Q. In other words, in order to get to the nearest point to the Siberian 
coast it was not necessary to go to the delta ? — A. I should not think 
so. 

Q. Have you ever stated that there was great grumbling between the 
men owing to the delays that occurred during the retreat ? — A. Well, I 
do not remember. I think it very likely that I have said that there 
was some growling. 

Q. Do you not know that there were delays in the retreat? — A. Yes, 
sir; I do. 

Q. How many days were you at Bennett Island? — A. I think we were 
eight, if I remember aright. 

Q. In point of fact how many days were occupied at Bennett Island 
in repairing boats ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Was it more than two ? — A. It was not all of the eight, though I do 
not know > 

Q. (Interposing.) Were these delays a matter of common complaint 
among the men ? — A. I think there was a feeling on the part of the 
men that they would rather be going south than stopping. They 
wanted to go on. 

Q. Ho you remember that that feeling assumed such proportions that 
on more than one occasion Captain De Long read the Articles of War 
during the retreat? — A. I remember that he read the Articles of War. 

Q. On what occasion and for what purpose, so far as you could per- 
sonally see ? — A. As part of the naval discipline under which the expe- 
dition was acting. 

Q. What was that caused by — the grumbling of the men? — A. Oh, 
no; I do not think the Articles of War, so called, are read on the deck of 
a man-of-war because the men are grumbling. I think it is part of the 
routine of the service. 

Q. Have you not stated — and on this I challenge your recollection — 
that on more than one occasion the discontent was such in reference to 
the management of the retreat that the commanding officer was com- 
pelled to read the Articles of War ? 

The Witness. Might I ask to whom I am supposed to have made the 
statement? 

Mr. OuETis. To anybody. 



278 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Witness. May I ask for some one person ? 

Mr. Curtis. To anybody. 

A. I do not think I ever said anything of the kind 5 I have no knowl- 
edge of it at all. 

Q. Will you swear that you never did ? 

The Chairman. It is nothing but fair to give him the person, time, 
and place. 

Q. Did you ever state it to Doctor Collins after the return of the Jean- 
nette expedition ? — A. I never saw Doctor Collins after the return of 
the Jeannette expedition, until the funeral of the Jeannette dead in New 
York. 

Q. Did you ever state it to him *? — A. No, sir ; I never did. 

Q. Did you ever state it to B. A. Collins 1 — A. I do not remember that 
I ever did. 

Q. How about that? — A. I do not think I ever did. 

Q. Did you ever state it to Mr. Clark? — A. I do not think I ever 
stated it to anybody ; I have no recollection of ever saying such a thing. 
In the first place, such a fact did not exist. 

Q. Have you not stated that you never would have suffered the treat- 
ment you received on board the Jeannette if you had been in a position 
to defend yourself? — A. I dare say I might have said it. I am very 
certain I would not if I could have helped myself. 

Q. Then, certainly, you must in your own mind have felt that you had 
a reason and a cause for that most positive statement, did you not? — 
A. Yes, I felt that I was aggrieved. 

Q. Did you ever know Mr. Collins to speak disrespectfully to Captain 
De Long, either in a social way or in the discharge of his duties? — A. 
No, sir ', I never heard him ; I never knew of it. 

Q. So far as your observation and knowledge extended, did Mr. 
Collins perform carefully his scientific work before his suspension or 
arrest? — A. I think he did; he was a i)retty careful man about this 
matter. 

Q. Was he i)articular in the discharge of his duties? — A. Yes, sir; 
I should say he was very particular. 

Q. Did he ever express to you an opinion as to the scientific know- 
ledge of his department that the commanding officers of the expedition 
had; in other words, did he express an opinion to you in reference to 
the scientific knowledge of the commanding officers after the suspension, 
and their mode of making observations? — A. I remember that Ninde- 
mann -assisted in taking some of the observations, and I remember 
Collins spoke about that in a general way; I do not remember just 
what he said. 

Q. Do you remember that in a general way he complained of their 
inefficiency in taking observations after the suspension? — A. I remem- 
ber in a general way that he complained of it humiliating him that one 
of the men forward should be detailed to do the work he had been 
brought there for. 

Q. Do you remember this — that he complained that those who under- 
took to do his work did it irregularly ? — A. I do not remember. 

Q. Well, as matter, of fact, tlie observations were not taken as regu- 
larly as before, you have stated ? — A. They were not taken as regu- 
larly. Less frequently is what I ought to have said ; not irregularly, 
but less frequently. 

Q. Does not the frequency of those observations have anything to 
do with their regularity? — A. I do not know as it does. 
Q. Do you know anything about it? — A. I do. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 279 

Q. Well, does it or does it not 1—A. I think you might take an ob- 
servation to-day and another one a month hence, and have them at 
regular intervals, or you might take them every day. I think I am 
correct about that. 

Q When did you arrive at Geeomovialocke ^ — A. In September, 
1881. 

Q. As a physical fact, could not the entire party have gone to Bulun 
with Kusmah at the time he went ? — A. Well, I don^t know. 

Q. Kusmah went, did he not ?— A. He said he did. 

Q. Do you know about that 1 — A. No ; I believe he did. 

Q. Were there not men in your party physically as vigorous as Kus- 
mah "? — A. I don't know about that. He was a well man, so to speak; 
we were all of us pretty well bunged up. 

Q. How bunged up; what was the matter with you^ — A. I do not 
think my standard of good feeling and health physically was equal to 
what it is now. 

Q. Were you not able to eat all you could get ? — A. Yes ; but per- 
haps a man cannot get all he wants. Eotten beef and fish and such 
things are not the best diet in the world. 

Q. When Melville recovered and took charge of the party on the 
3d day of October, were not all the men but Leach fully recovered ^ — 
A. I am trying to think about that. Bartlett had some lameness ; I 
rather forgot about that. 

Q. With the exception of Bartlett, they were all fully recovered ? — 
A. Mnety per cent, of the party were in as good condition as they were 
likely to be around there. 

Q. And how many were in the party at that time? — A. A boat's crew; 
eleven of us, I believe. 

Q. Do you know of any written message being sent by Melville to 
Bulun by Kusmah'? — A. Some papers of some kind, I think, were sent 
by him. I do not remember what they were. A picture of the ship in 
the ice that I made was one, among other things. 

Q. Are you sure of that? — A. 1 am pretty sure it went somewhere; 
where, I don't know ; it went away from our camp. 

Q. Are you sure it went by Kusmah 1 — A. I would not swear to it, 
but I believe it did. 

Q. Have you ever heard Lieutenant Danenhower's statement in that 
regard before the Board of Inquiry or elsewhere? — A. Xo, sir; I never 
heard of it. 

Q. Do you know that as a result of the failure to send any message 
by Kusmah Lieutenant Danenhower had to go aft6r Kusmah and tell 
him to spread the news of the missing boats' crews ? — A. Lieutenant 
Danenhower went oft' somewhere; where, I don't know; he was gone 
two or three days and came back again. 

Q. But do you know that Lieutenant Danenhower had to go after 
Kusmah and tell him to spread the news of the missing boats' crews ? — 
A. Mr. Danenhower did go after Kusmah and presumably to get assist- 
ance ; whatever it was I don't know. 

Q. And to tell him to spread the news of the missing boats' crews? — 
A. 1 don't know whether he did or not. I supposed he went for assist- 
ance or anything he could get. 

Q. Do you know that Danenhower wanted to go and was prevented 
by Melville ? — A. I have some idea about that. 

Q. What is your idea ?— A. He wanted to go away ; really I don't 
know whether to go to Bulun or to go off with some of the natives. Fi- 



280 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

nally he did go somewliere to see if he could discover traces of De Long 
or Chi pp. 

Q. ]3o you remember the question I put to you? — A. Yes; did he go 
off' to look for 

Q. (Interposing.) No, I did not ask. you that. Now let rae put it to 
you again: Do you know Danenhower wanted to go and was prevented 
ijy Melville ? — A. Yes ; I think I do. 1 would like it understood that I 
could substantiate myself very particularly ; but that is the belief I have — 
that he did want to go and there was some growl about it, and he did go 
somewhere, I don't know where. 

Q. Now, is it not possible that you may have made some mistaken 
answers to Mr. Arnoux's questions from the fact that you have kept 
rather the history of the expedition in your mind than the question that 
was put to you ? — A. His questions were pretty plain. I suppose both of 
you have asked pretty plain questions for that matter. I don't think 
there is great difficulty about that up to date. 

Q. Did you know at that time or do you now know that Melville re- 
fused him permission to do so *? — A. No ; I do not. There was some jeal- 
ousy between them that I knew nothing about. 

Q. As matter of fact, did you know, or have reason to believe, no 
matter what caused it, that there was a ground of difference or jealousy 
between Melville and Lieutenant Danenhower '^ — A. Not specially, and 
yet I, rather felfc that there was than that there was not. I had that 
feeling. 

Q. What is your feeling on that subject, aided by your recollection ? 
— A. About the same now as it was then ; perhaps strengthened a little. 

Q. Where did you get the dog-teams that took you to Bulun ? — A. 
They were collected around there by the commandant at the Bulun set- 
tlement. Some of them came from the village where we were, Geeo- 
movialocke. 

Q. And if the party had reached Bulun, say on the 16th of October, 
and had started a party north, what do you think the chances would 
have been of saving De Long and his party, De Long's last record hav- 
ing been made on October 30 ? — A. I think there would have been a 
pretty slim chance. 

Q. You think there would not have been much chance for anything 
until you proved ])ositively to the contrary ? Do you not know that 
the distance in days' journey between the spot where you were and the 
spot where De Long's body was was only about three days ? — A. I did 
not know anything about it at that time. 

Q. Do you know now ? — A. Not positively. 

Q. Well, what would you say if I should tell you it was only three 
days' journey ? — A. I think it was a pity somebody had not made it. 

Q. In point of fact, it was only two and a half days' journey. Now 
what do you say 1 — A. I should have tried to make it. 

Q. Do you not think there would have been a chance "? — A. I should 
say Lieutenant Danenhower would have been a very good man if he 
had known which way to have gone. 

Q. Try to keep your mind on this question. If they had left on the 
IGth, and it is only two and a half to three days' journey to the place 
where De Long's remains were found, what would have been the 
chance! — A. They could have found him; yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not think there would have been a chance to save them ? 
— A. There is a chance to do a good deal in two days and a half if you 
know what to do. 

Q. Do you not think there would have been a good chance of finding 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. - 281 

him in fourteen clays, conceding that Le was not alive after tlie 30tli'? — 
A. There would have been a chance to try. 

Q. I did not ask you that. You understand the English language? — 
A. That is for you to judge, or me. 

Q. You write it, and you are a public lecturer. I ask you what chance 
there would have been, not to try, but what would have been the chance 
of success, in your judgment"? — A. I do not knowj that is a fact. 

Q. To your knowledge, did the commissioned officers of the Jean- 
nette keep the deck watches ? — A. Not altogether. 

Q. When they did not, to your knowledge, who did ? — A. Mr. Dun- 
bar, Mr. Cole, Mr. Nindemann, or Mr. Sweetman. 

Q. Do you know of any consultations being held between the captain 
and the officers during the critical periods of the expedition as to the 
wisest course to pursue ? — A. On the retreat, when we were in that 
place known as the ten-day camp, I think Captain De Long had some 
consultation with some of his officers. I judge he had, because I saw 
them come in and go out and come in and go out. I judged it was a 
consultation about going south. 

Q. You knew Dunbar? — A. I did. 

Q. What were his duties ? — A. I understood he was there to guide 
the vessel in the ice. 

Q. Then his duties were of a most important character, and he was 
considered a most competent man for the discharge of those duties, was 
he ? — A. I should say he was. 

Q. Do you remember that Ice-Pilot Dunbar objected to going into 
the open lead in which the ship was frozen ? — A. I do not recall now. 
I have a general idea that he did, but I cannot recall it. 

Q. Have you stated so to many people? — A. I do not recall that I 
have ; I do not remember. 

Q. Will you swear that you have not ? — A. I would not swear any- 
thing about it. 

Q. Did you complain at one time about your ration of grog being mis- 
appropriated? — A. I don't know but what I did. 

Q. Do you know whether you did or not ? — A. No, I don't know I am 
sure ; 1 don't care enough about it. 

Q. Did you ever claim that Melville disposed of that for you ? — A. 
We used to have Wednesday night grog — it was whisky — so much per 
man. 1 did not get mine. Melville was in the cabin j he got mine. I 
didn't care whether he did or not. 

Q. Did Melville tell you that Bartlett as a seaman outranked you ? — 
A. Yes, sir -, he did. 

Q. On the whole, did you consider Melville's conduct on the ship, 
during the time the expedition lasted, officer-like and gentlemanly to- 
wards you ? — A. It suited me well enough. 

Q. Did you consider him gentlemanly ? — A. I don't know that he was 
as polite as some people would be. I think he is by nature bluft'j but 
he is different in calling from me, and so was every other man on the 
expedition. 

Q. Was his conduct generally towards you such as you expected 
from an officer towards you on that ship ? — A. No, sir ; not always. 

Q. Now, in speaking of the treatment of Collins, have you not fre- 
quently since your return characterized his treatment in the strongest 
terms? — A. For a long time after I got home, sir, I was very reticent 
to everybody ; but I do not think I have spoken what might be said 
many times to anybody. 



282 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You have spoken frequently? — A. Perhaps I have, perhaps I 
have not. 

Q. And characterized it in very strong terms'? 

Mr. McAdoo. Characterized what? 

Q. Have you not said that his treatment was unjust and inhuman ? 
— A. I dare say I may have. 

Q. You intended to tell the truth ? — A. I did. 

Q. And if you did say that, at the time you meant it ? — A. Yesj if I 
said it I meant it. 

Q. Then of course when you said that he was treated unjustly and 
inhumanly, you say you meant it ? — A. Undoubtedly I meant it if I 
said it. 

Q. Will you swear that you did or did not say it ? — A. I would not 
swear either way. 

Q. Is it now true that it was unjust and inhuman? — A. Inhuman, I 
don't know J unjust, at times I think so. But then, that is only my 
opinion. 

Q. You need not argue it. You now say it was unjust, and you will 
not swear that you did not say to many people it was unjust and inhu- 
man ? — A. No ; I won't swear, sir. 

Q. But if you did say so, you meant it at the time? — A. Yes, or I 
would not have said it. 

Q. You do not make it a habit of saying things that you do not 
believe? — A. No, sir; I am not in that habit. 

Q. Now, have you not shown a record and a note- book of this very 
expedition to a newspaper man in New York within a year ? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. Within a year and a half, or at any time since your return from 
this expedition ? — A. I do not remember it. 

Q. Is not that a thing that you would probably know about ? — A. It 
is a question of memory. 

Q. It may be ?— A. It is. 

Q. Have you not shown this record and these notes, which you claim 
you cannot now find, within a comparatively short time to a newspaper 
man in New York ? — A. No, sir ; I don't know what j^ou call a compara- 
tively short time, though. 

Q. Within what time did you show them ? — A. I have not shown them 
within any time that I know of. 

Q. Will you swear that you never have? — A. I would not swear 
either way. 

Q. And you swear that you have no recollection on the subject? — A. 
I haven't any recollection about it. 

Q. Have you not stated as a fact that in your opinion when the ex- 
ploring part of the exi)edition failed, the officers then took up Mr. Col- 
lins's scientific work in order to make a showing when they reached 
home ? — A. I could not say ; I do not remember it. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think it would be well to locate the person and the 
place. It would be an advantage to the committee and certainly to the 
witness. 

Q. As matter of fact how long does your mind retain these ques- 
tions ? — xV. I should rather have each fact as it comes along settle that 
matter, sir. 

Q. Is it not matter of fact that you stated as your opinion that when 
the exploring part of the expedition failed the officers then took up Mr. 
Oollins's Arctic work in order to make a showing when they reached 
home ? — A. I dare say I may have. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 283 

Q. You intended to tell the truth then, did you nof? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Kow, in reference to the matter of provisions, when did you first 
become short of provisions ? — A. That is a hard question to answer. 

Q. Well, is it possible to answer it^ — A. We were on allowance 
from the day we started on the expedition until we got back. When 
we got on the ice of course our provisions were shorter than they were 
while we had the ship. 

Q. How many shotguns were there in your party ? 

The Witness. Do you mean the whale-boat party 1 

Mr. Curtis. I mean the party to which you were attached. 

The Witness. I was attached to the whale-boat party. 

Mr. Curtis. That is what I mean. 

The Witness. I had one shotgun. 

Q. Bid anybody else have any? — A. No, sirj Melville had one, but 
he didn't have it on the whale-boat. 

Q. Was your shotgun taken from you 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. To whom was it given ? — A. It was turned over to Mr. Chipp. 

Q. What tools or instruments did your immediate party have in the 
way of picks, for instance*? — A. That I do not remember. They were 
put in that boat that Dr. Ambler had in his charge. 

Q. Had you any axes or hatchets ? — A. I had a hatchet and I had 
a sheath-knife. 

Q. Did you have any ax 1 — A. Axes were on the whale-boat. 

Q. You have given us all the information you can on the subject of 
the nautical instruments ; there is nothing with regard to those that 
you desire to change *? — A. No ; I only state that they had what they 
call an azimuth compass. As I understand, a boat-compass is better 
than one of those. Other than the absence of those and absence of 
the charts I have nothing to say now. 

Q. Then has anything occurred in your evidence yesterday or to-day 
either in the examination-in-chief, the cross-examination, or the redirect 
examination that changes your general views, as expressed on Wednes- 
day ? — A. Only so far as is shown by the evidence given here. 

Q. Which is your own evidence, is it not 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what respect, then, is your view changed "? — A. In placing a 
different construction on some of those remarks that I made. 

Q. To Mr. Arnoux *? — A. Yes j preferring another word, for instance. 
I forget what the word is now. I said I would prefer to have another 
word used. With the exception of a few such matters as those I do 
not know that I care to have anything changed. 

Q. You spoke in reference to the clothing supplied on the expedition. 
Was a sufficient supply of clothing provided? — A. Well, outside of the 
private clothing I don't think there was. 

Q. On what do you base your opinion in that respect? — A. I remem- 
ber some flannel that was given out, and I remember some stockings. 
They were poor in quality ; and I also remember, outside of that, of hear- 
ing the men say — I had no occasion to go there, except I got a small 
piece of flannel once and a couple of shirts — I heard the men say the 
clothing was scanty and poor. I have no more direct knowledge than 
that. 

Q. Do you remember as matter of fact that Mr. Collins supplied 
clothing out of his own private stock ? — A. Yes ; flannel shirts and 
drawers. 

Q. Also to the seamen ? — A. Yes. 

Q. How many instances of that kind do you remember 1 — A. I do not 



284 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

kDOw that T could specify. It was a commoD tiling to see one of Collins's 
red tlannel sliirts on one of the party. 

Q. Was not Mr. Collins obliged to tbrow away clothing ? — A. It seems 
to me as if he must have left clothing on the ship there that he could 
not use. I think he had the largest supply of flannel underclothing of 
anybody- on the ship. 

Q. As matter of fact, did not the suspension of Starr and Collins and 
yourself, and the prevention of Danenhower from working by illness, 
throw the extra labor on the men that worked ! — A. Naturally, sir. 

Q. In regard to the ofQcers. Did they generally work with the men 1 — 
A. Yes ; they did pretty well, generally working at something, all 
through, more or less. 

Q. Did they join in the manual labor, or was it in the direction of 
manual labor ? — A. Well, both, but i)erhaps mostly in the direction of 
it. Dr. Ambler and I worked together quite a while on the road with 
pick-axes and shovels. 

Q. Do you remember having seen a statement alleged to have been 
made by Lieutenant Danenhower and published in the New York Her- 
ald that the officers did little or no work f — A. I do not remember. Prob- 
ably I know less of that side of the Jeannette affair than any person 
who was not there at all. I had my experience in the ice, and when I 
got home I let it rest as best I could. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did you know Dr. Ambler on the expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was his status with the expedition? — A. Physician, I sup- 
pose, sir. 

Q. How did he bear himself towards the other men of the expedi- 
tion '? — A. Generally, well. 

Q. Was there any complaint on his part or complaint on the part of 
any one else of his treatment of them f — A. I do not remember anybody 
except seaman Gortz. The doctor tried to pull a tooth out for him j 
Gortz said it like to have killed him. 

Q. His actions were generally good ! — A. Yes, sir ; he was supposed 
to analyze our water, and I therefore gave him the credit of furnishing 
US with good drinking-water. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did he not also have charge of some part of the scientific obser- 
vations on board the ship ? — A. Yes j he took some of those meteoro- 
logical observations. 

Q. And in addition to that did he not have a special scientific depart- 
ment that he took charge of? — A. I don't know, I am sure j he had his 
own experiments. 

Q. Did he not make all the microscopical experiments that were made? 
— A. Yes ; he did. 

Q. And were not those quite important ? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Now, did not Mr. Chii)p also conduct a part of the scientific work 
of the expedition? — A. Yes; the astronomical observations, I think 
they call them; the variations of the needle; something about the au- 
rora. 

Q. And did he not make all the magnetic observations ? — A. <That is 
what I mean. 

Q. And in so doing did he not use the galvanometer ? — A. Now, you 
have me ; I don't know as I remember what that is ; I may have seen 
it. but I do not remember the name. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 285 

Q. Did not Mr. Ghipp also conduct the dip-circle experiments'? — A. I 
do not know whether he did or not. Mr. Collins did some of those at 
first, bat afterwards I doD't know whether Mr. Ghipp did or not. I 
really do not know anything about it. 

Q. Why is it you remember what Collins did and not what Chipp 
did f — A. I cannot say. I can only give you the fact. 

Q. How many times did Collins make the dip-circle experiments 1 — 
A. He made some on the ice after we got that house set up. 

Q. How many times did you see him make the dip-circle experiments, 
twice?— A. Perhaps twice, and perhaps a half a dozen times. I used 
to go in there occasionally, but that was interrupted by the breaking 
up of the ice. 

Q. The suspension of Mr. Collins then had nothing to do with the 
suspension of those experiments, but that was caused by the breaking 
up of the ice? — A. In that particular instance. 

Q. Now you spoke about Collins distributiDg red flannel clothing. In 
the first place do you not know as matter of fact that the ]S"avy does not 
distribute clothing among seamen ? — A. I did not understand that in 
every particular our expedition was going like an ordinary ship of the 
]N"avy going off on squadron duty. 

Q. I ask you whether you understand that in the United States naval 
vessels the Government furnishes men with clothing '? — A. They furnish 
them with a certain amount, shoes or something, I don't know what. 

Q. How many red flannel shirts or other kind of shirts do you re- 
member that Mr. Collins gave to the men? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Can you approximate the number in any way ! — A. He might have 
given away a dozen and a half. 

Q. Do you think he gave as many as that ? — A. I should not wonder 
if he did; he had a lot of them. 

Q. Do you think that he did ? — A. I am inclined to think that he gave 
away fully 18 shirts, or shirts and drawers. 

Mr. AnNOTJX. I find m this book of Mr. Collins a list which states 
^' 7 pairs of cuffs, J 2 collars, 3 shirts;" I do not of course know what it 
refers to, but it is in his memorandum book that he carried. 

The Witness. He gave away more than that, I know. 

Q. (Eesuming.) Now, how many commissioned officers were there on 
board the Jeannette, after Lieutenant Danenhower was taken sick, who 
were able to do duty? — A. Four. 

Q. Who were the four? — A. The captain, Mr. Chipp, Mr. Melville, 
and the doctor. 

Q. Was it a part of the doctor's work to take watch on the ship ? — 
A. I suppose so, if he was ordered to ; I don't know. 

Q. I say was it a part of his duty? — A. I don't know; I should say 
yes, if he had a sick patient. 

Q. But I say to take watch on deck? — A. I don't know; not ordina- 
rily. 

Q. What was Mr. Melville's position on board the ship?— A. Engi- 
neer. 

Q. Was it his duty to do deck watch?— A. I don't think that either 
the engineers or the surgeons are supposed to have anything to do with 
the deck; ordinarily I know they are not. 

Q. Then there were only two officers who were well and able and re- 
quired to do deck duty in the discipline of the ship at that time ?— A. 
Only two, Mr. Chipp and the captain, though Mr. Danenhower did duty 
for quite a while, until be was incapacitated. 



286 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. I say during the time Mr. Danenhower was sick. When he wag 
capable of doing duty then there were three ^. — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, do you not understand that the counsel for Dr. Collins has 
asked you to tell every difficulty that you could think of or that you had 
heard of on board this ship existing between everybody and all of the 
United States officers ?— A. I do not know that he went into it to that 
extent. That is going a good ways. 

Q. Did you not think that he tried to search your memory to the ut- 
most to have you rake up everything that you could think of against 
them *? — A. I thought he tried to get at the facts of the case, fhat is all, 
as I understood. 

Q. Did he ask you to tell any fact that would reflect to the credit of 
any officer on the boat, as you understood it ? — A. I thought that he was 
trying to get at the facts of the case. 

Q. Were you ever suspended in any way except for cause ? — A. For 
alleged cause ; yes, sir. 

Q. Were you at any time suspended by Captain De Long for any- 
thing but for alleged cause ? — A. I do not know that I was. Ko, I do 
not think I was. 

Q. Do- you know of your own knowledge that when Mr. Collins 
walked in the rear he did not do so voluntarily ? — A. Not of my own 
knowledge; no. 

Q. Did he not from time to time go in every direction in search of 
seals ? — A. Yes, sir ; I am happy to say he did. 

Q. And did not that prove to be a greater benefit to the party than 
it would have been for him to have helped on the roads 1 — A. I do not 
know about that. 

Q. Did it not give you a large supply of fresh meat? — A. Not very 
large, sir. 

Q. Did it not give you a large supply of fresh meat that was very 
important in connection with the food you had? — A. It was valuable, 
undoubtedly, sir. 

Q. Was it not very important ? — A. It all came in handy to eat. 

Q. Can you not answer my question whether it was importantor not ? — 
A. I think it was important to get all we could. Yes, I think it might 
be said on second thoughts that it was very important to get as much 
food as possible. 

Q. And therefore allowing him to go and get this food was rendering 
very substantial and valuable assistance on the retreat, was it not? — A. 
It was doing good, certaiidy. 

Q. Was it not rendering valuable and substantial assistance to the 
party on the retreat ? — A. Substantial assistance. 

Q. But not valuable? — A. Valuable when it is substantial in the way 
of food, certainly. 

Q. Now, could he have rendered as valuable assistance in your judg- 
ment in making the roads as he did in getting this food ? — A. I think 
he could have done both. 

Q. You think he couhi have been off shooting and making roads at 
the same time ? — A. At different times. 

Q. Could he have done so at the same time ? — A. Not unless he was 
superhuman. 

Q. Was it certain at all times if he had been working on the roads 
that he could have gone off shooting seals 1 — A. I do not know what 
could have been done at all times. 

Q. Which was more fatiguing in your judgment, to drag at the ropes 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 287 

or to carry a rifle ! — A. A man ought to do both. I never have com- 
pared them. 1 have done both. 

Q. What did you do on the ice ? — A. Worked, cooked, or ate for ten 
days with our party ; I worked on the road ahead with the doctor, and 
then, before my guii was taken away from me, I shot food for the whole 
party ; the shotgun was returned to me in two or three days. 

Q. Do you mean to say you shot food for the whole party 1 — A. I 
know that the food that I accumulated by means of my shotgun came 
in very handy, and in several instances very nearly, if not quite, made 
a meal for all hands j I don't know but somebody might have eaten 
pemmican. 

Q. In regard to that transaction in the boat, did Melville use the 
gun ? — A. I don't remember, but I don't think he did. 

Q. You have stated about the others ; was there any transaction of 
your own which you have not mentioned which was not correct ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you mean any other statement that he made? 

Mr. Arnoux. ISTo ; any other transaction of his. 

Q. Did you, in Siberia, make a promise to a woman to exchange some 
things, and get the things from her and not give her thethiugs prom- 
mised f — A. Kever, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. There was no one sick on the voyage from San Francisco through 
Bering's Strait, was there ? — A. Collins and I were sea-sick there. 

Q. Who kept the deck watches on that voyage ! — A. Old man Cole 
and Mr. Dunbar. 

Q. Did any of the oflQcers of the ship keep deck watches theu ! — A. 
I think Mr. Danenhower did, and I don't know whether Mr. Chipp did 
or not ; I think Mr. Nindemann did, too. 

Q. Was he an officer of the ship ? — A. ISTo. 

Q. I want you to be perfectly frank in answer to my questions, and if 
you know of anything favorable to any of the ofiicers of the ship to go 
out of your way and state it, even though it is not responsive to my 
questions. I do not do this as an answer to the aspersion that has been 
cast upon me, but I do it in the interest of the investigation. How long 
were you in the ice before any of the officers were sick 1 — A. I guess Mr. 
Danenhower was the first one. 

Q. Outsideof Mr. Danenhower? — A. I don't know, I am sure. There 
was a very small percentage of sickness. 

Q. What I mean to get at is this: During the voyage from San Fran- 
cisco to the spot at which you were entombed in the ice there were none 
of the officers sick except Mr. Danenhower, were there ? — A. Mr. Dan- 
enhower was not sick before we got into the ice. 

Q. Then, there were none sick? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What officers besides Mr. Danenhower kept the deck watches 
during that voyage that you know of? — A. I do not remember really 
unless it was Mr. Chipp. 

Q. Well, did you see them ; do you know it of your own knowledge ? — 
A. I do not remember whether Chipp was there or not, but I do remem- 
ber about Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. When you were in the ice, to your own personal knowledge who 
kept the deck watches ? — A. The seamen did a great deal of that. I do 
not know whether you call it keeping deck watch; there was a man on 
deck there all the time. 

Q. What I want to get at is this : At the time you were entombed in 
the ice when you were driving to the northwest, before you abandoned 



288 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the ship, when you were all comparatively healthy, who kept the deck 
watches'? — A. The seamen. They were detailed by Captain De Long 
for that puq)ose, so I learned. 

Q. Now it was after you had left the ship that you were speaking in. 
reference to Mr. Arnoux's question ? — A. 1 almost forget now just what 
it was that he was speaking of. If you will tell me I will answer. 

Q. Never mind. You said at that time there were only four well ; 
who did you refer to at that time ? — A. The officers. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. While you were on the ship how many officers were lit for duty "? — 
A. Four officers. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did you notice any difference in keeping deck watches before you 
got into the ice and after, as to the officers keeping them or not keeping 
them ? — A. Before we got into the ice the commissioned officers gen- 
erally had more or less to do about the deck there, but afterwards, un- 
der the captain's orders, the deck was given to Mr. Chippandthe men 
did the most of the work. 

Q. Did you understand that after the ship was in the ice they estab- 
lished what was called an anchor watch ? — A. I have heard the expres- 
sion but I would not know how to apply it. 

Q. Do you know the distinction between the regular sea watch and 
the anchor watch ? — A. I do not. Thej' have watches of two hours and 
watches of four hours. I do not know how they call them. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you have a talk with Mr. Jackson, the Herald correspondent 
in Siberia, when you had freshly come from the scene of your sufler- 
ings ? — A. Yes, sir ; I did. 

Q. And did you state anything to him at that time that you have not 
stated here? — A. I do not think I stated much more, but 1 had a big 
head of steam on at the time I saw Jackson, and I think very likely 1 
ran very lively. I wanted to say " How are you!" and a good many 
other things. You folks don't know how a man could feel under those 
circumstances. 

Q. At all times you endeavored to state what was true? — A. I did, 
undoubtedly. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Which would you rather do, go through the sufferings of another 
retreat or the subsequent examinations in regard thereto? — A. I would 
rather go through a dozen retreats than this sort of experience. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Wednesday, April 16, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

Mr. Arnoux. In connection with Mr. Newcomb's testimony I would 
like to read a few letters. 

Mr. Curtis. From whom to whom ? 

Mr. Arnoux. From Captain De Long to Mr. Connery, for Mr. Ben- 
net te [reading] : 

Ebbitt House, Washington, D. C, A2yril 28, 1879. 

My dear Conneky : In your next cable to Mr. Bennett will you please ask liini to 
purchase in London — 

1 declinometer, 

1 inclinometer, 

And if he is willing to pay $50 a month for a first-class naturalist and taxidermist 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 289 

combined? The cost of tbe declinometer and inclinometer would bo in this country 
three times that in England, and as economy is my motive, I make the suggestion. 

Mr. Bennett has written to Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian, at my suggestion, 
asking him to detail a naturalist. The advantage tons is that his outfit will be pro- 
vided by the Smithsonian, and will cost us nothing. Prf)fe8sor Baird has recommended 
a candidate at $50 a month, but has no money to pay him ; hence the question. 
Lest you ask why I do not cable directly, Nordhoff and myself think in sending it in 
one of your cables we can save cost of address. 
Sincerely yours, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 

Now, I have Professor Baird's letter of April 27, which I will read 
[reading] : 

1445 Massachusetts Avenue, Smithsonian Institution, 

Washington, D. C, April 27, 1879. 
Dear Sir : A very good collector and taxidermist to whom I wrote asking whether 
he wished to be considered a candidate for service in the Jeannette, telegraphs me 
affirmatively. I told him the pay would be |50 or $60 per month. Mr. Kumlein, the 
able taxidermist of the Howgate expedition, is now in Washington on his way to 
join the force of the United States Fish Commission in North Carolina. Should you 
wish to see him for the purpose of making any inquiries relative to preparations for 
an Arctic winter he will call on you with pleasure. 
Sincerely yours, 

SPENCER F. BAIRD. 
Lieut. De Long, U. S. N., 

Ehbitt House. 
Name of candidate, R. L. Newcomb, Salem, Mass. 

Kow, I will read another letter [reading] : 

Arctic steamer Jeannette, at sea, lat. 61° N., long. 168° 23' W. 

Mr. Curtis. What is the object of that ? What is it ? 

Mr. Arnoux. It is an extract from a letter written by Captain De 
Long to Mrs. De Long. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to it. 

Mr. Arnoux. I only propose to read an extract which refers to Mr. 
Newcomb. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that. 

Mr. McAdoo. Is it a very long letter ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Oh, no, sir ; it is only a paragraph I propose to read. 

Mr. McAdoo. I mean the letter itself. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is quite a long letter, some dozen pages. 

The Chairman. What is the objection ? 

Mr. Curtis. In the first place that it is in no way material to the in- 
vestigation, and in the next place that the gentleman should not be al- 
lowed to put in parts and extracts, and that if any goes in the entire let- 
ter should go in. If there is anything in it that is at all pertinent to this 
inquiry that is one thing ; but while I have made the concession in order 
to save time that I would not object to anything that is reasonable and 
pertinent to the issue for any technical reason, I do not think we ought 
to i)ut anything in that is not pertinent. 

Mr. MoAdoo. Perhaps if you read it to the committee, Mr. Arnoux, 
we will be able to tell about it. 

Mr. Arnoux. Very well. 

(The extract was then read to the committee.) 

Mr. Curtis. I have no objection to that. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will read it then to go into the record : 

[Arctic steamer Jeannette, at sea, lat. 61° 'N., long. 168° 23' W., making passage from Ounalaslka to 

St. Michael's.] 

August 9, 1879. 

******* 

Our little family of thirty-two liaving been together now for sometime I can judge 
19 J Q* 



290 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

of the harmony existing among them. In the cabin everything goes on smoothly and 
hanionionsly enough. If I conld wish for any change it would be for a naturalist 
not quite so young. The rest of us being more nearly equal in age have more ideas 
and manners in common, while Nowcorab, with no ideas outside of natural history, 
has nothing to advance, and may, to a certain extent, be deemed our silent member ; 
not that he never says anything, but as on several occasions he, by an unfortunate 
peculiarity of manner (peculiar to Salem, perhaps) has replied to questions in a pert 
and disagreeable manner, some of the mess, though not avoiding, have not sought 
the same flow of soul with him that we are accustomed to. He is by them treated as 
a youngster and his manner passed by without notice. His intercourse with me is 
perfectly correct and respectful, but even I cannot help thinking him a boy. 



William F. C. Kindemann recalled and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. I believe you made the statement the other day that it was 
you that made the wash-boards for the captain^s boat and the whale 
boat "? — Answer. I did not make that statement exactly. 

Q. What was it '? — A. I stated I made the wash-board for the first 
cutter. I did not state I made the wash-board for the second cutter or 
the whale-boat. 

Q. In your judgment, could Captain De Long's boat have lived through 
the storm but for the wash-board *? Give your opinion about that. — A. 
No, sir. 

.Q. Why ? — A. Because we very nearly swamped twice during the 
night with the wash-board on even. The boat was full of water almost 
up to the thwarts. 

Q. State fully in what manner the wash-boards preserved the boats. — 
A. By keeping the water out of and raising the boat 14 inches higher 
thau the real sides of the boat were. 

Q. How was it constructed ? — A. It was constructed with wooden 
stancheons that could be unshipped if you did not want the wash-board, 
enabling the stanchions really to be put on the boat out of the way. 

Q. So far as this expedition was concerned were you the one who 
originated that idea ? — A. As far as I know. The first one I made 
was when I was on that ice-floe with Captain Thyson. The first one I 
constructed was constructed a little different, but constructed on can- 
vas also. 

Q. That was on the Polaris expedition ? — A. On the Polaris expedi- 
tion. 

Q. Be kind enough to bring your mind to the time you left Captain 
De Long and his party. What did he tell you on that occasion, if any- 
thing ? State in it full. — A. Well, on the 8th of October it seemed to me 
as if he had given out. That is, he staid behind all the time, and I went 
back three or four times and asked him to let me carry the load that he 
had to carry, his own clothes, chart case, and things like that. He said 
no, it was all right, for me to go ahead. I went back three times, and 
the last time I went back he told me to take the best man and go ahead 
to the river bank and find the best place, and get enough wood to last 
11^ during the night. We went ahead and came to the river bank, and 
Captain De Long came along with Dr. Ambler a half an hour after- 
wards. After the captain came up I told him this was the best place 
we could find, and we had to make the best of it. I had gone along 
the river banks to the westward and could not find any shelter and a 
little way to the northward and could not find any shelter, and that 
was the best place. There was very little drifit-wood around the 
vicinity we were in at that time. He .asked me how far we were from 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 291 

the place we ate our dinner the same day, and I told him it was proba- 
bly 4 or 5 miles. He said it was too far to go, that we had to stay 
right where we were then. There was more drift-wood where we staid 
for dinner than there was in the vicinity where we were then. He told 
me that night that he was going to send me and Noros out next morn- 
ing, but not to say anything to the men until the time came, so I did 
not say anything. That night I believe both of us had to watch, and I 
asked Captain De Long whether we ought to stand the watch — that is 
to keep the fire going all night, about an hour or two to each man — and 
he said no, that we should not. The next morning came. We didn't 
have much fire that night ; didn't have much sleep or comfort as far 
as that is concerned. Th^ next morning the captain told me after we 
got our breakfast, as we called it — a cup of hot water mixed with alco- 
hol — says he, *' ISindemann, I am going to send you south with N'oros." 
Says he, ''in the first place I was going to give you written instruc- 
tions, but I find that won't work, because there is nobody that can read 
English, therefore 1 want you and Noros to go south to a place called 
Ku-Mark-Surk, given on the chart, where there is a settlement and 
probably you will find natives there. If you should not find any go as 
far as Ajaket, a place further to the south, and if you should not find 
natives there go to Bulun. If you should not find natives there go as 
far as you can, go farther still." Then he gave me strict orders not to 
wade and not to let Noros wade, to avoid all the wading that we could, 
and told me to keep to the west bank of the river all the time and not to 
cross over to the east bank, but if I thought there were any signs ot 
food or natives to go over to the east bank. The captain and me were 
talking there and nobody else was around close enough to hear it. I 
told Captain De Long that I had very little hope of finding assistance 
of any kind. Says he "if you don't find assistance, keep on going as 
long as you can ; if you find assistance come back as quick as you can. 
If you do not find assistance you are as well oft* as we are." 

Q. That is all you remember in reference to it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not a fact that Mr. Collins demanded the right to go ahead 
as the Herald correspondent and that he was refused ? — A. Whether 
he demanded the right as a Herald correspondent and was refused or 
not I could not say. 

Q. Did he demand the right to go ahead 1 — A. He asked to go. 

Q. What did he say when he demanded the right to go ahead 1 — A. 
As far as 1 heard he said that he would like to go along with Ninde- 
mann and Noros. 

Q. Were you aware at that time that, in addition to bjeing the meteor- 
ologist of the expedition, he was the commissioner or correspondent of 
the Herald ? — A. That was the way I understood it. 

Q. Did he not intimate to you or to Captain De Long that he was 
desirous to go ahead ? — A. As far as I heard he asked Captain De Long 
whether he could not go along, and Captain De Long told him, says he, 
'' Mr. Collins, ^''ou would not get away 5 miles from camp." 

Q. If he had gone along with you he would probably have arrived at 
your destination, would he not ? — A. That is more than I can tell. 

Q, The probabilities are that he would "? — A. He might have. 

Q. He was at the time you left him as strong and vigorous as you 
were ? — A. He was, as far as I could seej as far as my judgment went. 

Q. He was naturally a hardy, robust man *? — A. He was a tall man 
and very stalwart. 

Q. Capable of enduring great fatigue ^ — A. As far as I could see he 
was. 



292 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Why did Captain De Long say lie could not get 5 miles from the 
cami) 1 Did he give any reasons for it ? — A. He said Mr. Collins would 
not probably walk 5 miles from the camp. The way I understood it 
was that he would not get any farther, that he would probably drop on 
the way. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You have no reason to believe that if he had gone with you as he 
demanded he would not have got through with you, have you ? — A. If 
he had taken the same course that I did pjrobably he would have got 
through just as well, if he could have stood the hardship ,• that is, for 
the three days, with no fire and no shelter of any kind. 

Q. You and Noros waded, did you not?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And in tlie face of the direction of Captain De Long that you 
should not wade? — A. He gave us strict orders not to wade. 

Q. Could yon have saved your lives without wading ? — A. I don't 
know whether we could or not. If I had probably walked farther into 
the westward I don't know where I would have fetched up. It was no 
use going to the westward. I went to the northwest as far as I could. 
Of course, I didn't have any compass,or watch, or anything of the kind. 
The only thing I had to go by was the sun, and the sun was seen very 
seldom. I was unable to tell the course I was going or the time of day 
except by the sun. 

Q. Be pleased to remember if you can whether or not you did not 
hear Mr. Collins say that he desired to go forward in his capacity of 
Herald correspondent as well 1 — A. Well, I can't remember that exactly, 
but I know that he asked to go, and the cai)tain told him he thought he 
wouldn't get 5 miles away from the camp. 

Q. Is it not a fact that he was held back because it was alleged that 
he was a seaman and subject to naval regulations? — A. That I do not 
know. 

Q. You had no conversation on that subject? — A. No; I never had 
any conversation about anything of that kind. The fact is, I was at- 
tejiding to my own business most of the time. 

Q. Were you not told by Captain De Long before you sailed that as 
far as the Jeannette was concerned the naval rules were but a matter 
of form? — A. Yes; that is what he told me. Pie told me that in New 
York aboard the school ship. 

Q. I want you to give a single instance within your memory on the 
voyage from SaTi Francisco, and while the ship was in the ice, of any of 
the commissioned officers keeping a deck-watch. — A. No, sir; no com- 
missioned officer kept what we would call aboard a man-of-war or a mer- 
chant ship a deck-watch. The man who keeps deck-watch gets his 
orders from the captain all the same, night and day orders. But as far 
as taking in sails is concerned tlie officer of the deck has charge of that, 
unless the captain comes on deck and tells him he wants such and such 
a sail taken in. Then he has to do it certainl.y. 

Q. Did you or did you not tell Captain De Long that you would not 
go north on a ship under strict nas^al discipline? — A. I did. 

Q. When was that conversation ? — A. It was in New York, in the 
spring of 1879. 

Q. What did Captain De Long say in reply to that? — A. He said that 
the naval rules were not going to be carried out very strictly, as I said 
before; that it was just merely a matter of form. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 293 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Why (lid you object to going north under naval regulations ? — 
A. Because I did not care much for it. 

Q. Have you ever been in the Navy?— A. I was under naval rules 
before in going on another expedition. 

Q. Were you ever a naval seaman ? — A. I don't know whether you 
would call it a regular naval ship or an expedition, but still, as far as I 
could see, they had strict naval rules there. 

Q. But outside of those exi)editions you were never on board a naval 
ship*? — A. No, sir; I never was. I had been on board the school ship 
for four years. 

Q. What school ship?— A. The St. Mary. 

Q. Under the charge of and belonging to 'Hew York City ?— A. Yes, 
sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did or did not Dr. Ambler say that he could not pass Jack Cole 
on the medical examination until he had a talk with Captain De 
Long!— A. Yes; he did, right in San Francisco, aboard the receiving 
ship. When I was examined by the doctor Jack Cole was there. Both 
of us were examined there by the doctor, and he passed me, and says 
he, ^'Mr. Cole, I can't pass you until I see the captain." 

Q. Was Cole afterwards passed? — A. That I can't say. 

Q. Was he on board? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He was one of the crew? — A. He was the boatswain, a petty offi- 
cer. Those who had to stand deck-watches were me and Cole and Ice 
Pilot Dunbar from the time we left San Francisco until the ship was 
frozen solid in the ice. Captain Dunbar was first taken off watch, and 
that left me and IVIr. Cole. Then I was taken off of deck officer's duty 
and put at carpenter's work. 

Q. As matter of fact, in your judgment, would not the several people 
in De Long's party that were equally able to move with you and Noros 
have been saved if they had gone on with you ? — A. If they had taken 
the same chance they would have been saved. 

Q. As matter of fact, did not nearly every man in that party desire 
to go along with you and Noros ? — A. They expressed that opinion any- 
how ; at least I heard Fireman Boyd exi)ressing it. 

Q. Anybody else? — A. I don't remember anyone else. They were all 
willing to go. In the first place the captain wanted me to take Iverson 
along ; his feet were kind of sore, and when the captain spoke to me 
about him, I told the captain Iverson had been complaining about his 
feet for a couple of days. Said he, " Yv^ho do you want to take? " Said 
J, ^' I'll take Noros." Said he, "Do you think Noros is a better man." 
Said I, '^ I think he is a stronger man," and the doctor spoke up and 
said, " I think Noros is a better man. You had better let Noros go." 

Mr. Curtis. I would say here that I would like to have the medical 
journal of Dr. Ambler, which is on file in the Navy Department. 

Q. For two days or more before you left the party of Captain De Long, 
was not Captain De Long physically used up and unable to travel? — A. 
That is the way it appeared to me the day before I left him, or the even- 
ing before I left him, when I went back three times to him, and be said 
he was all right, for me to go ahead. It seemed to me as if he was kind 
of broken down in his legs. He himself might have been all right, but 
it seemed to me his legs had given out. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will say for the information -of the committee that 
there are two parts to Dr. Ambler's medical journal, one part of which 



294 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

was kept on the sliip and the otlier kept from the time of the abandon- 
ment of the ship. My own opinion is that there is nothing in the journal 
that was kept on the ship that would interest anybody. The journal 
kept on the ice was not confined to mere medical matters, but was a 
journal which a gentleman would keep as well as a physician. 

The OnMRMAN. We can have both of them and see if there is any- 
thing in them that would be necessary to the investigation. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Have you read that part of Captain De Long's journal or record 
that was published 1 — A. No, sir ; I never took the trouble to read it. 

Q. How do you account for the fact that the strong men whom you 
left with Captain De Long did not travel as much from the 9th to the 
30th of October as you and Noros traveled the first day? — A. I cannot 
account for that at all. 

Q. The majority of them were in the same physical condition, appar- 
ently, that you were? — A. I cannot account for it. 

Q. Do you remember any instances in which, when yourself and an 
Indian used to go ahead any distance in advance of the party, you 
were called back ? — A. Yes ; Captain De Long would call us back if we 
would get too far ahead — sing out for us to stop until they came up. 

Q. You had a Winchester rifle along, had you not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it of any use? — A. It missed fire both times I used it. 

Q. Was it capable of assisting you in procuring game or the means 
of subsistence ? — A. It was if it hadn't missed fire at that time. On sev- 
eral occasions it missed fire. 

Q. It was unreliable, then ? — A. It was at that time. It was very good 
on board the ship, but after it became rusted up 

Q. It became worthless? — A. It was at that time. 

Q. How came you to leave your shotguns behind on the ice? — A. I 
don't know. 

Q. Did you consider that good management? — A. I never considered 
that J I never thought of it. 

Q. Do you not think with the shotguns you could have procured food 
at different times when you were unable to do so with the rifle? — A. We 
could. We would have been just as well off if we had taken one rifle 
and one shotgun instead of taking two rifles. 

Q. In point of fact, how long were you delayed at Bennett Island? — 
A. As near as I remember I think it was eight days ; something like that. 

Q. How many days were you detained there repairing the boats? — 
A. As far as the boats were concerned, I think it took only one day to 
fix them. 

Q. In reference to the supply of birds at Bennett Island, could you 
not have laid in a supply of birds there if you had had shotguns? — A. 
We could have laid in a supply of birds, but at that time we had pro- 
visions enough to last us until we could get somewhere else where we 
could get more provisions probably. 

Q. There were plenty of birds at Bennett Island ? — A. Yes, lots of them. 

Q. Could you not have laid in a large supply of birds without its affect- 
ing your ability to travel?— A. I don't think that these birds would have 
done us much good right there at that time. 

Q. Why do you not think so? — A. It is my belief as to the thing. 

Mr. McAdoo. Have we not been over that ground ? 

Mr. Curtis. Not very fully. 

Mr. McAdoo. We do not want to restrict you, but we do not want 
to travel over the same ground again. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 295 

By Mr. Curtis : - ^ 

Q. Did you not endeavor to get birds on tlie Lena delta and failed 
to do so because you had no shotgun ! — A. Well, we could have shot 
more i)tarmigans if we had had a shotgun, as I said before. 

Q. Ptarmigans are good for food, nutritious and palatable ? — A. Yes. 

Q. When did Kusmah find you at Ku-mark-surk ? — A. I believe it 
was on the evening of the 22d of October. 

Q. Was it not on the 26th ? — A. It might have been on the 26th. 

Q. How long did you remain there after being brought there by the 
natives ? — A. I remained there from the evening of the 24th till the 
morning of the 28th, I think, but I could not get away any sooner. 

Q. Were you not there, in point of fact, some thirty-five days 1 

The Witness. At Ku-mark-surk 1 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. How long altogether?— A. I was there about four days; I think it 
was, from the evening of the 24th till the morning of the 28th. 

Q. At any time to your knowledge were any of Melville's party in a 
starving condition ? — A. Not that I know of. I don't know anything 
about Melville or any of his party. I didn't have any idea whether they 
were alive Or dead. I didn't have any instructions about them at all. 

Q. Had you any information that warranted you in believing that 
his party at any time was in a starving condition *? — A. No, sir ; not 
that I know of. 

Q. How long did Mr. Melville remain at Geeomovialocke, if you 
know ? — A. That I do not know. 

Q. Was it thirtj-five days ? — A. I couldn't say. 

Q. Have you ever stated or is it your present belief that the men in 
He Long's party lost their lives through naval rules *? — A. Oh, no j I 
don't think I have ever stated that. 

Q. You have never stated that 1 — A. No. 

Q. In your judgment, when De Long found himself giving out should 
he or should he not have given the men a chance to save their own 
lives '^. — A. Well, I should think so. 

Q. In your judgment, had he done so and had they pursued the same 
route that you did, is it not probable the majority of them would have 
been saved ? — A. I think some of them would have pulled through ; I 
don't know whether they would have all pulled through. 

Q. To your knowledge, did he fear or did he express that fear that 
you were going to leave him on several occasions •?— A. Oh, no; he did 
not express that fear at all. It was my belief sometimes, though be- 
cause when I got a little too far ahead he used to holler to me to stop. 

Q. When men were arrested and prevented from working did not this 
put extra work on the others ? — A. As far as my judgment goes, I 
should say yes. 

Q. And to that extent it detained the others, did it not ? — A. I should 
think so. 

Q. How much work, if you can approximate it, did the officers do in 
the retreat — physical work 1 — A. As far as I remember, at the first going 
off, when everything was ready to make the start for the retreat, they 
worked first-rate for a day or two, but all at once they commenced 
dropping off. They used to give us a pull when it was just exactly 
necessary, as far as I can remember. 

Q. As a matter of fact, the principal work was done by the men, was 
it not? — A. As far as I can see, it was. 



296 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. The officers that were along were as hardy and healthy as the 
others, were they not ? — A. I should think so. 

Q. ^ow is it not true that eight men out of the whole number did not 
work at all on the retreat ? — A. They worked more or less, but they 
never can say that they worked as much as any man in that party did. 
They did not do it. I say that they worked at times. 

Q. In reference to Captain De Long, did he work? — A. He did work 
a little sometimes. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Ohipp work in the harness ? — A. He did at certain 
times; that is, after we left Bennett Island he sometimes worked at 
hauling the boat over the ice. 

Q. And did Dr. Ambler work in the harness? — A. He did sometimes 
when we first started. I say they all work first rate when we first 
started. 

Q. But they did not work continuously ! — A. Oh, no. 

Q. Was Lieutenant Danenhower ill ? — A. As far as I know. 

Q. That prevented his working? — A. That I could not say ; somebody 
else has to judge that. 

Q. Did Melville say anything to you about the officers having poison 
to kill themselves with in case all hope was abandoned ? — A. I heard 
that, yes. 

Q. Who told you that ? — A. Mr. Melville was talking about it. 

Q. Do you think that the bodies of De Long and his companions and 
what portion of the ship's papers were found could have been found so 
soon but for your knowledge and exertions? — A. As far as my judg- 
ment goes, no ; they would not have been found at all. 

Q. Except for your knowledge and exertions?— A. Yes, as far as I 
know. 

Q. State in your own way any facts that now occur to you that you 
have not already stated within your knowledge relative to the expedi- 
tion. — A. I think I have stated everything that I know as far as I can 
remember j List now. I have not got every answer in my head, but I 
know pretty well as far as I am concerned. 

Q. There is nothing else that occurs to you about which you have not 
been questioned ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. (Jr that you now remember in regard to the expedition that you 
desire to state ? — A. IsTo, not at the present time. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Did that storm that occurred when you were in the boats occur in 
the day or night time or both ? — A. It was a very fresh breeze when we 
left the island and towards dinner-time it became quite a strong breeze, 
and then in the afternoon it kept on increasing to a gale- It was in the 
evening when the gale set in. I should think it was about 5 o'clock 
somewheres when it became a very heavy gale. 

Q. What distance do you think you traveled in the boats on the re- 
treat ? — A. That I could not say. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. How long were you in the boats? — A. From the morning of the 
12th to the evening of the I7lh. 

Q. Please describe again the construction of the boats after you had 
all started out. — A. We all started out from this island — I forget the 
name of it now — the first thing in the morning. We had a fresh breeze 
then from the north-northeast, I think it was, and we kept on sailing 
along. 



JE ANNETTE - INQUIRY. 297 

Q. How many boats were there? — A. Three boats. Captain De Long 
was in one, Mr. Melville in another, and Mr. Chipp in another, with 
their parties. 

Q. All starting to go in what direction — south f — A. To go to the 
south, making for some part of the Lena Delta. I think the intention 
was to reach Barkin. 

Q. Let me ask you right there, before you embarked was there not a 
general conversation among the officers or the men of the expedition as 
to what course was to be pursued, or what was the objective point? — 
A. That I don't know. 

Q. Did you hear it ?— A. iTo, sir ; I was busy most of the time, and 
I was not much around the tents. 

Q. You were busy preparing the boats for the start ? — A. Yes. The 
only thing that I heard was that the object they had in view was to 
reach Barkin, that they expected probably to find a pilot there to pilot 
us farther to the southward. 

Q. What was the condition of the sea at the time you embarked ? — 
A. It was smooth water, as you might call it. 

Q. Was there much ice ? — A. No, sir ; there was not much ice ; no 
ice to be seen at the time we started in the boats, but towards dinner 
we ran in between some slack ice, and Mr. Melville ran his boat up 
against a piece of ice, or something, I don't remember what it was ex- 
actly, and we had to haul the boat up and repair it, and we staid there 
for dinner and afterwards started off again. 

Q. From the place where you started could you see land in advance 
of you? — A. E"o, sir. 

Q. That was the first day out. Now, then, go on and describe the 
journey until the separation; how you got separated? — A. In the even- 
ing we separated. We tried to keep together as near as we possibly 
could. Melville had the lead and was on the port side of us. 

Q. How were the boats being propelled ; by oars or sails ? — A. We 
were running under reefed sails. Mr. Ohipp was on the port quarter. 
Captain De Long was signaling to Mr. Melville to come alongside. He 
was going to tell him to keep as near together as we possibly could. 
The sea was running very high at that time. I told Captain De Long 
"it is impossible for him to come alongside; he will swamp if he tries 
to put his boat alongside of us." Says he, '' Let him go ahead, then." 
He said himself then, " I think the sea is rather high for him to come 
alongside; let him go ahead." Then we went to work and put another 
reef in our sail to wait for Mr. Chix)p. 

Q. Was he coming after you ? — A. He was a little behind us on the 
port quarter, not right astern, but a little to one side of the stern. Just 
as soon as we had got another reef in the sail our boat commenced tak- 
ing in so much water that we could hardly keep her free. She didn't 
have enough headway to get away from the sea and Mr. Chipp was not 
gaining on us, and, says I, " Captain De Long, we had better shake out 
another reef and get away to sea ; Mr. Chipp has not gained any as far 
as I can see." 

Q. How far was he behind you ? — A. A quarter of a mile, probably. 
It was getting quite dark, and it was not long before he was out of sight. 
His- boat was out of sight a quarter of an hour after that. We shook 
out another reef, got on more sail, and kept on running i)robably for a 
couple of hours. I think it was 8 o'clock in the evening and I was 
steering the boat when Erichsen jibed the sails three or four times — that 
is, going from one side to the other — and every time the sails were jibed 
the boat would take in a lot of water, and the last time he jibed, the 



298 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

sail and mast were carried over the side and the boat came to itself 
without anybody heaving it to. 

Q. Did this occur during the night ? — A. Yes ; it must have been 
somewhere about 10 or 11 o'clock. Then we made some kind of a bag 
out of the sail, so that the boat would not drift as rapidly. Toward • 
morning the rope was carried away, and we lost our sails. 

Q. In the morning did you see anything of the other two boats ? — A. 
No, sir; I never saw the other two boats again, or their crews, until I 
saw Mr. Melville at Bulun. I didn't know whether they were alive or 
dead, or what had become of them. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Was the second cutter fixed up like the first ? — A. No, sir ; he only 
had a 6- inch wash-board around his boat. 

Q. Why did he not fix his boat like yours ? — A. I don't know, sir. 

Q. If the second cutter had been fixed in the same way that you fixed 
the first cutter, is there any probability that it would have survived the 
storm *? — A. Yes ; it would have survived the storm as well as ours. I 
can't see any reason why it should not. If the boat was managed right 
he should have got through just as well. 

Q. Who put the wash-board on Lieutenant Chipp's boat % — A. Sweet- 
man, the carpenter. 

Q. And who put it on yours ? — A. I did. 

Q. How much larger was the one on yours than the one on Ohipp's 
boat ? — A. Ours was about 16 inches high, and Mr. Ohipp's was only 
about 6 inches, and he didn't have his all the way around. It only passed 
around the stern and then around midships. When I saw it last he 
didn't have it all the way around. 

Q. The first cutter did have it all the way around? — A. Yes, sir; it 
was arranged like a turtle back, and when the boat would dive in the 
sea the water would run off again — it would not run into the boat. 

Q. You had oars in the boats ? — A. Yes ; but we could not use oars. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Which boat was lower in the water of the two cutters ? — A. Our 
boat was loaded deeper than any of them. 

Q. How much higher out of the water did Ohipp's boat set than 
yours! — A. Quite a distance higher. 

Q. How many inches ? — A. Probably 6 or 7 inches. 

Q. Then Ohipp's boat was a good deal slower in sailing in that storm 
than yours? — A. She kept behind. I don't know why it was. Proba- 
bly she took in too much water. She always was the slowest boat in 
rough water. In smooth water she could keep up pretty well. 

Q. When you tried to go slow the water would come into your boat? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And even then you were going as fast as Ohipp's boat ? — A. Yesj 
we were going faster. 

Q. Now, do you not think that Ohipp's boat going so slowly, and the 
storm being in the direction it was, that it necessarily swamped Ohipp's 
boat ? —A. Oertainly it swamped Ohipp's boat, as far as my idea goes. 

By the Ohairman : 

Q. You left the whale boat ? — A. Yes, sir ; left it on board the ship. 

Q. AVould that have been better than the second cutter ? — A. It would 
have been better for that kind of weather, but lit would have been a 
worse boat to transport over the ice. We didn't have sails enough for 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 299 

the full length of the boat and every time you would go to haul her 
the bow or the stern would fetch up against the ice and would break the 
boat that way. The whale boat was a very unsatisfactory boat to haul 
over the ice. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did you not have to stop and repair the whale boat because of its 
jamming into the ice in the way you speak of before you got into the 
water? — A. Yes, sir. Something was the matter with Melville's boat. 
I know he sung out he was sinking, and he had to haul his boat up. I 
didn't pay any attention to what the matter was. 

Q. Did you not at some time or other before you went into the water 
to sail to the Siberian coast, when you were in the pack, have to repair 
the whale boat •? — A. In the ten day camp we had to repair boats, be- 
cause we could not go anywhere else at that time. 

Q. The whale boat needed to be repaired ? — A. As far as I could judge 
we calked all the boats at that time. 

Q. Did not the whale boat need more repairs than the others ? — A. 
On Bennett Island she needed more repairs, because she was stumbling 
over the ice all the time. We worked at it only one day. 

Q. I am only speaking of the fact of being so long. She had got 
jammed ? — A. Yes ; her bow and stern were pounded open. The seams 
were all open and the fastenings had got out. 

Q. Do not all men-of-war boats use weather cloths'? — A. ]^o, sir; I 
never heard of any of them doing so. 

Q. But you were i)rovided with them, were you not? — A. jNo, sir; 
we were not. 

Q. None of them ? — A. No, sir. I don't know of any boat that ever 
had a canvas wash-board but these boats and the one I put around a 
boat when I was on that iceberg. [Polaris Expedition.] 

Q. Did not Ohipp object to i^utting a wash-board on his boat "? — A. I 
don't know whether he did or not. I saw Sweetman at work on it. The 
fact of the matter is, I don't know anything about any boat except the 
boat I was in myself, Captain De Long's boat. 

Q. Did Captain De Long tell you to put the wash-cloths on your 
boat ? — A. He did not, sir. I spoke to him about it three or four times, 
but he always told me there was no need of it. 

Q. And afterwards you did put it on without any orders ? — A. I did. 
I says " Captain De Long, I would like to have a wash-board around 
the boat." He says ^' There is no use of it, we won't want it." Says I, 
'' If we won't want it, it won't do any good if I put it on, and it won't 
do any harm." I went down and put the wash board around the boat, 
and by and by he came down and said *' There is no need for you to do 
work, I came here to rest, and I want everybody else to rest." I said, 
" It won't do any harm for me to put it up. It can be put up in a sec- 
ond, and it can be taken down in a second." 

Q. His reason was that he did not want you to do so much work, but 
he wanted you to rest ? — A. That is what he said. 

Q. Were you with the party when they discovered the different 
bodies ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, did you examine the bodies when you found them ? — A. Yes, 
I examined them. 

Q. Was there a scratch or a tooth-mark on any one of them ? — A. 
Yes. 
Q. On whose ? — A. On Dr. Ambler's. 

Q. What was that ? — A. He had been biting his hand — sucking his 
own blood. 



300 JE ANNETTE INQUIEY. 

Q. Whicli band, do you remember *? — A. The left liand. 

Q. Was there any such mark on any other body ? — A. No, sir ; onlj^ 
some of their hands were burned. The nails were all wrinkled up and 
burned off, and some of their toes. 

Q. To what was that due? — A. When they were dying they wriggled 
near the fire, and they didn't know they got so near the fire. 

Q. Was the attitude of Dr. Ambler such that you could tell he had 
been biting his own hand '? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was lifted up to his mouth ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. With that exception did you find any other mark ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Will you give the whole conversation that you heard between Mr. 
Collins and Captain De Long at the time that you started away ? — A. 
I stated that. 

Q. Did you give the entire conversation *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When Captain De Long tokl him he thought he could not get 5 
miles from the cam}), did Mr. Collins make any further answer ? — A. 
That I don't know. I had to do something else, and I didn't pay any 
more attention to the conversation. 

Q. You heard nothing further, then ? — A. No. 

Q. As far as you know, that was the end of the conversation ? — A. 
As far as I know, 1 couldn't say that there was anything further said 
after that; but he said, "Mr. Collins, you wouldn't get away 5 miles 
from the camp." I didn't hear what Mr. Collins said in reply exactly, 
but it was something about that he was entitled to go ahead, or some- 
thing like that. I couldn't remember the words that he said, because I 
didn't pay much attention to the conversation ; I was getting ready to 
make the start. 

Q. Did he make a demand, or ask permission 1 — A. That I couldn't 
say. I stated the thing just the way I got it. 

Q. As you recollect, w^hat did he say*? — A. I told you that once be- 
fore. 

Q. I want to know just exactly what was said, without reference to 
the question that was put to you. What did he say in the first in- 
stance ? — A. Just as I told it before. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Say it once again. Tell us exactly what he said. — A. In the first 
place, Collins went uj) and asked Captain De Long if he couldn't go 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. (Interposing.) That is all I want. When you started how much 
food did you take with you ? — A. I didn't have any food ; nothing but 
old shoe-soles and a pair of old sealskin pants. 

Q. And how did you get the food that you had until the time you 
reached that hut ? — A. I didn't have any food only these shoe-soles that 
were eaten and these sealskin pants and two mildewed or rotten fish we 
found in the hut, and one ptarmjgau. 

Q. Did you eat up all the rotten fish you found? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If there had been more persons in the i^arty, would there have 
been sufficient food for all ? — A. Oh, no. 

Q. You said that you had a Winchester rifle ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You took that with you ? — A. No ; I had a Remington at that 
time ; the Winchester rifle Avas left behind. 

Q. Do you know to whom that belonged? — A. I had been carrying 
it; I don't.know exactly who was the owner of it. 

Q. Did you not understand that Mr. Collins owned it? — A. 1 don't 
know whether he did or not. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 301 

Q. Did you not uuderstand that lie owned it? — A. I don't know 
whether anybody owned any rifles or not. It appeared to me they all 
belonged to the Government, except I had a rifle of my own, which was 
lost. 

Q. Did you hear anybody say that that rifle belonged to Mr. Collins ? — 
A. That I don't know. As far as I know they all belonged to the Gov- 
ernment. 

Q. Was that the rifle that Collins used when he went shooting on the 
ice? — A. I think so. 

Q. Do you remember how much Collins shot? Did he not shoot 
many seals when you were on the ice? — A. 1 don't know what you 
would call many. 

Q. Abont how many, probably j do you remember? — A. Probably 
five or six. 

Q. Did he not also shoot a walrus? — A. Yes. 

Q. And about how much did the walrus we"gh? — A. I should judge 
about a thousand pounds ; something like that. 

Q. Did you not eat the walrus and the seal?— -A. We eat some of it. 
The most of it was given to the dogs though. 

Q. You had to provide for your dogs as well as the men? — A. Oh, 
yes. The dogs could drink about as much as they could eat. 

Q. Did Collins while on board the ship do the work of an ordinary 
seaman ? — A. ]S"ot that I know of. 

Q. Was he not always treated as one of the officers, and as belonging 
to the officers' mess? — A. He belonged to the officers' mess as far as I 
know. 

Q. Mr. Newcomb was also in the same position in that respect as Mr. 
Collins, was he not? — A. Yes. 

Q. Did Mr. Newcomb do any special amount of work on the ice ? — 
A. Oh, no; he used to do a little road-making. 

Q. After he was relieved from his suspension did he go back to doing 
any amount of work ? — A. I don't know whether he was ever relieved 
or not. 

Q. He said yesterday that he was relieved in two or three days. 
After two or three days did he go back and do any special amount of 
work ? — A. That I don't know. I didn't trouble my head about that ; 
I didn't care. 

Q. None of the others that belonged to the officers' mess did any 
seaman's work, did they ? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. Neither on the ice nor at any other time ? — A. Not that I know 
of. As I stated before they used to give us a hand now and then, but 
did not work right straight along. 

Q. When you were at Bennett Island where the birds were, was there 
any need of shooting them ; could you not have got all you wanted with 
stones ? — A. Yes ; I guess we had all we wanted until the last two days, 
when we couldn't get as many as we wanted. We even couldn't shoot 
them because they were getting wild then. 

Q. Was there a storm or a gale when you were at Bennett Island ? — 
A. Not that I remember. Vf e probably had a stifl' gale. I don't re- 
member of any heavy storms. 

Q. Something has been said about a compass. Will you tell us what 
kind of a compass the ship's compass was ? — A. They were these spirit 
compasses filled with spirits. 

Q. Filled with spirits in glass, were they not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, if the glass of one of those compasses had got broken at any 
time, did you have other glasses with which to replace it? — A. The 
glass is generally heavy enough so that they won't break. 



302 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. But suppose in case of an accident one did break, had you any 
way of replacing it •? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. And if they were broken then they woukl become useless, would 
they not?— A. I don't know whether they would become useless alto- 
gether or not ; of course, I never had the experience of having one break, 
and I don't know whether they would be useless or not ; I couldn't say 
about that. 

Q. About how many pounds did one of those boat compasses weigh 1 — 
A. Probably 8 or 9 pounds; something like that, I should say. 

Q. And about how much did the compass that you took weigh ? — A. 
Probably it weighed about a pound and a half; something Hke that. 

Q. When you were on the Polaris what was your position ? — A. Sea- 
man. I did carpenter's work there, too. 

Q. And, having had some experience as a carpenter before, you were 
put on cari)enter's duty on the Jeannette, were you not ? — A. I suppose 
so. I was a carpenter aboard the school ship, too. 

Q. But I say wasn't it directly on that account that Captain De Long 
put you on carpenter's duty on the Jeannette ? — A. Yes, exactly. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What was the feeling of the other members of the expedition to- 
ward Professor Newcomb, and what was his standing with them? — A. 
If you want my judgment of that thing 

Q. (Interposing.) No ; just the fact as to how he was treated by the 
other members of the expedition ? — A. I haven't any facts at all. I never 
troubled my head about that, and don't know anything about that, ex- 
cept as to the way they showed it to each other by passing each other. 
You can always tell that way whether men are on good terms or not. 
It seemed to me as if there was always a kind of a wrangle between the 
whole of them. They would be on good terms, and then they wouldn't 
be on good terms. That is the way it appeared to me. There was more 
or less hard feelings between them every now and then. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Then it would pass away ? — A. It was a kind of a mixed up thing. 
It never passed away between Newcomb and Collins and the rest of 
the officers. It was always the same old thing, as far as I could seethe 
feeling was concerned. I couldn't say what they said to each other, and 
never troubled my head about it. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. As a member of the expedition, do you think the want of harmony 
among the officers and men had any effect upon its success? — A. I 
don't think it had, as far as that is concerned, except on science and 
observations. I don't know exactly what Collins's duty was ; I couldn't 
say about that. 

Q. What effect would that have on science? — A. Ocf storms and signs 
of storms, and one thing and another. As far as I could understand, 
he went out for that purpose. 

Q. You mean the lack of harmony among the members of the expe- 
dition prevented them from paying as much attention to that as they 
should ? — A. I don't think it did. It seemed to me everybody had as 
much as he could do. Everybody had his hands full, as far as I could 
see. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did Mr. Collins wear any extra amount of underclothes? — A. 
Everybody was allowed to put on as much clothing as he was a mind to. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 303 

Q. And how mucli did Mr. Collins wear, if you know? — A. Even Mr. 
Danenhower made the remark at one time that he wanted us to work 
with coats on, that the captain said for everybody to have them on and 
not to put them in the boat, and I got warmed up at work and took 
my coat oft' and put it in the boat, and Mr. Danenhower asked me what 
I was giving orders about. Says I, ''I didn't give any orders ; I took 
my coat off because I was too warm." 

Q. How much did Mr. Collins put on? — A. I don't know how muchj 
probably a couple of suits to keep himself comfortable. 

Q. Do you not know that he had on three suits of underclothes! — A. 
Even if he had, I had on three suits of underclothes, and I had noth- 
ing else on when I was picked up. 

Q. Did he not have on three suits'? — A. That I do not know. 

Q. Did you ever think that he was overweighted with his clothing ? — 
A. I didn't see any overweighting with his clothing there. 

Q. Do you think that Mr. Collins could have waded through and en- 
dured what you did after you left Captain De Long ?— A. That is hard 
for me to tell. 

Q. Did you not express the opinion to Captain Watton, in the city of 
Kew York, that Collins would have died on the way if he had under- 
taken to have gone with you ? — A. No ; I don't think I did. 

Q. If you had so stated to Captain Watton, in the city of New York, 
was it your true opinion ? — A. When he asked me, I said probably he 
might have died. Those are the words I used. 

Q. Then you tell us truly he might have died on the way ? — A. He 
might have. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. And he might have lived ?— A. He might have lived ; I couldn't 
judge. If a man wants to die, all he has got to do is to say, '' I am 
going to die," and lie down and die. That is my belief. Nothing will 
save him then. 

Q. Of course, it is unnecessary to ask you, but the large shijo's com- 
passes were not taken with the boats? — A. Oh, no, sirj they were not 
intended for the boats. 

Q. It was the other boat's compasses that were taken ? — A. It was the 
regular boat's compasses. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, if you know, did or did not Captain De 
Long and the doctor take up the room in the boat to lie down in and 
make the men sit up in a cramped position ? — A. They did at certain 
times ; yes, sir. 

Q. To your own knowledge, did Collins ever try to work ? — A. He did, 
as far as I could see ; he was willing to work, as far as I know. 

Q. And he was refused permission ? — A. As far as I know, he was not 
allowed to touch anything. He worked first-rate the first eight days, 
probably a little longer, and all at once I found he was put off* duty. 
He was told not to work. Of course, he was off duty before, but he 
was told not to do any more work. That is a thing I did not hear, but I 
saw he did not do any more work. 

Q. Did or did not Captain De Long have any watch or compass when 
you left him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he give you either to guide you on your way ! — A. No, sir ; I 
had nothing but a little chart about 6 inches square. 

Q. So that there will be no doubt about it, see if I understand you 
correctly. You stated, I believe, in substance, that while you could 
not state exactly the language that Mr. Collins used when he requested 



304 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

to go forward, you heard the words " Herald correspondent" used, but 
you do not now remember in what connection ? — A. I do not remember 
exactly the way he put it. 

Q. So that you would be unable to swear now, of course, that Mr. Col- 
lins did not demand to go ahead as a Herald correspondent? — A. I 
would not swear to that. 

Q. You would not swear that he did not make the demand to go ahead 
as Herald correspondent *? — A. No, I would not swear. I cannot say the 
words exactly. I did not pay attention enough to the conversation. I 
only heard these words that I have given. 

Q. Now, in answer to a question of Mr. McAdoo, of the committee, 
you stated, as I understood you, that while in your opinion the want of 
harmony that existed might not have had any effect on the success of 
the expedition it interfered so far as Mr. Collins was concerned with 
the scientific mission with which he was intrusted on the ship? — A. As 
far as my judgment goes, I should think it did. I don't know whether 
I am judging right or wrong. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Did you know that Mr. Collins was intrusted with any scientific 
mission"? — A. Well, I should think so. I was the one who put up the 
observatory and made all the boxes for him and everything else, and he 
handled all the instruments at the time. He must have been intrusted 
with them or else he would not have handled them. 

Q. Who intrusted him ; Captain He Long? — A. I suppose he, being 
the commander, intrusted him. 

Q. In the record of the court of inquiry- 1 find this question was put 
to you and this answer given : 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did Mr. Collius request to be permitted to go 
with you and Noros when you left the first cutter's party and went ahead for relief? 

The Witness. That I am not certain of. I do not know whether he did or not. I 
know the evening before I left Captain De Long I had spoken to Collins that the cap- 
tain was going to send me off the next morning ; and I then told him I had very little 
liope of falling in with natives, but Mr. Collins said he thought that as we had stood 
80 much hardship and had weathered the gale, God would not forsake us at the last 
stretch. 

A. Yes; that is what he said the evening before ,• that is the same 
statement I made. 

Q. That testimony that you gave there was exactly correct, was it 
not ? — A. The way I gave it at that time — yes, as far as I know. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You were not called on to answer in detail, as you have been to day ? — 
A. There were a certain number of questions asked me and I answered 
the best I could at that time ; but there have been a hundred or a hun- 
dred and fifty questions asked me now in different shapes, and I have 
answered them, of course. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. You have stated that before going on the expedition you asked 
Captain De Long if naval rules were to be strictly enforced, and he said 
they were not. Is that so ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were the naval rules enforced on the expedition ? — A. To a cer- 
tain extent they were, as far as I know. 

Q. Were you disappointed as a member of that expedition after that 
statement of Captain De Long's? — A. I was not disappointed in anyway, 
shape, or form, as far as I was concerned. 

Q. Did you find those rules to be more rigidly enforced than you had 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 305 

expected? — A. The ODly fault I found was with Captain De Long put- 
ting people under arrest when I thought it was everybody's place to 
do work. I thought that everybody had enough to do to get themselves 
through, without some of the people having a lot of grub to drag for 
other people who didn't do any work. I think every man who goes u^j 
north with a party ought to do as much work as anybody in the party. 
That is my belief as to Arctic expeditions — that everybody should 
work. If you abandon a ship the only thing you can do is to go south 
or to make for some settlement. 

Q. On the other expeditions that you were a member of what dijft'er- 
ence, if any, existed Ijetween the mode of conducting them and this 
one ? — A. The mode of conducting them was about the same, only peo- 
ple were put under arrest on the Jeannette expedition. That is the only 
difference. 

Q. You have been on three expeditions'? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Your first expedition was on what vessel % — A. The Polaris, from 
1871 to 1873. 

Q. And the second ? — A. After I came back I went right up again 
on the Tigress, volunteering at the time. 

Q. And as to the conduct of those expeditions and the manner of the 
people conductiDg them, what difference was there between them and 
that of the Jeannette?— A. It was about the same thing, as far as I 
could see. 

Q. How did the officers treat the men on the Polaris expedition ? — 
A. When they first started off', before Captain Hall was made aware of 
it, Ice-Pilot Buddington did not treat us exactly the way he ought to 
in the line of grub. He kept away from us the grub which we should 
have had, and which Captain Hall allowed us, until the thing went a 
little too far, and we got tired of it, and we wrote a polite letter to 
Captain Hall, asking him to look into the case, and just as soon as he 
found that we were not getting the right treatment, and the treatment 
that he wanted us to have, he wrote us a letter, thanking us for re- 
minding him of the matter, and the thing was changed at once, and 
the rule was made for everybody to live alike. Everybody was allowed 
so much, and if he was not satisfied with the grub allowed for a certain 
day, all he had to do was to go to Captain Hall and say " I didn't like 
the grub I had for dinner," or " for supper," and state what you wanted, 
and you had it. 

Q. Were there any civilians who occupied places like those of Collins 
and Newcomb ! — A. As far as I understood it, Captain Hall had it in 
his own power to enforce navy rules if he thought proper, or to have 
the same rules they have aboard a merchant ship. 

Q. What I am asking you is, were there any people on these expe- 
ditions who occupied similar places to those which Collins and Professor 
Newcomb occupied? — A. Yes, sir ^ there was Dr. Bessels, Mr. Bryan, 
aod Mr. Myers. 

Q. How were they treated on those expeditions by the naval offi- 
cers ?— A. We didn't have any naval officers; we had merchant officers 
there. 

Q. I thought Captain Hall was a naval officer? — A. No, sir ; he was 
not. 

Q. Did you have many difficulties in those expeditions among the 
men and officers — many quarrels? — A. They claim that we didn't have 
any trouble at all between ourselves. There was a little wrangling be- 
tween the officers, the same way it was on the Jeannette, the way it looks 
to me. But the men had a growl now and then^ and probably had a 
20 J Q* 



306 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

little wrangle over something for a day or two, and then came together 
again just as friendly as they were before. 

Q. Was there more or less of friendliness and harmony in the two 
other expeditions than there was on the Jeannette*? — A. It was about 
the same thing, as far as I could see. I don't think there was much 
difference. Captain Thyson made statements before the naval com- 
mittee to get things as smooth as he could ; then he went to work and 
published a book and took all the credit of the expedition to himself. 
I spoke to him the other day about it, in regard to matters concerning 
myself, and he said if there was anything in his book against me he 
didn't state it. I put him in mind of everything, and he said he couldn't 
remember. He runs me down to the lowest point, and I told him about 
it. He said in his book that I had been lying in the cold, and was not 
fit to stand up on my feet, and that was the reason I fell overboard. I 
told him about it, and he says that is a mistake. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. I find in a telegraphic report, about your evidence the other morn- 
ing before I came in, something which 1 consider rather an important 
point. It says that Mr. Nindemann said if the survivors of the Jean- 
nette had been under proper guidance and control, they would not have 
had to make a journey in a southerly direction from where the vessel 
went down to reacti aid and suc^cor 1 — A. I only said what I said here. 
I don't know anything about newspaper talk at all. I only know what 
I stated before the committee. I didn't put it the way it reads in that 
newspaper at all. 

Q. What is your opinion about these difficulties that you know about 
and that have been testified to here — these little bickerings and fuss- 
ings and gossii)ings among the officers and men ; do you think that 
they were more than would usually occur among a body of men who 
were confined together a long time? 

The Witness. Do you want my opinion on it? 

Mr. Boutelle. Yes, your opinion whether these little frictions and 
quarrels, as they were called, and petty troubles were any more or less 
than you would naturally exi)ect where twenty-five or thirty men were 
sent off together and confined together for a long time? — A. No, I do 
not mean to sa3^ that ; but if you want my idea of it, the way I think of 
it, or the way I did think of it at that time, I can give you that. 

Q. Well. — A. It is my belief when a vessel goes up north, way out 
of civilization, way out of the world altogether, as you might call it, 
where the men are locked up in a little bit of a place, if two men have 
a little growl, let them have it out and be done with it, or if two officers 
have a growl, let them have it out and be done with, and not keep up 
right straight along. A man can't get away then. He can't say, *' We 
can't agree and I will leave you." But he has to stay there and at cer- 
tain times the two have always to come together. They may get off' on 
the ice and stay off for a little while, but they have to come together 
again. That is my opinion. 

Q. Is not the fact of their being away from home under discomfort, 
&c., calculated to make men a little more captious with one another? — 
A. Oh, I don't know; I didn't find it so. I had a growl with people 
aboard ship myself and was done with it. I had no hard iVieling. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Did the men have their own growls among themselves ?— A. Cer- 
tainly they had. 



JEANNETTEi INQUIRY. 307 

Q. Did they have it any more on the Jeannette than on the Polaris '? — 
A. Oh, no. 

Q. Did the officers have any growling among themselves more than 
you had amoDg yourselves? — A. I didn't know anything about their 
growling except by appearances. 

Q. Judging by their appearance did they have any growling on the 
Polaris ? — A. As far as I could see, they had. 

Q. Did they on the Polaris appear to growl more than they did on 
the Jeannette ? — A. It was about the same thing as far as I could see. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. On the Polaris there was no meteorologist I — A. Yes, sir; there 
were branches of all the sciences as far as I know. 

Q. But he was assigned by the ISTavy Department!— A. No, sir; there 
were no Navy men there at all. 

Q. Did you have a meteorologist on the Polaris? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And a naturalist? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. They were assigned by the ISTavy Department ? — A. I don't know 
whether they were or not. They were not Navy men. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Who was the scientist on the Polaris ? — A. There were three; Mr. 
Myers, Dr. Bessels, and Mr. Bryan. 

. By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. On the Polaris or the Tigress were either the naturalist or meteor- 
ologist arrested or suspended ? — A. I think on the Polaris there was a 
little trouble between Captain Hall and Dr. Bessels. 

Q. Was he retained under suspension for a long time? — A. Oh, no ; 
he never was stopped from his work. He always did his work. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Those vessels did not belong to the Navy ? — A. As I said before, 
Captain Hall had it in his power to enforce Navy rules if he wanted to, 
but he didn't do it. 

Q. But as far as you understood it, neither the Polaris nor the Tigress 
were under Naval discipline ? — A. The Tigress was. 

Q. The Polaris was a merchant vessel ? — A. No, sir ; a Government 
vessel. Captain Hall was appointed as her captain. 

Q. Was not that an expedition which had nothing to do with the 
Navy ? — A. It was an expedition sent out by our Government here, the 
same as the Jeannette expedition was sent out by the Government. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. But not by the Navy Department ? — A. Yes; the Navy Depart- 
ment fitted out the ship but turned the command of it over to Captaiu 
Hall. The Navy Department appointed him. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Captain Hall was a civilian ? — A. He was no Navy man. 

Q. He was a sea captain ?— A. Yes, sir. It was done by an act of 
Congress. 

Q. You were a member of the crew of the Polaris that left the United 
States to go to the Arctic regions ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At any time from the time she left the United States until you re- 
turned did the captain of the Polaris threaten to send the crew back in 
irons ?— A. I never heard of it. 



308 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. The United States ship Congress acted as a convoy to the Po- 
laris ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Captain Davenport was the captain of the Congress ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Captain Hall was the captain of the Polaris ? — A. Yes, sir* 

Q. When the expedition arrived at Upernavik or Disco, did Captain 
Hall call upon Captain Davenport to suppress a munity among the crew 
of the Polaris ? — A. Not among the crew. . 

Q. Amongst the persons on board? — A. I think he did. 

Q. And did Captain Davenport address the men on board the Polaris, 
telling them if any of them wislted to go back to the United States he 
would take them back, but would take them back in irons ? — A. That 
I don't know. I know we were called up on deck in the harbor of 
Disco, and that Captain Davenport, if that was his name, made a 
speech, but I never heard him say anythiug about taking the men back 
in irons. I know there was no trouble between the men as far as they 
were concerned. I don't know whether there was trouble between the 
officers or not. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What was the impression of the men as to what they were eel 
to muster for ? — A. The trouble that they had aft. 

Q. Some trouble they had among the officers ! — A. Yes ; I never heard 
that they were going to take back some of the men in irons. 

Q. Did he call the officers and men to muster *? — A. Everybody was 
called up on deck. 

Q. And he addressed them 1 — A. Yes ; he made a speech of some 
kind. 

Q. What was the impression you had as to what he said! — A. That 
I don't know. 

Q. What did you think he wanted to say ? — A. I didn't have any idea 
at the time. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Were you listening ? — A. Ko ; I didn't pay auy attention ; I don't 
know how it was; I was looking at something else and didn't pay any 
attention to anything else at that time. 

Q. Was there any trouble among the crew of the Polaris ? — A. No, 
sir ; it was among the officers ; it had nothing to do with the men at all, 
as far as I know. 

James H. Bartlett recalled and examined as follows : 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. You stated the other day that you expected some notes, memo- 
randa, in relation to the Jeannette expedition ; have you yet received 
them? — Answer. No, sir; I have not. 

Q. Have you written for them 1 — A. I have ; yes, sir. 

Q. Are they memoranda in your own handwriting ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Kelative to the conduct, history, and management of the expedi- 
tion ? — A. They are short notes that 1 made at the time. 

Q. Have you any objection when they do arrive to submitting them 
to the committee ? — A. Not any, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. We will adopt that course so as to save time. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. When did you commence to make these notes ? — A. I believe all 
the memoranda 1 have now are from the time we lost the ship. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 309 

Q. Did you make any of those memoranda or notes prior to reaching 
tlie peninsula or the delta '?— A. I did, yes, sir ; I started in company 
with Mr. Dauenhower the first day we came on the ice to keep a jour- 
nal. He said that his eye was so bad that he could not write and asked 
me if I would do the writing while he did the composing of the matter. 

Q. And how long a time did that continue ? — A. That continued for 
two or three days, perhaps, and he came to me 

Q. (Interposing.) Then, did you not suspend writing ! — A. I did not ; 
no, sir. 

Q. Did you write continuously every day in the journal? — A. Not 
every day ; no, sir. 

Q. How long an interval elapsed from the time you reached the 
delta to the time that you had last previously written in it? — A. I 
think the last that I wrote in my journal until we reached the delta 
was written at the island of Seminowski. 

Q. That was how many days? — A. We left the island the 12th of 
September, in the morning, and arrived at the delta, I believe, on the 
16th or 17th, and I do not think I wrote anything in my journal from 
that time until we arrived at Geeomovialocke. 
. Q. That was when? — A. That was on the 29th. 

Q. Then from about the 12th to the 29th you suspended writing ? — 
A. I did ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did you, after the 29th, write anything in the journal as to what 
had transpired upon the ice ?— A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. So that all the record that appears there as to what took place 
while you were on the ice was written while you were on the ice? — A. 
Was written while we were making the trip before we landed on the 
delta. 

" By Mr. OuRTiS : 

Q. Do you know of any difference of opinion or dif&culty between 
Lieutenant Dauenhower and Mr. Melville in reference to the attempt 
to get away to Barkin ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. State all the facts in relation to that. — A. There was a wordy 
discussion between them in regard to the affair. As I remember it now, 
Mr. Dauenhower went home with Kusmah the first time that he visited 
Geeomovialocke, and learned something in regard to the part of the 
country we were in, and came back and told Mr. Melville that he had 
been informed that he could go to Barkin, and that he had made ar- 
rangements with Kusmah to pay a team or a dog driver that he had 
with him to carry him to Barkin, or words to that effect. I don't just 
remember the wording of it. And he insisted upon going. Mr. Mel- 
ville, I think, told him that if there was any one to go he would go. 
Mr. Dauenhower accused him of taking advantage of knowledge that 
he had gained in the country, and said that he did not think it was 
proper nor just for him to do so. Then I think Mr. Melville got up and 
said, '' Damn it, I don't want to steal any of your blood and thunder, 
go on," or words to that effect. 

Q. Is that all you remember in relation to that transaction ? — A. 
Well, I think it was concluded that Dauenhower should go, and I be- 
lieve he did go. To the best of my memory he did go. He went to a 
place called Arrii, and staid overnight, and I think the man that he 
had engaged refused to do further duty, and the next morning Mr. 
Dauenhower made arrangements, as 1 understand, with another party 
and came back to our house, where we were living, and then visited 
Kusmah's house, and from Kusmah' s traveled to the southeast, to the 



310 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

point known as Boukoffmoos in the Eussian language — I don't know 
what the translation of it would be — and returned to our house. That 
is all I remember in regard to that particular transaction. 

Q. What reason, if any, did the Secretary of the Navy assign for 
freeing you from arrest *? — A. Well, I don't know. He called me up 
there and berailed me a little bit for the way that I had carried on in 
causing this report to be made against me, and said that he believed 
that there was a feeling, as near as I remember it, to let the thing pass 
over as lightly as possible, or something in that style; I don't just re- 
member the words he used. 

Q. What report had he reference to that had been made against you ? — 
A. A report had been made by Ensign Hunt through Lieutenant Har- 
ber, in regard to an altercation I had with Mr. Hunt while in Siberia. 

Q. Who was Mr. Hunt f — A. He was a man that went out, I believe, 
as ensign of the Navy in the ship Eodgers, that was sent out for our 
relief. 

Q. He was in no way connected with the expedition of the Jean- 
nette ? — A. No, sir; not connected with the Jeannette, but he afterwards 
traveled from East Cape, on the coast of Siberia, and met us when we 
were on our return home between Yerkeransk and Jakutsk. 

Q. Suffice it to say your difficulty was with Hunt? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What sort of a difficulty was it ^. — A. I came up to Jakutsk in 
company with him and several of the other men. When we arrived at 
Jakutsk Mr. Hunt received telegrams for Lieutenant Harber, I think, 
from the Secretary of the Navy, instructing Lieutenant Harber to bring 
home the remains of all the people thnt were found. Lieutenant Hunt 
came into the room and says he, '• To-morrow morning I am going to 
start for the north," without assigning any reason for it. T spoke up 
at the time, and says I, " Mr. Hunt, if j^ou are going north let me have 
permission to go home ; I want to go home ; I have been out here long 
enough." 

Q. This was in Siberia, on your return home ! — A. This was in Jakutsk, 
on our return home. The final trip home, as it i^roved to be, and we had 
some talk In regard to it, and finally Mr. Hunt objected to letting me 
go home. I went to Mr. Hunt and asked him if he would let me have 
one hundred rubles in money. He said no, and I told him '' all right." 
Says he, " What do you want with it?" Says I, "I was never asked 
before what I should do with my own money." Well, he said, I could 
not have it, and I went out and talked with Leach and Lauterbach in 
regard to the aft'air, and they proposed to send a telegram from Jakutsk 
to the minister in St. Petersburg, or to the Secretary of the Navy through 
the minister at St. Petersburg, asking permission for us to come home. 
They agreed to pay their part of sending the telegram. I went to Mr. 
Hunt and asked him if he would send a telegram for us and charge it 
to our expense, that is, charge it in our bills as private expenses, and 
he turnetl around and says he, " How would you send an estafet f " That 
is what they call a private courier through that country. Says I, 
"Through tlie governor, damn it; the same as you would." For that 
he sent a report against me to Lieutenant Harber, and the report came 
home and I was put under arrest as a prisoner at large. 

Q. For using a profane word ? — A. They said for grossly insulting an 
officer. 

Q. That was the extent of the offense? — A. That was it, as I remem- 
ber. I had a full copy of the report of the transaction as it was made 
at the time. 

Q. Did you ever hear Mr. Melville say anything about the differences 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 311 

that he had had with Collins ? — A. Yes 5 I heard him say that he had 
quarreled with Mr. Collins. 

Q. Did he say anything further on that subject ? — A. It was at the 
time that we found the papers or found the bodies that we did find in 
Siberia. I think that he was looking over the papers that were found 
on Mr. Collins's body, and 1 don't know whether I had made any state- 
ment to him or not in regard to what Mr. Collins had said to me about 
his papers, but I think Mr. Melville said at the time, "Although I have 
quarreled with Collins I think he should have a fair show anyway, now 
that he is dead." I think those are the words that he used, as near as 
I remember. 

Q. i^ow during the eight days at Bennett Island how much of the 
time was occupied in working on the whale-boat? — A. Mr. Sweetman 
and I did all the repairs done on her in one day, the day before we left 
the island. 

Q. What day was it that you did the work on the whale-boat; was 
it the seventh or sixth or fifth day? — A. I don't know as I can state 
positively now the number of days we were on the island, but it was 
the day before we left the island. 

Q. You say you were there eight days ? — A. I don't say we were there 
eight days. 

Q. Did you not say the other day it was about eight days ! — A. I 
said it was about eight days, but I am not positive in regard to it at 
present ; it was the day before we left the island. 

Q. Were or were not the articles of war read on Seminowski Island on 
September 11, 1881? — A. Y^es, the articles of war were read on Semi- 
nowski Island, or a portion of them. 

Q. Was that on the retreat 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. luvwhat territory was Seminowski Island ?— A. To the best of my 
knywledge it belongs to Russia. 

Q. Captain De Long brought with him a Winchester rifle, did he ? — 
A. Well, there were two or three Winchester rifles brought along, 
yes. 

Q. Did Captain De Long bring a Winchester rifle with him? — A. 
There was one brought in the party, a small one, yes. 

Q. And ammunition for it ?— A. Yes, bad cartridges. 

Q. Where was that left? — A. I can't tell you the spot, sir. 

Q. Was it left on the Lena delta? — A. It was foiind on the Lena 
delta, yes. 

Q. Found in a hut, was it not ? — A. I believe it was ; I have under- 
stood it was. 

Q. Could you not have carried shotguns as well as the rifles ? — A. 
Yes, I think we could. 

Q. Were they not lighter ? — A. Lighter than these particular guns, 
yes. 

Q. And would they not have been more efficacious for the purpose 
of securing food ? — A. I think they would have been more efficacious 
than that gun^ because that gun was perfectly useless. 

Q. Could you have laid in a supply of birds at Bennett Island if you 
had had shotguns ? — A. I think it would have been possible, yes. We did 
kill a good many with stones when we first got there, but after we had 
been there a day or two, I, having Mr. Newcomb's shotgun in charge, 
was ordered by Mr. Chipp to turn it over to him for the purpose of 
shooting birds. 

Q. Did not Mr. Ijf ewcomb feed the party with his shotgun at the ^ew 



312 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Siberian Island ? — A. We liacl some fall me^ls of the birds he killed 
with his shotgun, I don't know how many. 

Q. Do you know anything about any trouble between Newcomb and 
Danenhower in the boat "? — A. 1 think they did have some trouble in 
the boat. 

Q. What was it ^. — A. I don't remember the origin of the trouble or 
really what occasioned it. 

Q. Was there any physical disturbance between them? — A. I think 
Danenhower choked him and threw him down in the boat, as well as I 
remember, but the origin of it at the time I do not remember. 

Q. Did you observe that Newcomb kept a record during the retreat 
and at Geeomovialocke and afterwards in Siberia? — A. Yes, I used to 
see him writing quite often. 

Q. Before the boats separated, and while De Long was signaling, 
what did Melville tell you, if anything? state lully. 

The Witness. Do you mean at the time of the separation ? 

Mr. Curtis. No, before the separation and while De Long was sig- 
naling, as you testitied the other day ; what did Melville tell you, if any- 
thing! — A. I think that it was me that called the attention of Mr. Mel- 
ville to the signaling of the captain. As I was sitting facing aft in the 
boat, and we were ahead and to the windward of De Long's boat, he 
was plainly in my sight, and Mr. Melville could not see him without 
turning around or turning partly around. I said 1 believed that De 
Long was signaling for us. I think Mr. Melville said, '' What is he 
signaling for us to do, to go ahead or come back ?" and I think that I 
made the remark " To go ahead." '' Well," says he, " don't look back 
again." 1 think those are the very words he used. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville say anything to you at any time about the pos- 
session of x)oison and its purpose ? — A. As I remember he told me that 
all the officers had a potion i)repared by the doctor, and carried it, but 
he said that his had dissolved. 

Q. State all you know as to the cause and the particulars of Mr. 
Newcomb's arrest and who caused it. — A. The direct cause of Mr. 
Newcomb's arrest I don't know as I have any positive knowledge of, 
although at the time — hold on a minute till I think it over a little [after 
a X)ause]. I think it was occasioned through an altercation between him 
and Mr. Danenhower, as far as I remember. 

Mr. Aknoux. I submit as Mr. Newcomb has given that story, and 
he knew all about it, it is hardly worth while to waste the time of the 
committee in hearing what he knows. 

The Chairman. Unless the witness knows the fact. 

The Witness. Mr. Newcomb was placed under my charge immedi- 
ately after he was placed under arrest, but I was not ]>resent at the 
time the captain i^laced him under arrest. Mr. Chipp brought" him to 
me and placed him in my charge, and told me to take i)Ossession of his 
shotgun and ammunition, and hold possession of them until I was or- 
dered to do otherwise with them. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Immediately after he was placed under your charge, were you 
informed of the cause of his arrest ? — A. No, sir ; I was not. 

Q. Or at any time after ? — A. No, sir ; not officially. 

Q. Well, unofficially. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that what was told him afterwards is not com- 
petent. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 313 

By the CriAiEMAN : 

Q. From whom did you get the information that he had been x>laced 
under arrest!— A. Lieutenant Ohipp. 

Q. I mean the fact connected with the arrest, as to what was the 
cause of the arrest ?— A. Captain De Long told me that there was a re- 
port made against Mr. JSTewcomb for grossly insulting him. 

Q. Insulting who! — A. Lisulting Mr. Dauenhower, and the cap- 
tain called me first, as I had heard the commencement of the alterca- 
tion between them, but I had wisely walked away from it so as not to 
hear it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Was that the time Kewcomb was choked in the boat? — A. No, 
sir ; this was on the ice before we took to the boats. I walked away. 
We had had a very hard night's work, working ail day and up until' 3 
o'clock the next morning without stopping long enough to get supper, 
and I told the cook in No. 3 tent, which I was acting in charge of at the 
time, to get his camp-kettle ready make the coffee, expecting there 
would be coffee issued ; but as there was none some of the men com- 
menced growling in the tent. I didn't hear the remark, but I under- 
stood it was that they were so damned hungry they couldn't sleep, and 
Mr. Newcomb took up the same strain, and it was through that that 
he got into that altercation. 

Q. And it was the result of that altercaton that the arrest came ? — 
A. To the best of my knowledge, he was placed under my charge as 
prison er-at-large. 

Q. Newcomb complained that he was too hungry to sleep 1 — A. As 
I understand, it was not Mr. Newcomb. I was told it was Mr. Leach 
who made the remark. 

Q. What had Newcomb done? — A. Mr. Newcomb had taken up the 
same strain or same cry and carried it on, and Mr. Danenhower had in- 
terceded in some shape in regard to it. 1 walked away ; didn't want to 
hear it. 

Q. Interceded? What do you mean by that word ?— A. I supposed 
that he had taken the part of the commanding officer in legard to it. 

Q. Do you know that part of the main river Lena where Nindemann 
crossed about the 15th of October? — A. Yes -, I have been there a num- 
ber of times. 

Q. What is the character of the river there? — A. Weil, it was quite 
a large river ; it is right at its main mouth. 

Q. How wide is it? — A. In the winter time I should judge that it 
was a mile and a half or two miles wide, perhaps — two miles, you can 
say, or in that neighborhood. In the summer time it is a great deal 
wider, because the country is flooded to a great extent. 

Q. In your opinion, would the river at this point be frozen and the 
bay between Geeomovialocke and the mainland be open at this time, 
to wit, on the 15th of October? — A. Not in my judgment. It could 
not be, because it is the main river and it has the benefit of the whole 
force of the current. 

Q. It would not have been ? — A. I don't think it would freeze as soon 
there as it would out in the delta, where it is split up into many rivers. 

Q. Now^, if there is anything more that you desire to say in connec- 
tion with this matter that occurs to you please state it, and if there is 
anything that you know more than you have testified to, make us ac- 
quainted with it, if you please. — A. There is nothing further that I 
know of, only taking up the same strain that others of the party have 



314 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

taken and claiming the saving of the whale-boat party. 1 think that I 
was as mnch the savior of the whale-boat at the time 1 advised them to 
turn back and not go ont of the river as auy other man in the party ; 
that I saved the party as much at that time as Mr. Danenhower saved 
it in the gale, and I think in the gale any one man could have taken 
the part he did, and the result as to our landing on the coast of Siberia 
would have been the same as it was. 

Q. Do you believe that Lieutenant Danenhower could have weathered 
that gale, could have safely ridden that gale, without the washboard 
on his boat"? — A. No, sir; I do not. 

Q. To whom do you assign that credit? — A. After I had seen Nin- 
demann put the wash-board on the first cutter I askrd Melville to ask 
the captain if I would be allowed to do the same thing on the whale- 
boat, and he asked the captain, and he told me to go on and take as 
many men as I wished and put it on. 

Q. Then the credit of originating that w^ash-board belongs to Mr. 
Nindemann? — A. It belongs to Mr. iYindemann. 

Q. To your knowledge, before this investigation has he had the credit 
of it ? — A. Not that I know of. I have no knowledge of it. 

Q. If you know anything else, please state it. — A. Nothing else. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Had there not been a wash-board put on Mr. Ohipp's boat long 
before one was put on the captain's cutter ! — A. A kind of a wash-board. 

Q. How long before ? — A. In regard to these dates I am not at all 
positive and I do not pretend to be, but it was put on in what was 
known as the ten-days camp on Seminowski Island. 

Q. So far as it went, did it not give all the idea that the wash-board put 
on the cutter and the whale-boat did ? — A. I think that Mr. Sweetman 
put that on through ideas he gained from Nindemann. 

Q. I did not ask you that. I asked you whether it did not contain 
all the ideas that were in wash-boards that were put on the other boats ? — 
A. No, sir ; it did not contain all the ideas of the wash-boards placed 
on the other boats. 

Q. Were not the others simply improvements on that? — A. They 
were improvements, yes ; and I think contained new ideas in that re- 
spect. 

Q. But as far as the wash-board was concerned, the idea of a wash- 
board was not first on the boat that Nindemann fixed for the captain, 
but was first on Mr. Ohipp's boat? — A. I think it was ; yes, sir. As I 
remember it, I think it was on the second cutter first. 

Q. Were you present at this investigation when Mr. Newcomb testi- 
fied ? — A. I have been present here, but not all the time. 

Q. Did you hear him testify to all that he could recollect that.was 
unfavorable to Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. I don't know whether I 
heard him or not. I did not hear but little of his testimony, because I 
was not in the room very often ; 1 was here only once or twice. 

Q. Did you hear him say anything about Lieutenant Danenhower 
choking him ? — A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. As far as you know, he did not mention any such circumstance? — 
A. Not that I know of; no, sir. 

Q. Who was it told you that the officers had poison ? — A. Mr. Mel- 
ville. 

Q. Did anybody else ? — A. Not that I remember. 

Q. When was it he told you that? — A. I think it was some time in 
Siberia, when we were searching after the people that we had lost. 



I 



.TEANNETTE INQUmY. 315 

Q. You say you saw different oues writing wlien tliey were in the ice. 
Did you ever see Captain De Long writing while on the ice! — A. Yes, 
sir ; I did. 

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Collins writing while on the ice ? — A. I do 
not know that I ever saw him writing. I saw him making sketches, I 
think, when we were approaching Bennett Island, but I do not remem- 
ber of ever seeing him write. He might have been writing while mak- 
ing sketches. 

Q. You have spoken of a gun that was with your party. Was that 
gun perfectly useless when it was taken out of the ship ? — A. I think 
it was. It was a gun that I was using myself for hunting purpx)ses. It 
was the private property of Captain De Long. It was a Winchester 
rifle 5 a 16-shotted gun, and I took it out of the ship. I came aboard 
the ship while she was being crushed up ; had the gun in my posses- 
sion, and unfortunately put it on the ice after hanging it up in the deck- 
house after going aboard the shi}). It was brought on to the ice, and I 
had six cartridges that were good and six that were not good, and while 
we remained in the first camp I think I shot away the six cartridges 
that were good and returned the gun to Captain De Long with the six 
bad cartridges, and told him that it was useless to me; that I could do 
no more shooting with it, and he informed me at that time that there 
were no more cartridges for it other than the six that I gave him. 

Q. Was the report that you say you saw of the transaction to which 
you have testified, made by Mr. Hunt, correct 1 — A, I think that I stated 
it. As near as I can remember, I stated it correctly. 

Q. Did you not say there was a report? — A. Yes; there was a re- 
port. 

Q. And was the report correct ? — A. I do not think I offered him any 
insult. 

Q. No, no. I say did you not consider that the report which was made 
of that transaction was correct ? — A. No, sir. I do not consider so. I 
do not consider that I grossly insulted him. 

Q. Did he say in that report that you had grossly insulted him ? — A. 
I think the report reads so. It is in the hands of the Navy Department, 
and it can be called for at any time. 

Q. Do you think it is not a gross insult to an ofiQcer to use oaths ?— 
A. Not when a man is permitted on many occasions by that officer to 
use oaths. When a man is allowed, and it is a common occurrence in 
everyday talk to use oaths I don't think it can be called so. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. During that expedition was it common for the men to interlard 
their conversation with oaths ? — A. This was in relation to Mr. Harper's 
search that we were speaking of. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Suppose you answer the question which was put by Mr. McAdoo 
in respect to the general conduct of the Jeannette expedition. — A. I 
think that Captain De Long forbade swearing on board the ship, and 
as I remember it, there was one man punished for swearing on board, I 
think. ' 

Q. And was there not a general obedience to that order? — A. In a 
measure, yes. 

Q. Was therenot in a large measure ? — A. It would depend on whether 
the captain was around or not a good many times. 

Q. Did the men interlard their general conversation on board the 
Jeannette with oaths ? — A. Sometimes, yes. 



316 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did they generally do so ! — A. I don't know as it was general any 
more than it is for people of that class all over the world under any 
other circumstances. 

Q. Did they not refrain from the usual way they interlard their con- 
versation with oaths on the Jeannette on account of the captain's orders ? — 
A. I think they might have done it on account of the orders, hut more 
particularly on account of his presence. When he was there it was not 
so much in regard to the orders as it was in regard to his presence that 
they refrained. 

Q. Did you not use oaths more frequently in conversation with Hunt 
in Siberia than you did on board the Jeannette when Captain De Long 
was present 1 — A. I did ; yes, sir. 

Q. I want to ask j'ou in regard to the post road. Where did it begin 
at its most easterly point 1 — A. As I understand it, the post-road proper 
ends at Verkeransk, although there are occasional mails that go from 
there to Bulun at certain seasons of the year. There is no regular es- 
tablished post near Verkeransk that I ever knew of. 

Q. Now, then, when you are at Verkeransk, going to the east, are 
there any roads ? — A. I never was east of Verkeransk in my life. I do 
not know. 

Q. Did you ever hear there was a road ? — A. Yes, I have heard there 
was, and I bt^lieve that there was. 

Q. Did you hear how far it extended *? — A. I understand that there 
is a road where there is an occasional road as far as Svedne-Kolymsk. 

Q. How many versts f — A. T think that thej' used to call it 1,700 
versts. 

Q. From whom did you hear that? — A. I have learned it from exiles 
in the country and also the Eussian officials in the country. 

Q. Is that a regular post-road 1 — A. I think it is not regular ; there 
are only occasional posts over the road. Through the winter season, 
while traveling is good, 1 believe they have the mails more regularly 
than they do in the summer. 

Q. Did you learn how far south of the coast that road ran 1 — A. I 
never learned anything about it. I have seen it laid down on the chart, 
and that is all 1 know of it. 

Q. How far south of Bulun is Verkeransk ? — A. I think they call it 
900 versts or about 600 miles ; something in that vicinity. 

Q. There is no parallel post-road between Verkeransk and Bulun, is 
there? — A. I have no knowledge of any but the one trail. There is no 
road at all ; it is only a trad, sometimes followed in one place and some- 
times in another. At particular points the trail has to go over the same 
path every time on account of obstacles in the shape of mountains. 

Q. Going through passes of the mountain ? — A. Yes. 

Q. And when you speak of it being a post-road to the east you mean 
that it was the continuation of a trail? — A. Yes, as 1 understand it. 
There is no established road there that I know of. 

Q. And how far south of the mouth of the Lena, at the delta, is Verke- 
ransk? — A. It depends upon what point you start from, sir. 

Q. We will take it at the mouth of the river proper. 

The Witness. The mouth of the Lena i>roper before it goes into the 
delta? 

Mr. Arnoux. No. . Is there not a main channel that goes out to the 
Arctic sea ? 

The Witness. No, sir -, there are a thousand, I guess, and more too, 
as far as 1 know. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then take it from the point where you landed down to 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 317 

Yerkeransk. Th'at would be about how mauy miles ? — A. Well, I think, 
by the route that one would have to travel to get there, or the route 
that is commonly traveled by people going there, it is the same distance 
that it is from Bukin in the winter time, or the same route that is trav- 
eled in the winter time. 

Q. That is about 600 miles ? — A. I think it is in that neighborhood. 

Q. And in summer time, and until everything is frozen, how many 
miles would it be ? — A. Well, I think it would be about the same, be- 
cause people that 1 know of having traveled there took about the same 
route that they would take in the winter. 

Q. Have you been in consultation with Dr. Collins or his counsel, 
directly or indirectly, since you were on the stand before f 

The Witness. In regard to what, sir ? 

Mr. Arnoux. In regard to testimony. 

A. jXo, sir j I have not. 

Q. Or in regard to any fact connected with the expedition ^. — A. i^o, 
sir. * 

Q. Have you paid back to Dr. Collins the money that you borrowed! — 
A. I have not, sir. 

Q. Do you desire to make any correction of any testimony which you 
nave heretofore given, in any respect? — A. In regard to dates j yes. I 
do 'not claim to be correct in those. 

Q. In what respect do you wish to correct your testimony ? — A. In 
none, except in regard to dates. 

Q. What dates do you think you are now in error about *? — A. I think 
the first lime I was on the stand I made a great many misstatements in 
regard to dates, as I hadn't thought the matter over at that time for a 
year perhai)s j hadn't paid any attention to it ; hadn't thought of it, in 
fact. 

Q. Do you recollect any mistakes that you made in regard to dates 
that you would like to correct! — A. I don't remember what the ques- 
tions were now, but I think that I made mistakes in regard to dates, 
and spoke of it at that time; but, what they were I can't tell until I see 
the testimony. 

Louis P. N^oros sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. Where do you now reside ! — Answer. My home is at Fall 
River, Mass. 

Q. I believe you were attached to the Jeannette expedition, were you 
not ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you join the Jeannette! — A. I think it was on the IGth 
or 17th of May, 1879. 

Q. At San Francisco! — A. I joined at San Francisco, but signed arti- 
cles for her in New York. 

Q. I will bring your mind as rapidly as possible to the subject about 
which I wish to question you. Do you remember the day the ship was 
put in the ice! — A. I remember the day she was put in the ice. 

Q. Do you remember the date ! — A. I wouldn't say whether it was on 
the 4th or 5th, but it was somewhere in that vicinity. 

Q. Of what month, if you please ! — A. September. 

Q. Of what year!— A. 1879. 

Q. How long after your departure from San Francisco ! — A. We left 
San Francisco on the 8th day of July, 1879, We were beset in the ice 
about the 4th or 5th of September, 



318 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, permit me to ask you, during tlie voyage from San Fran- 
cisco to tlie spot where you were entombed in the ice, did any of the 
.commissioned officers, to your knowledge and recollection, keep any 
deck-watches ^ — A. I don't know whether they kept them all the time 
or not. I know they didn't keep them sometimes. 

Q. You know that sometimes you observed they didn't keep them ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long did that continue ; after you got into the ice as well ! — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And during the time of the voyage from San Francisco to the spot 
where the ship was inclosed in the ice, by whom, as a rule, did you ob- 
serve that the deck- watches were kept "? — A. By Mr. Cole and Mr. Dun- 
bar most of the time. They assumed the head of the watch. 

Q. Mr. Dunbar was the ice pilot, was he ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Mr. Cole was a seaman ? — A. He shipped as seaman, but he was 
acting boatswain. , 

Q. He is not alive ? — A. Yes ; he is in the insane asylum. 

Q. Now, before the ship was put in that position, do you know that 
there was any difference of opinion among the men as to the wisdom of 
putting her in that position ? — A. I do not. 

Q. Was any discussion had in reference to it! — A. Not at that time 
as I know of. 

Q. Was it had afterwards ! — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. You heard no discussion on that point ?— A. No, sir. Well, oc- 
casionally we spoke about the time that we put her into the ice as being 
too soon, or something like that. 

Q. Was this your first experience in an Arctic voyage ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you ever been connected with any vessel before, in any 
capacity ? — A. Ob, yes, I have been in merchant vessels. I was in the 
school ship St. Mary before I went out on the Jeannette. 

Q. You are acquainted, to a greater or less extent, with the rules and 
regulations of the Navy? — A. No, sir; I am not, for I didn't know any- 
thing about the Navy until I w^ent into the Jeannette, and I didn't think 
I was in the Navy at that time. 

Q. To your knowledge, is it not one of the strictest rules of the Navy 
that a commissioned officer shall have charge of a ship as watch or deck 
officer "? — A. 1 have so learned since. 

Q. You have no doubt that that is the fact, have you ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Is it not a fact that the men who were shipped as seamen did per- 
form this duty? 

The Witness. Which duty ? 

Mr. Curtis. Deck watch ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, when did you leave the ship ? 

The Witness. Do you mean after she was crushed ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, when did you finally leave the ship ? 

A. I am not sure in regard to it. I thought that the vessel was 
crushed on the 11th and sank on the 12th. 

Q. The 11th of what month?— A. June. 

Q. What year?— A. 1881. 

Q. Your idea is that she was crushed on the 11th and sank on the 
12th ? — A. Yes, sank on the 12th. That was my idea. I kept no notes 
of it, but I thought that was the time. 

Q. Had you any idea where you were when she sank? — A. I hadn't 
the slightest idea. 

Q. I believe it is matter of fact that you had been drifting for some 
time prior ? — A. We were told so after we had been traveling to the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 319 

southward some time. They didn't tell us, though, at the time we were 
drifting to the northwest, for the reason that they were afraid it might 
create discontent among the men. 

Q. Why would that create discontent among the men? — A. Because 
they were getting fatrher away from home when they were trying to get 
home. 

Q. And was the fact that you were drifting to the northwest con- 
cealed from the men at the time you were so drifting ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was said to you as to your position while you were so drift- 
ing to the northwest? — A. There was nothing said at all in regard to 
that. They kept everything quiet. 

Q. Were you left to believe that you were stationary ? — A. No, we 
believed we were going to the southward all the time. 

Q. Were you led to believe at the time the ship was drifting to the 
northwest that you were really drifting to the southward ? — A. The ship 
drifting to the northwest ? The ship had gone down at that time. 

Q. I am speaking of the time the ship was drifting with the ice ! — A. 
Oh, no. 

Q. The ship drifted with the ice, did it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. He was telling the actual fact that took place after they 
were on the that ice; they thought they were traveling to the south- 
ward and found out that the ice was set to the northwest. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. (Submitting a map to witness.) Did you ever see this chart be- 
fore ? — A. I have not seen that one I have seen one similar to that. 

Q. (Indicating on map.) That is where you were crushed? — A. That 
is where we were supposed to be when the ship was crushed. 

Q. (Indicating on the map.) That is Wrangle Land ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Indicating on the map.) That is where you went into the ice ? — 
A. Somewhere in that vicinity. 

Q. Follow my finger with your eye [indicating on the map]. From 
that point to that point is a direction northwest, is it not ? — A. Yes ; to 
the northward and westward. 

Q. Then necessarily, if she sank there [indicating] and she drifted 
from there [indicating] she must have drifted in the ice northwest- 
erly ? — A. Yes ; that was the main drift. 

Q. Now, you see clearly, do you not, that that [indicating] is north- 
west of your position, much farther north than your position when you 
went in the ice ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, when you were drifting to the northwest were you conscious 
of that fact ? — A. We were conscious of drifting to the northward and 
westward, but we did not know what course we were going — I did not. 
They did aft, though. 

Q. Was the real course ever indicated to the men? — A. After they 
got their bearings I heard it said that we had drifted in such and such 
directions at such and such times. 

Q. After the ship was crushed and sunk, I understood you to say the 
men were sure that they were drifting to the southward ? — A. Oh, no. 

Q. What did you say ?— A. We were not sure that we were drifting 
any way, but we found out afterwards we were drifting to the north- 
ward. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. You mean to say you knew you were drifting, but you did not 
know what direction you were drifting ? — A. Yes, sir. 



320 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Yoa had the impressiou it was south ? — A. "No, sir ; some of us did. 

Mr. Arnoux. When the ship went down they thought they were 
going south, but the current and wind were carrying the ship to the 
northwest. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. [Indicating on map.] You see that spot? — A. Yes. 

Q. What is that?— A. That is the Lena delta. 

Q. [Indicating on map.] Now, you see that spot? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What spot is that? — A. That is where the Jeaonette went down. 

Q. That is where she was crushed and sunk ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Follow my finger. From where she was crushed and sunk to that 
spot [indicatiuu^ on map], what direction is that? — A. I should say it 
was southward and westerly. 

Q. 8outh westward, is it not ? — A. Something like that. 

Q. [Indicating on map.] What direction is it from that spot to that 
spot? — A. That would be more to the southward. 

Q. Is it not almost due south ? — A. Well, within two or three points. 

Q. Do yoa know enough of practical experienced navigation to know 
that from that spot to this spot [indicating on map] due south was <'om- 
paratively free and open and clear of ice ? — A. Not from where the 
Jeannette went down, though. 

Q. I say comparatively. Down here [indicating on map] is open, free, 
and clear of ice, is it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not know that the distance from where she went down to 
the Lena delta is almost twice the distance from where she went down 
to this spot [indicating on map] ? — A. I did not know at that time, but 
1 see so now. 

Q. Do you not know that this river waters a civilized and populous 
country through here [indicating on map] ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Do you not know that there is a great city on this river ? — A. I 
did not know it, sir. 

Q. You know it now ? — A. I never studied it up. 

Q. When did you leave the ship; do you remember the date? — A. I 
am not sure whether it was the 11th or 12th of June, 1881. 

Q. When you left the ship your party was entire ; you had not lost 
any men ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. It was composed of thirty-three, I believe ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you separate ? — A. We separated on the 12th day of 
September. 

Q. Of the same year? — A. Of the same year, 1881. 

Q. Do you know where you were when you separated ? — A. I should 
judge we were about 40 miles from Seminowski Islands. 

Q. That is Russian soil, is it not? It is in Siberian territory^ is it 
not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When you separated you departed one from the other in three 
boats, did j^ou not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You were with Captain Do Long's party ? — A. I was assigned 
with his party and was in his boat. 

Q. Now, before I come to the immediate journey, there are some gen- 
eral questions that I desire to ask you, and one of them is this : Do you 
know as a fact that any hostility existed on the part of Mr. Melville 
toward Mr. Collins; and, if so, state what you I'emember in re.nard to 
it? — A. I never heard him express anything against Mr. Collins but 
once, and that was in the forepart of the expedition when we went to 
an island, I think we were in the whale boat. There were Mr. Col- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY, 321 

lins, Mr. ]S"ewcomb, Mr. Melville, myself, Dressier, and JoIiqsou in the 
boat, I believe. So was Captain De Long. Captain De Long, Mr. New- 
comb, and Mr. Collins went ashore on the island to do some hunting. 
While they were on the island Mr. Collins slipped and kind of fell down 
the hill, and I heard Mr. Melville then make the remark, '' Look at the 
damned Irish cow." 

Q. Where was this ? — A. This was before entering the ice at the first 
part of the expedition. 

Q. Do you remember, as matter of fact, the suspension of Mr. Collins? — 
A. I remember his suspension, but what he was suspended for I could 
not say. 

Q. You knew of the facf? — A. I knew that he was suspended, yes. 

Q. Did he complain to you in reference to this suspension ? — A. No, 
sir ; he never complained to me in regard to anything. 

Q. Mr. Collins was an Irishman'? — A. Yes; I believe so. 

Q. Now, after you had separated, which was when ? — A. The 12th of 
September, 1882. 

Q. Up to the time when you and Miidenman left the party of De Long 
and were finally rescued, how long was it ? — A. I don't know exactly 
how long it was. I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 
fourteen days after we left De Long before we met with any natives. 

Q. I mean from the time when your boats separated until the time 
you left De Long and were finally rescued, how Jong w^as itf In other 
words, how long was the time occupied in these wanderings'? — A. We 
landed on the Lena delta on the 17th dsij of September. We started to 
travel on the 19th, at noon, and we wandered along in the delta up to 
the 9th of October, and at that time Captain De Long sent Mndenmann 
and myself oft* in search of succor. 

Q. Were you present at the time he spoke to Nindenman about it? 
Did you hear the conversation between him and Nindenmann ? — A. I 
heard no conversation between any of them. 

Q. Collins was one of your party at that time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. During the time between Collins's arrest or suspension and the 
time that you left him on the Lena delta was Collins ever restored to 
duty ? — A. Not that I was ever aware of. I did not know anything 
about it. 

Q. Up to the time that you left him on the Lena delta was he not as 
strong and vigorous, physically, as any of the party'? — A. Apparently 
he was, as far as I could see. 

Q. Do you remember that on any occasion he evinced a desire to be 
restored to duty and to do work*? — A. I have often heard him complain 
and say that he was willing to work but they wouldn't let him. 

Q. In your judgment, would the aid of such a physically- vigorous 
man have been of importance to the little party with which he was con- 
nected? — A. I think it would, sir. 

Q. Do you know of his being ordered to the rear and traveling in the 
rear? — A. I could not know, sir, as to that. 

Q. Did you hear him complain about losing his instruments ? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. You had no conversation with him ? — A. I had conversation with 
him quite often during the voyage, that is, in regard to jokes. 

Q. But you had no conversation with him about his suspension ? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. As matter of fact, before he was suspended, he discharged the 
duties of his position as meteorologist with punctuality, did he not? — 
A. I think so. I don't know, because I was not in the after-mess. 
21 J Q* 



322 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. After his suspeDsion, did you notice that there was any irregu- 
larity in the service ? — A. I noticed that the observations were taken 
less frequentl}^ 

Q. You were not with Nindemann, and you did not hear the conver- 
sation that Captain De Long had witk him? — A. Ko, sir; I did not. 

Q. At the time you left Captain De Long did he have a watch and 
a compass"? — A. Yes, sir; he had. 

Q. Did he offer either, to either one of you, to your knowledge, to 
guide you? — A. jS^o, sir. 

Q. Before you left Captain De Long, or at the time you left him, what 
was his physical condition? — A. At the time we left Captain De Long he 
was, to my mind, pretty well weakened. His last day's travel had 
broken him down completely. 

Q. How many men of the party were in as good physical condition 
as you and Nindemann ? — A. That I could not say. 

Q. Apparently ? — A. I think there were some of the party who could 
have gotten through as well as we could. 

Q. Collins was one, was he not? — A. I think so. 

Q. And who else was another ? — A. Dressier. 

Q. Who else was another ?— A. Well, I don't know whether Iverson 
could or not, because his feet were sore. But he was a strong, rugged 
man. Boyd miglit have gotten through. 

Q. Then it is your opinion that those who were equally robust and 
hardy at that time with you and Nindemann had the same chance of 
final rescue that you and Nindemann had ? — A. I don't say that they 
could have got through, but I think that they might have gotten through. 

Q. You got through ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Mndemann got through? — A. Yes ; but I don't think if we 
had all gone together the chances would have been better. 

Q. For what reason ? — A. Because what little we did find would not 
have sustained us all. 

Q. Was this the only w^ay in which you could have gone, for instance, 
to Bulun? — A. Oh, no; thev could have gone on before us if they had 
liked. 

Q. Could you not have separated and still gone in the same direc- 
tion ? — A. We could all have separated. 

Q. If you Lad all gone in the same general direction and towards the 
same destination and then separated, then the criticism you have ad- 
vanced would not apply, would it? — A. Oh, no. 

Q. Then all would have had equally as good a chance ? — A. I think so. 

Q. Now, when you left the ship, did you take any compasses with 
you ? — A. Well, I hadn't charge of any compasses. 

Q. Do you know of any compass in your immediate party? — A. I 
know of what we call an azimuth compass. 

Q. Was that of any service upon the water ? — A. It was of some serv- 
ice ; but I think a boat compass would have been of more service. 

Q. You had no boat compass ? — A. Not in the boat. 

Q. And in your immediate boat, did you have rifles ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ? — A. I do not remember now how many rifles we had, 
but I think there were some three or four or four or five. 

Q. And did you have any shotguns ? — A. No. 

Q. There were plenty of shotguns on the vessel, were there not? — A. 
There were enough ; there were some five or six. 

Q, Enough to arm at least your party ? — A' Yes. 

Q. Does it not occur to you now that if you had had the shotguns 



JBANNETTE INQUIRY. 323 

instead of the rifles you would have been better enabled to procure 
food ^ — A. We could have got more if we had had some shotguns. 

Q. Have you any accurate means of fixing the time of the death of 
Captain De Long? — A. Nothing further than what his diary says. 

Q. The last entry in his diary is October 30 ^ — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have no means of knowing whether he lived a week or a day 
or a month after that 1 — A. Ko, sir : I have not. 

Q. All that you know is that the last entry in the diary which was 
found is October 30 1—A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see the body of De Long *? — A. Yes, sir ; I saw it. 

Q. You and Melville and Nindemann, and who else 1 — A. I was not 
with Melville's party when I saw that body. 

Q. Where were you 1 — A. I went up with the Herald correspondent. 

Q. Who was he *? — A. Mr. Jackson. 

Q. And where did you first meet the Herald correspondent ? — A. In 
Irkoutsk. 

Q. That is in Eussian territory 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember of your own knowledge having any interview 
with him yourself? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember of your knowledge of having made any state- 
ment to him yourself? — A. I may have made a good many statements 
to him, but what they were I cannot say now. 

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge that any other members or 
officers of the expedition made statements to Jackson ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who were they, please ? — A. Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Newcomb. 

Q. And Mr. Melville?— A. I do not think that Mr. Melville had any- 
thing to say to him, because Mr. Melville was not there at the time. 

Q. But you are quite sure that Mr. Danenhower did? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Mr. Newcomb ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Both made statements to Jackson? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you fiirst see Jackson?— A. I don't remember the month. 

Q. And where was it that you saw Jackson ? — A. At Irkoutsk, in 
Siberia. 

Q. You know, as a fact, that Mr. Jackson had an interview with Mr. 
Danenhower? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Well, now, we will go back a little. Did you take a sextant on 
board your boat; did you have a sextant? — A. I don't think we had. 
I don't know whether we had a sextant or not on board the boat. Come 
to think of it now, I think we had a sextant on board the boat. 

Q. Are you sure ? — A. Yes ; because I remember of seeing Captain 
De Long taking observations on the ice by quicksilver. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. With an artificial horizon ? — A. With an artificial horizon ; that 
is what he took it with. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. When was that ? — A. On the retreat. 

Q. Did you gain any knowledge of where you were? — A. Oh, yes; 
he could pick out the course in that way ; find out in what latitude he 
was. 

Q. Are you quite sure he had a sextant ?— A. Yes. sir. 

Q. And those who state that he had not must be mistaken ?— A. Yes, 
sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Which boat were you in ?— A. I was in Captain De Long's boat. 



324 JEANNETTE INQUIRY 

By Mr. GURTIS : 

Q. You were at Bennett Island liow long ? — A. I think we landed 
there on the 9th of July, and left there on the 5th or 6th of August, I 
don't know which. 

Q. What were you doing during all that time ? — A. I was not doing 
much of anything. 

Q. What were the members of the crew doing ? — A. I was one of the 
members of the crew. We killed birds. 

Q. Did you have any shotguns there! — A. The only shotgun we 
had on the island was the one that Mr. Newcomb had. 

Q. Did you kill birds with that shotgun *? — A. I did not j Mr. New- 
comb shot some with it. 

Q. If you had had a sufficient supply of shot-guns could you have 
shot a great many more 1 — A. Yes, a good many more. 

Q. Could you not have laid in a store of provisions that would have 
been very serviceable to you afterwards 1 — A. Yes, sir; we could have 
laid in a store. 

Q. Can you conceive any object in remaining at Bennett Island so 
long ? — A. I don't think there was any object in remaining there. 

Q. Was that the expressed opinion among the men, aud did they 
grumble at the delay ? — A. Yes ; I often heard it remarked at different 
times that they thought it was a shame ; that we ought to go on. 

Q. If that delay had not been made at Bennett Island in all proba- 
bility would you not have arrived even at the Delta in time to have 
been relieved 1 

Mr. BouTBLLE. Eelieved? How do you mean? 

Mr. Curtis. Eelieved from the south by Melville's party. 

A. I think that if we had left Bennett Island we could have been at 
the Delta some months sooner than we were. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What are your reasons for that opinion *? — A. Because we were 
some two or three weeks getting to Bennett Island, while we could have 
been going south all the time. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. You mean instead of trying to get to Bennett Island if you had 
kept on the ice ? — A. If we had kept south all the time in our regular 
course. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You would have got there much sooner ? — A. Oh, yes, indeed. 

Q. You were really trying to get to Bennett Island in a westerly 
course, were you not? — A. When we first sighted Bennett Island, as 
near as I remember, I think the island was to the south westward of us. 
We were traveling toward it as fast as we could all the time, and the 
ice was drifting to the southward also. We drifted so fast to the south- 
ward that we finally drifted by Bennett Island, and we had to change 
our course to the northwestward or in that direction. 

Q. Will you please inform the committee how Wrangel Land is im- 
portant as a point for an expedition to the Pole ; in what way could 
Wrangel Land be of assistance to an expedition to the Pole ! — A. The 
only assistance it could be would be in getting there in the summer time 
and making winter quarters and stopping there for the opening of the 
spring. 

Q. Wrangel Land is only a small island ! — A. That is what the Rod- 
ger's expedition have declared about it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 325 

Q. You have never landed on it ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You never circumnavigated it '? — A. Only the Jeannette drifted 
over a portion of what was considered to be Wrangel Land when she 
drifted to the northward. 

Q. It was supposed to be a continent to the Pole? — A. It was before 
we drifted over it. 

Q. How drifted over it ? — A. Drifted over that portion of it when we 
drifted to the northward. 

Q. Was it not in the effort to get to Wrangel Land that you became 
entombed in the ice ? — A. I shall not say whether it was an effort to get 
to Wrangel Land or Herald Island. I think, though it was Herald Island 
we sighted first and tried to get to. 

Q. (Indicating on map.) There is Wrangel Land. — A. Yes. 

Q. (Indicating on map.) There is Herald Island up there. — A. Yes. 

Q. Where did you become entombed in the ice ; it was here, was it 
not ? [Indicating- on map.] A. It was somewhere there. 

Q. Now, will you tell me how you could have drifted over Wrangel 
Land, when your course was northwest of the spot where the Jeannette 
sank ? [Indicating on map.] Here is where you were entombed in the 
ice ; Wrangel Land is a little southwest of that. Between Wrangel 
Land and where you were entombed in the ice was a vast barrier of 
fresh ice. Will you tell me how you could drift northwest away from 
Wrangel Land and at the same time drift over it? — A. I don't say we 
drifted over it. I say we drifted over a i)art of Wrangel Land, which 
was supposed to run to the northward. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Drifted over what was laid down on some of the 
maps as Wrangel Land ? 

The Witness. Yes. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. I would like to ask a question here for my own information, be- 
cause I want to know whether these gentlemen are stating their im- 
pressions or their knowledge. Did you have regular access to the charts 
daily ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you follow the course of the ship on the charts ? — A. I did 
not. 

Q. Then, of course, your information in regard to these matters would 
be that derived from general conversation ? — A. Yes ; what I heard 
spoken of by the officers. 

Mr. Boutelle. It would be pretty difficult for a man to be cross- 
examined on the route a vessel takes unless he had plotted the course 
and marked it out. I know that myself. 

Mr. Curtis. I will get at it another way. The chart will speak for 
itself. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You did not land at what is called Wrangel Land ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And all that you know about your ever having seen Wrangel 
Land, or anything that can be called Wrangel Land, is what you have 
been told on that subject, is it not? — A. What I have been told, and 
what I have heard. 

Q. And before the Court of Inquiry did you hear Mr. Nindemann tes- 
tify that if he had desired to go to Wrangel Land he would have put 
his vessel in the spot where it was put ? — A. I do not remember whether 
I heard him testify that or not. 

Q. And do you not know, as matter of fact, that between the spot 
you drifted over and what is supposed to be, or what is called, Wran- 



326 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

gel Land, there is an immense barrier of ice that has never been pene- 
trated f — A. I know there is a big ice pack there. 

Q. And can you suggest any means by which Wrangel Land could 
have been seen through that pack-ice ? — A. I said there was an ice pack 
there. 

Q. But I say can you suggest any way to the committee by which 
Wrangel Land could have been seen by the people of the Jeannette 
through this pack-ice? — A. They could not see through the pack-ice, 
but they could see over it. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Was there any difficulty in seeing it ? — A. Part of the time we 
were there there was not. 

Q. How high is the ice there in the pack? — A. Different heights. It 
pushes up in big lumps or cakes to 50 feet high in some places, and 
may be higher or lower in other places. It shoves right up. But then 
that would have no effect upon seeing a big island like Wrangel Land. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. If you did not sail around it, how do you know it is an island ? — 
A. I don't know it. All I know is what I was told. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. When the ice piles up on a place like Wrangel Land, does it not 
look like a great big iceberg ? Did you see the ice and the sun ? 
The Witness. On Wrangel Land ? 
Mr. McAdoo. Yes. 
The Witness. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Could you see the bare soil ? — A. We were not close enough to 
see the bare soil on Wrangel Land, if I remember rightly, but on some 
of the other islands we could see big glaciers ; big snow caps. 

Q. There is some vegetation there, is there not ? — A. Not that I know 
of. I do not think there is on Bennett Island. We only found what 
we called scurvy-grass, just a little bit of a plant you could pick up 
from the ground. 

Q. That was bare ? — A. Yes, the part we were on was bare. 

Mr. Boutelle. I suppose, questioning this gentleman on this point 
would be a great deal like asking one of the officers of a Cunard steamer 
whether he had seen Land's End. He saw what was understood to be 
Land's End, what everybody on board the ship took to be Land's End, 
but he himself could not swear to it unless he had taken the observa- 
tions himself. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I will go to some of the details of the retreat, and I will be as 
brief as I can. In point of fact, was not the work on the retreat done 
by the men ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. To your knowledge, was Mr. Collins prevented from working and 
ordered to the rear! — A. I never heard the order. All I have heard 
was what he told me. He told me that he wanted to go to work and 
they would not let him. 

Q. And during the time he complained of that was he, so far as you 
could see, hardy and robust ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I believe Newcomb was also put under arrest, was he not? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know for what ? — A. I do not know for what. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 327 

Q. Do you know whether or not LieuteDant Danenhower was pre- 
vented from working after he claimed he was perfectly well able to do 
so ! — A. I do not. I was not in that boat or in that tent, so I do not 
know what was transacted in that tent. 

Q. In point of fact there were some eight men that were doing no 
work at all on the retreat, were there not ! — A. There were some of 
them, of course, that would give us a helping hand once in awhile, but 
very seldom. 

Q. But as a rule ? — A. As a rule they did nothing. 

Q. As a rule twenty-one people were doing the work for all *? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. In your opinion was not that system a great injustice to the men 
who had to work, and did they not suffer in strength in consequence? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In your opinion did the officers help in the retreat as they should 
have done "? — A. In my opinion they did not. 

Q. State all the facts that you now remember in relation to the de- 
lay at Bennett Island ? — A. I do not know of any reason for the delay 
further than the boats wanted fixing. 

Q. And they were fixed on the day before you left *? — A. I do not re- 
member what day they were fixed, but it did not take long to fix them 
after we started to do so. 

Q. I will ask you was there a great deal of grumbling and discontent 
on the part of the men in consequence of that delay *? — A. I heard it 
mentioned several times that they thought it was a shame they did not 
get along faster when they had a chance. 

Q. Did you observe any delay in getting to Bennett Island ^ — A. Yes, 
I did. 

Q. What was it ? — A. In going almost to the northward and west- 
ward instead of going south ail the time. 

Q. If you had gone south all the time, you would have arrived much 
earlier 1 — A. Yes ; I think so. 

Q. To what, in your judgment, was your foolish course due ; to want 
of management and judgment? — A. Oh, no ; I do not think as far as 
that goes there was any want of management, because Captain De Long 
wanted to get to Bennett Island, and he got there. 

Q. Could he have got there much earlier ? — A. I don^t think he could 
have got there much earlier, because we tried all we could to get there. 

Q. Was there s.ny necessity for going there at all in order to save the 
party ? — A. Nothing further than making new discoveries. 

Q. In order to save the party was there any necessity for going 
there? — A. No, sir; it was not necessary in order to save the party. 

Q. Then, while the party was seeking for existence 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I submit there is no evidence of that. 

Q. You said there was no necessity of going to Bennett Island for the 
l)uipose of saving the party?- — A. I say so yet, sir. 

Q. At the time you went to Bennett Island where was the ship? — 
A. The ship had gone down. 

Q. Then the people who came from the ship were struggling to save 
their lives, were they not ? — A. Yes ; they had been struggling for over a 
month. 

Q. Then was there anything improper or untrue in what I said in my 
question to you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then I understand you that while the survivors were struggling 
for their lives they were taken out of their course to Bennett Island, 



328 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and some tbree weeks of valuable time was spent in getting there? — 
A. I think so, yes, sir. 

Q. During the retreat was there not a great deal of discontent and 
grumbling among the men at the way the retreat was conducted at 
times'? A. Well, I have heard it spoken of at different times. The 
men say that it was a shame that we did not get along faster than we 
did. 

Q. Did not the men consider that the travel on the ice was too slow, 
and not conducted with proper energy? — A. I don't know about it be- 
ing conducted with proper energy, but they considered it as slow. 

Q. Was there not talk at one time among the men of placing Lieuten- 
ant Chipp in charge of the retreat? — A. I think there was some talk 
to that effect, but I don't know what it was. I have heard it mentioned. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How placing him in charge? — A. I have only heard words now 
and again that they thought Captain De Long did not get along as fast 
as lie could, and they wanted to give Mr. Chipi> charge. 

Q. To depose him? — A. I think so. I don't know what it was; I just 
merely heard talk of it. 

Q. Rumors of a mutiny? — A. Something like that. I did not under- 
stand. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. So far as you knew it was grounded on the belief that Lieutenant 
Chipp could do more for their safety? — A. As far as I knew. 

Q. Was a proper amount of clothing carried on the Jeannette, in your 
judgment ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How do you form that judgment ? — A. When we left New York 
Captain De Long told us to take no clothing whatever except just the 
clothing we had on our backs. Had we taken no clothing we would 
have been cold all the time, because he had nothing but some second- 
hand skin clothing, and we could not have worn that next to our skin, 
and if we had not brought clothing of our own we would not have had 
any. I went to work and bought some clothing up at Ounalaska and 
that was charged to me and taken out of my wages. 

Q. And was the clothing that you purchased necessary for your com- 
fort ? — A. It was necessary for our comfort. 

Q. Now, on the subject of clothing, in your judgment was a proper 
amount of clothing carried on the retreat ? — A. I did not think so at the 
time, because we could not have a change to shift ourselves after we had 
fallen in the water — could not have a second suit. 

Q. While we are on that point do you remember that Mr. Collins had 
a large amount of clothing ? 

The Witness. On the travel, do you mean"? 

Mr. Curtis. On the ship. 

The Witness. Yes; I knew he had a large amount of clothing. 

Q. And did he distribute that among the men more or less ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. By the way, did he supply you with any clothing before you left 
De Long ? — A. He gave me a pair of drawers just after Erichsen died. 

Q. In your judgment, were proper navigating instruments taken from 
the ship and carried in the boats ? 

Mr. Boutelle. Would it not be better to specify what you mean ? 

Mr. Curtis. Then if 1 do that objection is made. 

Mr. Boutelle. I only make the suggestion. Counsel will pardon 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 329 

me the remark. I thought I discerned not only in the mind of the wit- 
ness, but in the mind of the counsel, some little confusion as to what a 
navigating instrument is. 
Mr. Curtis. I will ask the witness. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you know what a navigating instrument is ? We will use the 
term nautical instrument. — A. A quadrant or sextant. Then there is 
a barometer. 

Q. Were proper nautical instruments taken from the ship and car- 
ried in the boats, in your belief or opinion ? — A. Not all of them. 

Q. What were missing, in your judgment, that ought to have been 
taken ? — A. A compass. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. You did not take any compass? — A. We had one of these azimuth 
compasses, but that was a surveyor's compass. 

Q. What was the trouble with that I — A. You could not take your 
course with that on the boat because the boat was not steady enough. 
You have to stop the boat and get out on the ice and get on a level spot 
and take your course with that. 

By Mr, Curtis : 

Q. Was not the sextant left by Lieutenant De Long when he landed 
on the Lena delta and other stuff taken in its place ? — A. The sextant 
was left and other things were taken. 

Q. In preference to it?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Such as what, if you please ? — A. Ship's papers, a medicine-chest, 
and one or two rifles, and a lot of ammunition besides our cooking 
gear and our tents. 

Q. What information did Captain De Long give yourself and Ninde- 
mann when you left, if any ? — A. All I know about it is that when we 
were at — I don't know what the name of the place was where Erichsen 
died, but it was on the 6th of October — he called me in and asked me how 
my legs and feet were. I told him they were pretty sore ', they hurt 
me to walk on them. Says he, "Can you walk on them pretty well?" 
Says I, *'Yes; I can get over ground as well as any one." Then he 
told me to go with Nindemann in search of succor, Erichsen was not 
dead at that time. He asked me how my trousers were. I had a pair 
of skin trousers I had made while we were on the Jeaunette, and in 
working around the fire so much they had dried up like a board and 
become useless, and I told him that they were more of a hindrance than 
anything else. Said I, " If I had another pair of trousers 1 would be 
a great deal better off." Says he, "It is unfortunate, but we have none 
here." Collins spoke up and says, "I have an extra pair of drawers; 
if they will be of benefit to you you can have them." 

Q. He gave them to you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Throughout that long and dreary expedition, so far as you ob- 
served, and so far as you knew, did Mr. Collins treat his superior offi- 
cers with respect and deference ? — A. So far as I knew he did. 

Q. And the men with kindness ? — A. Yes, sir ; he did. 

Q. And did he not, so far as your observation extended, discharge 
every duty of his position with punctuality ? — A. So far as I knew, 
yes. 

Q. I suppose you remember that Christmas night entertainment on 
the ship for which he prepared a Christmas song or carol ? — A. Yes; 
I was the one who saved it, too. 



330 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You have it ? — A. I have it, but not here. 

Q. And that song or carol was written for that occasion by Mr. Col- 
lins? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you not always observe that he showed a disposition to help 
those who were with him f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In every way possible? — A. Yes; I always observed that, as far 
as I could see. 

Q. And did he not beg to be allowed to work and go forward ?— A. 
I never heard him beg any one to be allowed to go to work, but I have 
heard him mention quite often that he would like to go to work, but 
they would not allow him. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. To preserve the continuity of this matter I want to ask you one or 
two questions about these nautical instruments. Where did they leave 
the sextant ? — A. The one that we had — I don't know whether there 
was any more in the party or not 

Q. (Interposing.) You testified that they did not take any with them 
after you left the delta. — A. They left it there in the delta, in the cairn 
where we landed. 

Q. You say that Captain De Long had taken observations there with 
it after you landed ? — A. After we landed he took observations. 

Q. On the ice ? — A. On the shore. 

Q. After you had got out of the boat, I mean. — A. Yes ; that was on 
the shore at the delta. 

Q. With this sextant ? — A. I think he took them with the sextant. 

Q. And horizon ? — A. And with the artificial horizon. 

Q. Did you understand that that sextant could be made use of for the 
purpose of determining the position in any other manner than by the 
aid of the artificial horizon on the land ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know how that artificial horizon is constructed ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. What are the materials ? — A. Quicksilver. 

Q. It is a basin of iron to be filled with quicksilver, is it not ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you ever lifted the bottle the quicksilver is carried in ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. It is carried in an iron bottle ? — A. I don't know whether it was 
iron or stone. I could not swear to it. 

Q. A stone bottle would not hold it. Did you ever lift it? — A. Yes, 
sir ; I have lifted it. 

Q. It was pretty heavy, was it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. About how much would it weigh ? — A. Well, I should say 6 or 7 
pounds ; a little below, probably. 

Q. Is it your opinion that position on land could be determined by 
the use of the sextant and an artificial horizon without the use also of 
books ? — A. No, sir ; I suppose you would have to work it out. 

Q. By logarithms which be would derive from his books? — A. I sup- 
pose so. I an) not sufficiently acquainted with navigation to know. 

Q. Is it your oi)inion that in these calculations they usually employ a 
navigator, a leather-bound book, a little thicker than that [indicating a 
book on the table] ? — A. Yes ; I know what they are. 

Q. And also a nautical almanac ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, what is your opinion as to the convenience of carrying all 
those articles on the retreat? — A. It was not convenient. 

Q. The sextant is a triangular instrument ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 331 

Q, And comes in a triangular box withoot any handle ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Not a very bandy thing to carr^^ ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, would the carrying of that sextant and the artificial horizon 
and the two or more books, as the case may be, requisite to make it of 
use, have added considerably to the burden which the party were 
obliged to carry ! — A. I think it would have been inconvenient. 

By Mr. CURTiS : 

Q. Was it possible to have carried these instruments that were left 
behind? — A. I don't thinjt it was possible to carry them. 

Q. Why not ? — A. Because we had our hands fall as it was ; we had 
as much as we could do to stagger under our own loads without stag- 
gering under anything else. 

Q. Were there not articles you could have dispensed with for the 
purpose of carrying these more important ones '?— A. They might have 
left the books back. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What books'? — A. The ship's records j the ones we carried. I 
carried a bundle of them myself. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. The records of the expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 
By Mr. OURTis : 

Q. It is a very important thing under such circumstances to have the 
means of ascertaining your course and knowing where you are going, is 
it not '? — A. We could have done that on the delta with our compasses 
if we had had them. 

Q. You were not on the delta when you left the ship ?— A. No, sir. 

Q. You were a good ways from the delta ? — A. But we had them 
with us until we got to the delta. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. After you got to the delta was there any occasion on which the 
want of a sextant was felt ? — A. T don't think there was. We could 
have worked it out, I suppose, but there was no occasion for it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. To your knowledge did Captain De Long know where he was at 
the time j^ou left him"? — A. 1 don't think he did. 

Q. Will you please give me a description of your journey south until 
you met the natives ? You and Nindemann left together, did you not f — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Bid you remain together *? — A. Yes, sir. When De Long called 
us in the hut and told us about going south, he told me at that time that 
he wanted me to go with Nindemann, and we were preparing to go away 
at that time. We were to start off at 12 o'clock that day. While 
we were getting ready to go Dr. Ambler reached over to Erichsen, lay- 
ing alongside of him, and put his fingers upon Erichsen's eyes. Erich- 
sen had become quiet. As I say, he reached over and put his fingers 
on his eyes and said, ^' It is all over with him, captain ; he is dead." 
Captain De Long says then, " Call all hands in ;" says he, "if that is the 
case we will all go together." Then he had services for the dead, and 
covered him up with the flag. Finally, that day we sewed him up in 
canvas, and Nindemann cut a hole through the ice to bury him in the 
river. We took him down to the river, shoved him under the ice, and 
the current took him away. 



332 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What is the reason you did not bury him on land ? — A. For the 
reason that the earth was so hard that we could not dig a grave for 
him. 

Q. You had no picks with you? — A. We had nothing but a small 
hatchet. 

Q. Now, let me ask you, while we are on that subject; where you were 
on the delta there is a large amount of drift-wood that floats down the 
Lena, is there not f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it possible to make use of that large drift wood for the purpose 
of fuel or otherwise unless you have an ax ? — A. Oh, yes ; it is possi- 
ble to make use of it. 

Q. Is not some of it very large timber ? — A. Yes. 

Q. How can you split it up without an ax? — A. You don't need to 
split it up ; you throw it on the fire in big logs. 

Q. Are not some of the logs so large A. (Interrupting.) We didn't 

get the lon«i;est logs ; we got what we could. 

Q. But I say many of them are very large, long logs ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In order to make use of those you would have to have an ax to 
split them ? — A. In order to make use of that wood ; yes. 

Q. Do you know what an Arctic willow is? — A. Yes. 

Q. It is a species of tree, is it not ? — A. It is a species of bush we 
found tht^re. 

Q. It grows on the delta, does it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You had no ax I believe ; you had a hatchet ? — A. We had a 
hatchet. 

Q. This Arctic willow is serviceable for fuel, is it not ? — A. We did 
not use it as such. 

Q. But it is serviceable for fuel, is it not? — A. Yes ; if you had noth- 
ing else. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q, How large a hatchet had you ? — A. An ordinary hatchet, a small 
one ', one about so big [illustrating], that is, the hatchet part of it. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. While we are on the tree question, are you aware that north of 
the spot where De Long's body was found there is a large number of 
the Arctic willow that grows to a very i^ositive size; I mean as large as 
a tree? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You did not see those ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Where you were the Arctic willow was diminutive in size? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you arrive at Ku-Mark-Surk ? — A. I don't remember the 
exact date. I wish to state that I don't remember any of the dates. 

Q. Is it almost impossible to fix the dates of events on this expedi- 
tion? About when? — A. I kept no notes whatever. I started to keep 
notes when I left De Long's party, but my fingers became so stiff and 
frozen I could not hold a pencil, consequently I had to let it go. 

Q. It was almost impossible, unless you kept a daily journal, or some- 
thing of tliat sort, to even approximate the dates? — A. I think it was. 

Q. You had no outside means of fixing the dates? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And it was more or less a matter of approximation or guess 
work? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And it would not be a matter of very great surprise to you if a 
mist^ake of several days might be made? — A. Several days; yes, sir. 

Q. And perhaps a month or two? — A. Oh, no; it would not be so 
much as that. 



JEANNETTE INQUIEY. 333 

Q. Where did you meet Kiismah! — A. We met him at Kii-Mark- 
Surk. 

Q. Have j^ou ever stated, or is it your present opiuion, that Mr. Mel- 
ville failed in his whole duty as to helj^ing De Long's party? — A. I 
have, sir. 

Q. Is that your present opinion ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q Will you be kind enough to give us the facts on which your opin- 
ion is based ? — A. I don't know that there are facts ; all I know is that 
it is my oj)inion. 

Q. Give us the reason for your opinion.— A. I think he could have 
got to Bulun much sooner than he did, and by so doing he could have re- 
turned ^north, and quite possibly have found some of the people alive. 

Q. When the three boats' crews separated, did you have a general 
rendezvous appointed ? — A. Yes ; I think it was Point Barkin. 

Q. And did any of the three boats' crews who made the rendezvous 
ever meet there ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Lieutenant Ohipp was lost ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. De Long perished in the delta ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Melville's party was the only party that survived ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. With the exception of you and Nindemann ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you not expect to find relief when you were trying to get to 
Ku-mark-surk 1 — A. We were in hopes of finding some one. 

Q. Do you know any reason why Mr. Melville hurried up as soon as 
he found that you were alive and were on your way south f — A. I do 
not know of any reason unless it was that he wanted to get there ;ind 
get word to the Navy Department before we did. 

Q. Then, is it possible that there was a feeling of jealousy or envy 
among any of the people of the expedition as to who should have the 
credit of it ? — A. I think there was. 

Q. In whom, as you believed, did you see that spirit manifested I — A. 
I saw it manifested pretty plainly between Mr. Melville and Mr. Dan- 
enhower. 

Q. In what way, if you please? — A. In their actions. 

Q. What w^ere their actions that fortified you in that belief? — A. 
Well, I was not with them much, so I can't say much about that. 

Q. Well, at the time you w^ere with them? — A. In their looks and 
their ways. 

Q. There did not appear to be harmony between them ? — A. No, sir. 
And one would talk about the other, but what they talked about now I 
could not say. 

Q . As a rule, if you know, is it usual in well managed polar parties 
to go north without axes? — A. I don't know anything about polar par- 
ties except the onel was with. 

Q. In your judgment, was or w^as not the strength of the party wasted 
in hunting for small wood to make fires, not being able to use the big 
wood for want of an ax ?— tA. No, sir. 

Q. You did hunt for small wood? — A. We did not hunt for any wood 
in particular; we took what wood we could get. 

Q. Did you get it without any difficulty ? — A. Most of the time we 
did. There were times that we made a camp at night, and had to travel 
for a half a mile to look for wood, and then we had to keep going back- 
wards and forwards for a couple of hours to get a supply. 

Q. Did you say you had a shotgun with you? — A. No, sir; I did not. 

Q. Did .you not say that the want of shotguns deprived you more or 
less of food? — A. It deprived us more or less of food. 



334 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. As far as you remember, what was the condition of the men when 
the three boats separated? — A. The condition of the men when the 
boats separated was that we were all api)arently well. 

Q. And in good health ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Mr. Collins included ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If 3^ou remember, please state what was Mr. Melville's general 
manner and demeanor toward the men? 

The Witness. Whereabouts? 

Mr. Curtis. During the expedition and during the retreat? — A. I had 
nothing to complain of against Mr. Melville on the shii) only once, and 
that was we were sent below to stow away some gearing down in the 
coal-bunkers. I was down below and had the plate of the man hole oif 
on the deck, and whilst I was down below some one put the plate on the 
man-hole. I didn't know who it was. If I had known it was Mr. Mel- 
ville I wouldn't have shoved it off. I shoved it off and he put it on again. 
He didn't say anything. I shoved it off again. I was going to holler 
up the second time I shoved it off, but Mr. Melville grabbed this plate 
up and said ^'Damn it, you leav^e it on there," and put it on again. 

Q. What sort of a plate was that? — A. An iron plate that covered 
the man-hole. 

Q. Mr. Melville was a very strong, hearty man? — A. Yes, sir. I was 
down below. I didn't know it was him putting it on or I wouldn't have 
shoved it off. 

Q. Would a blow of that plate from above have been fatal if it was 
received on a man's head ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. It could not have fallen on your head? — A. No, sir; it could not 
have dropped through. 

By Mr. Curtis: 
Q. At the time he seized it and threw it on did he appear to be angry ? — 
A. At the time I was shoving it off I didn't know it was him. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Were you down below ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. Could that plate have dropped through ? — A. No, sir. 
Q. Could he have thrown it through ? — A. No, sir ; but he made that 
remark. 

By Mr. CURTIS : 

Q. If you had had a compass at the time you were south from the 
delta would it have helped you in anyway? — A. It would have en- 
abled us to make a more direct course. 

Q. Consequently it would have saved time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In your opinion, was the keeping together of the men the cause of 
the loss of life in a measure ? 

The Witness. The keeping together of what men ? 

Mr. Curtis. The men of your party. Supposing they had separated 
and gone in the same general direction ? — A. I think that some of them 
could have got through if they had separated. 

Q. Do you remember that you said to Jackson that Melville did not 
do his duty in not trying to help the De Long party ? — A. I have stated 
that here at this time. 

Q. If the delay had not taken place at Bennett Island could the boats 
have been landed before the storm in which Chipp was lost ? — A. I have 
also mentioned that at this time. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 335 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Have you any assurance that you might not have struck another 
storm ? 

The Witness. At what time do you mean, sir ? 

Mr. Boutelle. I understand that you were two or three weeks up 
at Bennett Island 1 

The Witness. Yes. 

Mr. Boutelle. And the question was, if you had, instead of stopping 
there, proceeded directly would you not have arrived before the storm 
in which Ohipp was lost. 

The Witness. I think we would. 

Mr. Boutelle. Exactly, before that storm ; but have you any as- 
surance that you might not have struck another storm ! — A. I have no 
assurance except what we experienced. We had heavy winds all 
through. 

By Mr. McAdoo: 

Q. While you were on the island were there many storms ? — A. We 
had no storms while we were on the island j not that 1 know of. 

Q. If strict discipline had been relaxed and there had been more in- 
dividual freedom among the men to do what they liked to save them- 
selves, do you think the result would have been different as to the sav- 
ing of life! — A. Yes, sir; I do. 

Q. In what respect *? — A. I think that some of them would have got 
through all right. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Do you know that Captain De Long did not give permission to 
the members of the i)arty to save themselves if they could after you 
left !— A. I do not. 

Q. When you left Captain De Long did you feel confident that you 
were going to succeed! — A. I felt at the time of leaving De Long that 
we had a better chance of getting through than we would have had if 
we had remained with the party. 

Q. Was that feeling general among the i)arty ! — A. I think it was 
by the way they bade us good-by. 

Q. Was there a desire on the part of others to accompanj^ you ! — A. 
They did not mention it. 

Q. Did anybody have any desire to accompany you ? — A. I did not 
hear them say so. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you not feel, in connection with that matter, that your chances 
were so slim and so doubtful that you were ready to commit suicide at 
the time you reached that hut! — A. At one time I felt so. 

Q. When was that ! — A. That was just before we came to Bulcour, 
the place we were found by the natives. 

Q. That was the little hut where you remained with Mndemann, and 
the natives came and relieved you !— A. Yes. 

Q. It was just before that that you felt so disai)poiuted and hopeless 
in regaid to the future that you contemplated committing suicide? — A. 
I did not contemplate doing it, but I thought of it. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Was your finding of that hut accidental! — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. What would have been the result upon the attempt of } ourself 
and Kindemann to escape if you had not struck that hut !— A. The 



336 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

result would have been that we would have been washed down the 
river in the spring, because Melville, I don't think, would have got down 
in time to have found us or any of the party. 

Q. Now, if a half a dozen more had started oft* at the same time you 
did in the same general direction, but on their own hook, was there any 
certainty that they would have struck similar huts and found the same 
kind of assistance that you did ? — A. There was no assurance of it. 

Q. Simply a chance ? — A. Simply a chance. 

Q. Have you any knowledge, obtained since, as to what the chances 
would have been for people going in another direction than you to have 
met assistance f — A. No; I have not. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Were there any other huts around in that country ? — A. Yes ; but 
we knew nothing of that at that time. 
Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C. Thursday^ April 17, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
l)resent and counsel on either side. 

Louis P. Noros, resumed the stand and his examination was con- 
tinued as follows : 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. Were you present when Mr. De Long's body and those ot 
his companions were found ? — Answer. I was not. 

Q. How soon after the discovery of his and their bodies did you see 
them? — A. I think their bodies were found some time in March, and it 
was in May when 1 saw them — April or May, 1 can't say which. 

Q. And do you not remember of your own knowledge that a juece of 
flannel was over the face of Mr. Collins at the time his body was 
found! — A. No, sir; I was not there. 

Q. You did not hear any rumor or report of anybody having searched 
his body after his death and taken i^apers away from it, did you I — A. 
I heard that the bodies were searched, but what was taken away from 
them I don't know. 

Q. Did you hear who searched Mr. Collins's body and took away some 
of his papers! — A. I may have heard who it was searched it, but I can't 
say now whether I did or not. 

Q. How many days were you in traveling from where you left Do 
Long and his party to the spot where you met Mr. Melville and his 
party! — A. It was on the 9th of October when we left De Long's party, 
and I think it was about the 28th or 29th of October that we arrived in 
Bulun. 

Q. I understood you to say yesterday you have and had no accurate 
way or means of fixing dates! — A. I have not. 

Q. You had to go by what was told you or what you understood in 
regard to it! — A. No, sir; from what I could judge by myself. I had 
to guess at it. 

Q. It was impossi ble for you to fix accurate dates and accurate times ! — 
A. It was, unless I kept a journal. 

Q. For some time prior to your leaving Captain De Long you had not 
kept a journal ! — A. I had not kept a journal at all. I did at^rt to keep 



I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIEY. 337 

a journal after we left Captain De Long, but, as I said before, rny fingers 
became so stiff and frozen I could not hold a pencil, and I had to knock 
off. 

Q. Supposing the party under Mr. Melville had started the 16th, and 
taken a course north, what, in your judgment, would have been the 
prospects and the chances and the probabilities of discovering De Long? 

The Witness. Left what place on the 16th ? 

Mr. Curtis. Bulun. 

The Witness. If he had left Bulun on the 16th I think quite possi- 
bly he might have run in with Mndemann and myself, or seen some- 
thing of De Long's camp-fires. 

Q. You continually kept up signal-fires? — A. As long as I was with 
De Long's party we kept them up as long as we could get wood. 

Q. Considering the nature of the country, how far, in your judgment, 
could one of those fires be seen ? — A. I think from the top of a bluff, or 
something like that, they could be seen 15 or 20 miles. 

Q. I mean the country round about ? — A. I say from the top of a 
bluff'. 

Q. And of course, like intelligent people, you built your fires on the 
highest accessible ground? — 4. Yes, sir. 

Q. So that in point of fact probably the signal- fire could be seen about 
that distance 1 — A. I think so. 

Mr. Curtis. I ascertained on examining my memoranda at the hotel 
last night that many of the questions I desired to put to Mr. Noros he 
cannot answer, because they are more particularly within the knowledge 
of people who have special knowledge, and therefore I will not take up 
the time of the committee by putting questions of that nature, and for 
the present I leave him. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. After the ship sunk what course did the party take when they 
commenced to travel on the ice? — A. I don't know what course, but I 
think it was to the southward that day. 

Q. Do you know how long a time you continued traveling to the 
southward? — A. We continued traveling to the southward until we got 
down to Bennett Island, until we began to drift by Bennett Island, and 
gradually we changed our course to the northward to get to Bennett 
Island. 

Q. That was how many days after you left the ship ? — A. We threw 
out on the ice about the 12th or 13th of June, and we landed at Bennett 
Island about the 29th of July. 

Q. So far as you know, then, the course that was taken was one con- 
tinuous course from leaving the ship? — A. Yes; it pretended to be to 
the southward. 

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge that if you had continued on 
a due south line you would have fallen in with any natives ? — A. I do 
not know of my own knowledge. 

Q. Do you know that there was any city on the coast of Siberia at 
any point south or nearly south of the place where the ship was lost ? — 
A. All I knew was what I heard Captain De Long say, that there were 
settlements all along the Lena Eiver. 

Q. Did he ever tell you that there was a city there ? — A. The city of 
Jakutsk. 

Q. Was that at a point south of where the ship was? — A. No, sir; 
that was inland. 

Q. I am asking you about any city on the coast that was anywhere 
22 J Q* 



338 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

near Oil a south line from where the ship went down I — A. I don't re- 
member hearing liim say that there was a city. I understood him to 
say that there were settk'inents. 

Q. Now, how long a time was Wrangel Land in sight of your ves- 
sel 1 — A. I hardly remember now, but I think we were in sight of it at 
one time for about a week or ten days. 

Q. And from the time you first sight* d Wrangel Land and until you 
last saw it how long a time elai)sed ? — A. We baw it at different periods, 
but I can't exactly state how long a time it was at the present time. 

Q. Did it not amount to some months? — A. 1 think it might have 
amounted to inonths; 1 don't know; I would not be positive. 

Q. Do you recollect, and if so, give, as nearly as you can, the date 
when you first sighted Wrangel Land ? — A. I don't know as I can give 
the date, but 1 think it was the last of September or tbe first of Octo- 
tober, 1879. I don't remember; I am not sure. 

Q, Now, from the experience that you have had in the Arctic region, 
do you not think it would have been wise if Captain De Long could 
have reached Wrangel Land to have wintered* there ? — A. I think so, 
sir. I think that was one of his intentions — wintering at Wrangel 
Land. 

Q. Do you not think, from your experience in the Arctic regions, that 
if Wrangel Land had been a continent, and you could have reached it 
in the fall, that you w ould have been able to travel much farther north 
than you eventually did ! — A. If it had been a continent I think we 
could. 

Q. And at that time it was not known that it was an island, was it! — 
A, No, sir. 

Q. Then, considering that you were on a voyage of discovery, seek- 
ing to go to the North Pole, in your judgment, was it not the wisest 
thing that Captain De Long could have done in view of the amount of 
knowledge that was had at that time of Wrangel Land, to go there for 
winter quarters and make that a base to go northward for exploring? — 
A. I always understood that he was going to Wrangel Land to winter, 
if he could get there. 

Q. But 1 say, in your judgment, was not that the wisest thing to be 
done in view of the knowledge that was had of it at that time ? — A. We 
often made remarks while we were up in the Arctic that we thought it 
would have been much better if he had wintered at St. Lawrence Bay. 

Q. But that is not what I am asking you. I want to know whether, 
in your judgment, it was not a wise thing to have done, in view of the 
knowledge that you had then, to go to Wrangel and make that a base 
from which to travel northward ? — A. I think it would if we could have 
got there. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. How far is Wrangel Land from St. Lawrence Bay ? — A. I don't 
know. 

Q. How much farther north ? — A. I think Wrangel Land is some- 
where in the neighborhood of 73 or 74 degrees. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Do I understand you to have said it was wiser to have gone there 
if you could have got there ? — A. If we could have got there. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q About where is St. Lawrence Bay? — A. Just through Bering 
Strait. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 339 

Q. And St. Lawrence Bay is on the continent of Asia, is it not '! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, if you had wintered at St. Lawrence Bay, couhl you have 
attempted any explorations toward the Pole *? — A. Not toward the Pole, 
as I know of. 

Q. Then, if you had wintered at St. Lawrence Bay would you not 
have lost the first year? — A. In my opinion we lost the first year as it 
was, by going into the ice. 

Q. I am not asking you what you did; but, in your opinion, if you had 
wintered at St. Lawrence Bay, would you not have lost the first year"? — 
A. Yes ', we would have lost the first year anyhow ; but we would have 
been ready in the spring. 

Q. Understand, I am not saying that you did not lose it, but T say if 
you had gone the other way you would have lost it 1 — A. It would have 
been just the same either way. 

Q. Now, if you had wintered in St. Lawrence Bay would you have 
had any certainty that the next spring, when you attempted to go north, 
you would have had any different experience from what you had when 
you tried to get to Wrangel Land f— A. I caimot say any certainty of 
it. All I know was what was said there, that we would have had open 
water and been able to get up farther. 

Q. But if you had gone farther north would you not eventually have 
gone into the ice 1 — A. Oh, we should certainly have gone into the ice. 

Q. That was inevitable, was it not? — A. les, sir. 

Q. And the only question was, how far north you would be able to 
get before you went into the ice 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What tent were you in after you were divided up into tent parties ? — 
A. I was in Mr. Melville's tent. No. 4 tent. 

Q. You spoke about these islands. At which island was it that you 
saw the birds ? 

The Witness. The birds that we caught or killed ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. On Bennett Island. 

Q. That was a little island which you had discovered and surveyed? — 
A. I don't know how little it was ; I know it was quite a good sized 
island. We did not survey it at all ; did not go around it or circumnav- 
igate it either. 

Q. That was discovered by your party after you were on the ice 1 — 
A. On our retreat to the southward ; yes. 

Q. Now, when I said a little island, I meant in comparison with the 
other islands that you made afterwards. Was it not a smaller island 
than some of those you landed on subsequently, or did you think it was 
as large as any island you saw ? — A. I think it was as large as any 
island we landed on, if not larger. 

Q. Besides birds, were there on that island any traces of reindeer ? — 
A. I believe they said they saw bear tracks ; I don't know about rein- 
deer. 

Q. Did they not on some of the islands see a mark of a boot ? — A. I 
don't know whether they did or not. 

Q. You never heard of it ? — A. I never heard of it. 

Q. On the islands to the south of Bennett Island did you not find 
evidences of reindeer? — A. Yes, we got one at Seminowski Island. 

Q. To what extent did you find traces of reindeer ; enough to warrant 
you in believing that" reindeer were abundant on the island? — A. Not 
abundant. We saw two tracks of reindeer, a large one and a small one, 
and it was reported there was also a bear track on the island. 



340 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Was Seminowski Island the island it was supposed ivory hunters 
had explored ! — A. I supposed they had explored all those islands. 

Q. And on any of the other islands did you discover evidences of 
reindeer ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you on these islands find anything that indicated that human 
beings had lived there? — A. We saw huts and other things. 

Q. On how many different islands did you find huts ? — A, I don't 
remember now. There was one island in particular we sailed by, I for- 
got the name of it, on which we saw several huts ; it was quite a long 
island. 

Q. Did you not find Eussian coin up there ? — A. I believe there was 
something found up there ; I do not know what it was ; I think it was 
a fork or a spoon, or something like that — a wooden thing. I don't re 
member just exactly what it was now. 

Q. When the ship went down were you not told, as well as all the 
other men, to take one suit of underclothes all the way through, shirts, 
drawers, and socks, to be carried in your knapsack in addition to the 
clothing on your back? — A. Yes. 

Q. And did you not understand that every man was provided with 
such a change of clothing when you started out from the ship ? — A. I 
understood that every man was provided with such. 

Q. You said in the course of your direct examination that on a line 
to the south of you it was comparatively free from ice. When did you 
find it on a line south of you comparatively free from ice ? — A. After 
we left Seminowski Island we found it so, but before we got to Bennett 
Island we could see what was termed a water sky right to the south- 
ward of us. We were making from Bennett Island steering to the 
northwest at that time. 

Q. Had you at any time previous to that observed anything of the 
kind ? 

The Witness. A water sky ? 

Mr. Arkoux. Yes. 

A. Well, I don't remember. 

Q. And yoru remark that it was comparatively free from ice to the 
south of you has reference to the time when you were at or after you 
had left Bennett Island ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. To what time did that have reference ? — A. When we left Sem- 
noiwski Island. 

Q. That was after you left Bennett Island, was it not 1 — A. Yes j after 
we left Bennett Island. 

Q. When you started in the boats after leaving the ice, you were 
south of Semnoiwski Island. What supply of water did you have ? 

The Witness. After leaving Semnoiwsk Island ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes ; when you went into the boats. 

The Witness. Well, we had been in the boats some time hefore we 
got to Semnoiwski Island. 

Mr. Arnoux. I mean when you sailed out to the coast of Siberia ! 

A. All the supply of water we had was what we got in a pool up on 
top of Semnoiwski Island at that time, and after we had got out a little 
while, I believe, we filled all the kettles and pans that we had with snow 
in order to make water after we had got clear of the snow ice. 

Q. How long did the supply of water which you got on Semnoiwski 
Island last you ! — A.. It lasted until the gale of wind when everything 
was swa]n])ed. That was at night. 

Q. Did that gale of wind destroy also the snow, so far as it was avail- 
able to making drinking water ? — A. Yes, sir j destroyed everything. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 341 

Q. When you reached the delta did yon have a supply of water of 
any character? — A. No, sir ; we had not. I believe we had in the cask 
some brackish water, but Captain De Long would not allow us to drink 
it. 

Q. I mean any supply of water that was fit for drinking "? — A. No, 
sir ; we had not had any for one or two days. 

Q. Had you been so long deprived of water that you were suffering 
in that respect ? — A. Yes, sirj because when we got on the coast we 
began to eat the young ice that formed on the surface of the water and 
Captain De Long remonstrated with us for doing so. He said it was 
salty, and would not allow us to eat it. 

Q. What was the reason that he objected to your eating ice that had 
salt in it 1 — A. I suppose to prevent scurvy. 

Q. Then you consider that his order was not given in any spirit of 
hostility, but in his care that the men should not contract any dis- 
ease "? — A. I am not quite sure of that. 

Q. You say when you reached the delta you abandoned the sextant. 
When you reached the delta, how far did the boat ground from the 
land *? — A. The first time we grounded, I should think it was somewhere 
in the neighborhood of a mile and three-quarters or two miles from the 
land. I don't know, I am sure -, but I will say a mile and three-quar- 
ters. 

Q. How deep draft was the first cutter ? — A. I don't know. I guess 
she drew about 2 J or 3 feet. 

Q. Did any of the crew attempt to go to the land when 3 on were a 
mile and three-quarters or two miles from the shore? — A. Yes. 
, Q. Who ? — A. All of us except Captain De Long, and Dr. Ambler, 
and Boyd, and Erichsen at that time. We all took our baggage on our 
backs and went ashore to lighten the boat, and then we came back 
again and dragged the boat in as far as we could. All went out except 
Ah Sam, the Chinaman, and Mr. Collins. Then we went back and 
dragged the boat in as far as we could get it and took another load off. 
We dragged it in about a half a mile or a quarter of a mile so it made 
it within a mile and a half to the shore, and we kept taking in loads 
until we got the boat light enough to get it in as tar as we could, and 
then Captain De Long, and Dr. Ambler, and Boyd, and Erichsen got 
out and went ashore. A fire had been made, while we had been going 
backward and forward, aad they went to the fire. 

Q. What did you do with the quadrant and the mercury and the 
navigator's book ? — A. I hadn't charge of them, so I don't know what 
they did with them. They were right there on the beach. 

Q. Did they not make a cairn of all the things they could not take ? — 
A. Yes. 

Q. And was not that cairn afterwards opened and all the things ob- 
tained ? — A. I think it was opened by Melville when he went north the 
first time; I don't know 5 but they were all brought south again. 

Q. You understood so ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I ask you, from your own knowledge of seamanship and con- 
nection with vessels, in your judgment, was it not wise and best for 
Captain De Long to leave behind the sextant in preference lo carrying 
that and leaving behind the journals ? — A. I thought it would have 
been better to have left everything behind and saved ourselves first 
and then gone back and got what was there. 

Q. But if you had been in command of the expedition, ifyou had ha d 
the choice to take one or the other, would you not have chosen those 



342 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

books ill preference to the sextant? — A. Of course, 1 would have car- 
ried the valuable papers before I carried the sextant. 

Q. Were not those papers all that was left of the fruits of the expe- 
dition *? — A. Yes ; they were the most valuable of anything. 

Q. After you landed, were you all in one mess ? — A. We were all in 
in one mess, but we had two tents. 

Q. Now, in the mess, was not the captain the last one to be served? — 
A. I don't know in the mess; I knew in the boat. I never was iu his 
tent. I was in the other tent. 

Q. Well, then,' in the boat, was not the captain the last of all to be 
served ? — A. As a general rule he was the last to take his pemmican. 
He would see that every one else was served first. 

Q. And who generally was served first?— rA. It did not matter who 
was served first ; whoever was handiest was served first. 

Q. There was no order observed ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. But the captain always waited to see that everybody else was 
helped before he was helped himself? — A. Yes. 

Q. When they were on shore in the tent did you ever notice how 
they slept ?— A. Yes ; I did. 

Q. Did not Captain De Loug always see to it that Mr. Collins was as 
well protected in the tent as any other person ? — A. I don't know that. 
All I know is that that tent was so crowded that Nindemanu most of 
the time had to sleep outside ; he could not get inside. 

Q. But Collins was never outside ? — A. I don't know, sir ; I never 
was in the tent. 

Q. I mean never to your knowledge ? — A. Never, to my knowledge. 

Q. When you were leaving Cai)tain De Long did he give you any 
instructions what course you were to pursue ? — A. He gave instructions 
to this effect, that we were to go south and keep on the right-hand or 
west bank of the river, but not to wade. He told Nindemann not to 
wade in the water. He did not tell me that. 

Q. Did you hear him tell Nindemann ? — A. I heard him tell Ninde- 
mann. 

Q. Did you not understand that the captain gave that order for your 
benefit and protection ? — A. I understood he gave it for the benefit of 
everybody. He would not allow any one to wade in the water if he 
could help it. 

Q. But I mean it was not in any way intended to prejudice your 
journey, but it was for the purpose of having you take extra care of 
yourselves ? — A. Oh, yes ; but then if we had not done it we never would 
have got through. 

Q. You had to disobey the order to save your lives ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. But it was not given so much as an imperative order as it was ex- 
pressing his wish? — A. I do not think it was. 

Q. It was not given as an imperative order? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Tell me in what light you understood that ; was it an expression 
of his care for the protection of the men ?^ A. Yes. 

Q. And it was not something that you were to obey at all hazards ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, if yoii had arrived at the Lena delta a little later, from what 
you knew afterwards, would not the whole party have been saved ? — 
A. I doubt whether we could have got into the Lena delta a little later, 
because the ice had begun to make, and we could not have got along. 

Q. But if you could have got" into the Lena delta a little later ? — A. 
I don't know as it would have been anj benefit to us, because the natives 
had all left the country at that time. 



JEAKNETTE INQUIRY. 343 

Q. Did not some of them come along there at that time '^. — A. They 
did ; but it was only a chance. 

Q. Did you know of any of the natives being there earlier than you 
were there 'i — A". Nothing further than we knew that natives were around 
there every summer. 

Q. But whether they had been at this particular point, or how many 
miles from this particular point, you did not know? — A. We knew 
that natives came there, because they had their trai)s set along that 
coast. 

Q. What kind of traps? — A. Fox traps. 

Q. Did you, when you landed at the Lena delta with Captain De 
Long, see these fox traps'? — A. Yes. 

Q. How many of them ?— A. Well, I couldn't begin to count them, 
because they were so strewn all along at short distances. 

Q. Were they set ? — A. Some were, and some were not. 

Q. Could you learn from the condition of the traps if anybody had 
been there 5 and, if so, how long before "? — A. No, sir. 
. Q. You could not tell whether anybody had been there that summer, 
or the summer before, from the appearance of the traps ? — A. We sup- 
posed they were there in the summer from some of them being set. 

Q. Did not the natives fall in right behind you and pick up the rec- 
ords "? — A. I don'c know how soon they came after, but they came and 
picked up the records, and we learned that they had been there. 

Q. And that they did so pick up the records "? — A. Yes ; and that 10- 
shotted gun, the Winchester rifle. 

Q. So that if you had been there later you would have met those 
natives ? — A. Yes ; if we had remained at the first hut that we came to 
we would possibly have met the natives. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. Did you find those huts there ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Where was the point where you first came to the natives' huts and 
where the natives afterwards came ? How far from the place where 
you separated from Captain De Long 1 — A. Well, I don't know really, 
because our travel was so uneven, the distance was so varied that I 
could not begin to judge. 

Q. Give it in a general way to the best of your knowledge. — A. I 
think the first two huts we came to was the second or third day after 
we left the delta, and that would have been about the 22d or 23d of 
September. I am not saying this as a positive fact. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. September or October ? — A. September. 

Q. That was while the party were all together? — A. Yes, sir. That 
is why I say it was the time we came to these two huts, and it was on 
the 9th of October that we left De Long's party, so I judged that the 
distance traveled by the whole party at that time would have been some- 
where in the neighborhood of a hundred miles or more. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. While the party were together did you follow the course of any 
of the rivers or did you try to strike south i — A. We followed the course 
of all the largest rivers we could find so as to make sure of the way they 
ran. Whichever way they were running we followed them up. 



344 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. So as to make sure you were ascending the river ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you, from time to time, cross these different branches ? — A. 
Yes. We crossed numerous creeks. 

Q. Then when you crossed them you crossed to whatever land you 
could get to f — A. We followed the banks along as long as the river 
was goiug in a southern direction. 

Q How high were the banks above the river ? — A. They varied in 
places. Sometimes they would be 20 feet, sometimes less, to 30 feet 
sometimes above the bed of the river. 

Q. When you say the bed you mean the level of the water ! — A. The 
level of the water. They may have been higher j I did not measure 
them, but I judged that. 

Q. I understood you to say yesterday that you thought that Mr. Mel- 
ville might have gone earlier to Captain De Long for his relief. Did I 
understand you correctly 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When did you first form that opinion f — A. After we found out 
that he was alive. 

Q. And on what fact did you base it ? — A. On the fact that we 
traveled ourselves all the time. 

Q. Now, you traveled all the time trying to find safety yourselves, did 
you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you have any knowledge or idea that either of the other two 
parties were in existence ? — A. We hadn't the slightest idea -, in fact 
we thought they were all gone. 

Q. And did you have any way of making known your existence to 
them ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then if, you supposed that they were all gone and you had no 
rumor or information concerning them, how could you suppose that they 
would know that you were in existence ! — A. We did not suppose it 
until we found out that they were alive. 

Q. Then if, up to the time when you appeared, they had labored under 
the impression that your party had perished as well as Lieutenant Ohipp 
and his party, what was there derelict about Melville's not sending? — 
A. Well, I looked at it in this light: That if Melville met with succor 
at Geeomovialocke, a place called the drying-out camp, in all probabil- 
ity if he had remained there some eight or ten days ice would liave been 
formed strong enough to hold any party, I don't care what party it was, 
to travel on. He had his orders to go to a Russian settlement, as I un- 
derstand, which would have been Bulun, and alter he got there and 
found De Long had not reported and that nothing had been heard of 
him, he knew there was a northern branch of the river and consequently 
there would be only one more branch of the Lena River, and that would 
have been the eastern branch, and it would have been his duty to have 
got up an expedition to go for De Long's party. 

Q. Therefore you formed the opinion from the subsequent information 
which you obtained, and which you and Nindemann brought there ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. As soon as you gave Melville the information he started out 1 — A. 
Yes; he did. 

Q. Very i^romptly, did he not? — A. No grass grew under his feet 
after he got information of De Long's party. 

Q. You say there are but two main branches of the river *? — A. Yes j 
the northern and eastern branch. 

Q. And you had landed near the eastern branch ? — A. No, sir ; the 
northern branch. 

Q. Now, did not the northern branch as it approached the coast part 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 345 

and divide aud ramify into a great number of mouths ? — A. Small creeks. 
I haven't been along the coast, so T don't know. 

Q. In the part where you were ■?— A. We only saw one river and we 
tried to go to that river and we could not get to it. 

Q. What prevented your getting to it f — A. The boat stuck in the 
mud when we were within 4 or 5 miles of the river. 

Q. But near enough to make the distance to it ? — A. We did not get 
to the river. We waded from our boat on shore, and then we took a 
straight course to a place called Shakstk. I think that was the place 
he was going to, and if there was anj^ such place we went by it ; we 
didn't find it. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. The reason you abandoned your boat, was because it was stuck in 
the mud ! — A. Yes 5 we were going to a point called Point Barkin. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Was it not a matter of necessity that you should abandon the 
boat 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You could not possibly have helped yourself at that time, could 
you *? — A. We could have got away from the beach. 

Q. But, I say as you were situated then, it was a matter of necessity 
to abandon the boat ? — A. If we wanted to get ashore it was. 

Q. Was not that what you intended to do "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At the time that you left the party, which one seemed to be i>hys- 
ically stronger, Mr. Collins or Captain De Long ! — A. At the time 1 left 
the Tjarty 1 thought Mr. Collins was stronger than Captain De Long. 

Q. And was it not therefore a matter of surprise to you to find that 
Captain De Long was the survivor ! 

The Witness. The survivor of the two? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. Well, I don't know, unless it was because Captain De Long had 
more comfort than the rest of them. 

Q. Did he at the time you left have more ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what respect? — A. He always had the best place, always had 
a half a tent put up to shield him, and kept Alexy beside him to keep 
hiji warm, and Nindemann was dressing him and undressing him and 
doing everything he could for him. 

Q. Was not that because he was sick at the time ? — A. Not that I 
know of. 

Q. Do you not know that he was not able to do for himself? — A. I 
don't know; I think he could have done for himself if there had been 
nobody else to help him. 

Q. Did you not say he had fallen to the rear on the last day you were 
with him because he was not able to keep up with the rest ?— A. I sup- 
pose he had broken down and got discouraged. 

Q. You mean physically broken down ? — A. Yes ; but this was all 
through the delta that he was taken care of, everywhere in fact. 

Q. But after being taken care of in that way it did not make him 
physically stronger than anybody else ? — A. It protected him better. 

Q. At the time you left was he physically stronger than anybody 
else ? — A. JSTot that I am aware of. 

Q. In your judgment were there not others stronger than he? — A. I 
don't know ; I think they were all pretty much the same. 

Q. Do you think Captain De Long could have gone right ahead with 
you on that stretch as well as you two did ? — A. I don't think so, sir. 



346 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Do you think he could have gone as well as some of the others 
could ? — A. Oh, he could have gone as well as some of the others could. 

Q I mean as well as those in the best health that were left behind 1 — 
A. Oh, no, sir. 

Q. Then he was not as strong physically and had not as much re- 
serve strength as some of the others of the party ? — A. I do not think 
he had. 

Q. Was not Dr. Ambler in better condition than any of the others'? — 
A. I think he was. 

Q. So I ask you again, at the time you left did you anticipate that 
Captain De Long would survive Dr. Ambler and Mr. Collins? — A. 
Well, I hadn't given it a thought w hen I left, so I don't know. 

Q. But now I put it to you with your knowledge of the condition of 
the men and all things at that time ? — A. If I had been called upon at 
that time to judge I should have said I did not think Captain De Long 
would have survived. 

Q. When was it that that incident at the man-hole occurred of which 
you spoke yesterday "? — A. I don't exactly remember the time, but it was 
while we were frozen in the Arctic. 

Q. Was it in the first or in the second year ! — A. I think it was in 
the second year. 

Q. Do you recollect what season of the year it was ? — A. It was in 
the summer time, what we call summer, or in the spring time ; it was 
in the day-time anyway. 

Q. How far below the level of the deck were you ? — A. I was down 
in the coal bunker, but if I had stood up straight my head would have 
been right up above the man-hole or bunker plate. 

Q. How far below the level of the deck at that time ? — A. I was 
stooping down and my head was below the level of the beams. 

Q. How much below the beams ? — A. Below the man-hols plate some 
li or 3 inches, but I was to one side. 

Q. How far from the sid of it"? — A. Just far enough so that I could 
reach up and shove the plate off. 

Q. Did you anticipate when Mr. Melville took that plate up that he 
was going to strike you with it? — A. It looked so, if I had been up on 
deck ; I know he could not where I was. 

Q. You did not think that Melville was strong enough with that in 
his hand, situated as you were, to have hit you with that if he had in- 
tended to do so? — A. If it had broken it might have hit me. 

Q. Would he have been strong enough to have hit you with it if it 
hadn't broken ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he at the time make any threat to you of any violence 1 — A. 
He didn't make any threat further than he made an effort to throw it 
down, and says he, " damn it, you leave that on." He threw it down 
and pat his foot on it. Bays I, ^'It's dark down here, I can't see." Says 
he, " Go into the tire-room and get a lamp." 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Right there. Was there any cause or reason for, or any benefit to 
be derived from putting that cover on the man-hole then? — A. I don't 
think there was. I don't know who was putting tbe plate on. I was 
down below and Melville was on deck. I didn't know he was there. I 
shouldn't have shoved it off if 1 had known he had i)ut it on, but I kept 
shoving it otf and he kept putting it on. 

Q. When the cover was on it was perfectly dark down there? — A. 
Yes, sir. I was down there stowing things away. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 347 

By Mr. Aenoux : 

Q. Was it customary for that cover to be off that way"^ — A. It was 
customary to be od, but when any one was down there it was customary 
to have it off. 

Q. Was it not likely that persons would trip in there? — A. Not un- 
less they would get under the rail. 

Q. Then why did they not leave the manhole cover off altogether ? — 
A. Because there was no one down there all the time. If there was 
some one down there they would take it off for the time they were down 
there, and put it on when they came up. That is the only way of get- 
ting down, unless you went down in the fire-room, and went up through 
another bunker, and worked your way around to get in there. 

Q. Did you never know of a man Avorking in there with a lamp at 
other times '? — A. I worked in there with a lamp. 

Q. I mean at other times ? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Facetiously). He did not attempt to take the man-hole up at all, did 
he ! — A. Ko, sir ; he couldn't get that up if he had tried to. 

Q. I say did he attempt to do it ? — A. No, indeed. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Whether it was a city, a village, a hamlet, a trading post or a set- 
tlement you say that you were informed, and so also was Captain De 
Long, that there was a hamlet or a burg, or a settlement, or a trading 
post, or more than one, or a village, or a city — term it what you like — 
to be found by traveling due south in the Siberian territory. Is not that 
so? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. 1 do not suppose you placed much importance upon the fact 
whether it was a settlement, post, village, or city ? — A. As long as there 
were natives we did not. 

Q. And where these settlements were, of course, your natural intelli- 
gence taught you there must be people ? — A. Certainly, sir. 

Q. And where these people were living in settlements the same natu- 
ral intelligence taught you there must be means of subsistence 1 — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Of aid and succor? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, how did you know that the land you say you saw, or think 
you saw, was Wrangel Land ? — A. From what it was called on the ship. 

Q. You never were there before? — A. I never was there. 

Q. And it was simply the opinion you derived from the impression of 
those on the ship? — A. Yes, it was called Wrangel Land and Kellett 
Land. 

Q. You had no personal knowledge of it yourself? — A. No^ sir; noth- 
ing further than what the geography told me. 

Q. I suppose it has come to your knowledge during this investigation 
that charts and geographies are fallible; lial3le to contain mistakes? — 
A. Yes; I knew that before. 

Q. So you do not have absolute confidence in the charts that you see, 
or geographies that you read, of unknown countries, do you? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. Now, if you had gone to Saint Lawrence Bay, and had wintered 
there, you certainly would not have met with this specific disaster? — 
A. That is a question I cannot answer. 

Q. You would not have got your ship into the ice at that point? — A. 
No, sir; we would not. 

Q. And whatever might have been the ultimate fate of the ship, go- 



348 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

iug still farther north, you know, as matter of fact, that vessels have 
penetrated many hundred miles farther to the northward than the spot 
where you were entombed in the ice, do you noti — A. Yes. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Do yoQ know that vessels have gone many hundred miles farther 
north'? — A. They have gone 200 or 300 miles farther north. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. So, in point of fact, the wisdom that dictated the putting of a ship 
in the spot where it was entombed by the ice resulted as a fact in the 
destruction of the ship, did it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And if you had, as j^ou say, wintered at Saint Lawrence Bay, you 
would have had another chance to make your discoveries, would you 
not? — A. Yes J we would have had the whole of the following summer 
before us. 

Q. And was it not strongly enjoined upon the officers of the expedi- 
tion, if you know or heard, to winter if possible, in some safe spot? — A. 
I think I heard the officers say that they ought to have wintered in 
Saint Lawrence Bay. 

Q You would not have been lost in Saint Lawrence Bay?— A. I do 
not think we would j I do not know. 

Q. You would have had open water from Saint Lawrence Bay to the 
northward? — A. I do not know now. Of course it is supposed that the 
ice drifts out in the spring time and leaves it open. It was open when 
we left there. 

Q. Now, you were asked, when speaking of certain islands — I will 
not detain you by going into the matter in detail — whether you saw the 
mark of a boot, and whether you knew that these islands had been ex- 
plored by ivory hunters, and whether there were reindeer there, &c. 
For all you know, these particular localities about which you have been 
asked may have been peopled for over a hundred years, may they not? — 
A. For all I know. Although I did not see any traces of the foot-mark. 
1 do not remember it now. 

Q. Kow, the sextant, if you had taken it, would have been important 
to your safety, would it not ? It is an important instrument for navi- 
gation. — A. It is for navigation on the sea or on the ice, but I do not 
think it would have been much use where we were. 

Q. Do you think it wise in a party struggling to save their lives to 
leave behind nautical instruments that will be valuable in their rescue, 
and take simply ship's papers; in other words, of what good would the 
ship's papers be if the party was lost by the carelessness of leavnig be- 
hind nautical instruments? — A. They would have been no good. 

Q. Tlien you do not understand the wisdom of leaving behind nauti- 
cal instruments that may be useful to your safety and taking papers 
that would probably be lost if the party i)erished ? — A. I think the only 
instrument that was necessary to our safety was a good compass. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. That you took, did you not ? — A. Captain De Long had that. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You are not a practical seaman, are you ? — A. I never studied nav- 
igation. 

Q. You had never been on a voyage before ? — A. I had been at sea, 
yes. 

Q. Not a voyage of this kind ? — A. Ko, sir. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 349 

Q. Kow, I ask you, as a general proposition, in your judgment is it 
not wise under such circumstances to take nautical instruments that 
would be useful to the safety of a party and leave behind papers 1 — A. 
Well, I can't form any opinion on that. 

Q. In other words, of what use would be the pajiers if the party 
should happen to perish through the want of the nautical instruments ? — 
A. They would be no use, as I said before. 

Q. I understood you to say if you had not waded you would have 
been lost. — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You say that if you had got into the delta later possibly you might 
have met the natives. Have you any positive knowledge about that? — 
A. Nothing further than we knew that natives came to that hut after 
we left it. 

Q. But in your exhausted condition, wanting provisions, is not the 
probability that if you had got there later you would have starved to 
death before being aided by the natives ? — A. We had pemmican when 
we landed in Siberia. We had one can of pemmican along in the ship's 
boat. 

Q. You were in an exhausted, starved condition when you left De 
Long's boat? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Can you explain to me how, in reference to provisions, you would 
have been in any better condition days, weeks, and months subse- 
quently to that? — A. We would have been in no better condition. 

Q. Would you not have been in a worse condition ? — A. Certainly we 
would. 

Q. And would it have been any great satisfaction to you that if the 
natives had discovered you they would have discovered your dead 
bodies ? The chances against you would have been greater the longer 
you delayed on the journey, would they not ? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. And if De Long's party was in an exhausted and starved condi- 
tion at the time you and Nindemann left that party, the chances were 
they would have been in still worse condition as time progressed, would 
they not ? — A. Yes. 

Q. The chance of aid and assistance from the natives would simply 
have been problematical, would it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You stated that Captain De Long had more comforts than the rest. 
Was that course in regard to Captain De Long pursued continuously? — 
A. All through. 

Q. He was waited upon by Nindemann ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did Nindemann do for him ? — A. He did a great many 
things for him, such as almost dressing him, taking his shoes and stock- 
ings oft* and wringing them out and drying them, and numerous other 
things. 

Q. In what other respects did you state he had comfort the others 
did not enjoy ? — A. Well, Dr. Ambler enjoyed the shelter of the tent 
as much as he did almost. It was a half a tent that we used to put up 
to break the wind, and every one else had to get around the best way 
he could. 

Q. Now, you say at this time in the delta he was broken down and 
discouraged ? — A. I don't know whether he was or not. That is what I 
think. 

Q. Exactly. Did you attribute his physical condition as much to his 
discouragement as actual physical exhaustion? — A. I think he was more 
discouraged that day than he was anything else. 

Q. In other words, you think if he had been as full of hope even as 



350 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the rest of the party that he could have stood up longer ? — A. I think 
so; yes. 

Q. And that the discouragement of the captain had a great deal to 
do with his physical condition, as would be naturaH — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I understand you to say that this place in the man-hole was per- 
fectly dark unless this cap was removed ? — A. Yes. 

Q. And you had no knowledge at the time you were removing it that 
it was Melville's desire that it should remain on ^. — A. I hadn't the 
slightest knowledge that it was him. I thought it was some of the men 
on deck who were trying to fool me, and I kept shoving it off. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with Lieutenant Danenhower in 
reference to some pemmican or his pemmican as he called it 1 — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. What was that conversation ? — A. He told me in conversation at 
Irkutsk at one time that at Seminowski Island he began to save up his 
pemmican and w^as putting it away so that if worse came to worst he 
could have pemmican, and he could get along when others could not. 

Q. Now, is there anything else that you have not stated that you de- 
sire to state, about which you have not been inquired? — A. There is 
one thing I would like to say, but I Avould prefer to say it when the 
ladies were not in the room. 

Q. Is it something that cannot be said in the presence of ladies ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

(At this point the ladies present retired.) 

The Chairman. The ladies have withdrawn now. 

The Witness. What I wish to say is in regard to Mr. Melville. When 
we were going up the river after leaving Jakutsk I was in charge of 
Jackson's party with Mr. Jackson. Mr. Gronbeck was Mr. Melville's 
interpreter he being able to talk Russian and I not. I went to him 
to tell the natives on the boat to take our baggage below. It looked 
like rain. Mr. Melville came up at that time and saw me talking to 
Gronbeck and heard what I was talking about. He told Gronbeck, 
''Never mind the , let them look after their own baggage.'' 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did you hear that ? — A. I heard ihat. 

Q. Is there anything else you desire to state ? — A. I have nothing 
further to say now. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do you mean to be understood as saying that at the longitude 
where your ship went into the ice other vessels have penetrated farther 
north in the open sea ? — A. I mean to say that others had been hun- 
dreds of miles farther than we had ; I don't mean to say w^hether it is 
100 or 200 miles. 

Q. Will you name any other vessel that accomplished it in that longi- 
tude ? — A. Oh, no ', not in that longitude. 

Q. You mean some other part of the world *? — A. Yes. 

Q. This vessel went up through Bering Strait ? — A, Through Bering 
ing Strait ; yes. 

Q. Now I ask you, do you mean to be understood that at that longi- 
tude vessels have penetrated any farther north than yours did ? — A. 
No, sir ', not that I am aware of. The Ecdgers or Corwin might have 
gone farther. 

Q. You say you could have wintered at Saint Lawrence Bay. Do you 
not know that the ice forms so early and breaks up so late that you 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 351 

could not have gotten out until early summer'? — A. I don't know anj^- 
thing about that. 

Q. You were asked about Wrangel Land. You are certain you saw 
the land '? — A. As far as my opinion goes. 

Q. Did you not see it with your own eyes ? — A. Yes, what they called 
Wrangel Land. 

Q. So that, whatever the name is, you know you saw that land f — 
A. Yes. 

Q. You just as much believe that that was Wrangel Land as you 
believe there is a place called Siberia south of where you went onto 
the ice ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was not the Kodgers destroyed in Saint Lawrence Bay? — A. All 
I know is hearsay. 

Q. Well, hearsay J did you not understand that she was destroyed, in 
Saint Lawrence Bay! — A. Yes. 

Q. Do you not understand that nautical instruments are instruments 
used on ship-board ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Did you ever know that nautical instruments are useful for the 
safety of men on the shore ? — A. I know that they can make them 
useful. 

Q. But did you ever know of men on shore using nautical instru- 
meuts •?— A. Yes, as I have seen Captain De Long take observations on 
shore. 

Q. But I mean do you think that they are useful for the safety of 
men on shore 1 — A. Well, I don't know about that, because 1 have never 
seen it tried. 

Q. You never knew of such a thing as that men for their safety on 
shore carried nautical instruments with them? — A. Well, I don't know 
that. 

Q. And you never heard of such a thing in your life as men for their 
safety on shore carrying nautical instruments with them? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, what was the condition of the nautical instruments; were 
all these nautical instruments in good condition ? — A. I don't know 
whether the thermometer was or not. It had been joggled over the ice 
so much, I suppose it was a little out of the way. I suppose the sextant 
was in good condition. 

Q. Now, was there any useful purpose which you can imagine for 
which you would have carried those instruments with you after you 
landed on the delta ? — A. 1 don't know, sir. 

Q. Your party were all alive on the 22d of September, were they not? 

The Witness. What year, sir? 

Mr. Arnoux. Eighteen hundred and eighty- one. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you left, if I understood you aright, on the 3d of October? 

The Witness. Left which party, sir ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Left Captain De Long. 

A. I left on the 9th of October. 

Q. Now, did you not afterwards understand that natives came to 
these huts on or about the 22d of September ? — A. 1 did not understand 
it so ; no, sir. That was about the time we came to the hut. 

Q. Was it the 22d of September that you were at those huts ? — A. 
About that time ; yes. 

Q. About how long after you had left the huts was it that the natives 
came there?— A. That I couldn't tell you. 

Q. What is your best impression? — A. I don't know, because 1 don't 
know where they went afterwards. It was after the 22d or 23d. 



352 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. But was it not some time in that fall ? — A. Yes. 

Q. ]S^ow, tlie best impression that you got afterwards in regard to it 
was that they were there a comparatively short time after you were? — 
A. That I couldn't tell you, because when Melville went north it was in 
November. 

Q. And they had been there before he had 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How early in November was it that he reached those huts 1 — A. 
That I could not tell you. He left Bulun somewhere in the neighbor- 
hood of the 2d or 3d of November. 

Q. Therefore the chances would have been much greater in favor of 
their lives if they had remained in those huts ? — A. The chances would 
have been a great deal in their favor if the^^ had remained there at this 
hut. 

Q. You were speaking of Danenhower saving up some pemmican. 
Did you not understand that he was anticipating then a forced march, 
and was saving it up to use on that forced march! — A. I dont' know. 
All I know is he told me if worse come to worst he was going to leave 
the party. 

Q. Did you not understand that he stated he was saving it up for a 
forced march of the party ! — A. I don't remember. All I know is that 
he was saving pemmican up, and if worse came to worst he was going 
to leave the party, and he would have pemmican when others would 
not. 

Q. You spoke about the things that Nindemann did for Captain De 
Long. Did he do those things voluntarily? — A. Captain De Long called 
upon him for nearly everything that was done. 

Q. Did Nindemann do them voluntarily ! — A. Not that I know of. 
He would get an order from De Long to come and help him to do this and 
to do that, and Nindemann was grumbling over it all the time. 

Q. He was a constant grumbler ! — A. 1 don't know about that. 

Q. Did you ever hear Nindemann swear at the captain or swear in the 
presence of the captain ? — A. I never heard him do so. 

By Mr. CuRTiS : 
Q. Nindemann was regarded as a very valuable member of the expe- 
dition, was he not"? — A. He was so. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. How far was it from Geeomovialocke to Bulun ? — A. I could not 
tell you how far. 

Q. Nor how far it was from where you left Captain De Long to Geeo- 
movialocke? — A. No; I couldn't tell you that, sir, because I did not 
keep any run of the distance. I didn't keep any diary. 

Q. When you came uj) with the natives, or the natives found you 
there in the hut, what mode of communication did you have with them? 
Could you make them understand you ? — A. No, sir; we could not make 
them understand. We did everything in our power to make them un- 
derstand us, by signs, motions, drawing pictures, and such like. 

Q. Did you try to get them to go back to where you left Captain Do 
Long? — A. Yes, sir; we did everything in our power. 

Q. Did you get the natives to understand that fact? — A. No, sir; we 
could not get them to understand. Sometimes we would think they 
understood us; sometimes we would think they did not understand us. 
Tliey finally took us to their camp, where we met Kusmah, and there 
we tried to explain that there were eleven men farther north in need of 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 353 

succor, and he would say, '' Yes, yes." The Eussian yes is something 
like the English ; and when we referred to eleven men being north, I 
suppose he took it as referring to Melville's party at Bulun. He says, 
" Two capitaine ! two capitaine!'' That was Melville and Mr. Danen- 
hower, the two captains of that boat. 

Q. Was that Kusmah ! — A. Yes. sir. 

Q. You could not get him to understand that De Long was in need 
of succor? — A. No, sir. Then bespoke of a telegram. We thought by 
that means we might be able to get the Russians to do something, so 
we sat down and wrote a short telegram to the Czar of Eussia. Kus- 
mah took this telegram to Melville. As soon as Melville got this tele- 
gram he came post haste to Bulun. In the mean time they took us to 
Bulun, and when we saw Biyeshoff we sat down and wrote another, 
quite a long letter, covering from the time the vessel sank until the 
landing at Bulun, and Biyeshoff gave us to understand that he was go- 
ing next day, and he wanted us to get it ready for him. We thought he 
was going to a telegraph station and we gave him this letter unsealed, 
and he started oif with it. There are two roads from Bulun to Goeomo- 
vialocke, one dog road and one deer road. At any rate, MelviPe came 
up one road and Biyeshofi* went down by the other and took this letter to 
Danenhower, and Danenhower I believe sent it back again by Bartlett 
to Bulun. in the mean time Melville had started north. I believe 
Bartlett met Melville at a place called Burulack, and Mr. Melville went 
right straight north again. 

Q. What time did Melville get information as to where Captain De 
Long and his party were? — A. He got the information from Ninde- 
raann and myself. 

Q. About what time was that I — A. About the 1st or 2d of Novem- 
ber, I guess it was. 

Q. How long would it have taken him to go where Cai^tain De Long 
and his party were ? — A. If he knew the exact spot it would have taken 
about two or three days. I volunteered at the time he was going there 
to go with him.. I told him, says I^ ^' Mr. Melville., you are going north 
in search of this party ; I am not well by any means 5 I am sick, but I 
am able to ride if I have sufficient clothing." The answer he gave me 
was, ^' No, it would take too many dogs." Says I, " All right." 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. At that time you were suffering from dysentery 1 — A. Yes, I told 
him I was unable to walk, but I was able to ride. It was twenty-eight 
days when he returned with the ship's log. There had been traces found 
of the party. I told him if I went up with him I could point out the 
most prominent marks, and by these means be able to find the i)arty. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. If you had gone along there would have been no trouble in tinding 
the party on the first expedition ? — A. I think they could have been 
found. 

Q. But even if he found them at that time they w^ould all have been 
dead I — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What knowledge have you of that? — A. Because the last jcc- 
ord 

Q. (Interposing.) That is your only knowledge? — A. That is my only 
knowledge. 

23 J Q* 



^54 JEANNETTE INQUiRY. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you not know they were out of supplies'? — A. We also knew 
we were out of supplies, but we could get along pretty well. 

Q. But if you had not been rescued by the time that Melville could 
have got to them you would have been dead, would you not? — A. Yes, 
sir; undoubtedly. 

Q. And therefore you are certain, from the jjlace where they were 
and the provisions they had at the time you left him, they could not 
have lived long enough to have survived until he got there? — A. Not 
if he started at the same time he did. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. How^ do you account for some of them living as long as twenty- 
one days after you left if they had no provisions when you left? — A. 
The only way I can account for it is that they reserved their strength j 
they didn't do anything but take care of themselves the best way they 
could. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Your calculations are based entirely on the theory that your dates 
are correct ? — A. Oh, no, sir. 

Q. And also on the theory that the last day that De Long was alive 
he made an entry in his journal ? — A. Yes. 

Q. That is what you base it on? — A. Yes. 

Q. For all you know personally he may have lived two or three months 
after that? — A. No, sir; not two or three months. 

Q. \Yell, he may have lived six weeks after? — A. I can not bring 
myself to believe that. 

Q. You have told us that at a certain time you stopped taking notes 
and making a journal, have you not ? — A. I stopped in fact the first 
day I staited, because my fingers got so cold I couldn't hold a pencil. 

Q. You are here alive ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In your case, if you had never been heard of it would not be ac- 
curate data to estimate that you died on the day that you stopped mak- 
ing entries in your journal, would it?— A. Oh, no. 

Q. You see the error of your calculation in your own case, do you 
not? — A. Well, that is the only thing we had to go by. 

Q. Now, you do not know but tbat after you left De Long and his 
party they may have been visited by some of these natives ; you do not 
know but that they succeeded in getting food? — A. I don't know any- 
thing except what his diary states. 

Q. Now, is it not a fact that the only date you have to fix De Long's 
death by is that last entry in the journal that you have seen ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. That is the only means you have? — A." Yes, sir. 

Q. You had no data independent of that ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How did you answer Judge Buchanan's <iuestion as to how it was 
possible for men to endure twenty-one days, as some did? — A. I don't 
remember of answering it. 

Q. You said they husbanded their strength. — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did you mean by that? — A. They took care of themselves, 
didn't exert themselves. In fact, Captain De Long and Dr. Ambler did 
the least of any one. 

Q. Would they not naturally husband their strength by not work- 
ing ? — A. Yes ; that is what I mean, husbanding their strength by doing 
the least of any work. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 355 

Q. Kow, on the theory that the huts would have been a protection 
and an aid, certainly the people could not have lived in the huts with- 
out food ? — A. JSTo, sir ; that was one reason why we had to leave the 
huts. 

Q. Then, in that point of view, the huts were not valuable? — A. Val- 
uable for shelter in the night-time; that is all. 

Q. But shelter alone would not have maintained life ? — A. No, sir. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Did the Lena Eiver have ice in it when you arrived there ? — 
A. I don't think it had ; not when we first landed on the delta. 

Q. But by reason of your boat having stuck in the mud you could 
not get lip tiie river ? — A. We could not get in the river, I think, because 
the water was too shallow. 

Q. There was not sufficient water to float the boat ? — A. Ko, sir. I 
believe the river was open at that time, but ten or fifteen days after 
that I feel confident that the river was all frozen up. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Do you not know that De Long's party eat their boots and deer- 
skin and anything they could find ? — A. All I know is what the record 
says, and that when they were found they had no boots on. I know 
that Mndemann and I eat ours. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Is it true or not that seamen oftentimes in that high latitude are 
subject to delusion and illusion, and imagine they see things when they 
do not ? — A. I believe there is such a thing as a mirage, when they can 
see great distances. 

Q. Do they not often imagine they can see things when in reality they 
do not see them ? — A. That I could not say. 

Q. You have never been informed about that ? — A. No, sir. 

John W. Danenhower sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. You are an officer of the United States Navy, are you 
not ? — Answer. Yes^ sir ; and have beeo for the past eighteen years. 

Q. Are you at present on duty 1 — A. I am on duty before the com- 
mittee, waiting to go to New York. I was ordered to report there on the 
10th instant, but since the time of receiving that order I have been de- 
tailed here for this investigation. 

Q. You were attached to the Jeannette expedition, and you were the 
third officer of the vessel, were you not 1 — A. I was navigating officer 
and third in command. A third lieutenant is different. He would be 
the fourth officer from the captain -, but I was the second officer from 
the captain in lineal command. 

Q. Mr. Chipp was the first officer next to the captain 1 — A. Yes, and 
I was the second next after Mr. Chipp. 

Q. I want to keep as far as possible from any inquiry in reference to 
matter that came out before the Board of Inquiry, and I will bring 
you right to other matters. Bo you remember whether or not you 
signed a statement for Captain De Long in reference to Mr. Collins' ar- 
rest or suspension ? — A. I signed such a statement on the 2d of Decem- 
ber, 1880. 

Q. Do you know of your own knowledge whether this statement was 
produced at the Naval Court of Inquiry "? — A. I do not. 



356 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. As far as you know was it produced '? — A. As far as I know it 
was not produced. I dictated the statement to Lieutenant Chipp. I 
was blindfolded at tbe time. I never saw the statement except that I 
signed it, and after that time I never heard anything of it. 

Q. Was it ever shown to you since at any time or place ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And you have never seen it ? — A. I have never seen it. 

Q. To whom did you deliver it ? — A. Lieutenant Chipp had it on his 
desk. I was in his room and dictated it to him, and signed it after he 
wrote it. 

Q. Where were you then ! — A. We were in the ice, drifting to the 
northwest — beset in the ice. 

Q. To your knowledge, was this statement of yours published in the 
official report of the board ? — A. I never heard it stated that it was not, 
to my knowledge. 

Q. Where did you first meet Mr. Collins'? — A. I met him at the Bar- 
nard House, at Yahoo, Cal. I was introduced to him by Dr. Ambler. 
They came up from San Francisco that evening. 

Q. Dr. Ambler was also a member of the expedition. He was the 
surgeon, was he"? — A. He was the surgeon. 

Q. Do you remember whether at that time you had any conversation 
with Mr. Collins relative to his position on the expedition *? — A. Not 
that day. While we were lying at Mare Island the question came up. 

Q. Was that before you had started on the voyage? — A. Oh, yes, 
while we were fitting out. The first fact in relation to it was a news- 
paper account. Newspaper accounts said that Mr. Collins was an 
electrician, a meteorologist, and master of all the kindred sciences, 
and that caused some talk on board ship — that he must be a very ex- 
traordinary man to be master of all the kindred sciences in this day of 
specialties. When the instruments came from Washington they were 
placed in the equipment building, and the captain told me to have them 
opened and have them inspected by Mr. Collins. I had been ordered 
to learn photography, and had taken lessons at Mare Island, and Mr. 
Collins had also been taking lessons in New York. When the question 
arose who should take charge of the photographic outfit I went to the 
captain and said, " Who is in charge of this department, sir?" He said, 
*' Mr. Collins." I sent a man with a note to Mr. Collins up to the labo- 
ratory, and I placed all the instruments in his charge. Furthermore, 
Mr. Collins had, at San Fmncisco, ordered a photographic outfit from 
Bradley & Eulofson, dry i)lates, camera, and other accessories to the 
department. 

Q. The question was, had you any conversation with Mr. Collins re- 
lative to his position on the expedition ? — A. I hav^e related what occurred 
between us at that time in reference to those particular facts. I do not 
remember any conversation. 

Q. You have rather stated what occurred between you and the cap- 
tain ? — A. In relation to Mr. Collins. I wish to save time by telling 
you what I know about it, to throw light on it, and to save cross exami 
nation. 

Mr. Curtis. No one doubts it, but in order to facilitate the examina-i 
tion you clearly see that it is important that you should answer th 
questions as nearly as you can. 

The Witness. I will answer categorically if you wish, yes or no. 

Q. I ask you if you had any conversation with Mr. Collins relativ 
to his position on the expedition ? — A. I think I had, but I do not re- 
member any special conversation. 

Q. But you did understand, as you have stated, that he was to have 



1- 

I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 357 

charge of the meteorological department, and do a portion of the 
scientificwork *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now you are a person of education. From your ccnversations 
with Collins how did he strike .you, as an educated, scientific man ! — 
A. No, sir. He struck me as a bright man, but a man who knew a 
little bit about everything in general, and not a great deal about any- 
thing in particular. As a friend, I can say that. 

Q. Have you not stated frequently that you were impressed at the 
very first interview that you had with Mr. Collins, with the fact that 
he was not only a bright, intellectual man, but a man of scientific cult- 
ure ? — A. I cannot recall such an expression. I do recall this 

Q. (Interposing.) Will you swear that you never made that state- 
ment ? — A. I will swear that I made this statement 

Q. No, no ; will you swear you never made to anybody the statement 
I have read to jou ? — A. Will you read the statement again, x^lease? 

Q. Have you not stated frequently that you were impressed at the 
very first interview that you had with Mr. Collins, with the fact that he 
was not only a bright, intellectual man, but a< man of scientific cult- 
ure ? — A. I have no recollection of such a statement, but I cannot swear 
that I did not make such a statement. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that the witness ought to be told the time 
and place. 

The Chairman. Yesj to whom the statement was made and when 
and at what place. 

Mr. McAdoo. The question is unobjectionable. 

Mr. Curtis. But it has been answered. 

Mr. McAdoo. No objection was made to it. But I think the counsel 
ought to state the time, place, and person. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. After your return from the Jeannette expedition, in the city of 
New York, both to Dr. Collins and to his brother, D. A. Collins, did 
you not make that statement *? — A. No, sir; 1 can swear positively on 
that point. 

Q. Are you aware that Mr. Collins was recognized by the highest 
scientific authority in the world as a man of scientific culture, and that 
he was a member of the most prominent scientific associations of the 
world *? — A. Yes ; by his own statement I was aware o-f that, although 
I think you have exaggerated his statement even. 

Q. You know nothing to the contrary of your own knowledge 1 — A. 
Not to the contrary of his having been a member of those associations. 
I do not know anything of his antecedents except what he told me. 

Q. Are you represented in this investigation by counsel? — A. Yes, 
sir. But I wish to exi)lain my situation. 

Mr. Arnoux. You can make any explanation you wish. 

Mr. Curtis. From the very necessity of the case we are compelled, 
to use a legal phrase, to go into the camp of the enemy for our testi- 
mony. Now, I submit that it is not only the rule of law, but it is the 
rule of practice in every court where I have had the honor to practice, 
and I have tried causes in nine States of this Union, that where the 
question is put, if it is susceptible of an answer yes or no, it is requiied 
to be given. If the party subsequently desires to make any statement, 
or to make any statement in reference to that answer, then, certainly, 
he is perfectly entitled to do so. But there is no practice — and I appeal 
to you [the ciiairmanj, as an old practitioner, I appeal to Mr. McAdoo, 
as an extensive practitioner — there is no practice known to the law in 



358 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the examination of witnesses, that permits a witness on the stand, after 
a question is put to him, to enter into an explanation in answer to that 
question, which may be in the nature of a discussion, which may be in 
the nature of an argument, which maybe for the purpose of distracting 
attention from the question. I submit it is the universal practice over 
this country, not only in the State courts, but in the Federal tribunals, 
that the question is put and the answer received. I say that that is 
the practice, and I submit with all confidence that it is the duty of the 
witness to answer the question. If, afterwards, he desires to make an 
explanation, that is his right. The committee must already see the 
great difficulty with which I will be met in examining this witness. I 
say if, afterwards, he desires to make an explanation, that is his right; 
otherwise, in answer to every question I put, either by his own volition 
or at the suggestion of counsel, he may enter into a discussion, he may 
enter into an argument, he may enter into a long explanation, which 
will not only take up the time, but destroy, or may tend to destroy, the 
whole point of the question itself. How^ever, it is for the committee to 
decide, and, of course, 1 shall bow to any direction that they give. 

The Chairman. Witnesses are entitled to protection by every court 
when undergoing examination. The object of every investigation is to 
ascertain the truth. Now, a thousand questions may be framed, not 
only by ingenious men, but others who are not so, by which the truth 
could not be stated by the witness by a simple affirmation or denial, 
and the witness has the privilege of expressing what the truth is. If 
he did not have that privilege he would be in the hands of counsel, and 
if they could stop him just wiien the answers suited their wishes and 
their desires then the truth would not be attainable. A witness is re- 
quired to answer the question in some part of the answer. But I will 
not even put it that, when a direct interrogatory is put to a witness that 
can be answered by yes or by no, he is compelled to make that declara- 
tion in the first instance. He can state what the fact is — the entire 
fact — as to what he is interrogated about. 

Mr. McAdoo. He is undoubtedly entitled to give a direct answer to 
the question. 

The Chairman. There is no doubt about that, and that may be ac- 
comi)anied by explanatory matter to attain the truth. 

Mr. Curtis. Does the chairmaa rule that that is the rule as to wliat 
are termed hostile witnesses '? 

The Chairman. These parties are parties to this investigation. Every 
member of that expedition, I hold, is in one sense a party ; that is, the 
conduct of every member of that expedition is subject to investigation. 
I have held, for that reason, that their sayings are admissible. As a 
general rule, in the State where I have practiced the party introducing 
a witness is not allowed to frame a question that can be answered by 
yes or no. That may be done on cross-examination, but a party iutro- 
ilucing a witness is not allowed to ask a question that may be answered 
by yes or no, or that is suggestive of the answ^er of the witness. 

The Witness. I wish to state that I come before this committee 
merely as a witness, and hostile to no one. I am hostile to no one to- 
day. I am here in the interest of truth and justice. I had no attorney 
in appearing before this committee. Mr. Arnoux has kindly offered to 
assist me. There have been many cases of implications and sugges- 
tions here. I am after the truth, and the real truth, about this expedi- 
tion. I did not want to tell, and did not w ish to tell anything as to 
what I know about dead men. I was the friend of Captain De Long — 
had friendly feelings for him, and friendly feelings for Mr. Collins. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 359 

Now, the situation is sucli that I must tell what I koow, and my duty 
is to tell clearly and throw light upon the suggestions and matters that 
have been exaggerated. I am hostile to exaggeration and false re- 
ports. I am willing to tell all the facts and let the committee judge for 
themselves. 

Mr. Curtis. Does the chairman say that that argument is proper 
explanation 1 

The Chairman. In this : He was asked if he was not represented by 
counsel on this investigation, and he answered he was. Now, he is 
making an explanation as to the extent of that representation — how far 
it goes. 

Mr. Curtis. Will the chairman say, as a man of experience and 
learning, that the explanation of the witness was not an argument in it- 
self? 

The Chairman. I understand him to -state facts. 

Mr. Curtis. Are those facts he has stated ? 

The Chairman. He says that he is ready to answer the whole truth 
in this matter, although he would have preferred that the declarations 
had not taken place. 

Mr. Curtis. That is exactly the shore I knew he would land on. 

The Witness. I shall endeavor to give you no cause for complaint. 

M. Curtis. Of course this is not a court of law. There is no way in 
which we can enter our objection on the record. 

The Chairman. That is one reason why I hold as I do. 

Mr. Curtis. And I desire the privilege of a respectful protest on the 
part of Dr. Collins against the ruling that has been made. 

Mr. Arnoux. I have never made such a thing as a protest here, be- 
cause I supposed there was no such thing in a committee. 

Mr. Curtis. There is no such thing as a court of review Jiere, but I 
desire our respectful protest to go upon the record. 

The Chairman. I have no objection to that. 

Mr. McAdoo. I have none at all. Let it go on the record. 

The Chairman. Proceed with the examination of the witness. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you know what directions Captain De Long gave Mr. Collins 
during his stay in San Francisco ! — A. I do not know what specfiic di- 
rections ; I only know generally. 

Q. Do you know what directions he gave in reference to Mr. Collins's 
relation to the expedition ?— A. No; I saw Mr. Collins shipped. I 
knew that he was shipped as a seaman to bring him under naval ad- 
mi nistiation. 

Q. Did you meet in Siberia a gentleman named Jackson ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Whereabouts in Siberia did you meet Mr. Jackson ? — A. Mr. Jack- 
son came out as a special courier for the Herald. I met him at Irkutsk 
on the 26th of February, 1882. He came to the house where 1 was. 
liviug and lived with me in the same room for probably two weeks. 

Q. And you knew him quite well ? — A. He was the first person I met 
from America or Europe. Yes ; I knew him quite well ; intimately. 

Q. He lived with you two weeks "? — A. Yes ; I think until the 13th of 
March, when we started north. 

Q. Did you ever see him after? — A. I did not see him after that. I 
have received letters from him. 

Q. Where was it he lived with you for two weeks! — A. He lived in 
the bouse of Nicholas Strikarsky, the secretary of the acting governor- 



360 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

p^eiieral of Eastern Siberia. He roomed with me for some portion of 
the two weeks, and then we removed to the Hotel Decko, in Irkutsk, in 
ISil)eria. 

Q. Uefoie I i^o into that matter I will go back to the question that 
I ai^ked you before. JJuring this investigation you have been in con- 
sultation with Judge Arnoux, have you not? — A. Yes, sir; in the in- 
terest of trutl). 

Q. We will concede that without repetition ; that is, that you claim 
it. You have given him information? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Suggested questions ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Endeavored to the best of your ability to inform him upon nauti- 
cal affairs ? — A. Yes, sir ; to i^ive him a clear view. 

Q. To the end that he might be able to i)ut intelligent questions on 
those subjects? — A. And throw light on the subjects, you may say. 

Q. You have given him what knowledge you had of the country 
through which you ])assed! — A. No; 1 do not think I have spoken on 
that subject to him. 

Q. You gave hini some intelligence as to the Arctic country, did you 
not? — A. I may have done so. I do not recall anything. 

Q. Have you evei- been in consultation with him and Mr. Melville 
and Mrs. De Long at the sanie time?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Many times? — A. L.nce. I called on Judge Arnoux and Mrs. De 
Long, and iMr. Melville hapj)ened to be in the room. I called specially 
to see Judge Arnoux, with the distinct object of throwing light upon the 
subject. I would have called to see you with the same object if you had 
invited hie. 

Mr. Curtis. 1 would prt^fer, although the chairman has given you a 
large liberty, that you would not put into your answers to my questions 
arguments or statements. 

The Witness. I did not attempt that. I do not wish any imputa- 
tion. I want facts. 

Mr. Curtis. I am asking you simple questions susceptible of simple 
answers. 

The Witness. And leaving the thing doubtful. I want the facts to 
make it clear. This is not a court of law, and 1 want the thing to be 
clear. 

Mr. Curtis. I am perfectly well aware of that. 

The W^iTNESS. I do not want to be restricted by you, sir, or any of 
the learned counsel. Without intending any personality at all I wish 
to be allowed to make clear statements. 

Mr. Curtis. It' you wdl give me an opportunity to put you a ques- 
tion I will give you an opportunity to make your statements. 

Q. (Ifesuming.) During this investigation liav^e you been in consulta- 
tion with Mr. Melville? — A. Yesterday I walked up the avenue with 
him, and we laughed over certain points in the investigation ; talked 
about it, chatted about it. 

Q. Have you ever consulted with him before yesterday in which your 
humor would arise? — A. Well,, I would lean over to him when a differ- 
ent comj)lexion was put on a thing and it was entirely nrisrepresented 
before the conunittee. 

Mr. Curtis. There is an argumentendeavoring to impeach the state- 
ments of witnesses. 

The Witness. I can state one instance occurring five minutes ago,, 
sir, to show what I mean. 

Mr. McAdog. I thin-k joii iia<d better jiist ,a.n«wjer .the queation^ 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 361 

The Witness. I wish protection. I protest against these imputa- 
tions and insinuations. 

Mr. McAdoo. Answer the questions. If they are not proper we will 
not allow them. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In point of fact, Lieutenant Danenhower, is it not true that during 
this investigation you have continually supplied Mr. Arnoux with ques- 
tions to put to witnesses'?— A. I have in some cases. A few moments 
ago I did so. 

Q. And he has been prompted and directed and coached by Mr. Mel- 
ville as well, has he not? — A. Not any more than other learned counsel 
have been. 

Q. It is not a matter of comparison ? — A. Well, I can answer your 
question, yes. 

Q. Has Mr. Melville instructed him in your presence ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now, whatever you said to Jackson in Siberia was true, was it ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that is not a fair question to put him. 

The Witness. I will answer. 

A. It was true. And I answered at the time truthfully and to the 
best of my abilit;s\ My feelings at that time were quite different. Things 
had a different aspect in Siberia from what they have two years later. 

Q. Now, I ask you this, and it is a question put in your own inter- 
est: in the conversations or interviews you had with Mr. Jackson you 
told him the truth, did you not? — A. Yes, sir; I wish to make a state- 
ment here to show my relations with Mr. Jackson at thattime. He was 
the first person I had met from America or Europe. My mind was full ; 
my heart was full. I was in a spirit of resentment at the time and held 
bitter feeling. Little things that occurred during the expedition were 
magnified in my mind at the time. I could not look back to them the 
way I can now. I see them in the right i3erspective now, and I can see 
the better elements in men's character. 

Mr. Curtis. That is hardly an answer to my question. 

The Witness. I have not finished yet. I am making a statement to 
the committee. 

A. (Continuing.) I told Mr. Jackson, "I will give you a full statement 
of the voyage ; I want you to report it in my words." He agreed to do 
so, and in the columns of the New York Herald he has said so. We 
would be sitting together at night ; he would be drinking beer and 
smoking his cigar. I was blindfolded at the time. He would express 
his interest and talk confidentially with me. He would say, '^ What do 
you think of De Long doing so and so ? What do you think of Mel- 
ville?" I told him confidentially what I thought of particular people. 
Now he has taken advantage of me. He has written to these gentle- 
men here making all sorts of statements. I stand by what I told him. 

The Chairman. You ought to answer the questions. 

Mr. Curtis. If the committee indulge this witness in this direction, I, 
ibr one, shalLdecline to examine him any further. Because it is an im- 
possibility to examine him ; every question that is put to him he takes 
advantage of to make an argument and an appeal. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think you had better just answer the questions, Mr. 
Danenhower. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, I ask you whether anything thaf. you said to him when you 
w.ere fxesh, as you say, fe-om the scenes of your experience— whether you 



362 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

said it in resentment, or no matter in what spirit you said it — was not 
true ? That is what I am trying to get at. — A. No, sir ; 1 think every- 
thing 1 said was true in my opinion at that time. 

Q. Then, whatever was said to you at that time was said when you 
were fresh and recent from the scenes of the expedition, was it not? — 
A. That is true. 

Q. Do you remember as matter of fact that you gave him a statement 
for publication, and also gave him a private statement which you re- 
quested him not to publish ? — A. No, sir ; I made frequent remarks to 
him that I requested him not to publish, and he had a telegram from 
Mr. Bennett not to air soiled linen and he requested me to impress 
that ufjon the minds of the men, and I did so — not to talk to any news- 
paper men, and not to criticize the expedition. Mr. Bennett had given 
him those orders, and perhaps he wrote to Mr. Bennett special state- 
ments that I made. That I do not know. 

Q. I would like to call your attention, in your own interests, to this 
matter. Is it not true that you gave him matter for publication, and 
then also gave him matter which you requested him, not as coming from 
Mr. Bennett but from yourself, not to i)ublish *? — A. Confidential mat- 
ter. Yes, sir ; that is true. We had confidential conversatioDS ; he told 
me his life and antecedents in the same way. 

Q. I want you to distinctly understand, and if you have any appre- 
hension in any other direction it is unfounded as far as I am concerned, 
that I am going to examine you solely in reference to matters concerning 
the expedition. I do not want you to be misled by any other appre- 
hension. — A. I do not apprehend anything, sir, excei^t not telling the 
truth here. 

The Chairman. It is not pertinent to show Jackson's life. 

The Witness. I stated this merely to show the confidential relations 
existing between us. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, in the interview that was published — and what I am about 
to examine you about is in reference to the interview that was pub- 
lished, not the confidential matter that was sux)pressed — did you state 
to him — 

At Bennett Island the doctor, who belonged to ray boat, had been transferred to the 
captain's, and Mr. Melville was placed in charge of mine — that is, the whale-boat. I 
was ordered to remain in the boat as a passenger and to assist in emergencies. I 
always carried my own baggage and assisted whenever possible. 

A. I made a statement to that effect ; yes, sir. When I got home I 
looked over this printed interview carefully. It was brought to my 
attention. There were some typographical and other errors made in it. 
I revised it and corrected it, and at the suggestion of friends, publishers 
and others, I put it in book form. That is fresh in my memory, and I 
have it here. Now, if you are quoting from the New York Herald, 
there are certain mistakes in that report. 

Q. Then I respectfully ask you to listen, and as the mistakes occur 
to you indicate them. Now you have written a book. — A. Tliat narra- 
tive which I dictated to Mr. Jackson, and he reported in my own words, 
as he states, I have revised and corrected and published. 

Q. Now, wliat I wisli to get at is this : You have written a narrative 
of your own since your return ? — A. No, sir ; I have not. 

Q. Have you not just said so ? — A. No, sir ; I have exj^lained fully 
that it was this narrative which 1 dictated to Mr, Jackson, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 363 

Q. You had simply revised it!— A. I had simply revised it. 

Q. Not added to or taken from it ! — A. No. 

Q. In what way did you revise it ? — A. In this way: There were typo- 
graphical errors made which I corrected. There were also some misstate- 
ments in it. You see Jackson not only interviewed me but he inter- 
viewed the others, and he attributed some things to me which I never 
stated. I took those out. 

Q. Then you took from it ! — A. I took from it. 

Q. In your revision ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, will you be kind enough as I go along to point out the errors 
in the narrative that I read to you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Whatever your physical condition was at the time you were in 
Siberia your mind was strong ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you had a fresh and vivid recollection of all the experience 
through which you had passed !— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And it was so vivid and fresh in your mind at that time that you, 
naturally, meeting people in the land of civilization, told them of that 
experience ? — A I told Mr. Jackson, but not people generally. 

Q. You told Mr. Jackson, the gentleman with whom you roomed? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And under most circumstances it would be entirely natural that 
a narrative told while you were so fresh from the scenes of the occur- 
rences you have described would be very truthful ! — A. Except in re- 
gard to the motives of other people. Then it would be exaggerated, 
and little things would be above. 

Q. Now let us draw the line there, if you please. Your recollection 
of the facts would be vivid?— A. Perfectly ; more so than to-day. 

Q. And the only thing in which you think j^ou might have been in 
error was your judgment as to the motives that actuated the people 
who committed these acts? — A. And certain circumstances of which I 
Avas not aware at the time — in other words, facts. 

Q. Did you make this statement : 

All these days — for the past twenty — we had been on very short allowance, and 
had never had a full meal. Melville said that he and his party were in excellent con- 
dition and wanted to move on, and did not like losing time. 



Did you say that ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. Did you say this? 



Our fresh water had been ruined by the soas that had boarded us, but late on the 
night before leaving the island Newcomb had brought in several ptarmigan, which 
had been dressed and put in our kettle, the other tents not caring to take their share. 
This provided excellent food for us the next day, as they were not too salt to be 
eaten. 

A. I said that. 

Q. Did you say this — I am speaking now of the time of the arrival 
in the Lena delta ? 

"When that time arrived I said, "We are probably in a swamp river, either twenty 
or forty miles south of Barkin." The wind was east, and if we turned back we 
would have to beat out, but would have the current in our favor. After getting clear 
of the point we could run up the coast with a fair wind ; " but," I added, ^'if^a gale 
comes on we will be in the breakers." Melville then decided to turn back and start 
for Barkin. At this juncture Bartlett spoke up and said he believed we were in the 
coast branch of the Lena. Melville referred to me, and I said that it might be so, 
but that we should have higher land on our port hand if that were the case. 

A. I made that statement. 



364 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you state to Mr. Jackson in words or substance, or did you 
instruct him or permit him to write or publisli the following : 

It seems certain that the whale-boat really reached the Leua proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day longer Buluu would have been reached a month or six 
weeks earlier, and in all probability Noros and iJindemann met and the captain's party 
saved. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. You did not ?-^A. No, sir. 

Q. Was that a part of the narrative that you revised and abridged, 
as yon have stated ? — A. I have never seen that statement before, and 
never heard of it. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to bring your revised book •, have you 
it here 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Of course it will not appear there according to your statement ? — 
A. Why look at it then? 

Q. I will tell you in a minute, after 1 have asked you another ques- 
tion. Did you never make a statement of that nature to Mr. Jack- 
sou ? — A. To the best of my recollection, no ; because it is a mere spec- 
ulation — the whole thing is a speculation. 

Q. I am not speaking of the speculation of the matter of the state- 
ment; T am speaking now of the fact of the statement. You think that 
your recollection is as strong to day in reference to matters that oc- 
curred in this exi)edition as it was when you talked to Mr. Jackson ? — A. 
Jt is just as strong in reference to the principal matters. In the little 
details of petty conversations and controversies it is not, because I let 
them go out of my mind. 

Q. 'Jlien, with reference to the petty details, the controversies, the 
fussings, and the frictions, as Mr. Boutelle terms them, those have more 
or less drifted out of the current of your recollection f — A. Yes. They 
have been revived here, however; they are pretty fresh to-day. 

Q. Is your recollection so fresh and vivid to-day, at this very mo 
raent, that you are able to swear positively that you never made that 
statement to Mr. Jackson ? — A. Will you read the me statement again, 
please ? 

Q. With pleasure. 

It seems certain that the whale-boat really reached the Lena proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day longer Bulun would have been reached a month or six 
weeks earlier, and in all probability Noros and Nindemann met and the captain's 
party saved. 

A. No, sir; I never made such a statement. 

Q. You swear positively "? — A. I swear positively to that. 

Q. And you think that your recollection in reference to that matter 
is as strong and vivid as it is in reference to any other matter connected 
with the expedition about which you have been asked or will be asked ? — 
A. No, sir ; it is not. 

Q. It is not ? — A. Not as strong anti vivid. 

Q. Did you say this to him : 

I haAC already told you of our arrival at the Lena delta, and our meeting with the 
three natives, who, at first afraid of us, were finally induced to approach. We indi- 
cated to them that we wanted to sleep, making signs and resting the head upon the 
hand and snoring. They understood us and took us around the point where we had 
hauled our boat upon the sand- beach, and then climbed a hill, which was from 60 to 
70 feet high. This was at the mouth of a small branch of the Lena, and we have 
since learned this to be on Cape Borchaya, said to be 140 versts or about 85 miles 
northwest of Cape Bykoftsky. I know that these names will i)rove very confusing to 
you, as nearjy all tJbe .charts mark this cape in diffejent ijlaces of the .delta. Th^re 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 365 

we found four houses and several store-houses, all deserted but one, which was in 
very good condition. There was a grave-yard near by with many crosses. We all 
lodged in the one house. The natives were very kind to us ; they hauled their nets 
and brought us fish, parts of which they roasted before the fire, giving us the most 
delicate morsels. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, can you conceive of anj^ reason or motive or design that Mr. 
Jackson could have had in misrepresenting you in the paragraph which 
immediately preceded that, and giving your words verbatim in the par- 
agraph which I have now read to you "? — A. No. 

Q. Mr. Jackson was a man 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I submit we are not investigating Mr. 
Jackson in this matter. 

The Chairman (to Mr. Curtis.) Perhaps I am mistaken as to the pur- 
port of your question. I understand you asked this witness whether 
Mr. Jackson would have had any motive in misrepresenting him in the 
report tliat he made ? 

Mr. Curtis. The objection is not to that question. 

Mr. McAdoo. There is no objection to that question at all. 

The Chairman. The question was not completed. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Mr. Jackson was sent to that country as a correspondent of the 
Herald. 

The Chairman. I think that has been answered before. I think he 
has answered who Mr. Jackson was and how be came to be in Siberia, 
and that he was a courier of the Herald, and I do not care to go over 
testimony to the same effect. It does not make the record look well. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, I had not got through the question when the 
-counsel objected to it, and I had not got through when the chairman 
cut it in two, and as it has met with an adverse fate from both chair- 
man and counsel, I will withdraw it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did you say this to Mr. Jackson : 

Previous to this I had interviev/ed Tomat, who drew a diagram on the sand show- 
ing the course of Ihe river, and that the distance to Bulun was seven sleeps, which 
he indicated by snoring deeply when he pointed to e/xch stopping place. To Bulun 
he appeared perfectly willing to go with us as pilot. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you say this : 

On my return, Melville asked me to hurry up, as he wanted to get off. I was sur- 
prised and asked where the other uative was. Melville replied that he had left, hav- 
ing refused to go with us. I Ihen asked him to wait a few minutes while I ran back 
to the house in order to try and induce them to come. Returning, I found the youth, 
Tomat, on the house-top, looking very sad and bewildered. Wlien I asked him to 
accompany us he replied, mournfully, "sok! sok! sok!" which meant "no! no!" 
and then tried to explain something which I could not understand, saying, " kornado," 
which I only afterward learned meant '' father." I felt sorry for the youth and gave 
hin> a colored silk handkerchief and one or two little things, and then went back to 
Melville. We then started out on our own hook and tried to work south (that is 
toward Bulun) among the mud flats ; but in this we were not successful. At 5 p. m. 
we had a consultation, and I urged that we must decide at once whether to remain 
out all night or go back. I recommended going back and forcing the natives to go 
with us. 

A. I said that. May I make a statement that is very essential? 
Q. Yes. 

A. Both these statements are perfectly true, but the intervening part 
had been left out, and that puts a completely different aspect on it. 



366 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY 

Q. What intervening part ? — A. The next morning those natives re- 
fused to go with us, and Mr. Melville determined to start. That m in 
my narrative. If yon put in a part why not put in the whole ? 

Q. I am asking whether you made certain statements to Jackson. If 
you say yes or no, the answer goes down. You have a i)erfect right to 
do what you are now doing. I could not go through this whole narra- 
tive. It would take a week. What explanation have you in regard to 
that"? — A. I have made my explanation. You read the part that that 
nativiB changed his mind and would not go with us, and we started on 
our own hook. Eead the point why we started on our own hook. 

Q. It is not here. — A. It is in the narrative. 

Q. It is not in the narrative we have, but we are perfectly willing you 
should su])ply it. That is in your revision. There is the difficulty. It 
is not in the narrative you gave to him, but it is in the revision. — A. 
Now, I talked to Jackson as if he had been a brother. I cannot swear 
to-day what I told him, and what I did not tell him, but I know I told 
him these things, and they are the principal and essential facts. 

Q. I am perfectly willing, as you answer, that you should make any 
explanation you see tit. — A. That is the explanation I wish to make to 
clear the doubt. It is obscure the w ay you i)ut it. 

Q. Did you say this : 

We took a good rest, and were all ready to start next morning with Wassili. Bart- 
lett and myself asked to go ahead, in order to send snccor from Bulun, and also to 
spread the news about the two other boats, but Melville preferred that we should all 
keep together, for he probably did not feel that we were out of the scrape ourselves 
yet. On Wednesday morning, September 2t, Wassili, with two other natives, started 
with us, and pursued the same course that we had done on the previous forenoon to 
the southward and eastward among the mud flats. 



A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you say this : 



During this resling-spell I examined Leach's and Lauterbach's feet and limbs. 
Leach's toes had turned black, and Lauterbach's legs were in a fearful condition, be- 
ing greatly swollen and having large patches of skin broken. We dressed them as 
well as we could with some pain extractor that I happened to have along, and when 
that gave out we used grease from the boat box. In about an hour a boat appeared 
in sight, and a number of people disembarked and entered a house near us. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you say this: 

A few minutes later Wassili came and asKed Melville and me to go with him. He 
conducted us to the house, where we shook hands with an old native named Spiridon, 
who had two very hard looking women with him, each of whom had lost the left eye. 
They served tea to us, however, in china cups ; also gave us some reindeer tallow, 
which they considered a great delicacy. Spiridon looked to me like a regular old pi- 
rate, and there was an air of mystery about the place that made me tell Melville I 
thought Spiridon was an old rascal, and that I was afraid to trust him. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you say this: 

During the previous three days Leach and Lauterbach had been working manfully 
at the oars whenever their turn came, although their limbs were in such a condition 
that they could not stand, and had to be assisted to and from the boat. Melville and 
Bartletl were in a similar condition, and this Avas the first day that Bartlett was not 
able to be one of the leading men in the work. We got under way that morning and 
about noon reached the village of Geeomovialocke, which we afterward found to be 
on Cape Bykolfsky, where we were received cordially by about twelve men, women, 
and children. Melville and I were taken to the house of a certain Shagra Nicolai, 
who was the chief. 

A. That is so. 



JEAKNETTE INQUIRY. 367 

Q. And did you say this t 

A few minutes later in dashed a slight young man^ whom we at once saw was a 
Russian ; and I thought he was a Cossack. His name was Yaphem Kopelloff, a Rus- 
sian exile, who lived" in this village, and he proved very useful to us later on. At 
this time he could say "bravo," which he thought meant "good," and that was 
the only word we had in common ; hut in less than two weeks he taught me so 
much Russian that I could make myself fully understood to him in a mixture of 
Russian and Tungus. We staid at Nicolai's all night, and his wife gave us a fish 
supper, which we enjoj^ed heartily. Wo described as well as we could that three 
boats had been dispersed in a gale, and that we did not know where the other two 
boats were ; also, that we wanted to go to Bulun, which place he told us was fif- 
teen days off. 

A. That was the 26th of September, it seems to me. I could figure it 
up if I took time. We left on the 12th. We were in the boats until 
Thursday. Monday was the 12th, and Thursday evening at 7 o'clock 
we made the land, and then I think we were four days working up the 
river to Cape Bykoffsky. That would be the 20th. Then we were 
working four days with Wassili until along about the 24th or 25th. Our 
best information was fifteen days. 

Q. Do you remember that Jackson asked you this question : " Why 
did they not take you to Bulun as they promised?" — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Be kind enough to say if you answered him as follows : 

That matter is not very clear even to me. It was a very unfortunate time in the 
season. Young ice was making during the night and breaking up and thawing 
during the day. It was the transition period between navigation and sledding. 
Nicolai Shagra told us it would take fifteen days to reach Bulun, but I think that 
he meant a deVay of fifteen days would be necessary before we started — that is, to 
await the freezing of the river. 

Why did you think he meant that? — A. You see we were there and 
we could not understand him fully, and that was our subsequent expe- 
rience. 

Q. But at the time you believed he intended to convey the idea it 
would only take fifteen days for the journey? — A. No; he would come 
in and say '* Boos, boos, boos," pointing to the thickness of the ice, 
"Boos, godoya," something like that '' Ice too bad to go." We under- 
stood hardly a word of the language at that time. It was immediately 
after our arrival. In the course of three or four weeks we picked up a 
good deal of the language. He came in and reported the condition of 
the ice ever^^ morning and the impossibility of starting. 

Q. The narrative goes on : 

The next morning it was stormy, and he told us that we could not go, but about 
9 o'clock he came in and began to rush us off, as if he really intended to send us to 
Bulun. He put sixty fish in our boat and made signs for us to hurry up and embark. 
We did so, and he, with three others, went ahead to pilot us through the mud flats. 
Yaphem was in the boat with us. We worked up the river for about two hours, con- 
stantly getting aground, and, in the teeth of a fresh breeze, were making very slow 
progress. Before the village was out of sight, however, the pilot turned round and 
waved us back. We up helm and went back to the village, where they had a sled 
ready to carry Melville back to the house. About four of us secured the boat, but 
Nicolai insisted on hauling her up, for he made signs that she would be smashed by 
the young ice if we did not do so. The natives then assisted us and we hauled her 
high and dry up on the beach. The condition of the men that day was such that I 
was not sorry we had turned back, because they were not up to a fifteen days' journey, 
as represented by the natives. 

A. Yes 5 that is correct. 
Q. Did you say this : 

Melville mustered the party and told them that he and I were afraid that scurvy 
had appeared among us ; that we must keep the house and ourselves very clean, keep 
careful, and we could probably get along very well until proper food arrived. 

A. Yes, sir. 



368 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you Lave scurvy at that time ? — A. I wish to give you our 
views at that time. 

Q. In poiut of fact, was it scurvy? — A. No, sir; it was not scurvy. 

Q. Now, give us your views. — A. We thought at the time it was 
scurvy. Our feet turned black and our toes seemed like they were 
coming off. A suppuration took place in Leach's foot, and I mentioned 
my ow^n experience to Melville, and asked him if he had any feeling in 
his teeth as if his teeth were getting loose. I felt some looseness in my 
teeth. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. And that was one of the indications of scurvy ? — A. Yes ; that is 
one of the indications of scurvy ; and you could ijush your thumb into 
the skin. The skin was not elastic ; it had not its natural qualities. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did you say this : 

Wilson was able to Lobble about the house and prepare the fish, of which we were 
given eight per day, four in the morning and four in the evening. Yaphem lived 
with UK ; so that made twelve men with four fish, weighing about 10 pounds, for 
breakfast and the same amount for supper. 

We had no salt, but we had a little tea left. After a few days the natives gave us 
some decayed wild geese for a midday meal. They were *' pretty high," as an English- 
man would call them, but we managed to stomach them, for we were capab'e of eat- 
ing almost anything. Yaphem also gave ns some goose eggs. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you say this : 

Tbus we lived for about a week. Then came a prasnik, or native feast day, duriug 
which Yaphem took some of us out to make calls, when the natives presented us with 
fifteen other geese of a similar high character as the others. But our party improved 
in condition day by day; one by one reported himself as fit for duty, and in about a 
week's time Melville, too, was well enough to reassume charge informally. The na- 
tives were generous to us. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, when was that date ? 

The Witness. The date that Melville resumed charge ! 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

The Witness. In the early days of October — about the 5th, I think, 
or along there. We had occasion to turn over the whale-boat and se- 
cure her for the winter, and he took charge of the party. 

Q. Permit me to ask you, was it not on the 3d of October that Mr. 
Melville was recovered, instead of the oth ? — A. It may have been the 
3d, or about the 3d. 

Q. As matter of fact, were not all the men recovered at the date 
Melville lesumed charge? — A. No. 

Q. Who were ill "? — A. Seaman Leach. 

Q. Anybody besides him '? — A. I think Lauterbach. 

Q. Anybody besides the two whom you have mentioned '} — A. No ; I 
do not recall any. 

Q. Then in a week's time from your arrival in Geeomovialocke, with; 
the exception of these two the whole party were recovered ? — A. They 
were limping more or less. 

Q. But they were comparatively fit for dutyf — A. For light duty;; 
not for severe work. 

Q. I wish, if you please, that you would fix t-he date for the opening 
of the sledding season as definitely as possible. — A. Ai)out October 15, 
when Kusmah started. He started about that date to Bulun, and a few 
days later we noticed that others were moving, making journeys. Be- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 369 

fore liis return from Bulun we noticed that others were coming to the 
village, showing that sledding was jjossible. 

Q. In point of fact, did you not arrive at Geeomovialocke about the 
26th?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And, in point of fact, did you not start for Bulun on the 27th and 
return the same day ! — A. No, sir ; Vv^e made a start, but there was a 
head wind and the pilots would not take us, and with our disabled crew 
it was impossible to proceed. 

Q. You started on the journey ? — A. In the boat. 

Q. But returned the same day'? — -A, The day after arriving there j 
the 27th, I think it was. 

Q. Then one week from that date, as a matter of computation, would 
be October 14 "? 

The Witness. One week from the 27th ? 

Mr. OuETis. Yes. 

The Witness. No, sir. 

Q. It would be October A'i — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember to have stated this : 

I have forgotten to tell you that the night after we got back the young ice formed 
on the river and that sledding commenced in our vicinity about a week later. 

A. I probably said that. 
Q. Did you say this : 

This Russian was brought to our house, and I acted as interpreter as well as I 
couJd. Learuing that he lived only 9 or 10 versts away, I asked him to take me homo 
with him, as I wished to talk with him about our future movements, and to learn the 
best route for getting to Bulun. To this he willingly consented, and at 2 in the after- 
noon we drove over to his house. With him and hie wife, a Jakutsk woman, I spent 
the evening, and here I learned some iiews from the great world from which we had 
been so long absent. He told me that the Czar had been assassinated, that the Lena 
was still in the river, that Sibiriakoff was running some steamboats, and also that 
Austria and Prussia had been at war. He spoke of Count Bismarck, of Generals 
Skobelefif and Gourko, and the Turkish war, and of a great many other things besides. 
His wife presented me with some tobacco, about 5 pounds of salt, a small bag of rye 
flour, some sugar, and two bricks of tea. And here let me say that the native women 
were always very kind in spite of their ugliness, and I would like to send u^) a large 
load of gay calicoes, bandanas, and other fineries for them if I could. Next morning 
Kusmah Jeremiah — for that was the name of this Russian exile — took me to the door 
and showed me a fine little reindeer which he had bought for us, and asked if it suited 
me. I told him it would be very welcome, and so it was immediately slaughtered. 
We had tea for breakfast, with fish and fish pates, which the good woman had made 
specially for me, and just before I left Kusmah promised that on the folio wing. Sunday 
he would take rae to Bulun with deer teams. I asked him who else would go, and he 
said two other Russians. I asked how many Tungus, and he said there would be 
none, because they were bad ; and on all occasions he tried to indicate there was some- 
thing wrong with the Tungus. I asked him to come over the following Wednesday 
to consult with Melville, and then I returned home with the provender. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You said this, did you : 
On Wednesday Kusmah came over as he had promised Melville ? 

A. He promised me, not Melville. 
Q. (Continuing to read :) 

We took him down to the boat and had it turned over for his inspection. We then 
retired to an empty house, where Melville, Kusmah, and I had a consultation. Kus- 
mah said he could go to Bulun and return in five days. When asked if he could go 
quicker with or without me or Melville, he indicated that it made no difference. 
Melville decided that Kusmah had better go alone ; Kusmah acquiesced, but on the 
following Friday we were surprised to learn that he was going to take Nicolai Shagra 
with him. I have not mentioned that the second day after our return to the village 
Nicolai came to us and wanted a written paper from us, which he promised to forward 
to Bulun at the earliest opportunity. I wrote a paper in English and French, which 
Wilson put into Swedish and Lauterbach into German, and all four versions of this 

24 J Q* 



370 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

document, together with a picture of the ship and a drawing of the American flag, 
were sewed up in oilskin and given to Nicolai, who handed them to his wife, and that 
good woman put them in her cupboard for safe keeping. They were never forwarded. 
Subsequently Melville and I prepared dispatches for the minister at St. Petersburg 
for the Secretary of the Navy and for Mr. James Gordon Bennett, but Melville sent 
nothing by Kusmah. 

A. Yes, that is correct. 
Q. (Reading:) 

Correspondent. Why did not Mr. Melville go with Kusmah, and why did he not 
send otf dispatches! 

The day "after we arrived it was decided that I should go to Bulun, as I was in the 
best physical condition and the most available person. For more than two weeks my 
projected trip was talked about by us and by the men. I was to bring back food and 
deer sleds for the whole, and also to take the dispatches which we had prepared. 
After my return from Kusmah's house, however, Melville decided that Kusmah should 
go alone. And as he promised to be back in five days he decided not to send any dis- 
patches by him, but to take them himself. 

A. Correct. 

Q. At that time were you in a i)hysical condition to have made the 
journey ? 

The Witness. Alone, do you mean ? 
Mr. Curtis. With Kusmah. 
A. I think I was. 
Q. (Reading :) 

Correspondent. Then Melville would not go himself, nor let anybody else go ? 

No. He seemed to think that Kusmah ought to get there and back quicker if he 
went alone, and was very much disappointed when he learned that Nicolai Sbagra 
went with him. 

A. Yes, sir. 
Q. (Reading:) 

Correspondent. Why did he take Nicolai with him ? 

This man Kusmah was a robber, who had been exiled there, and was dependent 
upon the natives in a great measure. lie could not leave his home without official 
permission; but he took the responsibility in this emergency, and evidently had to 
have somebody to back him and assist him as a witness, and he, therefore, very natur- 
ally took with him the chief of the natives, though he first proposed to take me. He 
said that it made no difference in time if one should accompany him. 

Correspondent. What date do you refer to now ? 

October 18, as near as I can remember. 

That is correct, is it? — A. Correct. 
Q. (Reading:) - 

Correspondent. Then we might have had the news of the disaster a month earlier 
if one of your i)arty bad been sent to Bulun immediately ? 

Yes, perhaps forty days earlier. In my judgment a man should have been sent 
right through to the telegraph wire at Irkutsk. 

A. Yes, sir; that is correct. 
Q. (Reading:) 

Correspondent. Do you think that had the search for the captain's party set 
about at once from the point where you were they would have been rescued? 

It was impossible to make a search north of our village. The natives positively 
refused to go, and we were wholly dependent upon them for our daily food. As you 
will see later, I nuide a search myself, but an ineffectual one. 

Corrkspondent. If a man Iiad gone to Bulun with Kusmah, what bearing would 
that have had ou the captain ? 

Melville had orders to take the party to a place of safety, where there would be 
sufficient food, and then conuuunicate with the Russian authorities. We knew the 
route the captain proposed to take after reaching Barkin. He intended to go west 
to Sagasta and the signal tower. Had some one gone to Bulun with Kusmah, and 
started an expedition north immediately, it would probably have picked u]) Noros and 
Nindemann before they reached Bulcour. 

A. -Correct. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 371 

Q. (Beading:) 

Lieutenant Danenliower continued : The next morning I told Melville that before 
Kusmah left he should be particularly enjoined to spread the news of the two missing 
boats among the natives everywhere he went, and I said I would like to run over to 
his house to give him those orders. Melville consented. I went down to Nicolai 
Shagra's to get a dog team, and while there Spiridon hove in sight with a fine team 
of nine dogs. I immediately took possession of him and his team and drove over to 
Kusmah's house, where I had a long interview, during which I went over the charts 
with him again. On this occasion he told me positively that Barkin was only 50 
versts northeast of his house, and I immediately determined to go there for traces of 
the missing boats. I went back to Melville and told him what I wanted to do. He 
did not assent to the proposal at first, but finally agreed. While at Kusmah's I wrote a 
line to my brother in Washington, and gave it to Kusmah to mail at Bulun. 

A. Correct. 
Q. (Eeading:) 

My eye would not permit my writing much. I took my rifle and sleeping bag, put 
them on Spiridon 's sled and pointed towards his village ; he seemed very much as- 
tonished, but finally obeyed, and started homeward. On reaching his house I had a 
consultation with him and Caranie, and tried to get them to consent to take me to 
Barkin next morning; but they said that the Boos Byral, that is, posh-ice, would 
prevent them from going, and that it was impossible to go there at that time of the 
year; we then had supper, after which I hunted up Old Cut-Eard Wassili, and he 
consented to take me to Kahoomah, which Kapucan said was to the northwest of us. 
If I could not go to Barkin I was glad at any rate to go to the northwest to search in 
that quarter and to spread the news. The next morning Wassili Kapucan and I 
started with twelve dogs for Kahoomah; we first went down a little river to the south- 
east, and the young ice broke in many places, letting the dogs aud sled into the shal- 
low water. I was surprised at the southeast course, for Kapucan had told me that 
Kahooma was to the northwest; after thinking a few moments, I concluded that Ka- 
hooma must be the Tungus name for Kusmah, and that surmise proved to be correct. 
They took me back to Kusmah's house where they had another talk, and then agreed 
to try to take me to Barkin. I set up the compass and Kusmah pointed to the north- 
east, saying that Barkin was only 50 versts distant in that direction, but that we would 
have to go first to the southeast and then swing around to the northward. We had 
to wait all night for another sled from our village ; it came next morning, and then 
we started to the southeast. About 11 o'clock we came to a big river running north, 
and 1 noticed that Old Wassili looked up the stream very anxiously and thoughtfully. 
I set up the compass, and when the needle came to rest the natives sung out with de- 
light aud surprise, *' Tahrahoo," andpointed toward the south end of the needle ; I in- 
sisted, however, on going north, but the old man said it was impossible, on account 
oi.Boos-Byral or posh-ice ; I then decided to let him follow his intentions aud see what 
they were. About 4 p. m., after having traveled over a region covered with drift- 
wood, we reached a small hut situated near a bold headland and the island that 
they call Tahrahoo was about 3 miles oif shore ; they said they would take me there 
next morning. 

At this time another sled hove in sight ; it was driven by an old man named Dimit- 
rius, who had been sent after us by Kusmah with a kettle and a teapot for me. 
Wassili and I went upon the hill about sunset and had a good view of the river and 
adjacent island. He indicated that the steamer Lena had entered there, and that 
there might be some signs of boats on the adjacent islands, but I told them that I 
wanted to go round the headland and to go to the northward. But both old men in- 
sisted that this would be impossible. The next morning, to satisfy me, they started 
toward the island, the two old men and myself going in advance to test the young 
ice. About a mile ofi:' shore the ice was black and treacherous, and so unsafe that the 
old men refused to go any further. So we had to turn back and return from a fruit- 
less search. It demonstrated, however, that what the natives said was true — that 
the ice was not strong enough for traveling. The second night we slept at Kusmah's, 
aud then returned to Geeomovialocke. At the end of five days Kusmah had not re- 
turned, and it was not until October 29 that he put in an appearance, after an ab- 
sence of thirteen days. On his way back, at Ku-mark-surk, he had, however, met 
with the two men of the captain's party, Noros and Nindemann, who had written a 
brief statement about the condition of the captain's party. They gave it to Kusmah 
and he hastened to bring it to us. He told us that the men were to have reached 
Bulun on the previous day (October 28) ; so Melville immediately started with old 
Wassili and dog teams to find the men and learn the condition of the captain's party, 
and carry food to them. He gave me orders, which he afterward put in writing, to 
take charge of the party, and get it to Bulun as soon as possible. On November 1 



372 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the Buluu commandant, a Cossack, named Micktereff Baishoff, came to us with a good 
supply of bread, deer meat, and tea ; he handed me a long document addressed to the 
American minister at St. Petersburg, and signed by Noros and Nindemann. It con- 
tained some details of the captain's position, but was not definite enough to allow me 
to start immediately to their relief. 

That is correct so far, is it ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. (Reading:) 

Besides I knew Ku-mark-surk was nearer to Bulun than to us, and that Melville, 
after seeing the men, could get to the captain much quicker than we could, so I im- 
mediately dispatched the document to Melville by special courier, James H. Bartlett, 
fireman, who was the best man of the party at that time. The commandant at the 
same time had the forethought to appoint a rendezvous at which ho and I should 
meet Melville on his way north. He also sent a letter to a subordinate ordering him 
to equip Melville for the journey. 

This man was a non-commissioned officer of Cossacks, and he acted with great in- 
telligence and good judgment. He was a tall fine-looking man, with black side 
whiskers, forty-two years of age. Bartlett started that night with a deer team and 
was likely to get to Bulun only a few hours after Melville, because the latter had 
taken the dog road, which was 240 versts long, while the deer road was only 80 versts 
across country. The commandant had come by the deer road, thus missing Melville. 
I told the commandant that he must get us to Bulun as soon as possible, but he was 
rather non-committal, and would not state a definite time for starting. That night 
I slept uneasily, and was awake by 4 o'clock next morning. Yaphem was up and I 
asked him where he was going. He said that he was going with the commandant to 
Arrhue, the village where Spiridon and Wassili lived. I told him to tell the com- 
mandant to come to me immediately. I thought I would try a high-handed game 
with this Cossack commandant, and it worked admirably. He came to me about 5 
a. m., in uniform, and I told him that if he did not get us clothed and started by 
dayligl#t next morning that I would report him to General Tchernaieff, and have him 
punished, but that if he did well, and got us ready, he would be handsomely re- 
warded. He accepted the situation gravely and said, ^' Karascho," which meant, " all 
right." I invited him to sleep with us the next night, and the next morning at day- 
light, fourteen dog teams, with about two hundred dogs were assembled at our vil- 
iage, and the natives brought us an ample supply of skin clothing. This was Thurs- 
day, November 3. 

Is that correct ? — A. Correct. 
Q. (Reading.) : 

We started for Bulun, and on Saturday met Melville at Ku-mark-surk-serai, which 
is the first deer station. I had a long consultation with him, and he told me there 
was no possible hope for the captain's party, but that he and the two natives were 
going to the spot where Noros and Nindemann had left him, and also to the Arctic 
Ocean to look for relics. He told me, further, that he had left written orders at 
Bulun for me to proceed to Jakutsk with the whole party. I will here state that 
his orders were given to me by virtue of a written order from Lieutenant De Long 
which placed him in command of my boat ; and all persons embarked in the boat were 
made subject to Melville's orders and directions. This I knew to be unlawful, but, 
as the captain was the highest naval authority at the time, I had nothing to do but 
to obey. 

Is that correct?— A. Correct. 
Q. (Reading.) : 

And so I had accepted duty under Melville from the time of the separation, because 
I considered that it was my duty, under the circumstances, to do so. We arrived at 
Bulun on Sunday, and the commandant informed mo that we must remain until the 
following Saturday. I found written orders from Melville telling me to proceed to 
Jakutsk, with the whole party, as soon as possible, and there await his arrival. 

The Witness. Excuse me. That does not come in the same connec- 
tion. It is a mistake if it is in the same connection. 

Q. Wherein is it a mistake ? — A. Because that fact was shown sev- 
eral days later. 

Q. It is not in immediate connection in point of time, you mean? — | 
A. 1^0, sir- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 373 



Q. (Reading:) 



But he told me verbally at Ku mark-surk-serai to leave Bartlett at Bulun, as 
transportation further south could be provided for only six of the party. 

A. (Interrupting.) He did not know that. That is an incorrect state- 
ment. 

Q. (Reading:) 

I took the five weakest men and started for Vekeransk, leaving the other six to 
follow when Melville should return. I left written orders with Bartlett that in 
case Melville did not return before November 20, to start a search party out for him. 
The resources of Bulun were very limited, it being only a village of about twenty 
houses, aud our presence there making fearful inroads on their winter stock. We 
traveled by deer-sled to Vekeransk, a distance of 900 versts ; thence to Jakutsk, 
by means of deer, oxen, and horses, a distance of 9G0 versts, reaching the latter place 
December 17, 1881, where we were well taken care of by General Tchernaieff, the 
governor. 

That is correct, is it 1 — A. Correct. 
Q. (Reading:) 

About December 30 Melville arrived at Jakutsk, and a few days later the other six 
men came on. 

Correspondent. Why did Melville come to Jakutsk instead of continuing the 
search '^ 

It is a long story ; he said that he came to get a larger working force and the back- 
ing of the Russian officials, and that during his absence he had left orders for the 
energetic Bulun commandant to continue the search in the wilderness to whielihe 
had tracked the captain's party. 

Is that correct? — A. Correct j yes sir. 

Q. Then it appears as matter of fact here by your statement that he 
came to Jakutsk before he entered on the search for De Long's party ? — 
A. After the first search was finished. 

Q. Yes, but this was before the second search. — A*. He came to Ja- 
kutsk to commence the spring search. The autumn searches had been 
made. 

Q. (Reading:) 

On New Year's day the thirteen survivors of the Jeannette were all present at Ja- 
kutsk. 

Correspondent. In what condition were the men, then ? 

The most of us were in good condition, but my left eye was completely disabled 
and the right one was suffering by sympathy. One man was insane and had to be 
kept under restraint, and Leach was disabled slightly with frozen feet. The others 
were all well. 

Correspondent. And why were these men not taken for the winter search ? 

Most of them would have been worse than useless, because they could not make 
themselves understood, and would have to have been waited on by the natives. You 
liave no idea how useless the average white man is under such circumstances, he is 
not able to look out for himself, letting alone looking out for other people. White 
men cannot stand the extreme of cold of that region. 

Correspondent. When did Melville leave Jakutsk ? 

On January the 27th. 

Correspondent. Then he was thirty days there ? 

Yes, preparing for the spring work. 

Correspondent. Whom did he take with him ? 

Bartlett and Nindemann. Nindemanu because he was one of the men who had last 
seen the captain, and Bartlett because he had picked up a little Russian and could 
get along first-rate with the natives. 

Correspondent. Why did he not take Noros, too? 

He did not want Noros. x\t Jakutsk Melville received the first dispatch from the 
Secretary of the Navy, which ordered him to send the sick and frozen to a milder 
climate. So he ordered me to proceed with the whole party to Irkutsk, aiul then to 
the Atlantic sea-board. On arriving here I got dispatches from the Department or- 
dering me to remain and continue the search, but I was quite unable to do so. After 
the long excitement of our life in the north my eyes began to trouble me more and 
more, and having got cold in them during the sled journey from Jakutsk to Irkutsk 



374 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I was compelled to seek professional advice. The two oculists whom I consulted told 
me that my left eye was ruined and should be taken out to prevent the right one from 
beiug constantly affected ; that I should not read or write, and shonld not leave here 
until the right one was in a better condition. The report of the oculists about my 
right one was at first very encouraging, and that was why I proposed to the Depart- 
ment to charter the steamer Lena, in order to make a spring search for Chipp. I also 
asked for two officers to be sent to assist, thinking that if my right eye broke down 
there would be somebody here to take my place. 

Correspondent. What do you think of the fate of the captain's party ? 

Melville told me every detail of his trip of twenty-three days from Bulun. He said 
he had traced the captain's party as far as a summer hunting station, called Sisteranck, 
on the west bank of the Lena, and that the party must be somewhere between that 
station and Bulconr, neither of which places is marked on the ordinary maps. 

Correspondent. Do you think they are alive ? 

No ; they had been two days without food when Noros and Nindemanu left them, 
and the region is devoid of game and inhabitants. The men had insufficient cloth- 
ing, and there is no reasonable hope. 

Q. That is correct, is it ? — A. Correct; yes, sir. 

Q. I believe in point of- fact, lieutenant, you kept a private journal of 
this expedition, did you not ! — A. When I was able to do so ; that is, 
in the early part of the voyage, the first six months, and when we took 
to the ice after the ship sunk, Bartlett procured a blank book for me, 
and I got him to make two entries in it — -just a daily entry of the winds 
and conditions, a few memoranda, each day. 

Q. Have you those memoranda in your possession now? — A. Yes, sir, 

Q. Where are they ? — A. At home. 

Q. Here in the city ? — A. In this city ; yes, sir. 

Q. They are easily accessible, are they not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to Mr. Jackson that 
you were able to fill your proper position, but were prevented under the 
excuse that you were not fit to do sof — A. I do not believ^e I ever made 
such a statement, because such was not the fact. 

Q. Then you are quite sure that you did not make that statement to 
him ? — A. I may have told him that there was a time during the retreat 
when I could and when I offered and when I asked to go on duty as 
navigator, but when the retreat first commenced it would have been 
physically impossible for me to have taken observations or to have done 
the work of navigator. 

Q. Was there not a period during the retreat when you felt sufficiently 
able, physically, to take command, and offered to do so but, was re- 
fused f — A. On the 8th of August I went to the captain and asked to 
go on duty. Previous to that I had asked to work in the drag rope 
and asked to cook for the party. On the 8th of August I considered 
that I was able to do duty of navigator, and I went and asked him to 
be put on duty. He said that as long as the doctor recommended me 
for the sick list he should not put me on duty. On that particular oc- 
casion lie was annoyed. He was standing some distance from the camp 
while they were breaking camp, and I stepped out and said, " Captain, 
I would like to speak to you on the subject of duty." He said, '^ Cer- 
tainly." Said I, ''I feel able to perform the duties of navigator, and so 
should like to go on full duty." He turned upon me and said, " But 
you can't see." I replied, '^ But I can see." 

Q. Could you see, as matter of fact ? — A. As matter of fact, I could 
see, but I had to wear glasses and had to keep this eye [indicating left 
eye] bandaged, but my right eye was in fair condition. At that time 
he turned upon me and said, ''But you can't see." I said, ''But I can 
see." He walked up and down a few moments, and told me it was an 
annoyance and was unofficerlike in me coming to him at that time. I 
said it was not unofficerlike for me to claim what legitimately belonged 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 375 

to me. Then lie turned to give some directions. Walter Lee at that 
time was in the vicinity, apparently trying to overhear the conversation. 
Well, it is not fair in me to say that. But he was within earshot at the 
time, and it seems to me he made some leading remark to me, and I 
did not converse with him subsequently; but it would not be fair to say 
he was actually trying to listen. The next day I spoke to the doctor 
and the doctor spoke very hopefully about the case, and said that he 
was afraid if the sun should come out and there would two or three 
days of intense exposure my eyes would break down, but as soon as we 
got clear of the ice he hoped to put me on duty. At the same time I 
said to the captain, '' Why is it, sir, that you put me in a boat with a 
staff officer in command? It is unprecedented and places me in a very 
disagreeable position." The captain informed me that he would not 
detail his oflEicers to suit my convenience, and that he considered it very 
unofficerlike for me to come to him at that time. Mr. Melville had pre- 
viously, on Bennett Island, offered to speak to the captain about my 
going in his boat, and I told him not to do so, because I intended to do 
so myself. I do not know that I told Melville I intended to do so my- 
self, but that was my object, for I told Melville not to speak to the 
captain. 

Q. You considered it your place, as the ranking officer of Mr. Melville, 
to have command of the boat and the party that he was given command 
of? — A. I had been assigned to that boat from the first. I considered 
that if I were not able to command it I should be taken either with 
the captain in his boat, with the doctor, or with Lieutenant Chix)p and 
Mr. Dunbar, as had been previously done ; put in command of the whale- 
boat. 

Q. Did you consider it an act of ofi&cial discourtesy to you to put Mel- 
ville in charge ? — A. I remonstrated against it officially at the time, and 
I considered also it was risky to place a non-professional man in charge. 
1 appreciated Mr. Melville's ability in every way, but I thought to put 
the chief engineer in charge of the whale-boat was risking the lives of 
the people in it. 

Q. Permit me to ask you in that connection whether or not you re- 
member that you stated to Mr. Jackson that you had been very badly 
treated and very unjustly so? — A. Yes, I made such a statement. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, when Captain De Long entered the ice he 
took charge of the ship, did he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he hold any consultation with yourself or the other officers 
about the wisdom of entering the open water in the ice on the 6th of 
September, 1879 ?— A. No, sir. 

Q. So far as yonr recollection now serves you, what time in the day 
was the ship put in the open lead in the ice ? — A. I think the last time 
was at 1 o'clock. The last time we got under way was at 1 o'clock 
on the 6th of September. We got under way to run the ice and tried 
to bore and wedge our way along, and about 4 or 5 o'clock that af- 
ternoon a heavy fog settled down upon us, and it was impossible to 
make farther j)rogress, and the ship was secured. In addition to the ice. 
having us jammed in we got out a bow quarter line to the largest piece 
with ice hooks to steady her as much as possible. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated that at 4 p. m. on 
that same day she could not be worked any farther and froze in ?— A. 
No, sir; because she did not. 

Q. \^^hat time did she freeze in 1 — A. She froze in that night. 

Q. About what time ? — A. I think the temperature fell to 23 degrees 



376 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that night, and next morning when we got up we fcnnd tLe ice made 
about lier in tliat vicinity. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to Jackson in Sibe- 
ria that you were opposed to putting the shij) into this lead, and so were 
some of the officers, i)articularly Ice-pilot Dunbar? — A. Yes, sir; I made 
that statement. 

Q. After the ship got fast in the ice was there not a constant fear that 
tbe vessel would have to be abandoned, and did not that fear continue 
up to and through the period that you were in the ice? — A. I cannot 
say it was a fear exactly. There was a strong probability. We were 
prepared for it at any moment. 

Q. In your extensive exj)erience have you ever known or heard of a 
vessel, under like circumstances, being extricated after being frozen 
into the ice? — A. My experience has not been very extensive outside of 
the Jeannette, but frequently ships have been put in the ice in the 
Greenland seas, and have been in the ice for three or four weeks, and 
even longer, and got out of it. 

Q. But in this particular latitude! — A. In this jjarticular latitude 
some fifty-five ships, since 1871, have been crushed and sunk, and two 
ships that very season were caught in the ice and crushed and sunk. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to the Herald corre- 
spondent that no rum or spirits were used except on festive occasions, 
two or three times a year? In point of fact, as you now recollect it, is 
that true? — A. In point of fact I meant generally used. I had liquor 
when I went north in my personal stores. I suppose other officers had. 
Mr. Collins had, too. We all had. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, spirits were served out at the will and option 
of the officers? — A. At the will and option of the commander. He had 
nothing to do with what spirits I had, of course. I served it as I 
wished. 

Q. Do you remember having any conversation with the correspond- 
ent at Irkutsk on or about February 25, 1882, in relation to the troubles 
between the officers about this time, say January, 1880; and if you did 
so, what did you say? — A. I had conversations during two weeks with 
this gentleman, and confidential conversations, and I do not care to go 
into those unless the committee demands it. 

Q. I would like you, if you please, to give the conversations that you 
had in reference to that particular topic. — A. Well, certainly I cannot 
recall them, sir. 

Q. Would you be kind enough to give us the substance of what you 
stated ? — A. If the committee requires it I shall do so. They were con- 
fidential. We were sitting in there talking 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I ask the committee this : here is a wit- 
ness called upon to know whether he had conversations with a certain 
person, and asked to state what those confidential conversations were. 
I submit that is not competent and is not proper. If you ask the 
witness what are the facts in the case it might come out. But what he 
says confidentially to a friend of his you cannot call upon him to state. 
If a witness upon the stand in a court of law states the fact to be in a 
certain way he can be asked, ^' Have you not stated it to the contrary 
to such a person at such a time and place ?" where you want to contra- 
dict tire witness. But you cannot ask the witness, '^ Did you have a 
conversation on this subject with such a person?" and make him tell 
what lie said to that person as evidence in the case, or certainly as evi- 
dence in chief, and it seems to me that it is not just to a gentleman who 
says that he had a confidential conversation with any one to ask him, in 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 377 

advance of anything said in regard to it, what was that confidential 
conversation. 

Mr. Curtis. I submit it is competent in this light. Lieutenant Dan- 
enbower was an officer of the ship. He had just returned from the 
Arctic Sea. These occurrences were fresh in his recollection. We as- 
sume for the purpose of the question that he did have a conversation, 
and that he did speak of these troubles. And we assume, of course, if 
he did speak of these troubles he spoke from personal knowledge, be- 
cause he was one of the members of the expedition, and in that view it 
is competent. If we were to ask him what A, B, or C had said to him 
on that subject — not what he had said as having witnessed himself — 
then, under certain circumstances, that objection would be tenable. 
But the whole form of the inquirj^, and the whole spirit of the inquiry 
is directed to what he said of his personal experience while upon the 
expedition, which experience he imparted on his arrival in Siberia to 
Mr. Jackson. Now, every day in courts of law the question is i)ermit- 
ted, "Have you stated to A, B, or C so and so, or did you state any- 
thing to A, B, or C f Now, I have come within the rule laid down by 
the chairman; I have named the place, Siberia, I have named the party, 
Mr. Jackson, and I do not seek to inquire as to anything in the relation 
of hearsay; I do not seek to put questions to him about what others 
have communicated to him, but what, as the result of his own experi- 
ence on the expedition, did he say or impart to another. 

Mr. Aenoux. The proposition that I make is this : The witness is 
not asked what was the fact about any transaction ; he is simply asked, 
" Hid you meet Mr. Jackson and talk with him on the subject of this 
expedition ?" " Yes." " What did you say to Mr. Jackson f " He was 
not under oath then. Now, the proper examination is to say to the wit- 
ness, '' What did occur !" on this topic which the committee say is rele- 
vant to be inquired into. When he states that, if he states it in any 
way differently from what he states it to anybody else, then he can be 
asked, "Hid you not state difterently to Mr. Jackson'?" showing to 
him what it is claimed he did state to Mr. Jackson. It never was tol- 
erated in a court of law to ask a witness, "Have you not told that trans- 
action differently to another person ? " and "How did you tell it to that 
person ? " The rule is when the witness states the transaction in his own 
language, if you want to impeach him, you ask him, " Have you not at 
such a time and place made such and such a statement?" 

Mr. MoAdoo. There is no doubt at all that where you want to con- 
tradict a witness, you must lay the ground. But in this case this is not 
an effort to contradict the witness. 

The Chairman. You can get at the facts by stating the conversation. 
It would be a very easy matter then to ask him wljether those things 
stated in that conversation were true or not. 

Mr. McAdoo. And if it appears to be irrelevant a motion can be made 
to strike it out. 

The Chairman. Lieutenant Hanenhower, I do not understand that 
you are protected by the seal of confidence existing between you and 
Mr. Jackson. Anything that occurred between you and him is matter 
subject to the investigation of the committee. 

Mr. McAdoo. In that connection T will read section 103 of the Ee- 
vised Statutes : 

No witness is x^i'ivilegf'tl to refuse to testify to any fact, or to produce any paper, 
respecting wliich lie sliall be examined by either House of Congress, or by any com- 
mittee of eitlier House, ui)on the ground that his testimony to such fact or his pro- 
duction of such paper may tenet to disgrace him, or otherwise render him infamous. 



378 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I do not wish to know anything about personal matters as per- 
sonal matters, or social matters as social matters ; I simply want to 
know, as my question stated, in relation to the troubles between the 
officers, say about the time of January, 1880. This is the question : Do 
you remember having any conversation with the correspondent at 
Irkutsk on or about February 25, 1882, in relation to the troubles? 

Mr. Arnoux. What troubles ! 

Mr. Curtis. Between the officers about, say, January, 1880. 

A. Yes ; I talked with him freely under the peculiar circumstances 
under which we were placed. I was very glad to have somebody to 
talk with. 

Q. Now, just confine yourself to that one time for the present. What 
did you say to him in relation to the troubles among the officers as far 
as you can recollect ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that this does not prove any fact about their 
troubles. Suppose he had said a certain man was slapped in the face, 
and another man knocked down, and another man dragged out, does it 
prove that that took place ? Does it prove that that is true ? It is not 
fair to ask the witness two years afterwards what were the troubles be- 
tween the men in January, 1880. It is not a fair way to treat the wit- 
ness, especially when he has told the committee that the conversations 
he had were confidential : What I say is this: that the only just and 
fair way is that he should be asked what were the troubles. If he states 
them differently from what he did to that correspondent, then ask him 
" Did you not then state so and so ? " In other words, i f the confidential 
conversation has been communicated to the counsel here, and he knows 
what it is, if he finds that the witness varies from the fact, that can be 
developed, but to ask him what was his conversation there, as a pre- 
liminary, I think is not according to any inquiry that is permitted in any 
investigation, and not fair to the witness. 

Mr. McAdoo. Lieutenant Danenhower is a party to the inquiry. What 
he said about it then and what he had in his mind then seems to me to 
be pertinent. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It would seem to be a question as to whether we are 
endeavoriing to find out what Lieutenant Danenhower said to the corre- 
spondent at Irkutsk, or whether they are trying to find out what actually 
occurred there by his testimon^^ under oath. 

The Chairman. It is a very easy matter to ascertain whether the fiict 
is so or not after the conversation has been drawn out. 

Mr. Arnoux. Only it is putting the thing the wrong way. 

The Chairman. There are different modes of getting at the same thing. 
Either one is legitimate. The examination may proceed. 

A. I talked freely with Mr. Jackson and was feeling very bitter at 
the time and resentful, but I could not give the committee what I told 
him. The conversation would 'probably fill that book [indicating a book]. 
I am perfectly willing to tell anything that 1 can. In relation to the 
conversation of January, 1880, I think I can tell perfectly as far as I 
know. It was the difficulty between Mr. Collins and Captain De Long, 
to which 1 was a witness, and I have testified before the Court of Inquiry 
concerning it. There are the facts, as I know them, already testified to 
before the Court of Inquiry. You can go over those if you wish. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, in point of fact Mr. Collins was suspended, was he not? — A. 
I do not know. I heard the captain say, "You shall do no more duty 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 379 

in this ship." Wbetber lie intended to snspend bim or put him under 
arrest I do not know! 

Q. Did you know of his doing any service or work at tliat time"? — A. 
The captain told him to get up everything to date, and he was employed 
probably two or three months afterwards. 

Q. After the two or three months bad elapsed, did you know of his 
being employed at all? — A. Yes, sir; the captain called upon bim to do 
work, and he felt that be could do so whenever be wished — special work. 
For example, he called upon him one day to make some sketches of 
Bennett Island, when we were on the ice. He gave him a rifle and 
authorized bim to get game for the party. 

Q. Do you remember at this interview with Mr. Jackson that you 
stated that there was but one case of punishment on shipboard during 
the twenty-one months that the Jeannette was in the pack 1 — A. That 
was for profanity. Yes; 1 stated that. 

Q. Is that statement true ? — A. That statement is true, to the best of 
my knowledge, with the exception of Mr. Oolbns, of course^ 

Q. (Interposing.) Was not Mr. Collins placed under arrest, or sus- 
pension, while the ship was in the pack? — A. Yes; but that was in- 
tended to bring bim to a court-martial. Sus]_:tending him from duty is 
not regarded as punishment. 

Q. As matter of fact, he never was brought to court-martial, to your 
knowledge? — A. ]S"o, sir. 

Q. As matter of fact, the charges against him were never beard ? 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. (Interposing.) Could you have bad a court-martial until you got 
back ? — A. We had commissioned officers there, and there could have 
been a court-martial. There was not a sufficient number for a general 
court, but enough for a summary court — Mr. Chij^p, myself (I was in 
condition at that time), and Dr. Ambler, or any other person could act 
as recorder. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you not consider that his arrest or suspension under the cir- 
cumstances under which it was made was a punishment? — A. Under 
the circumstances, yes, but not a legal punishment. Not in the legal 
form of punishment. 

Q. Then it was an illegal form of punishment?— A. Perhaps I am 
giving a wTong impression. It is not what is regarded as real punish- 
ment, and I do not suppose the captain intended it so. He was placed 
under suspension to await a trial and after that trial he would receive 
his punishment, if found guilty. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Do you mean to say that it was an illegal punishment ?— A. No, 
sir. It was, under the circumstances, naturall;v', a sort of punishment for 
any man in this condition of isolation and desolation up thereto be de- 
prived of work. That is a punishment. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Mr. Collins went out there for a special purpose, to attend as me- 
teorologist ? — A. He went out there to obey the orders of the captain. 

Q. He went there as a meteorologist, did he not ? — A. I believe so. 

Q. Have you not so stated ? — A. I believe he went there as meteorol- 
ogist, and to do such other work as the captain ordered bim to do. 

Q. Where do you find authority for that ? — A. He W' as shipped as 
seaman for special service. 



380 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Then you get yonr authority for that statement from the simple 
fact that he was shipped as a seaman ! — A. No, sir. It is evi(ient that 
every one going on an expedition is under the orders of the commander 
and have to do what he says. Tliat, of course, is obvious. 

Q. Mr. Collins was not in the ordinary sense of the word shipped as 
a seaman, the same as Nindemann and Noros, and the rest, was hef — 
A. No, sir ; it was merely to i)ut him under naval administration. 

Q. I*ask you in all candor, lieutenaait, if the reason why he was 
shipped as a seaman was that it was necessary that he be so shipped in 
order to conform to the law of Congress in reference to the regulation 
of the Navy ! — A. That is true, and in private conversations with Collins 
that has been mentioned, and he understood it so, too. 

Q. That he was shipped as a seaman simj)ly to conform to that law 
of Congress ; but you know, lieutenant, as matter of fact, that he went 
on that expedition as its meteorologist? — A. His position was not de- 
tined before he left San Francisco. 

Q. But you know, as matter of fact, that he went on that expedi- 
tion as meteorologist! — A. 1 know that he was called the meteorolo- 
gist. 

Q. Exactly. That is all I want to get from you, and the arguments 
will be made hereafter. Now, you know as such meteorologist he had 
certain si)ecitic duties to perform in reference to that department, do 
you not ? — A. Naturally he had. The captain specified the duties. 

Q. Were you here the other day when the order of Captain De Long, 
directing him to do certain specific duties, was put in evidence ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And do you not remember that that order required him to do cer- 
tain services in reference to his position as meteorologist, and that it was 
directed to him as meteorologist? — A. What I mean to say is, I did not 
regard Mr. Collins as an independent person or factor of the expedi- 
tion. 

Q. We have your view on that point and the reason for it, and we will 
pass that for the present, if j^ou please. Do you not remember the other 
day when you were in this room that an order of Captain I)e Long's to 
Mr. Collins as meteorologist, directing him to perform certain specitic 
duties in relation to his department was put in evidence f — A. Perfect 
ly ; yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I will try to refresh your recollection. Did you not state to 
Mr. Jackson at the interview that you had with him in Irkutsk that 
you considered Mr. Collins's arrest and suspension not only unjustifiable, 
but that you considered it in the light of a punishment f — A. I may 
have stated that. I cannot affirm or deny it. 

Q. Now^ I will ask you, lieutenant — and I know that you intend to 
treat the matter with all frankness, whatever change there may have 
been in your sentiments or your feelings as the result of the lapse of 
tw^o years — at that time when you w^ere S[)eaking to Mr. Jackson you in- 
tended to tell the truth about everything and did tell the truth, did you 
not? — A. I told the truth in the light of my feelings at the time. 

Q. Do you remember saying to the same gentleman, in speaking in 
reference to the same period, that the crew were comparatively hapi)y ? — 
A. i can say so now. I may have said so then. I don't know. 

Q. What did you mean and what do you now nu'an by the term " com- 
])aratively happy" '? — A. Well, they got along together nicely. Occa- 
sionally, I supi)Ose, they would have a fight, it canu^ to my ears. They 
would have a little row ; there would be some contention among them, 
but speaking generally they got along very nicely. I will change that 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 381 

expression. Instead of " comparatively," I will say, '^ well, very well 
indeed." 

Q. Did you state, in speaking of Mr. Oollius's, predictions, tbat they 
were fully realized ? — A. In certain instances, yes. 

Q. I used the word " fully." — A. There must be some limit put on 
'^ predictions " before I can answer your question. I know in some cases 
his predictions failed. In others they came true. 

Q. I simply ask you did you state to Mr. Jackson in speaking of Mr. 
Oollins's predictions that they were fully realized ? — A. I can neither 
affirm nor deny it. 

Q. Did you state to the same gentleman that a considerable quantity 
of provisions had to be thrown away ? — A. It is very likely I did, but 
I could not say that I did, because the ship's log shows that without my 
saying it. 

Q. When did Mr. Collins commence his weather predictions to the 
best of your recollections ?— A. I never knew that he made any weather 
predictions on board. 

Q. He never did ? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. And you did not state so *? — A. Not that I remember to-day. 

Q. Would you be likely to have stated it if it was not the fact ?•— A. 
I heard Collins on one occasion on the ice make a prediction and the 
Indian Alexy looked up at the sky and said, " Him plenty tight." Col- 
lins predicted wind from another quarter, and the Indian, who had more 
local knowledge, had his prediction come true. By and by the east 
wind came, as he said it would come. 

Q. And did you mention that circumstance to Mr. Jackson ! — A. I 
do not know whether I did or not. 

Q, What I want to get at is, did you not state to Mr. Jackson that 
Mr. Collin s's predictions were fully realized f —A. I do not know — his 
predictions about what ? 

Q. His weather predictions. — A. Well, his weather predictions were 
not fully realized. 

Q. I am not asking you of the fact ] I am asking you what you said. — 
A. I may have said it, but 1 do not remember to-day. 

Q. How often were the observations taken during the first year ^ — A. 
The observations were taken hourly by Mr. Collins and the officers. 

Q. How often were they taken during the second year*? — A. They 
were taken two-hourly. That system was inaugurated before any trouble 
took place between the captain and Mr. Collins. The second year com- 
menced the first of November and the trouble ensued in December j so 
it does not affect the case in the least. 

Q. Did you not state that the observations made by Mr. Collins were 
always very thorough and that he was very watchful? — A. I wanted to 
say everything I could in favor of Mr. ColMns, and perhaps I did; I do 
not know. I want to speak as well as I can of Mr. Collins. 

Q. Now, I ask you, did you not state that his observations wx're very 
thorough, and that Mr. Collins was very watchful to add something to 
the science to which he was devoted ? — A. Very likely I did say so. I 
do not know, though 5 I cannot say. 

Q. Were not those your exact words'? — A. They may have been, sir. 
You see I had ten days conversation w^ith Mr. Jackson, and I cannot be 
expected to give the exact words I said to him. I may have expressed 
that idea, and it is very likelv I did. I wanted to say what I could for 
Mr. Collins. 

Q. Do you know anything about Mr. Collins's instruments being taken 
from him I — A. Yes, sir. 



382 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. By whom were they taken ? — A. Well, to tell you the truth I can 
hardly separate matters; I have heard so much before this committee 
about it. I was sick at the time, and he used to come down to see me 
quite often, and I think my actual knowledge of it was from his state- 
ment. 

Q. Did he not complain to you that his instruments had been taken 
from him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And that he was left powerless to pursue the object of his mission 
on board the ship? — A. I do not think he stated that, but if he did state 
it, 1 do not think it was a fact. 

Q. Well, did he state it to you ! — A. I do not think he did. 

Q. The instruments, he stated to you, were taken from him f — A. I 
am sure he made some such statement to me. 

Q. Collins and you were friends, were you not? — A. Yes; we were 
friends during the whole voyage, with the exception of one little tilt and 
we came to terms on that — some trifle. 

Q. So f^ir as you could observe, Collins endeavored to discharge his 
duty to the best of his ability, did he not? — A. Well, he claimed that; 
but he wp>5 continually arguing with the captain as to what was what. 

Q. In reference to a question of science ? — A. In reference to a ques- 
tion of duty. The trouble was, his duties were not defined before we 
left San Francisco. 

Q. They were not defined! — A. No, sir; if they had been defined no 
trouble would have arisen, probably. 

Q. Now, in these several difficulties that you speak of, did not Mr. 
Collins claim that his duties on board the shi]) related solely to the 
meteorological department? — A. No, sir; and that was not the fact. 

Q. I ask you about what he claimed I — A. He claimed that he was 
the scientific head of the expedition, and not an accessory. 

Q. Did he not claim that he was tbe head of the meteorological de])art- 
ment? — A. I do not know that he claimed it. He was the head of it. 
I never heard him claim it, particularly. I mean he was called the meteor- 
ologist and head of that department, particularly. 

Q. Now, was not the difterence between him and the captain caused 
by the assertion of his claim in that respect ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Now reflect. Do you not remember that you have so stated? — A. 
I can say positively, no, sir. Since I remember, I can ti-ll what the 
difficulty was, if you wish. 

Q. Well, what was the diificulty, from your stand-point ? — A. In 
connection with the bear hunt on the Sunday I referred to, I explained 
to the captain that there, were two absent supi)orting ^Mndemann ; two 
besides Nindemaun. The next day, or, perhaps, the same day, an order 
came out that no one should leave the ship without reporting to the 
captain, a formality so that he could know what they were about, and 
Mr. Collins remained on boad the ship from September to Deceujber, 
telling me he remained on board as a protest against the order of the 
ca})tain ; that it was an order directed against him. We had a little 
tilt in November. He did not ignore me, but he ke])t away from every- 
body and to himself, and in December I met him on the ice one day, and 
said to him, '' What is the matter with you, Collins ? You should not 
get in this state of mind ; you are getting morbid," and, said I, ^' You 
have even kept out of my way; what is the matter?'' He said there 
was a combination of naval officers against iiim ; that this thing was 
directed against him. I told him it was nonsense ; that there was no 
combination of naval officers against him ; that I knew what was go- 
ing on among the officers, and that I liad not heard an idea of such 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 383 

a thing, and tbat he ought to ask permission, if only for his health's 
sake, and take his regular exercise on the ice. Some weeks after that 
he did so, and took his regular exercise on the ice, and seemed perfectly 
happy. 

Q. And was this trivial instance that you have related the cause of 
his suspension "? — A. IS'o, sir ; but it worked up, it accumulated. The 
next one was his protest- 

Q. [Interposing.] He had an idea that the naval officers did not treat 
him with the respect due to him as a member of that expedition ; was 
not that it ? — A. Well, he said there was a combination. The term he 
used was, '•^ A combination of officers against me." I told him that that 
was nonsense ; that I knew what was going on, and there was no foun- 
dation for it. 

Q. You tried to persuade him from that idea? — A. I did. 

Q. He had the idea % — A. He had the idea ; in other words, he was 
morbid on the subject. 

Q. And he thought that order was directed to him "? — A. Yes, sir. 

.Q. Kow, as matter of fact, what is your version of the cause of his 
suspension, if you know ? Do you know"? — A. Yesj I know. 

Q. Very well. — A. The immediate cause of it was the event of De- 
cember 2, 1880; but there were other circumstances that led to that. I 
do not know how to call it, but it was an accumulation of difficulties 
and little controversies between him and the captain that culminated 
in that way. 

Q. State what they were, as far as your recollection serves you. — A. 
The first one was about going out on the ice — the next one was that 
Collins was not satisfied with the food, and wanted an extra ration in 
the mid- watch. He came on to take observations from 3 to 5, and then 
called me. He called me at fifteen minutes of 5. I relieved him. He did 
not use to go to bed, generally, until after he had done this work. He 
used to sit up all that time, and the consequence was he wanted some 
breakfast early — before he turned in. He went to the captain and 
wanted an extra ration. We were down to an ounce per day, or half 
an ounce, I don't know exactly which, and he wanted another allow- 
ance — an extra allowance — ^andhe wished to make tea at that time, and 
so forth, and he wished to sleep in the morning, on account of this duty 
during the night, and there was difficulty and misunderstanding about 
that. He was not satisfied. Then it came to the physical examination 
of the party, and he protested against being physically examined by 
the doctor ; that is, to strip and be examined in a nude state, and that 
was modified at his request, and the people after that had to strip to 
the waist simply. Then there were frequent controversies. After I was 
taken sick there were frequent conversations and controversies, I may 
term them. 

Q. Did you hear them ? — A. Yes 5 for this reason : I was in the state- 
room right below and I was kept awake at night by them. The floor 
was perforated by auger-holes so as to make the air better, and I heard 
frequent very loud conversations at night in the cabin. I heard the 
captain say, ^' Very well, Mr. Collins, if you are not satisfied you can 
report me to the Secretary of the ]!^avy, and I certainly intend to report 
you." These conversations took place frequently, and annoyed me very 
much. 

Q. Is there any other fact that you remember, except those you have 
narrated, that in your judgment led to the causes of diflerence, that is, 
with reference to the order about leaving the ship and with reference to 
the cold tea, and the rations, and all that sort of business ?— A. Yes, 



384 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY, 

sir ; Mr. Collius showed a disposition not to acquiesce in the captain's 
orders. He showed a sort of opposition. 

Q. In what respect ? — A. Well, in respect to that exercise on the ice. 
Mr. Collins would want to sleep in the morning. 

Q. After his labor of the night'?— A. Well, it was not labor of the 
night any more than any other officer did. The other ofiicers at times 
did just the same duty that he did. The captain would send the stew- 
ard down to Mr. Collins and it would probably strike seven bells, and 
a half an hour afterwards, Mr. Collins, not appearing, would have to be 
called again. He showed a reluctance to acquiesce in the captain's di- 
rections and orders, and a spirit of opposition is bound to generate 
trouble, and that was i)robabl3^ what led up to it. 

Q. Are those all the facts that you can remember^ I want you to 
remember every one. — A. This fact : Mr. Collins threw drown the gaunt- 
let, so to speak. 

Q. Do not use metaphor. — A. He came in the cabin in the morning, 
and did not speak to those present. He would take his seat at the table 
without doing that. Before that he would say, " Good morning, gentle- 
men," and all would respond. If any other ofScer came in that officer 
would give the morning greeting. Mr. Collins declined to do that 5 in 
other words, he declined intercourse with the officers. 

Q. Now, is there any other fact *? — A. Then there was the final one 
that brought about the action of the captain. 

Q. What was that? — A. The relieving him from duty. That was the 
culmination. 

Q. Now let me see if I represent you correctly. The first was the 
order in reference to not leaving the ship? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Collins thought it was specially directed against him. He thought, 
whether justly or unjustly, that there was a cabal of the officers against 
him?— A. Yes. 

Q. Then the next thing was about the extra ration and making the 
tea?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And then the next thing was about the exercise on the ice ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And then the next thing was that he thought he ought not to be 
stripped? — A. Tbat does not come in the right order, sir. 

Q. That is before the last one ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then he thought he ought not to be strix)ped like a common sea- 
man? 

By Mr. Boutelle: 

Q. Did you state that ? — A. No, sir ; I did not state that. 

Mr. Boutelle. I do not think that is a good way of getting at the 
facts. I desire to have this witness testify in his own language, selected 
carefully by himself. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that the counsel is putting words in the mouth 
of the witness. 

Mr. Curtis. I submit that I have a perfect right, in spite of the as- 
sertion of the learned counsel, which he must know is unfounded, to 
put these questions in the examination of this witness in the way that 
I do. I have treated the witness with every consideration. I pro[)Ose to 
treat him with every consideration, and it is my judgment that it is not 
for the learned counsel to tell us the proper way to examine the witness. 

Mr. Arnoux. I say that there- was nothing whatever that was said 
by the witness to warrant the reflection that Mr. Collins had been re- 
quested to strip like a common seaman, and to put such language in the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 385 

mouth of the witness was perverting the testimony of the witness, and 
that my knowledge is that such things are not permitted in the courts of 
justice in which I have practiced. 

Mr. McAdoo (to Mr. Curtis). You are recapitulating what the wit- 
ness has said. If you say anything he does not say he can correct you. 

Mr. OuETis. Certainly. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I simply say I did not understand the witness to 
say anything about common seamen. Now, if he wants to testify to 
that I have no objection. I understood the lieutenant to testify that 
this gentleman was required under the order to submit to physical ex- 
amination the same as all i)ersons on board — officers and seanien ; that 
subsequently on account of his complaint the captain modified the or- 
der so far as the officers were concerned, including Mr. Collins. 

The Witness. I said in regard to those aft, sir. 

By Mr. C URTIS : 

Q. Now, so that there can be no criticism from anybody, even the 
learned counsel, I will put it in another way, and if I misrepresent you 
in the slightest way I want you to call my attention to it. The first 
cause of the difficulty, you say, was the order in reference to leaving 
the ship. Am I correct ? — A. Correct ; yes, sir. 

Q. The second was in reference to the rations and the cold tea. Am 
I correct f — A. I think you are. 

Q. The third was in reference to his disinclination to strip. Am I 
correct? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now, so that I may have them in their perfect order, what was the 
fourth- case you cited "? — A. His disposition not to acquiesce readily. 

Q. That is a general observation of your own. Now, I want you to 
give some fact. — A. The fact of not obeying carefully — in not obeying, 
in fact, the order to go out on the ice without having to be kept up to 
the mark always. That is entirely distinct. 

Q. Then another cause was, you say, that he did not salute the offi- 
cers in the cabin ? — A. Excuse me, sir, the word salute is not what I 
mean. 

Q. I mean to use your exact words. — A. Will you do me the favor to 
use my words — "The morning greeting'' — which is different from a 
salute. 

Q. Morning greeting. I will use that. Then the other cause of com- 
plaint was his failure to use the morning greeting?— A. It was not a 
complaint. I did not make any complaint of it. 

Q. Exactly. It was another of the reasons that made the difference 
between them, and culminated in the suspension? — A. No, sir 5 the 
captain took tio cognizance of that. 

Q. Then that is out of it?— A. That is out of it. 

Q. Then we have only the order with reference to leaving the ship, 
the cold tea, and the rations, and the disinclination to strip? — A. Yes 5 
and the disposition he showed not to obey the orders of the captain. 

Q. I want a fact, if you please. — A. I told you the facts. 

Q. Have you told me all that you remember ? — A. All that I remem- 
ber. 

Q. And do you state to us seriously that for causes such as you have 
meutioned Mr. Collins was placed under suspension? — A. I say those 
causes led op to the culmination. 

Q. They led up then. Take those that produced it. What Avas the 
one that produced it ?— A. Do you wish the event of December 2 ? 

Q. What was that ? — A. I will state that the officers and all hands 
25 J Q* 



386 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

were exercising from 11 to 1. It was Mr. Oollins's duty at that period 
of the cruise to take the 12 o'clock observation, which consisted simply 
in reading barometers and thermometers and noting the direction of 
the wind, and come into the cabin and enter them on the line at that 
hour in the log-book. He came into the cabin. I was exercising in 
the cabin at that time. He came in and went into the chai^t-room on the 
port side, the work-room, and it seems I did not see him. My eyes 
were bandaged at that time. But he took off his coat evidently and 
lit a pipe. The first I knew I heard somebody else come in. It was 
the quartermaster or seaman on watch. He just looked in for a mo- 
ment apparently and went out. Then the captain came in and spoke 
to me. I said, good morning. He looked in the chart-room and said, 
" Mr. Collins, it is very strange that you cannot obey my orders," or 
something of that kind, to the effect that it was very strange that he 
would not obey the order for exercising on the ice. Collins said, " I 
was taking my observations." The captain said, '•'• Is it necessary for 
you to take off your coat and light a pipe when you make a record!" 
Collins remarked that he did not know that his minutes were counted, 
and in the mean time Collins evidently put on his coat. The captain 
said, "Well, this thing has gone far enough, Mr. Collins; take off 
your coat, sir, and we shall settle it," and he invited him to .sit 
down. The moment the captain said that to Mr. Collins I went down 
to my room, but everything was open^ and there being no door to my 
room, the conversation was carried on and I heard it all. It natur- 
ally came to mj ears, and, unfortunately, I was a witness to it. They 
had a long discussion about the work on the cruise which I cannot re- 
call. A contradiction was involved. Collins contradicted the captain, 
and the captain said, " Very well, this has gone far enough ; this is the 
last duty you shall do on this ship." And then Collins got up to go out, 
or evidently had gone ; at all events, the captain called him back and 
said, " Settle up all your affairs to this date, and then do no further duty." 
The captain sent for me then and said, "Did you hear the conversation V 
I told him I had heard portions of it, and I commenced to relate it, and 
it suddenly struck me that I might cause him misapprehension, and I 
knew he w^as ffoing to take immediate official action, and I said, "Cap- 
tain, I would prefer to put down on paper what I recollect." That 
afternoon Mr. Chipp came down to me and I dictated to him the letter 
relating what I heard of the affair. The next day, when I was in the 
cabin, the captain spoke very pleasantly and cheerfully, and said, " I 
was very sorry that thing occurred yesterday ; it is very annoying and 
unpleasant to have such things occur;" and I said, "Yes, captain, I was 
very sorry I was a witness, because I do not like to be dragged into 
such things." "Well," he said, " that does not make mu«h difference." 
From the way he spoke of it at that time I thought that the affair 
would probably be arranged without any serious consequence. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did you understand that the suspension was the result of any one 
act or incident or was the result of a series of manifestations of indis- 
position on the part of Mr. Collins to be governed by the regulations of 
the ship ? — A. I thought it was the result of a number of troubles that 
they had. The captain said it had gone far enough, and he wanted to 
put a stop to the whole thing. 

Q. What did you understand when he said it had gone far enough ; 
did it refer to that particular talk or something else f — A. Ko, sir ; I 
understood it referred to these difficulties that were constantly oc- 
curring. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY 387 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In your judgment, lieutenant, would Captain De Long probably 
hav^e as clear a recollection of that matter as yourself at the time he 
made a memorandum of it, on December 2, 1880? — A. When people 
talk for a half an hour generally they cannot have a clear recollection 
of what they have said, but of the salient points he undoubtedly had. 

Q. You have not given us the exact language j you have simply given 
us an abstract of it f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then you believe he would have had as good a recollection of it 
when he made a memorandum of it at the time as you have now*? — A. 
I suppose so — t»he chief points. 

Q. I ask you, finally, on that point, is that all that you remember 
against Mr. Collins ; is all that you have stated here to-day all that you 
remember of Mr. Collins's conduct justifying his suspension ? — A. I 
think it is. 

Q. Now, at the time you say he refused to make the morning greet- 
ing he believed in this feeling on the part of the officers against him j 
he had told you that ? — A. He was morbid on the subject. 

Q. I say he had told you that ? — A. Yes -, and he was morbid on the 
subject. 

Q. Now, in this conversation that you accidentally overheard between 
Captain De Long and Mr. Collins, in which you used A. (Interrupt- 
ing.) I should like to qualify that statement if you will allow me. 

Q. Certainly, sir ; with pleasure. — A. You see at the time he declined 
to pass the morning greeting the captain was not present; but he always, 
in coming in to his meals, when the captain was present, would say, 
" Good morning, captain ; " he would look over to me when I was at the 
table and say, "How are you, Danenhower." 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Who was that? — A. Mr. Collins. But afterward he modified 
that. The first time he failed to make the greeting the captain was not 
present. He considered it his duty always to greet the captain, and 
took particular pains to do so. He would say, " Good morning, Captain 
De Long," and sit down when the others were present. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. He did not fail to greet the captain and treat him with respect ? 

A. He always took particular pains to do that at the breakfast table. 

Q. And there was an excellent feeling between you and he, and he 
always gave you the greeting ? — A. Yes; and I suppose he sympathized 
with me too, because I was sick, and he used to come occasionally to 
see me. 

Q. He was a man of kindly feelings ? — A. Yes -, and good heart. 

Q. At that time you knew that he had a cause of difference, or sup- 
posed he had a cause of difference, with Mr. Melville, did you not? — A. 
He talked with me about that frequently. 

Q. And it did not strike you as remarkable that he did not give him 
the morning greeting, did it? — A. It was remarkable, because he threw 
himself without the pale of making up when he took those grounds. 

Q. The truth remained that he believed at that time that there was 
this cabal against him among the officers ? — A. He was morbid on the 
subject. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Do you use the word "c^-bal" ? — A. No, sir; and I never did. 



388 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. You spoke of bis contradicting the captain. Here is Captain De 
Long's recollection on the subject. — A. I say a contradict -on was in- 
volved. That is as near as I can come to it. 

Q. Captain De Long is speaking : 

I replied, ''I have a perfect riglit to say what I say to you." 
He said, *' I ackuowledge only the rights given yon by Naval Regulations." 
1 inquired, ''Do you mean to imply that I am doing contrary to Naval Regulations ? " 
He said, "I mean to say that yon have no right to talk to me as you do." 
I replied, "Yon should not have disobeyed my orders" (1). 

He said, "I Avill not admit such an assertion. I have ahvays carried out your in- 
structions" (2). 

I inquired, "Do you undertake to contradict me, Mr. Collins, and to say that I am 
asserting what is not so ? " 

He replied, (3) "I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed (or-' vio- 
lated') your order" (4). 

A. I suppose that is more correct. 

Q Did you esteem that a contradiction '? — A. I say a contradiction was 
involved ; I don't know on whose part. 

Q. I say, did you esteem that a contradiction ? — A. I would have to 
consider over it before I gave an opinion. 

Q. Do you esteem it a contradiction if an inferior is charged with viola- 
tion of law and he denies it, that it is contradiction in the sense you 
convey "? — A. I do not intend to convey any sense about the contradic- 
tion, nor to state anything about it, except that there was some contra- 
diction involved. I do not know what it was. 

Q. Now if a superior officer charged you with a violation of regula- 
tions, if you were innocent and denied that you had violated the regu- 
lations, you would not esteem that an offensive contradiction "^. — A. It 
would be the manner with which it was said. If I said, "Captain, you 
are mistaken iu this affair, sir," it would be different from coming out 
in a disrespectful way. 

Q. Do you mean to say this was disrespectful : 

I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed or violated your order. 

A. I don't know whether it was or not. 
Q. Do you mean to say that that is a contradiction f 
Mr. Arnoux. That is not it. I ask the committee to turn to page 321 
of the record of the Court of Inquiry. [lieading]: 

He counnenced, " I came here supposing " 

I interrupted, "Never mind that part of it. You are here, iu fact, and we will deal 
with the fact." 

He resumed, " I do not like the tone or manner in which you speak to vie, and the 
way in which I am taken to task." 

I replied, " I have a perfect right to say what I say to you." 

He said, " I acknowledge only the rights given you by Naval Regulations." 

I inquired, ' ' Do you mean to imply that I am doing contrary to Naval Regulations ?" 

He said, " I mean to say that you have no right to talk to me as you do." 

I replied, "Yon should not have disobeyed my orders " (1). 

He said, " I will not admit such an assertion. I have always carried out your in- 
structions" (2). 

I inquired, "Do you undertake to contradict me, Mr. Collins, and to say that I am 
asserting what is not so ?" 

He replied, (3) " I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed (or ' violated') 
your order" (4) 

I said, "lint, Mr. Collins, I say you have disobeyed (or 'violated') my order" (5). 

Ho prom])tly and emphatically replied, " I say I have not " ((5). 

I said, "Great allowance has been made for your ignoiance of Naval Regulations, 
your position in the ship, and your being so situated for the first time. Butyoiiunist 
remember that the commanding officer is to be spoken to in a respectful muiiuer and 
with re8i)ectful language, and you do not seem to attend to either particular." 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 389 

lie replied, '' I treat the coinmancling officer of this ship with all the respect due to 
him as the head of the expedition, but when he charges me with violating an order (7) 
I say I have «o^" (8). 

I said, " Do you suppose you will he permitted to talk to me in that way ? Are 
you beside yourself? " 

He replied, "Not at all. I am perfectly calm and collected, and know what I say." 
I say, " And you contradict me flatly in that way ? Have you lost your senses ? " 
He replied, ^' No, I have not lost my senses ; I know what I say." 
I went on, " When I say that by remaining in the cabin as you did to-day you vio- 
lated my orders, you continue to contradict me." 

He answered, '' When you say (9) I have violated an order, I say I have not." 

I say that that is manifestly' and plainly a contradiction. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, if you were charged by your superior officer, in language like 
what has been read by the counsel, with a violation of the regulations of 
the Navy and he said to you, '' You have violated my orders, you have 
violated the regulations of the Navy," and you replied ''I have not," do 
you not esteem that you would have a i)erfect right to do that, if inno- 
cent % — A. I would naturally do so if innocent. I would couch it in 
respectful terms. 

Q, Are not those respectful terms ^ 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. (Interposing.) Bo you understand that the respectful or courteous 
character of the language would change the fact of its being a contra- 
diction'? — A. No, sir; I simply wish to state in this testimony that a 
contradiction was involved. I have forgotten the details, and 1 think 
it will be of no avail to bring them out from me, because they are right 
there in print, and I am willing to tell what I know. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I believe that you will, if we are left to ourselves, and the counsel 
does not interrupt. What 1 want to ask you is, as a man of experience 
and as a naval officer, if your superior officer said, "Lieuteuant Danen- 
hower, you have violated the regulations of the Navy," and you said, 
" I have not," do you not esteem that that would be a proper answer 
for an innocent man to make ? — A. I think it would be an improper an- 
swer in that way. It would be so considered in the way I have been 
brought ux) as a naval oificer in our training. 

Q. Let me ask you another question. Yoii do not deem it a man's 
duty, in order to prevent a seeming contradiction, to admit an offense? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. How would you answer under like circumstances ? — A. I do not 
think I would answer: if I did 1 would say, "I am very sorry, captain, 
that you thiiik so." 

Q. That is an answer that a man trained in the Navy would make '^ — 
A. It is a courteous answer. . 

Q. Is that the answer a man trained under other circumstances would 
make"? — A. If a man were a gentleman and received a liberal education 
he would think that proper. 

Q. If a i)erson outside the Navy— a man of the world — should charge 
you, '' Lieutenant Dauenhower, you have violated the law, you have 
committed an offense," and if you said to him, "I have not," would you 
think that would necessarily involve a contradiction in the sense you 
meanf Do you not think it is a man's duty to say that? — A. He might 
use stronger language than that : " What business is it of yours ?" But 
I know nothing of this, really, except there was a contradiction involved. 



390 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Let me try again. What I want to get from yon is this : t)o you 
mean us to understand that in your opinion Mr. Collins was guilty of con- 
tradicting his superior ofticer when he simply denied in simple language 
that he had committed an oft'ense ? — A. He certainly contradicted him. 

Q. He denied what he had asserted ; in that way he did contradict? — 
A. I only know there was a contradiction involved. 

Q. I will put it to you in another way. Do you think it is a man's 
duty, in order to avoid the appearance of contradiction, to admit the 
accusation by silence ? — A. No, sir ; I do not. But then we must take 
other circumstances into consideration. 

Q. Now, is it not the most natural thing, I ask you as a man of the 
world, as a man of experience, if an innocent man is charged with the 
commission of an offense, for him to deny it? — A. It is natural, of 
course, for mankind to do so. 

Q. Now Mr. Collins was not trained up to the discipline and regula- 
tions of the Navy to your knowledge, was he; that was his first expe- 
rience 1 — A. That was probably one of the causes of his difficulty. But 
he was an intelligent man, and he prided himself on being extremely 
courteous to the captain, &c., as at table, and up on the ice, he would 
come up and salute him when the other officers did not. He made a 
point of it ; he made himself conspicuous in it. 

Q. He was that sort of a man that you would consider a gentleman 
in his manners! — A. Yes, sir. I would say he ranked very well 
among gentlemen. 

Q. And he was, as you have said, a man of kindly heart and good 
impulses! — A. I used those words. 

Q. Was he! — A. I say unhesitatingly, yes 5 a man of very tender 
heart. I would like to say this : I never saw a commanding officer sit 
down with a subordinate and discuss a subject. Under such circum- 
stances a contradiction would not have been as serious as it would have 
been on the deck of a ship, or if the captain had simply remained stand- 
ing and had had a few words with an officer ; but when they sit down 
and talk over it these things are likely to occur. I think it is fair to 
Mr. Collins to say that. 

Q. And this was a continued conversation ! — A. Lasting probably a 
half or three-quarters of an hour. 

Q. In which he was stimulated to make reply to repeated questions! — 
A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. I would like to ask you a question right there. If a controversy 
arose between yourself and a subordinate in regard to his obedience of 
an order which you had issued, and you should take him to task for 
failing to obey your order or disobeying it, and he should state that he 
had not disobeyed it and you should point out to him the character of 
the order and what you regarded as disobedient, and he should insist 
that that was not disobedience, what would you do about it! 

The Witness. If I were a subordinate officer in the ship 

Mr. Boutelle (interposing). No; I mean if you were the command- 
ing officer. 

A. If I were the commander I should deal with him according to the 
merits of the case. If the man's manner was very disresi)ectful, and he 
intended to show disrespect, I should have him punished for it. 

Q. Perhaps I have not made myself quite clear. Suppose that you 
had issued a continuing order, and you thought that an officer had dis- 
obeyed it and you should call his attention to it and should point out 



1 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 391 

to him in what regard you deemed him as disobeying the order, and he 
insisted that that conduct on his part was not- a disobedience of j^our 
order, while you deemed that it was, how would you proceed with such 
a person ? — A. I would stop the argument at once, sir. I would not 
permit argument on the subject. I would not argue with any subor- 
dinate on any subject. 

Q. Suppose he should state that his conduct was not in disobedience 
of your order, and that he should do the same way in future and still 
not regard it as disobedience to your order? — A. I should punish him 
according to the gravity of the affair. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Supposing, that a commanding officer had made a statement to a 
subordinate when he himself was laboring under a misapprehension, 
and the person charged v\ere, in respectful language, to claim that he 
had not done a thing of that kind, and the officer should be satisfied 
that it was true — by reason of this contradiction what would be the 
conduct of the commanding officer in a case of that kind 5 would it not 
be the duty of the commanding officer to acknowledge to the subordi- 
nate that he was mistaken? — A. It would be according to circum- 
stances. I believe that it is fair that a commanding officer, if he finds 
he has made a mistake, if it is necessary, to say so; but if it is not 
necessary it is best not to, because if the subordinates find their com- 
manding officer making too many mistakes they will lose respect for 
him. But if it is necessary; if any injustice is to be done, or if it is 
essential, then acknowledge it. As long as men can feel that their 
commanding officer's judgment is perfect the better it is. 

Q. Will they have any more confidence in a commanding officer when 
they know he is mistaken, than they would if he comes and does them 
the justice to tell them so; would they not have more confidence in a 
man of that kind than they would in a man that never made an apol- 
ogy? — A. Certainly, sir, by all means; I believe in it. But I say it is 
not necessary in trivial matters. A man should let them rest without 
bringing them up. They correct themselves by and by. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What do you think of the judgment of a commanding officer who. 
having accused a subordinate of infraction of the rules, and the sub- 
ordinate officer in general terms denies violating the rules and enters 
into a lengthened conversation, and the commanding officer finally forces 
him to the wall so as to make a technical dispute ? — A. It is not gener- 
ally done. The fewer the words the better. Duty should be transacted 
with very few words and no discussions of points. The commanding 
officer is the judge. A subordinate officer has no right to put himself 
up against the commanding officer unless it is absolutely necessary to 
do so. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Is it not the custom of the Navy where a commanding officer makes 
any criticism or brings any charge against a subordinate officer or man 
to give him an opportunity to explain the cause of his conduct? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Would it not be customary if the commanding officer of a ship 
came on deck and thought the officer of the deck was failing in his duty 
to criticize him and give the officer of the deck an opportunity to ex- 
plain? — A. Yes, but not to sit down and talk on the subject half an 
hour. 



392 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Ts it not customary in tbe Navy, where some charge of laxity of 
discipline or infraction of some minor regulation has been made against 
an oliicer, for the commandnig ofticer to send for a junior to come into the 
cabin very frequently, and then come into the cabin himself and sit down 
antl talk with him about it, and reason with him in regard to it? — A. I 
have never been with a commanding officer who did that. That is gen- 
erally thrown away. I have heard of commanding officers who did it 
and who got into more trouble before the end of the cruise than one who 
went along in one straight line, doing his duty and trying to be just and 
square to all. I do not believe in doing the way you suggest. 

Q. Where the executive officer of a ship would report an officer of 
the shii) to the commanding officer would not the commanding officer 
give the reported officer opportunity to come to him and explain? — A. 
They do it generally in writing, in order not to have any personal dis- 
cussion on the subject— in order to have the points stated in writing. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. When Captain DeLong came into the cabin and found Mr. Collins 
with his coat off and smoking, was that the first occasion of that kind 
that had occurred, or was it a habit of Mr. Collins's to do that ? — A. I 
think it was considered a habit of his. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. To come right down to your opinion, because this is largely a 
matter of the opinions of witnesses, is it your opinion that Captain De 
Long suspended Mr. Collins solely as the result of whatever warmth of 
feeling might have been generated in that final conversation, or because 
he had repeatedly failed in willingness to obey the regulations with 
alacrity! — A. I believe, sir, from the fact that Mr. Collins had shown 
this opposition, and had not obeyed the orders carefully, and from 
these other circumstances, that the captain made up his mind that he 
would take the first opportunity, and the next infraction of discipline 
he would take that and make an example of Mr. Collins on that. That 
is my opinion on the subject. 

Q. As matter of discipline, what do you think would have been the 
effect if De Long had permitted certain favored persons on the ship to 
have been free Irom the restraints and disciphne which he imposed upon 
the whole as a crew ? — A. I think he would have been entirely wrong. 
I think Mr. Collius should have been made to obey orders as much as 
anybody, and I think Captain De Long was a very fair-minded man, 
who tried to do that. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Was Lieutenant Chipp required to go out on the ice also? — A. 
Yes, sir ; everybody. 

Q. For the same length of time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Melville also? — A. The order was that everybody in the ship 
should go. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. That was a hygienic regulation ?— A. Yes, sir 5 the ship was thrown 
open at the same time for ventilatiou. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, in point of fact, you have given us all the facts and incidents 
on which you base your opiuion of the conduct of Mr. Collins in refer- 
ence to his relations to Captain De Long ? — A. Yes, sir. Excuse me one 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 393 

moment. I think the captain was not satisfied with Mr. Collins's work, 
and that was also another cause, not of his official action, but the cause 
for his taking away tlie instruments, &c. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Not satisfied with his work as a meteorologist ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Are you aware of the fact that Mr. Collins at different times cor- 
rected the observations of the captain ? — A. I am aware of that state- 
ment before the committee the other day ; that is all ; and I knew that 
Mr. Collins had that disposition. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Did you know of that at the time? — A. I think that Collins spoke 
to me of it at the time. Collins used to keep a watchful eye on every- 
body in that respect, and called our attention to that, and showed that 
disposition, and I also had to keep a watchful eye on him. I did that 
just to convince him that he was wrong, and I convinced him that he 
was wrong. 

Q. What was this correction ? — A. He did not understand the varia- 
tion of the compass — how to apply it — and one day I noticed that the 
wind was east southeast instead of south southeast, and I called his at- 
tention to it, and found out he did not know how to apply it. The mag- 
netic direction of the wind was southeast, and he applied the two points 
to the left, to the eastward instead of to the right, which is correct, and 
had marked his wind east southeast, and we were keeping two logs at 
that time and I called his attention to that fact, and he had numerous 
discussions with Dunbar, and Mr. Chipp had to be called in as an ex- 
pert, and I was also called in to show him how to read the compass. 
At ihe same time, he used to claim that we were not reading the ther- 
mometers ])roperly ; that when the scale was only two degrees that his 
eye was sufficiently accurate to enable him to tell three- tentlis froai five- 
tenths, and I said he could not do it; if I had a Vernier I could not do it. 
His observations were not satisfactory to the captain, and the captain, 
as I understood at the time, put the magnetometer in the hands of Mr. 
Chipp. Then there was something about broken instruments. It was 
claimed that he did not take proper care of them. The captain never 
stated this. He was not that kind of a man, but there was talk of it at 
the time and the facts were apparent. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Eow, permit me to come back to the question 1 put some time ago. 
Did not Collins frequently correct the observations of the captain, and 
did not the fact of his so correcting those observations of the captain 
create ill-will on the part of the captain toward him ? — A. I never heard 
of it at the time except through Mr. Collins. 

Q. Did he not so claim? — A. Yes; he claimed lots of such things. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. Claimed what ? — A. That he had corrected the captain's observa- 
tions a number of times, and that the captain could not read the ane- 
mometer, and could not read the instruments. 

Q. That is not a complaint. The counsel said he so complained. 
What did he complam of? — A. He complained that the captain did not 
like it ; that it naturally aflected his will towards him ; made him feel 
ill-willed towards Collins. 



394 JiJANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, you have been telling us about some differences of opinion 
between you and Mr. Collins in reference to some scientific matters 1 — 
A. I consider the reading of the compasses a i^ractical matter. 

Q. In these matters in which you state that, in your opinion, Mr. Col- 
lins was in error, did he not claim that you were in error ? — A. Yes, sir; 
in the reading of the compass, when 1 have been reading compasses for 
eighteen years. 

Q. Now, of course, Mr. Collins is not here to hear or answer what you 
have to say on that point. — A. I am very sorry that you brought it out. 

Q. And I have to rely a good deal on your recollection in the mat- 
ter f — A. You can refer to the two log books, and you will see, in case it 
is marked S. S. E., for example, and in his marking E. S. E., a difference 
of 45 degrees in the two records. 

Q. He claimed he was right and you claimed you were right? — A. 
No ; he admitted it afterwards, and I should have reported it to the 
captain and had it changed altogether if he had not marked his right. 

Q. What I want to get at is this : in these matters in which you say 
that you were right, did he not as strenuously claim that he was right? — 
A. Yes, and he was convinced that he was wrong. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Did he admit that he was wrong ? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. To whom ? — A. Mr. Dunbar and he had long discussions, and he 
referred the matter to me and Mr. Chipp, and we went into the reasons 
and explained it fully to him, and taught him how to read the compass. 
Q. Is there any living person besides yourself that can testify to that 
state of facts ? — A. I think Mr. Newcomb and Mr. Melville can. 
Q. Was Mr. Melville a meteorologist? 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. (Interposing.) Was this a matter of meteorology ? — A. No, sir; it 
was a mariner's compass. Collins had to record the direction of the 
wind. He was recording four points out of the way. He was making 
a great many corrections on the officers, and I used to make corrections 
on him. I do not know that he ever made any corrections on me, per- 
sonally. He may have attempted it. He told me, for example, that he 
could go out on the deck and look at the north star, 75 degrees above 
the horizon, and tell the direction of the wind closer than with a mari- 
ner's compass. The way in which we took it, we looked at the deck 
compass and at the mast-head companion, and took the ship's head 
from the steering compass. You can at the moment see the angle 
and note the direction of the wind. That is the way that all mariners 
do it. He said he could go out on deck and look at the north star and 
strike it down. I told him that it was ridiculous, and he made himself 
ridiculous in those ways. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Collins is dead. Is there any living person besides yourself that 
can fortify what you now say in regard to that matter ? — A. I do not 
know, sir. I am only stating facts that occurred. 

Q. I am trying to get at facts, too. Mr. Newcomb is a naturalist, is 
he not ? He is not a navigator. — A. He can substantiate that these 
explanations were made to Mr. Collins. 

Q. Newcomb was the naturalist ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQtllRY. 395 

Q. Melville was chief engineer 1— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Newcomb was on tbe stand the other day, was he not ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. You knew when he was present here ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you knew this fact that you are telling me ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. As well then as no w ? — A. Perfectly. I did not know it was going 
to be brought up, though. 

Q. You heard Mr. Arnoux examine Mr. Newcomb at great length, 
did you not? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. You had no trouble about access to Mr. Arnoux, had you ? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. You did not suggest to Mr. Arnoux to ask him anything about 
that, did you ^. — A. I did, but not that particular subject. I said, 
'' Ask the reason why the instruments were taken from Mr. Collins." 

Q. Now, then, let me ask you another question, and I will try to 
cover the whole ground in it, and a man of your intelligence can answer 
it at once. Is it not a fact that there was a difference between Mr. Col- 
lins and some of the officers of the vessel growing out of different views 
they had in reference to these instruments "? Yes or no. — A. No, sir ; 
there was no such difference as I would call it. There were little dis- 
cussions occurred now and then, but no differences. 

Q. Now, in operating these instruments, I suppose accuracy of the 
eye has something to do with it, has it not? — A. Yes, sir; naturally. 

Q. Is it not quite possible that at the time that you put your judg- 
ment in contradistinction to his on these matters that you were suffer- 
ing from your eyes? — A. No, sir 5 I was not. 

Q. Do you think that your eyes were then, are now, or ever will be, 
as good as they were before they were affected by this voyage ? — A. 
No, sir; they will not be as good. The right eye is perfect, the oculist 
says. 

Q. So you say the accuracy of the eye has a good deal to do with the 
l)roper observation in the use of this instrument? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Let me make a suggestion with reference to this 
matter of taking the direction of the wind. 

(Mr. Boutelle here made an explanation as to the method of taking 
the direction of the wind on shipboard.) 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q (Resuming.) As matter of fact, how often did you see Mr. Collins 
smoking his pipe in the cabin? — A. They were all allowed to smoke in 
the cabin. 

Q. There was uo infraction of discii)line in that? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you remember of telling Mr. Jackson that Star was the sea- 
man who distinguished himself in going down into the ammunition 
room of the sinking ship and bringing two cases of ammunition on 
deck?— A. Yes; I told him that. I did not see Star doing it, but I 
heard of his doing it, and believe it, and was glad to say it. 

Q. He was a very faithful servant of the captain, in every respect? — 
A. No, sir; not a servant. He never performed duty as a servant. 

Q. He was one of the seamen. Did he not attend on the captain in 
some personal relation, or was that Nindemann? — A. Nindemann did 
' that. 

Q. Do you remember stating that the party was delayed four days 
after the sinking of the ship because of some of the men iDeing poisoned 
by canned tomatoes? — A. Yes; to recuperate the party and organize 
the retreat. 



396 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. That was the fact ; some of your stores were canned tomatoes ! — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And the sickness was caused by the taking of tomatoes ? — A. Yes ; 
supposed to be. 

Q. With how much pemmican did you start f — A. We had 6,000 
or 7,000 pounds, I should think. 

Q. Did you not have 3,500 pounds ? — A. I get it mixed. We had 
about 7,000 pounds of new i)emmican on leaving San Francisco. 1 can 
look up my data. 

Q. Did you not state that it was 3,500 pounds ? — A. I cannot say. I 
can look at my data and let you know. 

Q. And 1,500 i)ounds of hard bread "? — A. I cannot answer that ques- 
tion now. 

Q. You had on board an ample store of alcohol and Leibig's extract. 
I presume that means Leibig's extract of beef, does it not f — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And other articles. Was not each officer and man provided with 
harness *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. On the 19th of June you were ordered to go to the hospital sled, 
were you not 1 — A. Yes ; on or about that date. 

Q. Did you not feel that you were fit for duty then ? — A. Well, I was 
fit for light duty ; that was alll claimed to be. 

Q. And did you not feel and express yourself as deeply mortified that 
thirty-three men were workiugfor their lives, and you were not allowed 
to help, even at the cooking, although physicall3^ you were able to do 
light duty ? — A. Yes; I felt that way. 

Q. And so exi)ressed yourself ? — A. I so expressed myself. 

Q. Do you remember using this expression : 

Thus tlie survivors trudged along, the well heavily handicapped by the six or seven 
who furnished no motive power at all; twenty-one men did all the work for the 
thirty- three. 

A. I do not remember the part saying twenty-one men did all the 
work for thirty-three ; the other part I do remember. They furnished 
the motive power; referring to the work as the motive power, yes. 

Q. Do you remember that Mr. Chipp was suspended at any time ? — 
A. Ko ; I think he never was. 

Q. Do you remember that he requested to be put on duty at various 
times and was refused *? — A. He was sick. 

Q. Do you remember that he requested to go on dutj^, alleging that 
he was well enough to work? — A. That occurred for two or three days 
before he was actually put on duty. He was remonstrating with the 
doctor and the captain, and they thought he was too badly used up. 
Finally when they put him on duty they thought it was a mere question 
of a few days, and so did the rest of us, but he managed to keep on his 
feet very bravely. 

Q. He was considered a most valuable officer ? — A. Yes ; he was. 

Q. A man of ability and courage *? — A. Yes. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Lieutenant Ohipp was very popular with the officers and men ? — 
A. I never heard of it until after his death. Since then I have heard 
a great deal about it ; that they liked him. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Was he not a great favorite with the men 1 — A. Oh, yes. At the 
time we were on the ice I heard some expressions of their rather pre- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 397 

ferring to work under him than auj^body else, and they were so glad 
when he was put on duty. But you see I was for eighteen months down 
in a dark room. I have no doubt he was ^ very efficient officer and a 
very noble character. 

Q. In ])oint of fact, Kewcomb and Seaman Star were under suspen- 
ision '? — A. Newcomb was put under suspension or taken off work before 
he had his trouble with me. He had some trouble with the doctor. He 
was then put off work. It was not for his trouble with me that he was 
put off' work. St"ar was put off w^ork on account of the difficulty related 
previously to the committee. That has all been gone over. 

Q. State briefly what was the cause of his suspension. — A. There were 
a j)air of ov^ershoes, some foot gear, placed on his sleeping gear, in the 
first cutter, and he came up and picked them up and threw them away 
violently, and Mr. Melville spoke to him about it ; told him to go and 
pick them up ; that they belonged to him. Star refused, and there were 
some high words, and the captain told Star to keep quiet, stop his talk, 
and Star turned upon the captain and talked to him, and the captain, 
to assert his authority there, and sustain himself, of course put a stop 
to it at once, and suspended Star. He was suspended for a few days 
only. 

Q. Well, of course, during the time of their actual suspension these 
men were of but very little or no use to their fellow-sufferers ? — A They 
were of no use to their fellow sufferers, and very unhappy themselves, 
no doubt. They were compelled to see their fellow-sufferers work be- 
fore their eyes while they were idle. 

Q. It was a time when the exertions of every able-bodied man were 
valuable ? — A. It has proved so. The captain at that time, however, 
did not think so. Subsequent events show it was. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, about 33 per cent, of the party were, so to 
speak, not working their passage across the ice ? — A. It is hardly fair 
to say that. Mr. Melville did his part, and did it well. He had charge 
of the working party. He was looking out for the boat in going over 
the hummocks. It was not his duty to be in the drive rope all the time, 
and whenever they came to a place where he thought it needed it he 
would put his shoulder under the boat and lift her with all his strength, 
and he did his duty with all his strength in that way. He helped the 
party in attending to bridges. They would haul pieces of ice to make 
temporary bridges, sometimes two or three pieces, and there would 
have to be lines p jssed, and he would attend the lines, and had charge 
of the liti .'•/ bunk in which the goods and supplies, &c., were stowed, 
and Dr. Ambler did all he could. But I made the statement that the 
principal motive power was furnished by the twenty-two or twenty -three 
working hands. Mr. Dunbar did a great deal of work. He would 
shoulder two or three pikes with flags on them and go out and pick a 
road. All that work was essential to the success of the party. My 
remark applies to the motive power in dragging the sleds. 

Q. Do you remember any delay at Thaddeus Island ? — A. No, sir ; 
we camped on Thaddeus Island once, slept there and got away next 
morning. 

Q. How many days' delay were made at Seminowski Island ? — A. 
From Saturday evening until Monday morning. 

Q. And how many days' delay at Bennett Island ? — A. We were eight 
da.vs at Bennett Island, I think — seven or eight days. 

Q. So that in point of fact the entire delay at these three places was 
about ten days, was it not 1 — A. About ten days, 



398 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, we are comirii^ to Bennett Island. How long were you 
getting there! — A. Fifteen days. 

Q. From what spot ? — A. From the spot where we shaped our course 
to Bennett Island. 

Q. You do not know where that was ? — A. No one can tell, J believe, 
unless the captain had observations that day. 

Q. Had you any well-defined object in going there except explora- 
tion f — A. Well, 1 understood the captain wished to rest the party and 
also to have a change of diet. 

Q. I wish to ask you a question ; if you have any feeling of delicacy 
about it you need not answer it. Did you not advise that the better 
course to pnrsue was one due south, or nearly so*? 

The Witness. Advise with the captain ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not express that opinion I 

The Witness. To the captain 1 

Mr. Curtis. Or to anybody ? 

A. I expressed the opinion and 1 thought so at the time. It was 
talked about by the officers. I wanted to strike due south. 

Q. You, as a reader of history, having a knowledge of geography, 
&c., were aware that on the Siberian coast, in a southerly direction, 
there were inhabited places, places occupied by liussian subjects, where 
men and women and children lived, aiid where there were natural means 
of subsistence, were you not ? — A. I was aware that a large portion of 
the coast was uninhabited, but thatiji certain places there were habita- 
tions, but I think it is fair to state what knowledge Captain De Long 
had at that time, and what knowledge Ave had. 

Q. State it. — A. There had been great newspaper accounts of the 
Lena delta ; that l^rofessor Nordensk jold had explored it, having vis- 
ited it with his steamer, and that schooners were building in England 
for the i)urpose of carrying on trade, and it was supi)ose(l on our ship, 
by the ca])tain and by Mr. Chi])j), too, that the Lena delta region had 
been opened up, and that that was the best objective i)oint to make 
so that we would be on the route home. We had for onr information 
that this country due south from where we were was uninhabited. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. From where you left the ship? — A. Yes; that the region of the 
Indigirka Kiver and the Kolyma we had reason to believe was uninhab- 
ited. 

Q. In a direction due south ? — A. In a direction due south then, which 
was the nearest ])art of the coast. 

Q. Did you advise Captain De Long to go due south ? — A. No, sir; 
I did not advise Cai:>tain De Long to do anything. I was not called 
upon. 

Q. To make the suggestion ? — A. No, sir. I want to state what in- 
duced (Captain De Long to go to the Lena. It seems to me that is the 
object in view. 

The Chairman (interposing). Yes; tliat is one fact we would like 
to hear. 

A. (Contiiuiing.) Captain De Long thought the Lena delta region 
had been opeiu^.d up ; there was every indication of it when we left home, 
and the reports were very favorable to that region. We knew nothing 
comparatively of this region between the Kolyma Kher and the Lena, 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 399 

except there was Ustjansk, to which Professor I^^ordenskjold had gone, 
and this island of Jarok. The question was whether we should take 
in this island on our way — visit the land and get a camp, &c., and go 
to the Lena delta or the Yana River eastward. Captain De Long, as 
I was told by Melville at Benuett Island, decided upon visiting the 
Lena delta. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. On the ground that it was more likely to be settled there ^ — A. 
Yes, sir; and on the ground that he was more likely to be in communica- 
tion with the United States, and that is true even to go to Bulun. Those 
were his reasons for going there; that he would get succor and hear 
from home and facilitate his route home by going there. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Then, in point of fact, all the information you had in reference to 
the delta being open was erroneous, as it turned ouf? — A. Yes, sir; it 
proved a failure subsequent to our departure. 

Q. And all this information that you had derived from newspapers in 
reference to the delta being a haven of safety proved to be erroneous!— 
A. I also wish to state there was another source of information. 

Q. What was that! — A. Dr. Peterman's magazine, the Lena-Mun- 
dungen. I heard it stated that Star was called in; Star was supposed 
to be a Russian, and also spoke Russian; he was called in to translate 
this German book; and it spoke of plenty of fish and game being in the 
IsTew Siberian islands, and it told about fish hunters and ivory hunters 
in this region. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did it mention the Lena delta ! — A. It spoke of the fur hunters 
about the Lena delta, at a place called Barkin, which was represented 
in that journal to be a prominent settlement. It also spoke of ivory 
hunters, and gave the name of the fish that could be found in the New 
Siberian group of islands. 

Q. Before that course was decided upon, was anybody called into 
consultation with the captain save Lieutenant Ohipp ! Were the rest 
of the ofiQcers called in ! — A. The rest of the officers were called in. 
Whether Mr. Melville took part or not I do not know. He told me 
that. 

Q. Were you consulted ! — A. No, sir ; Mr. Melville and I had a con- 
versation at Bennett Island just after. 

Q. You only heard of the decision through Melville ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. But you yourself were not called into conversation with the cap- 
tain ! — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. (Submitting a book.) I lay this before you and ask you whether 
the document which I now show you is the document of Dr. Peterman, 
to which you have just referred! — A. To the best of my belief that is 
the document Star translated. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In point of fact all this information you relied on proved to be 
erroneous ! — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. And you made no such discoveries as were shadowed forth in Dr, 



400 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Petermaii's book ; there was uo settlement there *? — A. The imncipal 
settlement was 33 miles from where Peterman stated. 

Q. Now, lieutenant, as it has turned out, as experience has proven, 
had you gone due south, as in your judgment and opinion was the best 
course originally, you would have arrived in this Siberian country, and 
the probabilities are that you would have reached assistance and been 
saved ! — A. It is questionable, sir. 

Q. It is a much shorter route, is it not? — A. It is a shorter route; 
there is no doubt of that. I gave my opinion before the Court of In- 
quiry. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Friday, April 18, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 12.30 p. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

John W. Danenhower resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. As matter of fact at the time you started on this expedi- 
tion, was not one of your instructions to search for Nordenskjold? — An- 
swer. I understood that to be the case. 

Q. Then in j^oint of fact no positive definite knowledge had been re- 
ceived of him or the state of his expedition ! — A. Yes, knowledge had 
been received that he was wintering about 60 miles west of East Cape, 
and that his courier had brought*dispatches under date of the previous 
September stating that he was in winter quarters. 

Q. But it was undetermined what had become of him % — A. The only 
doubt, as I understood, was about his provisions and stores ; that he 
might be in distress. He had not a complete equipment. There was 
some question about his equipment. 

Q. That book that you say gave, or attempted to give you some in- 
formation — the book of Dr. Peterman — was written some forty years 
ago, was it not ? — A. I never saw the book before yesterday and can- 
not state. 

Q. You have no knowledge on that subject ? — A. I understood that 
it was a magazine issued, and I imagined that it was of recent date. 
That it gave a history of the islands since 1805, ever since they have 
been occupied. 

Q. But in point of fact the various information that you had received 
through that book and other sources in relation to the delta and its re- 
sources proved to be erroneous, did it not ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And in point of fact if you had gone due south, as ex])erience has 
tauglit you, you would have found these Pussian settlements in Sibe- 
ria, would you not? — A. That is a mere speculation, sir; I cannot say. 
But what I mean to say is that there are large bodies of open water that 
we might have crossed and might have been lost in. 

Q. Yes, but if you had gone due south and had not met with that 
disaster, then, in all probability, you would have reached these settle- 
ments, would you not ^ — A. If we had gone due south and everything 
had fared wc^ll with us and we had entered the Yana lliver we had rea- 
son to believe that we would have been safe. So if we had not gone to 
the Arctic at all we might have been safe. So that is it mere speculation. 

Q. By that you mean it is matter of opinion based on facts proven t — 
A. Yes, sir, 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 401 

Q. How long did you stay at the last island visited before reaching 
the Lena delta? — A. We staid there from Saturday evening until Mon- 
day morning. 

Q. If you had pushed on without stopping at that point, would you 
or would you not have reached the land before the gale came on in which 
Ohipp's party was lost ? — A. I cannot say, because the gale was blowing 
on Sunday harder than it seemed to blow on Monday when we started. 

Q. Was not the gale imminent when you left this island ? — A. We had 
noticed that when the wind came from the northeast for several days it 
generally terminated in a gale. That fact was mentioned at the time 
in conversation before we left Semlnov Island. 

Q. Then why did you leave at that time if the gale was imminent? — 
A. We left because the captain gave the order. 

Q. ¥/hat kind of a boat were you in 1 — A. The whale-boat ) a very 
good boat when we left the ship. 

Q. Mr. Ohipp's boat was different from yours ? — A. Mr. Ohipp's boat 
was a very inferior boat and very different. Our boat was 25 feet long, 
of whale-boat build, and his boat was what might be called in the mer- 
chant's service a jolly-boat. It was a short, broad boat, sitting very 
high out of the water, and was very cranky, as they say, and the cap- 
tain had to take a couple of men out of his boat and some of his weights, 
in order to give him a better chance. 

Q. What sort of a boat was Captain De Long's 1 — A. Captain De 
Long's boat was a trifle shorter than ours, and of more beam and greater 
carrying capacity. It was what was called a cutter j a square sterned 
boat. So was Mr. Chipp's boat of that character. 

Q. Was there another boat such as yours — a whale-boat — on the ship 
which was not taken on the retreat ? — A. The second whale-boat was 
left at the davits. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. And went down with the ship 1 — A. Went down with the ship. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. If Lieutenant Chipp and his party, eight in all, had been in a whale- 
boat he would have been saved the same as your party, eleven ki all ? — 
A. I cannot say. If he had succeeded in rounding-to successfully, and 
had adopted the same course, there is every reason to believe he would 
have been saved, but in rounding-to there is danger of being swamped. 

Q. Would not his chances have been better in a whale-boat ? — A. Un- 
doubtedly better in the whale-boat than in the cutter. But everybody 
was perfectly satisfied with the cutter, even to the time we reached the 
water. In fact she was the favorite boat. 

Q. Was not your boat able to approach nearer to the shore in the 
shallow water of the delta than De Long's boat? — A. WeV, I think his 
boat drew about 28 inches of water and ours about 26. There was a 
difference of 2 inches, probably. 

Q. What perceptible effect would that have ? — We might have been 
able to approach a few feet nearer, but there was no perceptible differ- 
ence. 

Q. Did you have to wait for De Long's boat or for Chipp's boat when 
you were approaching the Lena delta ? — A. Yes ; we shortened sail for 
that purpose and the seas boarded us when we lowered the sail. We 
had a close-reefed sail also, while the captain had a single-reefed sail. 

Q. Was not the whale-boat the better boat for the general purposes 
of your retreat than De Long's boat? — A. ^Oj the whale-boat was too 
26 J Q* 



402 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

long in going over the ice. In going over a hummock the stern of the 
boat would strike after the body of the boat had crossed, and the boat 
was badly stove. All the fastenings were shaken and the loggerhead was 
knocked out of the boat. 

Q. Could it not have been repaired ? — A. She was repaired by the 
ingenuity of Sweetman, assisted by Bartlett, Mr. Melville, superintend- 
ing. Ko, I am wrong there. Mr. Melville had not been in control of 
the boat, but Mr. Melville, in the ten-day camp, superintended the re- 
pairs and the fitting of the weather cloths. 

Q. Was not the whale-boat a better boat for the purposes of your re- 
treat than Chipp's boat? — A. For the retreat over the ice, no. 

Q. For the general purposes of the retreat, over the ice and in the 
water ? — A. As events proved, yes 5 but at the time the second cutter 
was the favorite, and so was called by i^et names. 

Q. But as events proved, the whale-boat would have been better? — 
A. Yes, sir ; as events proved. 

Q. If so, then why was not the other whale-boat taken ? — A. Because, 
in the judgment of the captain, there was sufficient boat capacity in 
those three boats for the party, and it would have been practically im- 
possible to have hauled the whale-boat over the ice in addition to the 
other boats, and Lieutenant Chipp and Mr. Dunbar were perfectly 
satisfied in the second cutter, and used to speak of it in that way in 
coming over the ice. She was short and handy, and the whale-boat 
was looked upon as a very bad boat at that time. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Did it take more men to transport the whale-boat than the cut- 
ter ? — A. Yes, sir. And it was so much more difficult to take it over 
the huunuocks without shattering the boat. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Would it not have been better for all on the retreat if you had had 
three boats of equal carrying capacity and rate of speed ? — A. I think 
it would have been better, but it was impracticable, probably, to do it. 

Q. Suppose you had had boats like this: "Each boat two feet shorter 
than the whale-boat, one foot wider and six inches deeper"? — A. How 
should they be built ? 

Q. I aak you for information. — A. I think the whale boat could be 
improved on. I thiuk an American whale-boat, clinker-built, would have 
been better ; it would have a stronger keel. Most of them are built 
the other way. 

Q. Did any of these considerations enter into your mind at the time 
the expedition was fitted out? — A. Yes, sir. The whale-boats were 
thoroughly overhauled, and the master boat-builder at the navy-yard 
told me that he had never seen better or stronger boats than the two 
whale-boats we had. They were very light and strongly copper-fast- 
ened, and of good material, and I was perfectly satisfied with the whale- 
boats at that time. But you are asking for my opinion in regard to 
building an Arctic boat. That is a wide subject, of course. 

Q. Would not such boats as you have last described or such as I 
have called your attention to, boats 2 feet shorter than the whale-boat, 
1 foot wider, and inches deeper, have taken their crews safely through 
the storm such as Chipp was lost in ? — A. No, sir ; not necessarily. I 
cannot say that. 

Q. Would not the chances have been better ? — A. I cannot say that. 

Mr. Boutelle. W^hy should they be safer ; why would not a boat 10 
feet long be just as likely to do as well ? 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 403 

Mr. Curtis. I am asking his opinion, because he is an expert. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I know, but I do not seem to get it through mj 
head. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, it is the opinion of many nautical men that the 
boats I am speaking of would have been much better for the purposes 
of the storm, for instance, that Chipp and his party were lost in. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Yes, but that is a question of proportion almost alto- 
gether. It is not a question of proportion altogether. 

Mr. Curtis. Of course your opinion on that subject is better than 
mine. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I am only speaking in a general way. The fact of a 
boat being 2 feet shorter could not necessarily make it more or less safe. 
The chances would be that it would make her less safe, because on gen- 
eral principles a large cr^ft is safer than a small one. It is the propor- 
tions and the model of a vessel that would make her safe. 

Mr. Curtis. I would say that these questions are drawn by me on 
the opinion of an Arctic explorer of twenty-five years' experience, and 
he was also a personal friend of Ice-Pilot Dunbar. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I will admit I do not understand you. He probably 
knows what he is about better than I do. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. They would certainly have been no heavier than a whale-boat, 
would they? — A. Well, if they were to be 2 feet shorter and 1 foot wider 
they would have 1 foot more beam. That corresponds more, as I under- 
stand it, with the specifications of an American whale-boat. Our boats 
were a little longer, but the whale-boat proved thoroughly effective and 
good, and that is my best criterion forjudging, my best knowledge. 

Q. Such boats would certainly have been much lighter than the first 
cutter, would they nof? — A. No, sir. The first cutter was a very light 
boat. You see she was clinker-built, if you understand what that means. 
She had not a regular frame. Her lap-streaks and frames were not as 
heavy as they are in a regular boat. In fact she was not built on regular 
frames. She was lighter than a carvel boat would have been. She had 
an inner line that made her very strong also, and she had a heavy, open 
keel-piece which strengthened her back, so to speak, so that in hauling 
up on the ice the back was not broken. All the boats were fitted that 
way, and that is what made them draw so much water. 

Q. Did you land at the first point at which you found land in the 
delta? — A. N05 it was impossible to laud there. We made ineffectual 
attempts. We could not get to within a mile of the shore. We pro- 
ceeded up the river until we could effect a landing. We probably 
worked five hours in the river. Oh, more than that. As soon as we 
could effect a landing we did so to dry our clothes and rest, and we had 
been one hundred and eight hours in the boat. 

Q. Did you and De Long land at the delta in different places ? — A. 
About 100 miles apart, roughly speaking. 

Q. Why was that; what caused that ? — A. When we made the land 
on the morning of the 17th, from the trend of the coast I supposed we 
were south of Barkin. It trended north and south, and we were in the 
bight to the eastward of the delta. About a little after daylight Mr. 
Melville and I had a consultation, and we determined to proceed along 
this coast and reach Barkin, if possible, although we realized the fact 
that the wind was from the eastward and southeast, and we were on 
the lee shore. Well, we proceeded about a half an hour or more when 
we saw two points making out, showing that we were at the mouth of 



404 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

a river. We entered the river and found a very strong current, and five 
fathoms of water in the mid channel, and on either side we would ground 
very suddenly. This rapid current had just scoured out the river there, 
and the water extended on either side for a mile or so. We tried to 
laud, but w^e could not get within a mile of the shore, and then, as I have 
previously described, we stood up the river until 12 o'clock, trying to 
effect a lauding, when we found it w^ as impossible. We then had a con- 
sultation, and Mr. Melville thought we should go back to Barkin, and I 
remarked that we had the current in our favor at the river, though the 
wind was against us, but after getting clear of the points we had a fair 
wind uj) the coast^ but it was very dangerous proceeding in shallow 
water with this s>«ramp under our lee. We had quite determined to make 
the eftbrt, whea Bartlett spoke up and said that he had been in the 
Mississippi, and that that appeared to be a larger river than the Mis- 
sissippi. He had not seen as much water, and he believed that we were 
in the ma^n coast branch of tlie river. I remarked that we ought to see 
higher laud on our port hand, but that if we kept up this stream for a 
certain distance, I have forgotten how far, we ought to meet a small 
island, and that would indicate clearly whether we were in the coast 
branch of the river, but said that we were in one of the swamp rivers 
either 20 or 40 miles south of Barkin, because our little chart showed 
two swamp rivers, and I could not tell which one, and I remarked to Mr. 
Melville : " Since this question is up, now is the time to decide it." And 
we talked the matter over and came to the conclusion that it was best 
to keep up the river and see if we could effect a landing somewhere and 
dry out and get in good condition before starting up to Barkin, and we 
went ahead on that principle. I don't know exactly where we did get 
into the river on arriving in Siberia, and I did not know until the gentle- 
men returned — Mr. Melville and Lieutenants Shortz and Harber — and 
I particularly requested them to locate the point of our arrival on the 
river, and they say that it was a swamp river about 40 miles south of 
Barkin, where Melville put it, and it was not the coast branch of the 
river where the Lena River entered, as Mr. Bartlett has stated here. 
The charts, &c., will show what I have stated. 

Q. Was or was not the delta intersected with little streams ! — A. 
The Cossack commandant at Bulun told me there were one hundred and 
twenty streams making out ; he counted one hundred and twenty, as 
far as be knew. 

Q. Was or was it not necessary, in order to move with facility, that 
the ice should form bridges over these little streams which ran through 
the delta 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Could you not have sailed in your boat to the same point of safety 
reached by the whale-boat? — A. Well, I was in the whale-boat. 

Q. Rather, could not De Long have sailed in his boat? — A. No, it 
would have been i)racticably impossible for him to have done that. 

Q. Wliy ? — A. Because in the gale he had lost his mast and boat-sail, 
and he was under jury- sail and drifted more in the gale than we did, 
and at the end of the gale was way to the southwest. We had taken 
a different course. We had gone to the eastward to get deep water. 

Q. Did you have a quadrant? 

The Witness. In the boat? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you have a chronometer watch? — A. Mr. Melville had a chro- 
nometer watcli, but it had stopped. 

Q. Was it of any use? — A. Of no practical use. 



^ 



JEANNETTE INQUIRE. 405 

Q. Did you have a Bowditch Navigator? — A. ^o, sirj it would have 
been useless without the instruments. 

Q. But if you had had the instruments it would not have been use- 
less, would it! — A. If we had had a sextant we could have determined 
the latitude, even if we did not have the longitude, and, of course, if 
we had a chronometer that was regulated, and we knew the error and 
rate of it, we could have determined the longitude and thus the position 
of the party. But in fitting out from the ship evidently the captain 
expected to kee]) all three boats together, and that one set of nautical 
instruments would be sufficient for the whole party. 

Q. Now, if you had had the nautical instruments that I have described, 
including a Bowditch Navigator, would you not have been able to have 
ascertained your position pretty correctly"? — A. What instruments, sirl 
Will you recapitulate'? 

Q. A quadrant, a chronometer watch, and Bowditch Navigator. The 
latter is a book, I suppo5;e ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I ask you if you had had those would you not have been able 
to ascertain your position pretty correctly ? — A. Yes, we could. In the 
boat we could have determined the position. 

Q. Did you have them in the ship ! — A. We had them in the ship, 
and in the fall of 1879 there were boat-boxes fitted out, a boat-box for 
each boat, containing those instruments j also a table of logarithms and 
other tables used by navigators, but not the whole book. The leaves 



Q. (Interposing.) When the expedition started did you have a quad- 
rant '? — A. We had six or eight sextants. Quadrants are old-fashioned. 
We had sextants for the same purpose. 

Q. Would it or would it not have been possible to have dispensed with 
the artificial horizon ? — A. No, sir. In journeying over the ice there is 
no sea horizon that you can use, except in very rare cases. The artificial 
horizon was absolutely necessary in determining the position on shore. 
It is necessary where there is no sea horizon -, where the sea horizon is 
broken by the ice. 

Q. How much would the articles w^eigh that I have asked you about— 
the quadrant, the chronometer watch, and Bowditch Navigator !~A. I 
suppose 10 pounds. 

Q. You understood me to ask you how much the quadrant, the chro- 
nometer watch, and Bowditch Navigator weighed, did you not? — A. 
Yes. They would weigh from 10 to 15 pounds. 

Q. Would they not have been of extensive use to De Long ?— A. He 
had them. 

Q. All these articles *? — A. He had those ; yes, sir. 

Q. The chronometer watch ? — A. Hehad the chronometer watch, and 
he had also a box chronometer. 

Q. And he had the Bowditch navigator '?— A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Bouteille : 
Q. Did he take a ship's chronometer with him ? — A. Yes, he had one 
of them, too ; but what condition they were in I do not know. Prob- 
ably the mirrors of the sextant were ruined. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. That is exactly what I want to ask. Were they in condition to 
be used ? — A. He used them frequently up to the time of this boat 
journey, and in knocking about in the boat journey evidently the instru- 
ments got wet, and the mirror was damaged, so that they were not use- 



406 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

fill after be got to the delta. That is the only way that it is reasonable 
to account for it. 

Q. Were the boat compasses left behind *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was not that a grave error? — A. Well, that is a matter of judg- 
ment. The boat compasses, you see, are very heavy. They are liquid 
compasses, and are in heavy copjier cases. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How much would one of those compasses weigh ? — A. I suppose 
one of those compasses would weigh between 5 and 10 pounds. 

Q. (Referring to a paper in his hand.) I see here a memorandum of 
the weight of two boat compasses at the navy-yard. One weighed 9 J 
and one lOJ pounds. — A. I would say between 5 and 10 pounds, to ap- 
proximate it as near as I can. 

Q. What is the usual outfit of a naval vessel with regard to Bow- 
ditch navigators'? Is it usual to have more than one on board a naval 
ship ? — A. Each officer usually has one, and then there are some sup- 
plied to the vessel for the navigator, for the captain, and then we have 
the use of the tables in small volumes ; and in fitting out a boat we would 
dispense with all the unnecessary tables and take only a table of decli- 
nation and a table of logarithms. That would be all-sufficient for de- 
termining the time by the sun. For determining the time by the stars 
you would have to have a right ascension also, of course, and they 
come OD the same page. Two pages of the nauticial almanac are suf- 
ficient to work out all the navigation you wish for any journey. You 
let the rest of the boat's navigating outfit go. 

Q. How far did you go from the time you put the boats into the water 
until you landed ; how long were you in the boats ? — A. One hundred 
and eight hours, sir. It was 90 miles from Seminov to Barkin. I tliink 
we were about midway ; call it 50 miles. After the gale I put it at about 
45 miles from where we started. Then we steered to the southwest for 
another day, and early in the morning we struck in 2 feet of water and 
there was no land in sight, and we immediately had a consultation, Mr. 
Melville and I, and I stated my belief that if we went to the westward 
we would have shallow water, and if a gale came on we would be in the 
breakers; but if we went east and got ofi' that bight to the eastward 
of the delta we would get deep water, and then strike south and we 
woidd be in the vicinity of the highlands, and we would be able to 
land. We felt our waj^ Every time we went to the eastward we found 
the water deepen, and finally we shaped the eastern course and stood on 
it all day until that night, when we got 9 fathoms of water. Then we 
had another consultation, and I wanted to go due south and strike at 
the bottom of the bight, but Mr. Melville, I believe, with the intention 
of reaching Barkin if he could, thought southwest was the best course. 
I did not argue the point. I said, "All right; southwest." And I 
shaped a southwest course and we kept that course until we made a 
landing. 

Q. Were you in sight of the land most of the time? — A. No, sir; not 
at all, until the day we sighted it, about one hundred and eight hours after 
we left the island. 

Q. Was there any ice in sight ? — A. We had ice in sight up to the 
next day we left, and then we were running through some drift ice, and 
the whale-boat struck, and we had to haul up on a piece and patch her. 
That was the last piece of ice we saw. It was about as large as this 
j'oom. We hauled up and had dinner there, and started out on a south- 
southwest course. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 407 

Q. How did you fix your course — by this prismatic compass? — A. 
No, sir; it was in the middle of September. I knew that the sun was 
near the equinoctial line, and that it had a uniform motion in azimuth, 
and moved about 14 degrees an hour, and that if I knew the time of 
day I could tell the bearing of the sun, ax)proximately, and the direction 
of the wind and shape a course in that way, watching the wind as care- 
fully as I could, and watching the sea, so as to judge if the wind shifted 
any, and at night I would try to judge of the highest altitude of the 
moon by the south point, and I think the north star was visible once or 
twice. It was a very rude approximate course we steered, but the best 
we could do under the circumstances. The prismatic compasses were 
useless, of course, in a boat. They were useful on shore. 

Q. Could you not steady one of them in your hand ? — A. I tried it, 
but I found I could not get any definite results. If you would try it in 
this room you would find the same results here. With the boat jump- 
ing around it is impossible to steer a course with the prismatic compass, 
unless it is swung in gimbals. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You were the navigating officer, were you not? — A. Yes, sir- 

Q. Do you remember that you stated to Mr. Jackson that the officers, 
and particularly yourself, were opposed to putting the ship in the open 
lead in which she finally got frozen ? — A. Well, I had no authority for 
such a statement. I knew that Mr. Danbar was opposed to it ; I 
would not say the officers in general. I knew that Mr. Collins and Mr. 
Newcomb were, when my attention was first called to it. Mr. Chipp 
never expressed himself, and I do not think Mr. Melville ever expressed 
himself definitely, or Dr. Ambler, but these other gentlemen did. 

Q. Was not your own opinion strongly against putting the ship in 
the open lead ? — A. That is more by subsequent information. My opin- 
ion at the time, I recollect by this event. I was writing the ship's log 
one day at the cabin table, and I heard Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb 
— Mr. Chipp was present — making some remarks protesting against it, or 
some criticism about it, and I turned around to them and said: "Well, 
how do you know but what it is Mr. Bennett's directions for the captain 
to put the shii3 in the ice '?" And, said I, -^The fact of it is simply this, 
if we succeed, it will be a grand thing, if we fail people will say it is 
very foolish." And J also remarked that it was the judgment of the 
captain, and I said ''When we were at Mare Island you did not ques- 
tion the judgment of the captain 5 and you came here, and now you 
have to stand by his judgment j if we succeed, it will be a grand 
thing ; if we fail, peoi)le will say we were fools." That is the way 1 
learned their opinion. 

Q. If you were in command would you, under like circumstances, 
put a ship in that lead ? — A. I would to a considerable extent. I should 
have entered the lead and explored it, and got out of it if possible. 

Q. Before you were frozen in "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you testified before the Court of 
Inquiry that you could have got her out of that position if you had 
been in command '? — A. I testified that I should have tried to get her 
out ; I did not say I could. 

Q. What is your present judgment in reference to your ability to have 
extricated her"^ — A. My judgment was based on Dunbar's statement to 
me at the time. 

Q. What was that ? — A. That he was on the topsail yard, and that he 
remarked to the captain that there was a chance to get back ; that 



408 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

there was a small water hole astern of the ship, and he thought by 
getting the ship into that he could wind her and get her out and escape 
from the pack. The captain said all right. 

Q. Dunbar was a man of great experience in Arctic navigation ? — A. 
Dunbar was a man of great experience. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. If you had taken the ship out of the lead, what would you have 
done "? — A. Communicated with the whalers and learned the state of 
the ice in that vicinity, and then probably made similar exploration of 
leads, and if not caught — a ship is always apt to be caught, of course. 

Q. Why would you make exploration of these leads *? — A. For the 
purpose of getting to the northwest in search of this land. 

Q. Could you not go northwest without getting into these leads ? — A. 
No, sir ; it was practicably impossible. 

Q. And in goiug into them would you have any positive assurance of 
being able to get out "? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was there any risk attending it ? — A. The greatest risk in the 
world. You cannot tell five seconds ahead what the ice is going to do. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to Jackson in Siberia 
that you considered it was a grave mistake putting the Jeannette in the 
open lead in the ice, and that that caused the failure of the expedi- 
tion ? — A. I may have said that ; I do not remember precisely. 

Q. That would be in harmony with the general views you have ex- 
pressed, would it not? — A. Yes, sir; and subsequent experience was 
given in those views. But at the time I was pei fectly willing to go 
into the ice or anywhere. 

Q. You considered it your duty to obey the commanding officer? — A. 
Naturally, and I was willing to take any risks. 

Q. Now in regard to this medical examination. You stated that Mr. 
Collins objected to being stripped. Was he the only member of the 
cabin mess who did so? — A, No, sir ; Mr. Dunbar and Mr. Newcomb, as 
I remember, objected, although I don't think they expressed their objec- 
tions in writing or otherwise. 

Q. Do you remember what reasons Mr. Collins gave for his objec- 
tion ? — A. He thought it was unnecessary, and he had never been ac- 
customed to that sort of examination. It seemed he was sensitive on 
the subject. He called it tomfoolery. 

Q. As matter of fact was not the order for the medical examination 
modified after the protest 1 — A. Yes ; to gratify Mr. Collins. 

Q. Was there not, general objection to the manner of making medical 
examination ? — A. I knew of no general objection. I disliked it, but I 
was willing to be examined. That is the way I felt about it individ- 
ually. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to Mr. Melville that 
he, Melville, was trying to use your information and reap the glory that 
your information might bring? — A. I made a portion of that state- 
ment. 

Q. What portion ? — A. Mr. Melville remarked, " Well, it will never 
be said that Melville was afraid to go anywhere," and I said, ^' Well, it 
ought not to be said also that Danenhower has worked up and got this 
information from the natives and is as well qualified to go as you are, 
and that you would take advantage of it and go yourself." I did not 
use the words about glory, or anything of that sort. 

Q. But with that single exception the statement is correct ? — A. That 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 409 

he was tryiog to use my information is correct. I did not make the 
assertion that he was trying to reap my glory. I said, as I have re- 
marked, that it ought not to be said Melville took advantage of the in- 
formation that I had obtained. That was the idea. 

Q. Do you remember whether or not you stated to Mr. Jackson, in 
Siberia that when you returned you would have De Long court-mar- 
tialed or broke for the way things were managed or the way you were 
treated ? — A. I said that I would fight it to the bitter end with De Long, 
and that I would spend every dollar 1 had in the civil courts; but I 
never made use of the expression you have uttered. Captain De Long 
is dead. I have no lurther fight to make. 

Q. What did you mean when you said you would fight it to the bit- 
ter end ? — A. The legality or the question of putting me in the boat 
with an engineer officer in command. 

Q. At that time you deemed it an unjust proceeding, did you not! — 
A. I did, though personally on the most friendly terms with Mr. Mel- 
ville. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Let me ask you. There is always more or less strife in the Navy 
between the staff' and the line, is there not ! — A. Between some of the 
members of the staff and the line. Melville and I never had any strife. 

Q. I mean as a general thing 1 — A. Yes, sir ; there is what is known 
as a staff and line fight. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What is that ! — A. The staff officers are striving to get all they 
can and the line officers are trying to keep what they can get, and get 
all they can, just like a competition between two lawyers. 

Q. And that generates a rivalry and a jealousy ? — A. Yes, sir; some- 
times one man is known as an ardent staff* man and another as an ardent 
line man, and there are others who are known as neutrals. I hoi3e I am 
a neutral. 

Q. Do you think the feelings and sentiuients induced by that rivalry 
are conducive to the good of the service ? — A. On the contrary union is 
strength, and if we are all united we can progress better. 

Q. And that is as true in reference to the Jeannette expedition as to 
any other ? — A. That is true, and there was union on the Jeannette ex- 
pedition and strength too, I expect. 

Q. It was the union you described in your testimony, was it*? — A. 
Ko, sir. I will describe the union further if you wish. 

Q. When did you leave Geeomovialocke 1 — A. I think it was Novem- 
ber 4, with my immediate party. 

Q. How long were you detained at Geeomovialocke ? — A. From Sep- 
tember 20 to November 4. 

Q. Do you think that detention was necessary'? — A. ^hat detention 
was necessary at the time ; it was imperative at the time. 

Q. You think the time consumed there was imperative? — A. The de- 
tention was imperative, because there were no resources to move and 
there was no knowledge on which we could move intelligently. 

Q. State whether or not at the time Kusmah came to Geeomovialocke 
lie crossed the bay that has been stated to have been broken up at 
different times. — A. I do not know what bay you mean, sir. 

Q. Have you not spoken of a bay ? — A. I spoke of a bay, but that is 
in a different direction. 

Q. Have you not said that in coming to Geeomovialocke he crossed 
the bay "? — A. Yes, sir. 



410 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What bay did you mean ? — A. I meant the little bay near Geeo- 
movialocke called Boukoff. 

Q. I ask you whether or not, at the time he came to Geeomovial- 
ocke, he crossed the bay that has been stated to have been broken up 
at different times ? — A. He crossed that bay, and, with reference to your 
specific question, I would like further information before I can answer 
intelligently. I do not know what bay is meant. 

Q. Did you not state that Kusmah crossed the bay to come to Geeo- 
movialocke? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What bay did you mean 1 — A. I meant the little bay which I have 
described. 

Q. Now, I ask you about that bay. He came across that bay ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not dog teams cross the same bay at that time and continue 
to do so ? — A. Yes, sir ; but not before that. The first dog teams we 
saw were a few days before his return. 

Q. Did not Kusmah and yourself cross the bay to go to Kusmah^s 
house on the 10th of October? — A. Yes, sir ; and the ice was broken in 
one part of it. 

Q. You got across, did you? — A. We got across, but that, you know, 
is but a small fraction of the distance to Bulun. It is merely a few 
miles. 

Q. I have not asked you about that. Did you not cross the bay com- 
ing to Treeomovialocke from Kusmah's house ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Nicolai Shagra cross the bay going to Bulun ? — A. Yes, 
and I crossed the bay at other times. But that is insignificant. 

Q. I only want the facts. — A. But it gives a wrong impression, sir. 

Q. State wherein. — A. In this way: This bay that I spoke of in that 
connection is merely a little bay 5 or 6 miles wide, and it is a mere 
fraction of the journey to Bulun, and there are other bays on the Lena 
Eiver. The Lena River opens out many miles in width and forms large 
bays, and I understood that it was on the main Lena River where he 
was detained, and he described it as if he had to make a great many 
l)ortages and was so w*^ary that he had to lie down and rest. 

Q. Is there not a large bay near the mouth of the Lena River on the 
road from Tomoose to Geeomovialocke ? — A. The bay itself is large, but 
the journey across it is only 5 or 6 miles. 

Q. I did not ask you that. There is a large bay near the mouth 
of the river on the road from Tomoose to Geeomovialocke, is there 
not? — A. Yes, there is a large bay. 

Q. Was not that bay frozen over? — A. It was frozen over, and in 
some i)arts the ice was broken, and on different days it was in different 
states after it had frozen over. That bay was very easily crossed. 

Q. Did Kusmah cross that bay ? — A. Frequently. I crossed it fre- 
quently, too. 

Q. Did reindeer teams cross that bay ? — A. No ; I do not know of 
reindeer teams having crossed it. 

Q. Did dog teams ? — A. Dog teams did. I would like to make a 
statement. 

Q. One minute. Duringthe retreat, as matter of fact, were your eyes 
in as good condition as the captain's, a good deal of the time ? — A. I do 
not know. 

Q. Were they not as serviceable to you? — A. I think they were as 
serviceable. I think I could see with ray right eye as well as the cap- 
tain could, or anybody else. 

Q. As matter of fact, did not Kusmah cross the main river? — A. Yes; 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 411 

the main river. There is where the trouble occurred. There are large 
bays in the main river. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. In the course of your examination yesterday you were asked by 
the counsel for Dr. Collins certain questions in regard to a narrative 
which you have given, or supposed to have given, to Mr. Jackson in 
Siberia? Were the dates, or any dates, omitted, by which the narrative 
itself was mangled in the statements of events; did you notice any"? 

The WiTNEs;^. When I revised and corrected it? 

Mr. Arnoux. 'No-, when you were being questioned yesterday were 
any parts omitted; were parts of the chronology left outf — A. Oh, yes; 
there were frequent omissions made, and just those passages read to 
serve a purpose, evidently. 

Q. For instance, when a passage was read which said, ''We took a 
good rest, and followed on," and then afterward said, "in about an 
hour a boat appeared"; you did not mean to be understood yesterday as 
saying that one event was an hour after the other; there might have 
been some intermediate matter omitted in which days had elax)sed'? 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). I will state to the committee that only ex- 
tracts were read, because the article was so long that it would have 
taken up the time of the committee unnecessarily, and only those parts 
of the article were read as would call the attention of the committee to 
the pertinent points, and that no attempt was made, and that no inten- 
tion existed to mislead as to dates or any other matter. 

Mr. Arnoux. I did not suppose it was to mislead, but 1 am only cor- 
recting any misapprehension that was made yesterday. 

Mr. Curtis. And the word mangled or garbled is entirely unneces- 
sary in that connection. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. I call your attention to these two paragraphs, which were read to 
you yesterday: 

We took a good rest, and were all ready to start next morniDg with Wassili. Bart- 
lett and myself asked to go ahead in order to send succor from Bulun, and also to 
spread the news about the two other boats ; but Melville preferred that we should 
all keep together, for he probably did not feel that we were out of the scrape our- 
selves yet. 

Do you remember that passage being read to you ? — A. Perfectly. 
Q. Do you remember that this passage was next read to you : 

Things looked more promising now, and I felt sure that the winter occupants of 
these houses could not be far off. During this resting spell I examined Leach's and 
Lauterbach's feet and limbs. Leach's toes had turned black, and Lauterbach's legs 
were in a fearful condition, being greatly swollen and having large patches of t^kin 
broken. We dressed them as well as we could with some pain extractor that I hap- 
pened to have along, and w,hen that gave out we used grease from the boat box. In 
about an hour a boat ajjpeared in sight, and a number of people disembarked and en- 
tered a house near us. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, was the first sentence which I have read the same day, or 
had several days elapsed before the part which was subsequently read? — 
A. I think two days had elapsed. 

Q. And in other places, from one paragraph to another, time had 
elapsed which was not observed in the different fractions which were 
read?— A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. That is conceded. That was understood by you because 
you were following me in your own copy of the narrative. 



412 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Aenoux. But that could not have ai)peared on the record until 
we brought it out. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. When and where did you join the Jeannette? — A. At Havre, France, 
on or about the 4th of July, 1878. 

Q. At that time what did you understand was the destination of the 
ship? — A. To explore Wrangel Land and as much of the Polar or Siberian 
Ocean as possible. The captain used to remark : "We are going up; 
we cannot say what we are goiug to do; we are going to see what we 
can do in that direction and wichout any splurge." 

Q. And when you left Havre for what principal port were you des- 
tined "? — A. For San Francisco by Magellan Strait. 

Q. Did you understand that it was Mr. Bennett's purpose to have the 
ship go to San Francisco and there be provisioued and provided and 
then sail up through Bering Strait and endeavour to make Wrangel 
Land, in connection with the exploration of the north polef — A. 1 under- 
stood that to be his intention. 

Mr. Aenoux. In connection with that I desire to read a letter from 
General Grant as to a conversation which he had with Mr. Bennett. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that letter. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. Written to whom? 

Mr. Arnoux. To me, written in Washington, in regard to a conver- 
sation he had with Mr. Bennett as to the purpose of the expedition. 

Mr. McAdoo. That seems pretty far-fetched. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is not so far-fetched as to allow Mr. Jacksou to come 
here and say "Lieutenant Danenhower and somebody else told me 
different things." 

Mr. McAdoo. General Grant and Mr. Bennett are both alive. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. Bennett is in Europe, and we cannot reach him. 

Mr. McAdoo. You can reacli him by commission. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to the reading of the letter and object to its 
introduction. Tlie comparison that the gentleman makes is not a good 
one. 

(Mr. Arnoux also offered to read to the committee a letter of Mr. 
Bennett on the same subject, both of which letters were ruled out. 

It is admitted on both sides that Captain De Long started from San 
Francisco and went on the Pacific Ocean by way of Bering Strait under 
the orders of Mr. Bennett.) 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Now, sir, at San Francisco was the Jeannette generally fitted 
out?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have stated that Mr. ColHns had charge of the photographic 
apparatus or of getting together the photographic apparatus ; did I so 
understand you? — A. Yes; he had charge of it. 

Q. Did he take many pictures in the Arctic regions? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Why not? — A. Probably because he could not. 

Q. Well, can you give any reason why he could not? — A. He pur- 
chased fi\'e or six hundred dry plates, or a large number of dry plates, 
from Bradly & Rulofson, and there was no developer with them and no 
formula for developing plates. We had a few Beachy plates, and with 
those we made some negatives with good results. He did not know 
how to develop a i)icture. 

Q. That is he got his plates and neglected to get a developer, and so 
the plates were useless ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 413 

Q. In taking pictures with the Beachy plates, did he succeed ? — A. 
He never produced a negative from which a picture could be taken. 

Q. Did anybody else attempt to take any pictures ! — A. Yes. 

Mr. Melville. I took a picture of the natives at Saint Lawrence 
Bay, and then 1 took no more pictures after that. 

Q. Which one succeeded better in taking photographs, you or Mr. 
Collins 1 — A. I should prefer not to state. It is a personal matter. 

Q. Did you succeed in taking a picture *? — A. I took a number at Mare 
Island. I had been taught how to develop a plate. I had the formula 
there for the Beachy developer, and was able to make some success with 
the Beachy plates, although I am not a good photographer, and make 
no pretension to be. 

Q. In regard to the meteorological apparatus, w^hat did Mr. Collins 
provide or see to having provided ^ — A. There were a lot of thermome- 
ters I know bought from Green, of New York, that he had selected and 
provided, and I think what barometers there were came from the navy- 
yard, from the navigation department. We had aneroids and mercu- 
rial barometers. I know that he had something to do with the selec- 
tion of instruments here in Washington and with the pendulum also. 

Q. What did he do or neglect to do in regard to a standard for his 
thermometers ! — A. I understood he had not compared his thermome- 
ters with any standard in America, and that during the cruise he took 
the mean of 13 or 14 in order to get what he called his standard, and 
if w^e got back safely he would then compare his standard with the es- 
tablished standard, and thus get a correction on all his observations 
which he would have to make. 

Q. Did any of those thermometers get broken ? — A. I do not know 
about those particular ones. Barometers were broken during the cruise. 

Q. Did you have that many barometers when the ship went down 1 — 
A. 1 do not know, sir. 

Q. If any of those thermometers had been broken would it not neces- 
sarily impair if not destroy the scientific observations that depended on 
the thermometers ? — A. A hundredth of a degree or a tenth of a degree 
it might have influenced j but very little if one or two had been broken. 

Q. As a matter of fact, all the barometers were lost ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then if the scientific data connected with the thermometers had 
been brought back to the United States there would have been no way 
of testing its accuracy, would there ? — A. There would have been a cor- 
rection to have been made and no way of getting at the correction. 
There would have been that much inaccuracy. 

Q. Now, you have stated something about his observations and errors 
with the compass ; will you make thait. a little fuller to the committee ? — 
A. Mr. Collins applied the compass variation in the wrong way, and 
instead of correcting the direction of the wind he threw it out four points, 
or 45 degrees. For example, the wind by the compass is southeast, and 
there are two points easterly variation ; the true direction of the wind 
would be south-southeast. Now, if you apply the two points wrong, 
apply them to the left, or the eastward, it would make it east-southeast, 
thus throwing out the true directions four points or 45 degrees. 

Q. In other words, instead of correcting the error he doubled the 
error ? — A. Augmented it, doubled it. 

Q. Now, did you explain that to him ? — A. I think I did. But the 
trouble was between him and Mr. Dunbar. They had theii arguments 
on it. 

Q. W^as it explained "? — A. Yes ; I was called in on the part of Mr. Dun- 



414 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

bar. He called me in as navigator to determine it, and Mr. Collins was 
convinced, and after that he made the observations properly, as far as I 
know. 

Q. And so far as you know, up to that time he had made the error ? — 
A. No; I cannot say that, sir. 

Q. So fjir as vou know up to that time ! — A. No : I do not think he 
did. 

Q. Was he ignorant of the fact until Dunbar explained to him that 
he was making this error 1 — A. Well, it is an error that is made by 
novices often that the easterly variation of the wind goes to the east- 
ward or left, whereas it is always counted to the right, whether you are 
going southwest or southeast ; and novices, when first learning the 
compass, have a great deal of trouble, and evidently Mr. Collins was 
making compass observations probably for the first time. In making 
that character of compass observations it is not surprising that he 
made that mistake under those circumstances. 

Q. What scientific work did Mr. Collins do on board the ship ? — A: 
Well, scientific is such a general term. Men call themselves scientists 
with so much freedom and license that I do not know exactly what a 
scientific man is. There is a theoretical scientific man and a i^ractical 
scientific man. 

Q. Now, I am asking for the practical part, to know what work he 
actually did on the ship? — A. Well, I think that he really did no scien- 
tific work on the ship — such as I call scientific work. 

Q. Then we will leave out the word scientific, and will you please tell 
us what work he did on board the ship in the way of making or record- 
ing any observations ? — A. He read the thermometers and barometers 
and the anemometer wind-gauge, and he was to keep the record and to 
make his deductions from the readings. His deductions would have 
been scientific if he had made them and if he did make them. I do not 
know whether he made deductions or not. I call that scientific work ; 
but the simjjle fact of recording those instruments is not scientific work. 

Q. Did any other person on board the ship — and, if so, who— Tnake a 
similar record of observations by those instruments ? — A. I think all the 
other officers did. I had my regular turn at it. I was called at 4.45 in 
the morning to take the 5 and 6 o'clock observations, and Chipp took 
the 7 and 8 o'clock observations. Melville took observations, and Dr. 
Ambler, and everybody except Mr. Newcomb. I think Mr. Dunbar 
always took them. He was perfectly competent to do it. 

Q. So that every one that you have named did precisely the same 
work, so far as observing and recording is concerned, as Mr. Collins, 
did they ? — A. In that department. Now, Mr. Collins did something 
else in regard to it. When the observatory was first put up Mr. Col- 
lins was in charge of it, and he was recognized as in charge of it. 

Q. Before you go any further will you state where it was put up and 
when it was put up ?— A. It was put up in the early part of the cruise, 
say about the first of October of the first year in the ice, and was put 
up about 50 yards oft' the starboard beam of the ship, on the ice, and 
in the latter part of October the ice was surging to and fro there so 
much that the observatory was endangered, and it had to be taken 
down and brought on board. Then another station was established 
near the ship, and from time to time the meteorological station was 
changed according to circumstances. 

Q. Now, what did Mr. Collins do in connection with that ? — A. He 
used to take observations with the magnetometer, but I do not think he 
made any records or determined anything by them, and afterwards Mr. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 415 

Chipp was given charge of tlie same iDstrument, and he pursued an en- 
tirely different course of investigation from Mr. Collins, and I under- 
stood that Mr. Collinses observations had been entirely wrong. I under- 
stood it was so stated and that the cax>tain had put the subject in the 
hands of Mr. Chipp for that reason. 

Q. Did he know how to demagnetize the needle ? — A. I do not know, 
sir. 

Q. Did you ever hear anything said on that subject ? — A. Not at the 
time, to the best of my recollection. 

Q. Or since ? — A. Yes ; I heard something said about it yesterday. 

Q. By any one who was connected with the expedition ? — A. Mr. 
Melville. 

Q. What did he say on the subject? — A. He asked me if 1 remem- 
bered about the demagnetization of the needle, or something of that 
sort, and I told him I had forgotten it. I remember the fact that Mr. 
Chipp inaugurated an entirely different system of observations, and I 
suppose he had reason for it, but I do not remember the particulars. 

Q. What did Mr. Melville say about Collins demagnetizing or failing 
to demagnetize the needle ? — A.. He said nothing. It was just a moment's 
reference to the subject. 

Q. He simply inquired if you recollected the circumstance? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Now, in what shape were the records of the observations of the 
meteorological department kept 1 — A. Well, he had a blue book ; I re- 
member we brought it around from England. It was an English log- 
book for keeping a ship's log, on blue paper, and he improvised that. 
It seems books had not been provided at San Francisco for the si)ecial 
observations for his department, and he improvised this book for the 
purpose. 

Q. Where were those books usually kept ?— A. They were kept in 
the port work-room generally. 

Q. When did you last see those books 1 — A. Well, I could not tell. 

Q. Did those books go down with the ship ? — A. I do not know, sir. 

Q. Do you know of their being taken out of the ship ? — A. I do not 
know, sir. 

Q. Was Mr. Collins perfectly free to take them out if he had chosen 
to ? — A. Perfectly free, as far as I know. I don't know about those 
books, however. He was free in his motions. 

Q. Did he have any other books or journals that he kept in the ves- 
sel ? — A. He had a very large book. He and the captain had an im- 
mense book each, which was bound in calf, much larger than any bo^k 
I see here, and I understood Mr. Collins was keeping a private journal, 
aod keeping a history of the voyage, and I have seen him at work on 
it. The captain also had a large book of the same kind exactly. They 
were provided with the same kind of book. 

Q. How frequently did you see him writing in that book ? — A. I was 
unable to see him for eighteen months, you know, a large portion of the 
cruise. 

Q. Did you know of his writing? — A. Well, I could not say. 

Q. Did he not tell you that he was keeping that book ? — A. No, sir; 
I do not know that he did. He told me, or at least I understood from 
him, that he had a history of the voyage, but I never saw him writing 
on the ice. 

Q. How late was it that he told you he had a history of the voyage ? — 
A. I could not say. 



416 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Was it after the vessel had gone down'? — A. I could not say that. 
I had that impression left 

Q. (Interposing.). Or was it while you were on the ship! — A. I do 
not remember, sir. 

Q. Speaking of it from the time that the voyage' commenced, was it 
within the year of the commencement of your expedition ? — A. Well, 
I feel confident he was keeping it, but I do not remember the time he 
told me ; I have no recollection of it. 

Q. Was he not more intimate with you than with any person on board 
the ship ! — A. Excepting Mr. Xewcomb. I thiuk in man}^ respects he 
was more intimate with me in relation to his troubles, &c. Wheu I was 
unable to go out he used to go walking with Mr. Newcomband affiliated 
with him a great deal. Up to the time of this trouble he had with the 
captain we would talk freely on all subjects. But the day after this 
trouble he came down to my room and commenced conversation, and I 
said, " Hold on, I have written out my statement and I do not want to 
have anv conversation on that subject." 

Q. That was the 2d of December'?— A. The 2d of December, 1880, and 
we had no conversation on that subject ; we avoiderl it. 

Q. But up to the time of that transaction he was very intimate with 
you 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he not confide to you all the complaints he had to make from 
time to time'? — A. I do not know whether he confided them all to me. 
He used to refer to them, and I used to try to avoid the subject, because 
it was getting me into hot water, I thought. 

Q. Now^, did he ever tell you that he was deprived of writing mate- 
rials ! — A. No, sir ; and I don't believe he ever was. 

Q. Now, did he take that journal out of the ship, so far as you know ? — 
A. He could not have taken the whole thing out because it was too 
bulky. He may have taken the pages of it out. 

Q. I say so far as you know? — A. I know nothing about that. 

Q. So far as you know, you never saw anything of it after the ship 
went down ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, going back to the personal relations of Mr. Collins with the 
officers, of which you spoke yesterday, will you tell us what were the 
relations of the gentlemen in the after-mess, from the time you left San 
Francisco until you reached Saint Lawrence Bay T — A. Well, everything 
was very agreeable. The captain would converse with everybody and 
discuss subjects. He would speak to Collins, call him " Collins" always, 
and call Melville by his name without a handle, and so forth, and was 
vj^ry friendly with everybody appareutly. 

Q. Did that friendliness and general good fellowship continue until you 
got into the ice? — A. No, sir; the captain suddenly stopped. He found 
one day that a disagreeable discussion took x^lace and it became evident 
to him, 1 thought at the time, that it was better not to talk too much 
with us and he gradually drew into himself, and from what I have read 
in his journa', he said he began to realize that he had officers under his 
command who were as old as himself, and that he had a great responsi- 
bility on his shoulders, and he changed his tactics, so to speak. 

Q." Did you consider that that withdrawal was any indication of, or 
was due to, any less cordial Teeliug on his part toward the gentlemen on 
board !— A. No, sir. 

Q. When was it that the transaction took place, to which you referred 
yesterday, that gave so much umbrage to Mr. Collins? 

The Witness. Do you refer to the bear hunt? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes, the bear hunt ? 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 417 

A. That was about tlie 15th of September, 1879. 

Q. Was that after you were in the ice^— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. ISTow^, preliminary to asking about that, what discipline did the 
captain enforce on Sunday *? — A. He would inspect the ship generally 
every Sunday. The first Sunday of every month he would call hands 
to muster, and the crew" would arrange themselves on the port side and 
the officers on the starboard side, Mr. Collins and Mr. Kewcomb amongst 
them, just like the other officers, treated just the same, and the articles 
of war would be read; then we would have Divine service in the cabin. 
Attendance at Divine service was never compulsory. 

Q. About what hour was Divine service held*? — A. About 11 o'clock. 

Q. Now, on what day was the bear hunt! — A. Sunday. 

Q. About what hour '? — A. I think it was 9 o'clock in the morning. 

Q. How long were you absent on the bear hunt ?— A. I do not sup- 
pose I was absent a half an hour. 

Q. Hovy^ long were the others absent 1 — A. I do not remember. 

Q. Were they back to services f — A. They w^ere not back to inspec- 
tion. 

Q. I mean to muster-inspection ! — A. Ko, sir. They w^ere absent from 
inspection, and I explained to the captain the reason why. 

Q. Novv', was it a duty imposed upon everybody on board the vessel 
to be present at the inspection! — A. Yes, sir j that is, if they were in 
hearing of the call. 

Q. Now, give the particulars of the bear hunt. — A. I happened to 
come out of the cabin, and I heard somebody say or shout, " Bear," and 
I looked over the starboard rail, and Mndemann was running in his 
stocking feet, I think, after the bear. 

Q. W^hat kind of a bear! — A. A white bear. 

Q. A white polar bear! — A. A white ixdar bear, yes; and I im- 
mediately took a rilie and ran after him as hard as I could. I was execu- 
tive officer at the time. But I ran after him and directly I saw^ the bear 
was galloping off and 1 srtW there w^as no chance of getting at the bear. I 
suppose 1 ran a quarter of a mile or more over the ice when I looked 
over my shoulder and saw Newcomband Collins coming, and when they 
reached me I stopped and said, " There is no chance of getting that 
bear, but Nindemann is after him and I think he ought to be supported." 
It was my suggestion. I thought bears were very ferocious at that 
time. I have learned better since. I thought he might attack Ninde- 
mann and he would have his hands fuil,aiid I thought the others ought 
to support him and so I proposed to them, '' Who shall go on and Vvho 
shall go back." I said, "I must get the ship ready for inspection, so I 
shall go back and you had better keep on and supi^ort Nindemann." It 
was my suggestion to them, and I went back to the shi}) and at muster 
reported the three men absent, and a few hours afterwards the order 
followed. I suppose it was not clirected to anybody in particular. I do 
not believe for a moment that it was, but that the captain just had the 
subject brought to his mind and gave the order, that thereafter lie 
should know when people left the ship. 

Q. Now, sir, after the giving of that order by tbe captain, what did 
Mr. Collins do in respect to his deportment!— A. Mr. Collins was re- 
spectful, as far I saw, in his deportment, but he walked up and down 
the deck, never would go off the ship, and said that he w^as niaking a 
silent protest. I thought the officers and everybody in the ship under- 
stood it. I thought he let everybody understand that he was making 
a silent protest against that order, which he told me he thought w^as di- 
rected particularly towards him, and I told him I thought it was not, 
27 J Q* 



418 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, when was that order made ? — A. About the 15th of Septem- 
ber. 

Q. How long a time was it that Collins, in making the silent protest, 
refused to ask permission of the captain to leave the vessel ? — A. I 
think he held out until December. But he had his observations to 
make, you know, and he went, off and on, on duty, but not for any dis- 
tance. He could go out to the observatory station. 

Q. And he did that much ? — A. He did that, and he got identy of 
exercise to keep his health u]). 

Q. But his purpose, as he told you, was, as you have already said, to 
make a silent protest! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, did his manner change in any way, to the officers, during all 
that time? — A. He withdrew to himself entirely, and on this occasion, 
in December, when I spoke to him, and said, " What is the matter with 
you, Collins," or something of that kind, " You are injuring yourself this 
way,-' he said that there was a combination of Navy officers against him, 
and I remonstrated with him and told him it was not so, that 1 knew 
what was going on. 

Q. As matter of fact, was there any such thing ? — A. No, sir, not the 
slightest sign of it. 

Q. Had they withdrawn from him in any way ? — A. No, sir. Oh, 
they avoided getting into arguments with him on little subjects because 
he expressed extravagant views, principally on the subject of Ireland. 
We always avoided the subject of Ireland. That was a tender subject 
with him. 

Q. Did he greet the other gentlemen in the cabin when he came in in 
the morning ? — A. I think he suddenly stopped doing that. I do not 
know whether it was during that period or not, but he suddenly stopped 
greeting the gentlemen at mess, and of course nobodj' greeted him, and 
that coldness sprang up j in other Avords, he stopped intercourse with 
the officers. 

Q. Was it commenced by him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he single out any officers to speak to and not to speak to the 
others 1 — A. For a few days he did not speak to anybody when he would 
come in at breakfast if the captain was absent, and tLien he suddenly 
commenced speaking to me, and I answered him. I think that it was 
just after our conversation on the ice. 

Q. How long a time did that continue ! — A. Well, I think it continued 
very near the remainder of the voyage ; that he would come in and take 
his seat and say, ^'Good morning, captain," and look over to me and 
say, *' Good morning, Danenhower," or " How are you, Danenhower!" 
and that would be all that was said during the meal. 

Q. Now, what was the relation of the officers among themselves dur- 
ing all this time! — A. It was very cordial. We had one or two little 
tilts. Mr. Melville and I had one ; Mr. Collins and I bad one. I do not 
know whether Chipi) and I had one or not ; we may have had; I have 
forgotten. I recollect only the other day one mentioned to me that oc- 
curred between Mr. Melville and myself. 

Q. But I am speaking now about the general intercourse of the offi- 
cers amongst themselves from the time you left San Francisco until the 
ship went down. — A. It was very harmonious, indeed, x)articularly our 
intercourse at breakfast, when we were by ourselves and Cliipp could 
talk. Chii)p was always ver^^ pleasant at breakfast, and the doctor and 
Melville and Chipp and I, when at breakfast, would have some very 
pleasant conversation, and keep it up after breakfast. Mr. Collins at 
that time was asleep down in his room, and he would make complaint 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 419 

of it. The captain was asleep in his state-room, and we would sometimes 
sit on the lime-jaice casks and knock our backs against the bulkheads. 
Mr. Collins complained, and said we should keep quiet and not annoy 
him ; that he had been on night dutj^ for two or three hours ; but we had 
been on night-watch and never thought at 9 o'clock in the morning 
of putting a stop on our gaiety. We did not do it for the captain, and 
would not do it for him. 

Q. What hours was Collins called on to do duty ? — A. I could not say 
positively now, but at any rate part of the cruise, as 1 remember it, he 
took the 3 and 4 o'clock observations by his own choice. He was given 
his own choice in the matter. He called me and I took the 5 and 6 
o'clock observations; therefore he must have taken the 3 and 4 o'clock 
observations. 

Q. Did you go back to bed after you took your observations ? — A. 
i^o, sir. 

Q. Did he go back to bed after he took his observations ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Was he in the habit of staying up late at night *? — A. He had been 
in the habit of staying up late at night until he took his observations. 

Q. That was of his own choice and voluntary free will"? — A. Yes, I 
understood at tbe time — in fact he made the detail. 

Q. I say about his sitting up late at night I — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That was his own choice ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. He was under no obligation to sit uj) at night ? — A. 'No, sir. 

Q, What was the breakfast hour! — A. Mne o'clock in the winter and 
8 o'clock in other seasons. 

Q. And what did you count the winter season there? — A. From No- 
vember until March or April. 

Q. Did all the other officers do night duties as well ? — A. Yes, the 
captain particularly took more night duty than anybody else. 

Q. Now, speaking of night duty, some of the seamen have made 
statements in regard to the watch. Was there a watch kept by the 
officers on board the vessel from the time you left San Francisco until 
you reached the ice? — A. There was no watch kept. It was practically 
impossible for two officers to perform 

Q. (Interposing.) I say from the time you left San Francisco until 
you reached the ice ? — A. There was no regular watch kept. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. By officers ? — A. By officers. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Was there a supervisory watch 1 — A. There was always a super- 
visory watch. 

Q. Describe to the committee the character of the watch that was 
kei3t on board the Jeannette from the time the vessel left San Francisco 
until she arrived in the ice ? — A. The regular deck- watches were kept 
by Boatswain John Cole, Capt. William Dunbar — Captain Dunbar was 
regarded as the chief deck officer, the senior — and Mr. Nindemann. 

Q. How long were their watches ? — A. Four hours each, sir. 

Q. And who had the supervisory watch 1 — A. Mr. Chipp, myself, and 
the captain. We were always on the lookout. 

Q. And how long were your watches'? — A. I was generally up from 
6 o'clock in the' morning until 10 at night. 

Q. And what was Lieutenant Chipp's watch? — A. He was generally 
up about the same time. 



420 JEAJ^NETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Aud what was Captain De Long's watch"? — A. Captain De Long 
used to get up later in the morning, but he used to sit up later at night. 
He generally sat up after midnight. 

Q. After you got into the ice what watch was kept ? — A. For a short 
time after we got into the ice these same seamen were kept on the watch, 
and then all the seamen were taken at anchor watch, and the ship was 
about the same as if she had an anchor watch, and regular anchor watch 
was kept. One man was on duty for two hours pumi)ing the ship out 
and striking the bells and to report any unusual circumstance to Mr. 
Chipp and tlie captain. 

Q. And what supervisory watch, if any, was kept by the officers after 
they got into the ice and until you were taken sick and unable to do 
duty 1- -A. There was always some one in the cabin night and day ready 
at a moment's call. 

Q. Maintaining what you call a supervisory watch, was it not? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, after you were taken sick, did not Captain De Long and 
Lieutenant Chipp make the watches twelve hours each? — A. I cannot 
say that they had ; a definite watch of twelve hours. 

Q. Of course, you could not tell in your condition positively, but did 
you not know that they were maintaining between them the supervisory 
watch of the ship ? — A. 1 knew they were always on the alert and sleep- 
ing right there within call of the men on watch. 

Q. Was there ever any occasion, to your knowledge, from the time 
that you left San Francisco to the time that the ship went down, that 
there was any negligence by any officer in the care of the ship or its 
results upon the expedition"? — A. Well, in that respect there was only 
one thing that I thought at the time should have been observed. I 
thought that the fire-hole should have been kept free from ice all the 
time. It was kept free at certain intervals, but 1 thought it should be 
kept at all times free from ice, and I was not satisfied with the fire ar- 
rangement. 

Q. That was the only thing "i — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, that did not occur until after you got in the ice *? — A. That 
did not occur until after we got in the ice. 

Q. Did that have any effect upon the expedition, looking back upon 
it now"? — A. No, sir ;• not in the slightest degree. 

Q. Now, I say was there any omission of any kind in respect to duty 
connected with the ship itself that in your opinion in any way contrib- 
uted to the loss of the vessel ? — A. No, sir ; there was none. 

Q. Did the captain, in maintahiing the disci))line of the ship from the 
time she left San Francisco until she was lost in the ice, exercise, in 
your judgment, any undue severity ? — A. In only one respect 1 thought 
so. 

Q. What was that ? — A. In reference to going out upon the ice. He 
cautioned the commissioned officers junior to the first li^^utenant to get 
permission from the captain first, report to the first lieutenant that he 
had permission, then report to the quartermaster on watch, as a matter 
of courtesy say, " I am going to leave the ship," and on his return to 
go through the same formality, which I judged was unnecessary. 

Q. I asked whether there was any undue severity. You did not think 
that was undue severity ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. That occupied only a moment ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. But I ask whether there was any undue severity, in your judgment, 
in the discipline of the ship ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Aud what was the captain's bearing throughout the voyage until 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 421 

the ship went dowu 1 — A. The captain was always dignified and very 
kind in every respect to every one on board. 

Q, I find that it was said by you tiiat on a certain New Year's eve or 
New Year's day the captain made a speech to the men in which he said 
that no person had been punished on board the shi^). These are the 
words : 

He told tliem there had been uo trouble among them, no man had been punished, 
and he hoped that the next New Year's wo would be all at our homes. 

Do you remember his making such an address in substance to the 
men 'I — A. I have heard it frequently. I believe it to be true. I did 
not hear it at the time because I was below. 

Q. What New Year's day was that ? — A. That was New Year's day of 
1881. 

Q. When you were in your room were yon not able by reason of the 
auger holes, to hear most of what tr^Dspiredl — A. What transpired 
immediately above me I could hear — loud conversations; but from 
time to time i)eople would come down to see me, and 1 had very com- 
plete knowledge of what was going on — the material facts. 

Q. Now, so far as you know, had any ])erson up to that time been 
l)unished on board the vessel by Captain l)e Long ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How many months was that after you had left San Francisco ?-— 
A. It was eighteen months lacking a few days 

Q. Did you ever know of Captain De Long giving any private repri- 
mand to any of the ofiQcers ? — A. He reprimanded me once. 

Q. And did he not do that as a private reprimand in the presence 
only of yourself and himself? — A. He reprimanded me twice i)rivately. 

Q. And it was done without -a^iiy other person being present ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And, so far as you know, did he not conduct himself in that way 
on every occasion where he felt it necessary to give a reprimand to any 
officer of the vessel? — A. Yes, sir; he was particularly considerate of 
people's feelings. I do not know of his reprimanding anybody else, but 
1 know that he was particularly considerate of people's feelings. 

Q. How many years have you been in the Navy? — A. It will be 
eighteen years next September. 

Q. And during that time have you been in various war vessels? — A. 
Yes, sir; and on a surveying or exploring expedition before. 

Q. How many difierent vessels do you recall that you have been on ! — 
A. The Constitution 

Q. (Interposing.) You need not name them; I only vranttoget a gen- 
eral idea. A half a dozen or m'ore ? — A. Some ten or twelve. 

Q. Is it not a fact that there was less disagreement among the oiiicers 
in the Jeanuette mess than in many messes in which you have served 
in your entire service in the Navy ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And was not the harmony, the gentlemanly conduct and the good 
feeling that existed among the officers largely due to Captain De Long's 
manner and discipline on the ship ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you not think it was largely due to tliat ? — A. Well, it was due 
to the discipline from this fact, that no disagreeable conversation ^Y0uld 
be permitted; that no contention would be permitted. 

Q. And did he not always himself set an example in that respect for 
the ofiicers to follow — of kindness and urbanity in intercourse with the 
other officers? I am speaking now of on the ship? — A. From the time 
we left San Francisco until a short time after leaving Saint Michael's 
he was particularly social with all the ofiicers and then after that time 
he merely passed the courtesies and was kindly in his manner and con- 



422 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

siclerate of their feelings, but he had very little intercourse with the 
officers. 

Q Did he not on Sundays join the officers at the mess-table and show 

a great deal of good feeling ? — A. Yes, he messed with us all the time. 

Q. Was it not ])articukirly noticeable on Sundays'? — A. On Sundays 

we would have a glass of sherry, x)erhaps, one bottle for a party of eight, 

and we would have a little toast, perhaps. 

Q. Was there any quarreling or dissension among the officers on the 
ship ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he allow general freedom of conduct toward one another ? — 
A. Perfectly so. 

Q. Were there ever any court-martials in the other ships to which 
you have belonged ? — A. Frequent ones. 

Q. Were there any court-martials on the Jeannette? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. In respect to Captain Do Long's treatment of Mr. Collins, was he 
not more indulgent and considerate of Mr. Collins than any of the offi- 
cers "? — A. Yes, sir. I heard it remarked that if any commissioned 
officer did what Mr. Collins had done he would soon be brought up for 
it, and I was brought np in one case for less. 

Q. Did you not, in the course of that altercation or matter on the 2d 
of December, hear Captain De Lon,i>' say to Mr. Collins, " Great allow- 
ance has been made for your ignorance of u aval regulations ; your posi- 
tion in the ship, and your being so situated for the first time"? — A. I 
do not know j I do not recollect. 

Q. Do you recollect, as a fact, that during the previous winter Cap- 
tain De Long had considerable trouble iu getting Mr. Collins to comply 
with his orders in regard to daily exercise '? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you also know that he had considerable trouble the previous 
winter on account of Mr. Collins' delay in getting out of bed ? — A. That 
was in the siime connection. Mr. Collins wished to lie in. 

Q. But 5^ou knew that Captain De Long had considerable trouble in 
regard to that with Mr. Collins, did you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you not know that he had considerable trouble with Mr. Col- 
lins about his delay in coming to breakfast ? — A. I think the captain 
never interfered in that. Mr. Collins was generally late at breakfast, 
but I do not think the captain interfered at all. 

Q. Now in regard to this matter of exercise ; was that enforced upon 
every member of the ship's party ! — A. Yes, sir ; except those who Avere 
sick. 

Q. It was enforced so far as it was proper to enforce it ? — A. Unless 
they were on the doctor's list. 

Q. Did he make any exception of any officer or man who was w^ell 
enough to obey the order? — A. No, sir. 

Q. By whose instigation was it that the order was made? — A. Doubt- 
less by the doctor's, as he and the doctor were in consultation on hy- 
gienic measures. 

Q. During the time that the men in obedience to the order were on 
the ice taking their exercise, were not the port-holes and the sky-lights 
and other openings to the men's quarters and to the officers' quarters all 
opened so as to properly ventilate the ship ! — A. That was the case 
when the temperature was above minus 30. That was the turning 
point. If the temperature was below minus 30 nothing would be opened. 

Q. And did not the doctor, under Cai)tain De Long's orders, make care- 
ful examination to see whether there was any carbonic gas in the sleep- 
ing and sitting rooms of the officers and men ? — A. He did it at regular 
intervals. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 423 

Q. Now, in regard to the water. Under whose supervision was the 
water distilled?— A. Under Mr. Melville's. 

Q. How frequently was it done? — A. I think the distiller was run- 
ning continuously for a long while, for most of the time the Baxter 
boiler, or the steam cutter boiler, a small boiler rigged by Mr. Melville 
for the purpose. 

Q. Before that boiler was used to supply the men, what did Dr. 
Ambler do, if anything, in testing the water? — A. He used to get snow 
and pool water, and see what salt it would contain. He and the cap- 
tain were out frequently to get fresh snow, so as to avoid using coal in 
distilling water. 

Q. And did Dr. Ambler make any tests to see whether the water 
was salty or brackish when it was distilled ? — A. Always, and he had 
a permanent arrangement with Mr. Melville by which Melville could 
inspect the water and make a test also every day. 

Q. Was it a i)art of the ship's orders made by Captain De Long that 
no water should be drank except such as had been inspected by Dr. 
Ambler ? — A. I cannot say positively, but I believe it was. 

Q. That is your impression, from what you heard upon the vessel? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Captain De Long, so far as you know, carefully observe 
every precaution that would be advantageous for the health of the 
men? — A. Yes, sir; to the last degree, even to moccasins and eye- 
glasses. He used to be watchful, and make people obey his orders as 
strictly as possible. 

Q. And those orders that you refer to were orders for the health and 
comfort of the men, were they not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long before the ship went down was it that the ice parted 
from around the vessel ? — A. About twenty-nine hours. 

Q. How wide was the water space between you and the floe which 
crushed you? — A. It was less than a mile. But you see it was contin- 
ually moving, and when the wind came up from the northeast it drifted 
it right back upon us. I think it was never a mile wide. 

Q. ISTow, when did the wind begin to drift the ice-floe upon you which 
crushed the vessel ? — A. About 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I was on 
deck at the time, and saw it. 

Q. How large a berg was it that came up ? — A. It was an immense 
floe of ice ; a field of ice. There were no floe-bergs in that vicinity. 

Q. Do you not call them floe-bergs ? — A. The English invented that 
word. I generally called them floes and rough ice. They were not 
floe-bergs. The English floe-bergs are much larger as they describe 
them. 

Q. And how long a time was it after you first observed it setting to- 
wards the ship that it reached the vessel? — A. Probably an hour or an 
hour and a half. 

Q. How long a time did the ship resist the floe before it crushed 
her? — A. About two hours. The ice would throw the ship over and 
press her, and then relax and the ship would right. Sometimes her bows 
would be lifted, and then she would be thrown over again and the press- 
ure would be very severe. Every timber in the ship would crunch and 
groan in response to these crushes, and finally the water rushed into 
her and she was broken like a basket and crushed in the ice and filled 
up with water. 

Q. Who first reported the giving way of the side of the ship ? — A. 
About 3 o'clock Lee rushed on deck and said the ice was coming 
through the ship's side. The captain had men stationed at the boat's 



424 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

falls at that time, and gave the order ^' lower away." Just then Melville 
came out of the fire-room and contradicted the report, and the captain 
belayed the order. Then subsequently it was found that the ice was 
actually coming through the sides, but the pressure suddenly stopped, 
and no further damage v/as done. Subsequently Dr. Ambler, in going- 
down to get some medical stores, or get some of his outfit, lifted one of 
the hatch covers and found the water coming into the ship, way aft in 
the run of the ship, and he came on deck and quietly reported to the 
captain, so as not to cause auj excitement, and the cai)tain gave the 
order to lower the boats, got them out on the ice, and finished up the 
previous preparations. 

Q. How long was it that the captain anticipated the trouble'? — A. 
From the time we entered the ice really he anticipated such an event. 

Q. And had he made preparations so that the ship's company were 
ready at any moment to take what they needed? — A. Yes; everything 
was put in condition and handy. All the pemmican was stowed on 
deck, and the knapsacks were always ready, and the boats kept ready; 
even the tents were kept ready, and the alcohol was kept on deck. 
Those ])reparations were made. 

Q. Had you at any previous time thought that the ship was in im- 
minent danger ? — A. Yes ; on two occasions she was in ver3- imminent 
danger. 

Q. Had you on those occasions removed the articles from the ship to 
the ice? — A. It was not necessary. All hands were saving ship, and 
did not have time on one occasion. 

Q. The danger was not so imminent on the other occasions as at this 
time ? — A. No, sir. The things were on deck all ready to be thrown 
over the sides. 

Q. Now, state what the captain did, and his manner in respect to do- 
ing the work at that time. — A. Well, the captain was very cool and 
deliberate, and he seemed as if he wanted to hang on till the last mo- 
ment before giving the last order, and he carried on the work himself. 
Lieutenant Ghipp was sick in bed at the time and had to be carried out 
bodily. So that the captain was the only line officer in the shij) on duty, 
and he gave all his orders clearly and calmly. He had the American 
ensign hoisted and nothing was done precipitately or in too great a rush ; 
everything was done in regular order. 

Q. Was everything saved that it was deemed necessary to save from 
the ship ? — A. More too, yes, sir ; a great deal more than we could 
carry. 

Q. Afterwards when it was put on the ice was there so much in quan- 
tity that they had to select from the stores? — A. Yes, sir; and leave 
shotguns and rifles behind. We had plenty of them, and I can state 
something about the shotguns that will clear up the mystery, if you 
wish. 

Q. Certainly. — A. It seems that some Arctic ex})ert in New York had 
recommended the captain to get paper shells for the cartridges for the 
shotguns. We had pix or seven shotguns on board. This expert 
claimed that if we took metallic^ cartridges they would contract with 
the cold and would not fit the chamber of the gun. Oaptaiu De Long 
ordered paper cartridges. It was found that dampness look hold of 
these i)ai)er cartridges, and they were swollen and would not ht in the 
chambers of the gun most of the time, and had to be turned down. 
Chipp had metallic cartridges. Mr. Newcomb's ha])pened to be metal- 
lic cartridges; otherwise 1 do not believe his gun would have been 
taken. Wlien they were subjected to dampness on the ice the car- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 425 

tridges were worthless. That is [jrobably the reason why they were 
not taken. 

Q. In yoiujuclgnicnt, was it possible for those i^aper cartridges to be 
made use of in the shotguns after you had left the ship! — A. Well, 
some might have been useful, but I think that the cartridges were very 
inferior on that account, and I believed in taking fewer rifles than we 
did take, and also in not taking iliosc shv)tguns, because the object 
Avas to get out with as liitle weiglit as j)Ossibie on the retreat. 

Q. Was there a great desire on the part of all to carry as little weight 
as possible ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Ilow did that dcsiie manifest itselt ? — A. I remember i)erfect]y a 
conversation between JJartlett and myself. 1 was acting as executive 
ofiicer at the time, carrying out the order of the captain for each man 
to have an extra suit of uuderciuiLiUg. i weui; to the captain and 
proposed ibcst we should take only one spare suit in each tent, so as 
not to have the extra weight, and he said no ; we must each have an 
exira suit; that we would iiequentiy get overboard, and we Vvould be 
required to change, and i used the expression that we should reduce our 
proviidons to sixty da;, s' rations and sMn out of it as quickly as possible 
to the southwaid. "hat was the very expression I used at the time, 
because I considered it skinnuifj out of it. 

Q. Did you not know at the time or su})pose that you were undertaking, 
and did not results i)rove it, a longer march than ever before was under- 
taken in the arctic regions ? — A. Yes ; and that was all the more the 
reason that we should reduce unnecessary weights and take only a very 
few rifles and shotguns. One shotgun was enough for the party. 

Q. Did the diftereut men feel that every ounce in weight would tell ? — 
A. Yes ; I heard Mr. Melville, for example, complain that we were al- 
lowed a pound of tobacco apiece. He thought that instead of taking 
tobacco we should take bread 5 that tobacco was a luxury. 

Q. And that the pound weight was an extra load that ought to have 
been saved ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did you notice any of the men com.paring jack knives with 
sheath knives, testing them to see which w-as heavier ? — A. I think I 
heard Mr. Melville mention it at the time, and I have heard it since. I 
was aware of such proceedings going on. I, for example, threw away a 
little revolver I had to keep within the weight prescribed. 

Q. In which tent were you? What was the number of it? — A. No. 3 
tent 

Q. Did you continue in that tent during the whole time? — A. All 
through ; yes, sir. 

Q. When you started on the ice, do you know anything about the 
course that you took ?— A. South 17^, east magnetic, or south true. 

Q. That was the original course ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. For how many days did you pursue that course?— A. Until July 
12, as I remember, when we shaped a course for Bennett Island. 

Q. How many days was that? — A. Over twenty days. 

Q. How many days was it from the time you started before the cap- 
tain got his first observation? — A. I do not remember. 

Q. Did he not have to wait until he traveled something like eight 
days before he first got an observation? — A. Well, it must have been 
a week or ten days, I am sure. 

Q. Did you know anything about the result of that observation ? — A. 
Subsequently I heard that we had been drifting to the northwest, and 
had drifted 27 miles. We lost 27 miles during the first week of our 
travel. 



426 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. That is to say you Imd traveled 27 miles farther iiortli, haviug 
traveled south for au eDtire week, than you were when you started! — 
A. Tu fact we were drifting to the northwest, aud that made the dis- 
tance a good deal more — n^ade it 40 miles ])rol)ably. 

Q. Xow, about what rate of progress did you make a day? — A. Well, 
at that time I do not think they made over IJ or 2 miles a day. 

Q. Two miles a day progress ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. So that you were making over the ice a progress of 2 miles a 
day to the south and the ice was drifting to the northwest, so that in 
point of fact at the end of the eight or ten days 3'ou were some 27 miles 
farther north, and farther from Siberia than you were when you started, 
is that correct? — A. Except 27 miles of latitude. There was a good 
deal of longitude also. We drifted northwest. That is essentially cor- 
rect. 

Q. What did Captain De Long do, to your knowledge, at that time, 
or 11 bout that time! — A. He changed his course from due south to south- 
west. The subject w^as talked about and discussed between Mr. Chipp 
and Dr. Ambler, and myself at the time. I was with Mr. Chipp at 
that time. The cai^tain claimed that the body of the ice w^as going to 
the northwest, and in order to get the open water it would better to 
travel at right angles to the drift; that if we went to the southwest we 
would ijrobably strike open water quicker than if we went south. That 
was his idea of the matter, and I think he acted on that idea. 

Q. Kow, at the time you changed your course from due south to south- 
west, about how many miles were you north of the open water; that is 
to say, about how m tuy miles of ice were there to the south of you, as 
results afterwards proved f — A. Results have not proved that, and we 
have no data on that subject. 

Q. Then, assuming that the ice belt was on the same latitude all the 
way along, liow many miles was it that it extended south from that point; 
was it not about 300 miles ? — A. That is a matter of judgment. At the 
time I thought the 

Q. (Interposing.) I am not speaking of at the time; but, as results 
afterwards proved, was it not about 300 miles f — A. No, sir ; nearer 30, 
I should judge. 

Q. Did you not travel nearly 300 miles south of that point when you had 
goue to the southwest and from those islands before you had got into 
the open water ?— A, Yes, but that was owing to those islands being 
present. To the eastward of that there are supposed to be no islands 
and the ice was slacker and there was e^'idently slack ice to the south 
and southeast of where we were on July 12. 

Q. Then he changed his course to the southwest? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did that carry him across the current ? — A. It was supposed so. 
But you see the ice was not drifting to the northwest continually. The 
ice drift depended on the wind, and the wind after the first week came 
out from the northwest and the ice was actually drifting south with us 
during those times, otherwise we could not have made the distance that 
he told us we had made. For example, the second week, one time he 
said we had made, I think it was 27 miles this week against 13 miles 
last week. The wind favored us and the ice drifted with us, otherwise 
we could not have got south. 

Q. iSTow, when you came to the islands, which was the first one you 
came to ? — A. Bennett Island. 

Q. What was the first thing you did after you got there ? — A. We 
had to camp on the ice-foot. It was grounded in ])retty good depth of 
water. I have forgotten what depth it was. We had supper. The party 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 427 

was pretty well exhausted in gettiDg to that position. Then, after sup- 
per, the captain mustered all hands and we had to climb up a steep 
bluff. We could hardly get a foot-hold and he hoisted the ensign and 
proclaimed it Bennett Island, in honor of James Gordon Bennett, and 
after doing that we gave three cheers, and also three cheers for Captain 
De Long, which were given ver^' heartily, and he turned to Mr. Chipp 
and said : " Mr. Chipp, give the men all the liberty they wish on Ameri- 
can soil." That was a little pleasantry or buncombe on the ])art of our 
cai)tain. His calling it Ameiican soil amused us very much. 

Q. And did it please the men? — A. Yes; they regarded it pleasantly. 

Q. What did they do when they got their liberty? — A. Went about 
the island in quest of birds and climbing cliffs. It was very merry there 
at that time. 

Q. After the frolic was over what did you do on the island? — A. 
Dunbar and the two Indians were sentalong the east shore of the island 
to explore. Mr. ChiiDj:) and Mr. Collins were put on dutj' also, and a 
number of others took a cutter and went around the southwest coast of 
the island and explored in that direction, and the rest of the party ex- 
plored, and Dr. Ambler explored and made some collections. We pro- 
cured a great nuniber of birds. They were going to put Mr. Sweetman 
immediately at work on the boat, but he was eager to go with Mr. 
Chipp, and wanted a holiday, and the captain allowed him to go on his 
promise that he could put that whale-boat in order in so many hours, 
and subsequently, assisted by Bartlett and Leach, he went to* work 
and put the whale-boat in order in probably a day, or not more than a 
day. 

Q. That was done immediately after the exploration was finished ? — 
A. Yes; and the captain had another object — getting equal altitudes 
for chronometer error. 

Q. Where did you go from Bennett Island ? — A. About the Gth of 
August we embarked in boats, because the ice was slack at that time, 
and after that the party would work to keep in the lead to the south- 
west as much as possible, and when we came to a place where there 
was a blockade of ice the boats would have to be transported over, 
portage made of all the provisions, and then we woukl proceed and 
make 10 or 15 miles a da^^, according to circumstances, until finally we 
were shut up in the ten-daj^ camp. The ice was in rapid motion that 
day, and before Lieutenant Chipp could get through an opening with 
his boat the ice closed in and he had to make a portage and drag his 
boat over this, portage also, and there was a delay of two or three hours 
occasioned. In the mean time there was a shift of the wind and the 
ice came down upon us in smaller i)ieces, and pieces half the size of 
that table [indicating]. The rest was all pack-ice, back-strapped, as 
Dunbar called it, and we could not move for ten days, and after we were 
able to move we went through the strait between Xew Siberia and 
Tbaddeus Island, and effected the fitst landing on the 1st of Septem- 
ber. 

Q. The time you lost at the ten-day camp was wholly involuntary?— 
A. Wholly involuntary on the part of the camj^. 

Q. Were there any heavy blows or storms at the time you were at 
the ten-day camp ? — A. I think there were. 

Q. What was the effect of the wind, being in the ice, compared with 
benig out in the water ? — A. In the ice it is calm aud the safety of the 
boat is insured from the rough sea. It breaks the rough sea and makes 
the water calm inside the edge of the ice. The force of the wind is 
broken somewhat. 



428 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. So that what is a moderate gale on the ice is a heavy blow on the 
sea ? — A. Yes, I should say so. 

Q. When yoa got to Thaddeus Island what did yon do*? — A. We 
cauiped as high np above on a mossy plain as we could, and got dry as 
fast as possible, and got supper immediately. We were all hungry. 

Q. Was there any snow there, or had the summer sun taken away all 
the snow ! — A. I think there was hardly a trace of suow except in gul- 
lies. There was a little snow, and the parties immediately spread out 
to make exploration aud have a run on the island ; and soon the stew- 
ard came back and said there was a house near by, and it proved to be 
a hut. We examined it afterwards. 

Q. Did you not find abundant reindeer tracks there"? — A. Yes; we 
found tracks, but the reindeer had gone into the island. 

Q. Did you not find abundant evidence that deer liad recently been 
there? — A. Fresh tracks and droppings. 

Q. Now, w^asit supposed at tlie time you left the ship that yoa would 
have to sail your boats in the open water, or was it supposed that you 
would take these leads in the ice and follow on in that way until you 
reached Siberia ? — A. I think, for my part, I expected to find about 60 
miles of coacst-water, and I think perhaps the others did. We never 
talked about it. It was natural for us to expect it. 

Q. You never talked about it ? — A. I do not remember any conversa- 
tion. ^ 

Q. At the time the boat went down was not the provisioning of the 
smaller boats made with the idea that you were going to have to follow 
on pretty much in the ice ? — A. I think not, sir. I think the captain 
exi)ect(^d to encounter some coast-water, aud I think the boats were 
fitted for that purpose. 

Q. Now, in selecting the cutter, for instance, instead of the wdiale- 
boat, was not that because the cutter was so much more easily traus- 
])orted over the ice ? — A. Well, 1 cannot say that the cutter was ex- 
pressly or particularly selected. I think that Captain De Long saw 
what boats there were on the ice, and he judged that he had enough. 
I think at that time they were hoisting her on the starboard side, and 
it was much easier to lower her on the ice and get her out than it was 
the other boat. 

Q. Situated as you were at the time the ship went down, was it not 
the best judgment, in your opinion, looking at it then, to have taken 
the cutter? — A. If I had exercised my judgment at that time, I do not 
know what it ^YOuld have been ; but by subsequent experience my judg- 
ment has been affected. 

Q. I will put the question in this form : If you had had the other 
whale-boat, would it not have delayed you very much on the ice? 

The Witness. Instead otthe other cutter! 

Mr. Aknoux. Yes. 

The Witness. I think it would have delayed us, but not a great deal. 

Q. The other whale boat was as long as the one you took? — A. A 
counterpart of it ; the same thing really. 

Q. And consequently it would have overreached as much on the sleds 
as the one that you had ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Or would liave been as badly injured, at least, by the travel as the 
^ one you had along? — A. That is so. 

Q. If I understood you aright the second cutter was the smallest boat 
of the three ?— A. It was. 

Q. And it was the greatest favorite of the men to handle on the ice? — 
A. Yes, sir. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 429 

Q. And in going through the leads in the ice 1 — A. I heard it ex- 
pressed at the time that they were sorry that we did not have three 
cutters like the second cutter, or four, it was such a favorite at that 
time, being so easily handled. 

Q. When you got into the water were not the boats very much 
crowded ? — A. Ver^^ much crowded. 

Q. So that you would scarcely have room in the boats for the differ- 
ent parties ? — A. Just enough room to sit comfortably. Mr. Melville 
and I sat in the stern sheets, ar^d two men on each thwart. There were 
eleven i)eople in the boat instead of six. We had all our i^ackages and 
what few stores we had. 

Q. After you left the ship, and while you were progressing this way 
in the ice in whose tent was Mr. Collins! — A. ¥/ith the captain. 

Q. And was the captain particular in his politeness during that time 
to Mr. Collins ? — A. Mr. Collins spoke of it to me duriug that time, say- 
ing that the captain was too infernally polite ; that he would insist upon 
Mr. Collins being served, and treated him with too much distinction to 
suit Mr. Collins. He rather laughed at it. 

Q. When you say that the captain insisted on his being served, you 
mean being served first? — A. Not necessarily first. 

Q. Being served ? — A. Being served with food. He would look out 
for Collins, and it rather annoyed Coliius to have himself so much looked 
out for. He told me that. 

Q. The captain's politeness was beyond what he had expected ; it had 
become oppressive, had itf — A. I cannot say that. But he said he was 
too infernally polite, or words to that effect. 

Q. You say that the whale-boat was very much injured by the ice in 
transporting it across the ice. Were the other boats also injured? — A. 
Well, I think at most any time during the retreat they could put the 
other boats in the water while we were dragging them over the ice, but 
the whale-boat was so badly stove that they would not float her across 
an open water space if they could avoid it. She would fill up with 
water. 

Q. At the time the ship went down, out of the twelve men who did 
not do any work, were any of the members sick? — A. Yes, sir; when 
we were first thrown upon the ice Mr. Chipp was prostrated, and the 
Chiuese steward and Lautherbach and Walter Lee were sick at times, 
and one other, the Indian, Alexy. 

Q. Now, you were asked whether it was not a hardshii? for twenty- 
one men to transport for the balance of the thirty-three. Those that 
you have just mentioned were not able to take part in the heavy work 
of transportation at that time, were they ? — A. Yes, sir -, when we com- 
menced ; we waited on the ice two or three days for the party to pick 
up — four days or more for the party to i)ick up — and when I was ordered 
to the hospital sleigh Mr. Chipp was very sick and the coal-heaver, Lau- ' 
terbach, and the Indian, Alexy, they were the only sick men. 

Q. Those three w^ere very sick ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you had not been relieved from the sick list ? — A. I had not 
been relieved from the sick list 5 I accompanied the doctor and helped 
him with his sleigh, and I kept out of the hospital tent; I never went 
in it. 

Q. Did the men usually have sleeping-bags? — A. Yes, sir; they all 
had sleeping-bags. 

Q. And what did Mr. Collins have for a sleeping-bag? — A. Mr. Col- 
lins was allowed to take his choice as to what he should carry ; he had 
an immense sealskin coat, extending down to his ankles, and he was al- 



430 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

lowed to carry that in place of his sleeping-bag ; he also carried some 
extra clothing against orders, and the captain discovered it one day, 
and there was some trouble, and he was caused to throw away that cloth- 
ing or give it away. 

Q. Did he wear this heavy coat during the day as well as sleep in it 
at night ? —A. He wore it during the day once. We had a little breeze 
once and he had that coat on in the boat, and he was very sea-sick, and 
he got wet through, and the hair all came out of his coat in places, and 
I remember from that fact he made a very conspicuous appearance, 
and then I think he was obliged to throw it away. He was forced by 
circumstances, not obliged by anybody. 

Q. It has been said by Mr. Bartlett that you had choked Mr. New- 
comb. What was that for, and do you know of Newcomb's opinion 
subsequently expressed in regard to it? — A. It is true. It was the 
fourth night in the boat, and the weather was mihl then, wkh a light 
breeze blowing, and Mr. Cole was at the helm. I was in the stern sheets 
looking out for the boat, and two men were on watch. I had the men 
detailed in twos. Aneguin, tlie Indian, and Mr. i^ewcomb were on 
watch. About 4 o'clock in the morning I said, " Mr. Newcomb, get a 
sounding." He wanted to know where the lead line was. I toUI him it 
was under his feet at dark, and he would find i* there. He then began 
to mumble and mutter, and finally found the lead line, and asked me 
how to take a sounding. He had jirided himself on being a practical 
yachtsman, and bragged about it a hundred times in the boat, and I 
said, "Stop your mumbling, and get that sounding." He said, ''I have 
as much right to talk as you have." Just as he said that I choked him 
and threw him in the bottom of the boat. I choked him and told him 
if he did not obej^ my orders I would kill him. He found no fault about 
it, and he justified me in New York voluntarily, without my saying any- 
thing about it, to Mr. M. D. Helm, whom I have requested to appear as 
a witness. He brought up the circumstance himself without my refer- 
ring to it. 

Q. Would it, in your opinion, have saved Captain De Long's party if 
you had been able to have gone, or had gone, to the telegraph station 
at Irkutsk thirty or forty days sooner ? — A. No, sir ; it w^ould not have 
effected it. 

Q. Was it not, more than forty days after the death of De Long's 
party that the telegraph started from Irkutsk, according to your best 
understanding of the time of their death ? — A. It was about fifty- five 
days. 

Q. Did you not state to some one, and if so to whom, that as he went 
south he should spread the news of the missing boats? — A. Yes, I went 
over to Kusmah Jerymahoff, and offered large rewards, and told him 
that he should spread the news, and I also met another man named 
Inokente on mj^ travels, and gave him orders to spread the news to the 
eastward. He was traveling to the Yana River. I made every effort 
to spread the news in all directions, ofi'ering large rewards. 

Q. Did you give that direction to Kusmah before he started toBulun ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did you give it with Melville's knowledge, and according to 
his directions? — A. Yes, I spoke to Melville and asked him if he had 
any objection to my going over. He had no objection, and I went. I 
always consulted him on such things. I regarded him as the head of 
the party. I never questioned that. 

Q. Although you had a certain feeling in the matter, yet while you 
were together you alw^ays acted in subordination to Mr. Melville, did 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 431 

you nof? — A- I considered it my duty, and that if I remonstrated or 
mutinied it would be for personal benefit only, and it might sacrifice 
the interests of the party. 

Q. In j^our judgment would it have been wiser for any of the party 
that were thrown on the Lena Peninsula to have scattered and every 
man tried to save himself, or would it have been better for the party to 
have kept together and helped one another on ? — A. 1 had the intention 
of proposing a separation the day after we were anions' the mud-flats 
and I had saved up a small portion of pemmican that had been a part 
of my regular ration for a rainy day, for such a thing as that. You see 
after we left the natives the first time and started out for ourselves I 
concluded it was impossible for us to find the way south among the 
mud-flats, and we had to ride out the gale in the snow-storm during the 
night in the lee of the mud-flats, and I made up my mind if we did not 
meet the natives that day to propose to Melville to disperse, and take 
our chances for it. My object was to get the natives and then come 
back and pick up the others. 

Q. Now, you had no purpose in your idea of saving up a portion ot 
your rations to abandon your shipmates to their fate ? — A. Not in the 
slightest degree, sir. We were given a small piece of pemmican three 
times a day and I thought I would need it by and by more than I did 
then and I would cut off a small piece and put it away. 

Q. Now we will go back again for a little while to the shijj You 
said that Mr. Collins was very sensitive on the subject of Ireland? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. In what way did he manifest his sensitiveness ? — A. We had a 
little trouble on that subject. The doctor asked me a question in 
French one evening at supper and before I had a chance to reply Mr. 
Collins spoke up taking the words out of my mouth and it annoyed me 
for the moment and I said, " That is Frencli from Limerick, is it not!" 
and that caused the trouble between us. We went down below and got 
a book and brought it up, and I said, " What are you doing, Collins?" 
He said, ''I am fortifying myself against ignorance," and he said noth- 
ing more to me — avoided me for two or three days. He was very sensi- 
tive on the subject of Ireland. 

Q. Did he manifest it in regard to Irish songs or jokes by Mr. Mel- 
ville 1 — A. He manifested it in that way. He discussed at first the 
condition of Ireland and the condition of the Irish people, and we found 
it was very annoying to him and we stopped it. Some one made the 
statement that most of the people in Ireland lived on potatoes, and he 
took exception to that, and we still held to our declaration or statement. 
Those little troubles came up as they do in every ship. 

Q. What about the songs and jokes of Mr. Melville? — A. Mr. Collins 
thought they were directed to him, and he took offense at them. 

Q. About what time was that ?— A. I think it was after he stopped 
intercourse with the officers. In the mornings about 9 or 10 o'clock 
we would be sitting in the cabin very jolly, and Melville would start a 
song, and it disturbed him when he was sleeping. 

Q. Did not Mr. Melville, the moment he knew that it was obnoxious 
to Mr. Collins, refrain from singing any more Irish songs when Collins 
was present? — A. No, I do not think he did. I think I put him up to 
singing some afterwards. 

Q. Do you remember that as a whole he did not sing Irish songs 
when Collins was present after that time ?— A. Not after the captain 
took a hand in the affair. Previous to that he did. 



432 JEAIS'^SETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. The ca])taiii iuteifered! — A. The captain iuterfeiedj as I iiiider- 
stoodj to preveist it. 

By Mr. Boutellk : 

Q. In wlvat way did the captain interfere"? — A. The captain spoke 
to Mr. Collins on one occasion, calling bis attention to the tact Hint he 
did not treat the otticers with proi)er courtesy, and Mr. Collins said 
he thonglii t!ie officers ontrht to show him the proper example. The 
captain said, "How have you been treated badly ; name on-e instance, if 
you can." And Collins was forced to name an instance, and lie says, 
" Why it was only to day that Mr. Melville was ridiculing me." It seems 
that IMelville related in the morning that lie had had a dreasn the night 
before. He dreamed that he was walking down Pennsly vania avenue 
with an immense number of thermoiueters around his neck, like a neck- 
lace, and that he was a highly scientific man at readhig thermometers. 
Mr. Collins said it was a reflection on him. The ca])taiu then sent for 
Mr. Melville and Collins spoke about it to me, and I said, " Well, I am 
very sorry yon reported it to the captain ; why did you not sjieak to Mel- 
ville about it on the ice ?'' lie says, ^' I am very sorry L reported Mr. 
Meivide, but 1 was forced into it." He says, " 1 have good feelings to- 
wards ^lelville, and 1 am very sorry the captain has interfered at all." 
Says I, "If .>ou two would speak together you could make it up in no 
time." 

Q. What did the captain do f — A. The captain sent for one and then 
sent for the other. 

Q. You understood that the captain expressed his objection to the 
singing of Irish songs, «&c. "? — A. I understood that he tried to influ- 
ence Mr. Melville not to hurt Mr. CoUins's feelings. I thought that was 
the object. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. And to avoid it by not singing such songs and telling such jokes ? — . 
A. I think so ; I think he directed Mr. Melville not to sing those songs 
in the cabin, and Melville objected; said he had a right to sing what he 
wanted, but he obeyed the order. 

Q. I want to turn back to the time you entered the ice. Was it nec- 
essary for any purpose of an Arctic voyage to enter into the ice ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Could any one, so far as you know, by any possibility make a north 
pole exploration without at some time or at some point entering the 
ice? — A. He could not, and history shows that every exi)edition has 
entered the ice. 

Q. Did you have any dogs on board ? — A. Forty, sir. 

Q. Are dogs more useful on the ice or on the land! — A. They are 
more useful on the land and on i(;e that fs not too rough. Now, for ex- 
ample, in Cumberland Sound and inlets, where the ice is comparatively 
smooth, dogvS are very useful. 

Q. I am speaking of the pack-ice ? — A. They are not useful in pack- 
ice. 

Q. Where were the dogs taken on board the ship? — A. At Saint 
Michaels. 

Q. For what purpose! — A. As I understood, it was to make land 
journeys. We expected to explore Wrangel Land and to use the dogs on 
siiore or along the ice-foot. There is an ice-foot down along the shore 
where you can use dogs to advantage. 

Q. Was it your purpose, as you understood when you were at Saint 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 433 

Michaels, to endeavor to reach Wraogel Land and winter there ? — A. 
That was the objective point. 

Q. And as your base of supplies to make explorations on the land ; 
was not that the reason for which you had the dogs '? — A. I understood 
it that way. 

Q. When the captain, however, put the ship into the lead, did he not 
aim to reach Wrangel Land ! — A. 1 shaped the course by his orders, sir. 
Well, not in the lead, but on leaving the coast of Siberia. 

Q. The general course was for Wrangel Land "? — A. Or southeast cape 
of Wrangel Land. 

Q. The counsel for Dr. Collins, in speaking of Wrangel Land, put this 
question to Mr. Nindemann : 

Aud do you not know it is usually considered as an imaginary land, and so termed 
by scientific men ? 

I ask you is it considered an imaginary land, and is it so termed by 
scientific men ! — A. It is now known to be an island, and has been ex- 
plored and circumnavigated. 

Q. When you went into that lead were you heading for Wrangel 
Land ? — A. We were heading west-northwest, and W^rangel Land was 
not in sight, but it lay in that quarter, and we hoped to reach it. 

Q. Then were you not at that time heading for it! — A. Yes, sir; as 
far as was known. 

Q. Captain Dunbar had occupied what position previously ! — A. Ice- 
pilot was his position. 

Q. His position on board the Jeannette was ice-pilot ; but what had 
been his position previous to that time 1 — A. Captain of whale ships 
and sealers in the Southern Ocean. 

Q. Do not whale ships seek to avoid getting caught in the pack !— 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not always their purpose to keep out into the open water ? — A. 
To cruise along the floe. 

Q. And yet, notwithstanding that, were not some whalers the same 
season caught by the pack ice in which you went ? — A. Well, that was 
about 20 or 30 miles from us. They were shut in accidentally. 

Q. And, in regard to the fifty-five vessels that you have spoken of, 
those vessels had no intention of going into the pack ice, but had been 
caught ! — A. They had been caught by a sudden movement of the pack. 

Q. In your judgment, was it not a proper course for the captain to 
pursue to endeavor to harbor at Wrangel Land the first winter of the 
expedition ! — A. It was a proper course if he could get there, but he 
also had the intention of wintering on the coast of Siberia if he could 
not get there, and he had so expressed himself. 

Q. But he was unable to get out of the pack and go back to Siberia 
after he had been frozen in ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he not anticipate, when he went into the leads in the ice that, 
notwithstanding he was frozen in at the time he was, the later gales 
would break the ice apart and he would have an opportunity afterwards 
to go on ! — A. I have read that in the book that has been published. I 
did not know it until a few days ago. 

Q. But you have seen the statement made by him that that was his 
expectation ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not a fact that the ice does often break apart in the October 
gales ? — A. It did while we were there ; we saw it. We knew that by 
actual experience. 
28 J q* 



434 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. It did not break where you were? — A. Yes; in the early part of 
November the ice broke right in the line of the ship's keel and drifted 
away and left a large water space, and the ship went adrift in it event- 
ually daring a gale. The ship was wedged off by the ice coming down 
on the starboard bow, and she drifted for nine hours in these masses of 
ice, and then a northwest gale blew up and she brought up in some 
young ice after the gale subsided, and that ice accumulated about her and 
was the final ice in which she was beset, and in which she was crushed. 

Q. Did she get cut badly while she was passing through this loose 
ice? — A. No, sir; she seemed to have a charmed sort of a life. Tlieice 
was all about her. We pressed off pieces, but nothing pressed her, and 
she did not have any accident during those nine hours. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. When you say that Captain Dunbar was opposed to going that 
way, was it not, in your judgment, because he, as a whaler, had been in 
the habit of keeping in the open water ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What do you think it was ? — A. Well, he was opposed to going 
into the ice at that date, and he wanted to go in and investigate farther 
to the eastward, and see if there was not a better chance before going 
any nearer to Herald Island. 

Q. ISo far as you know, would it have made any difference in regard 
to your being frozen into the pack whether you had gone to the east- 
ward or not ? — A. Along the American shore there were about 90 fath- 
oms of water, and where we were there were 20 or 30, probabl^^, and he 
thought the chances were better to the eastward, probably. 

Q. Was there any fact known to any one that warranted such an 
opinion ! — A. Except Captain Collinson had reached a higher latitude 
on entering the pack than we had reached. 

Q. Did not Captain Collinson follow along the pack until he went 
into a lead that was so narrow that his yard arm touched the ice on 
one side and the land on the other, near Banksland ? — A. I do not 
think he reached Banksland in that voyage. 

Q, Or in any voyage ! — A. As he went north and along the Ameri- 
can shore near Point Barrow there were 90 fathoms, and as he went 
farther north it deepened ; he got 133 fathoms without bottom. 

Q. At the time the expedition started out was it not believed that 
Wrangel Land was an extensive land that reached up near to the pole? — 
A. Yes; it was so believed by the English authorities and by the Ger- 
man authorities. 

Q. And v/as it not the puri)ose of Captain De Long to explore Wrangel 
Land to ascertain if this was true, and it true to make his expeditions 
on land through the winter with his dogs, toward the pole! — A. Yes, 
that was the i)lan. 

Q. So that he was following out the plan with which he had set out 
when he went into the leads and got frozen into the ice? — A. Yes ; that 
was his plan, and there were some statements of whalemen that in- 
fluenced his mind also, I think, at that time. Some whalemen believed 
that if a ship were put in the pack near Herald Island she would get 
well to the north and reach the North Pole, but slie would have to take 
her chances for it. That was so expressed. 

Q. Did you ever, from the time the ship left San Francisco until she 
was abandoned in the ice, see any of the othcers of the vessel intoxi- 
cated? — A. I was a little intoxicated myself once, but not enough to 
affect me in the discharge of my duty. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 435 

Q. You mean by that that you were not intoxicated, but that you were 
a little affected by the liquor ? — A. Not drunk. 

Q. And that is the only instance that you ever knew of in the time 
of which I have spoken f — A. The only instance that I saw with my own 
eyes. 

Q. Was not the act of Captain De Long in respect to Mr. Collins 
equivalent to an accusation and not equivalent to a punishment, when 
he said that he should relieve him from duty and report him to the Sec- 
retary ? 

Mr. Curtis. I think that is for the committee to determine. 

Mr. Aenoux. The witness may throw light upon it. 

The Chairman. I think it would be better to state the condition of 
a man before his arrest or suspension, and his condition afterward — the 
circumstances that surround him. 

Mr. BouTBLLE. It would be competent to ask this witness, for in- 
stance, whether the suspending of an officer, telling an officer that he 
would be relieved from duty for the present, and that it was the inten- 
tion of the commanding officer, or his superior, to report him to the De- 
partment on arrival home, was, under naval rules, a punishment or other- 
wise, would it not '? You see a man has to be court-martialed after- 
wards. 

Mr. Curtis. That would be a proper thing for you to decide as a mem- 
ber of the committee, but the way in which the question is put is re- 
quiring the witness to state. That is my objection. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will save time. I will not press it. I will let it go. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Is it not a fact that if a man is ever punished in any way in the 
Kavy he can plead such a punishment as a bar to a trial by court-mar- 
tial f— A. There is such a practice. 

Q. Kow, then, I will follow that by asking if Mr. Collins and Captain 
De Long had both lived to return to the United States, and Captain De 
Long had chosen to press the matter, would it not have been requisite 
to have tried Mr. Collins by court-martial? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At the time the conversation took place on the 2d of December, 
between Mr. Collins and Captain De Long, to which you have referred, 
was not Mr. Collins's language and bearing, so far as you saw his bear- 
ing, curt, contemptuous, and disrespectful to Captain De Long 1 — A. I 
considered it disrespectful and insubordinate. 

Q. And was not his tone in answering offensive as well as the lan- 
guage he used*? — A. Well, they were both excited and both 

Q. (Interposing.) I am asking about his talk. — A. Yes -, he was ex- 
cited and took rather high grounds. 

Q. Have you read the paper which was put in evidence by the coun- 
sel for Dr. Collins, being apparently a draft or a copy of a' letter sent 
by Mr. Collins to Captain De Long? — A. I have heard it read a number 
of times. 

Q. Is it customary for officers of the ISTavy to write to their superior 
officers a letter in tone and manner like that 1 — A. ]!:^o, sir j it never 
would be permitted. 

Q. The order which Captain De Long had accused him of disobeying 
W8S an order T'fhich Captain De Long had promulgated in the vessel, 
was it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Captain De Long therefore was competent to express an 
opinion whether what Mr. Collins had done was in violation of his order, 
was he not? — A. Yes, sir. 



436 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. I think that is going a little too far, what Captain l)e 
Long was competent to express. I do not like to object, of course. I 
think the counsel should keep within reasonable grounds. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Are you the only living witness to that transaction ? — A. I believe 
I am. 

Q. When any one desired to get fresh water did they have to get it 
from Mr. Melville? — A. I never heard of it. 

Q. You never heard of any such order ? — A. No, sir. The steward 
used to get it for us. 

Q. And did you ever know of Mr. Collins being compelled to go to 
Mr. Melville to get fresh water? — A. No, sir; I never knew of it. 

Q. When you went into Siberia who was the commandant of the 
town that you entered? — A. He was the semi-centurion. His name 
was Gregory Mikitereff Biyeshoff. 

Q. Was the commandant a man of intelligence! — A. Yes; he was a 
man of great intelligence. 

Q. Now, who next to the commandant was the most intelligent man 
that you met with ? 

The Witness. Up to what time ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Up to the time you reached Bulun, or whatever point 
it was at which you met the commandant. — A. This exile Kusmah 
Jerymahoft'. But his powers were so limited that he was not of much 
account except in dealing with the natives. 

Q. Next to the commandant he was the most intelligent man you met 
with there ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, he was the one who offered to go ahead to Bulun for you, was 
he not? — A. Yes, he was the one who ofiered. 

Q. Will you tell how a person travels in Siberia who travels with 
reindeer ? — A. Yes, sir. The sleds are long and low, about 12 or 14 
inches high, made of light drift-wood and made very simply, so that they 
can be repaired easily. There are two deer hitched to each sled usually 
and they have a very iDgenious form of harness, so arranged that if 
one deer pulls more than the other he will pull his companion backward 
and tbey have both to keep up together. There is a collar piece that 
goes on and there are two deer to each sled. 

Q. Now, then, when a person takes anybody in company with him, 
how do they have to travel ? — A. They generally have four or five sledges 
hitched together — deer sleds — a sled ahead with the driver au<l a pas- 
senger on the next one. Each passenger has a particular sled and the 
baggage is put on another. 

Q. So that they do not travel as we do, more than one ])erson for 
every sled, but for every additional person they have an additional sled 
and a team of reindeer ? Is that correct ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you find the want of axes a great deprivation on the Lena 
delta? — A. No, sir; we had an ax and two hatchets. The ax of the 
natives is not much larger than our hatchet. We borrowed from the 
natives. 

Q. The counsel for Dr. Collins, in putting a question to Mr. Ninde- 
mann, said : 

That ie tlie irnpressiou and conviction that yon navigators have — that at the pole 
there \n an open sea? 

Is that an impression or conviction that is entertained, so far as you 
know, by Arctic navigators at the present time ? — A. I believe it is liot 
entertained at present. I believe it is an exploded theory. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 437 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do they know anything about that ? — A. Well, I would not like 
to say. They can judge only from what facts there are. 

Q. Is it not the fact that the summer sun has not sufficient heat to 
melt the ice in the Upper Arctic regions which accumulates in the winter, 
and that the ice remains all the year around ? — A. Well, it melts some 
of the ice, but not entirely. 

Q. Were you ever at the pole ? — A. Well, as I understand, he is 
speaking of the northern latitudes. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did the suspension of Mr. Collins at all affect the meteorological 
observations and records of the ship? — A. Xo, sir; because the captain 
and the others took those observations with the same routine that they 
had been taken before. 

Q. Were they taken with the same regularity and precision that they 
had previously been taken f — A. With greater. 

Q. Did Dr. Ambler take part in any scientific experiments, or records, 
or observations ! — A. Yes, sir -, at times I think he made the meteorolog- 
ical observations — took his watch — and he also made some observations 
in specialities that he had. 

Q. When Captain De Long first made the order that the men should 
be physically examined, how long had you been in the ice f — A. About 
six weeks or two months. 

Q. What was the purpose of that examination? — A. To note the 
physical changes that took i^lace, and to watch carefully the health and 
condition of the party. 

Q. Did he require anything to be done of one that was, not required 
of all in that respect? — A. No, sir 5 he set the examj^le. 

Q. It was an inspection to the waist, was it not? — A. Of those aft, 
and, I think, the men stripped forward. This remonstrance caused a 
modification. 

Q. o^Tow, Avhat was the remonstrance of Mr. Collins? — A. He said it 
was very distasteful to him, I suppose. He remonstrated against it, 
and protested, and the captain modified the order. 

Q. And was that the whole of that? — A. I understood so; yes, sir. 
Mr. Collins always came cheerfully to the doctor, and was examined to 
the waist, and answered his questions. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. How often were these physical examinations had? — A. The first 
of every month the people were weighed, and their measurements taken,, 
in some cases. The doctor found occasion to put some of them on 
whisky and quinine as soon as they showed signs of weakness and de- 
terioration 

Q. How long a time did it take for any one to read a record in tak- 
ing these meteorological observations? — A. It could be done inside of 
three minutes, going and coming from the ship, too, probably. 

Q. Did not Captam De Long throughout the entire cruise, so far as 
you know, observe this regulation : " Authority is to be exercised with 
firmness but with kindness and justice to inferiors?" — A. Yes, sir; he 
did. 

Q. After the shii) went down when did you first ask the captain to 
restore you to duty ? — A. I asked through the doctor before the ship 
went down and went to work without orders, and on the 13th of June 
the doctor told me that the captain agreed to mj^ doing light duty in 



438 JE ANNETTE ENQUIRY. 

charge of the whale-boat and the tent. On the 19th the captain ordered 
nie to go to the hospital sled, and I remonstrated at that time. 

Q. Then what did the captain say ? Did he say that he could not 
take the responsibility until the doctor said you were well "?— A. No, he 
did not say that. The captain said, ^' It is evident you cannot see from 
the way you stumble about in the snow." The snow was 3 feet deep 
at that time. I told him I thought I could see and could heli>, and he 
said I was an impediment to the work. Impediment was the word he 
used. There had been a few words between Dunbar and myself about 
some whisky-barrel staves that were used in securing the sleds. They 
were cutting them up for fire- wood, and 1 protested and asked to have 
them saved until we got our sleighs secured, and I sort of laughed or 
chuckled at Dunbar, and the captain saw me and looked severe, and 
that is the only way in which I knew at the time that I was impeding 
the work. At all events, he said I was an impediment, and I, of course, 
was very much mortified at such a statement. 

Q. Well, he would consider any sick man an impediment ^. — A. Yes ; 
but not directly to the work. 

Q. When was the next time? — A. The next time was early in July, 
when I felt sure, having had twelve days' experience or more, that I 
could do w^ork. 

Q. Then what did the captain say? — A. The captain said no, that as 
long as I was under the doctor's care I could not w^ork, and he said, 
^* It is not the place of an ofiicer in the harness, and it is not the place 
of an officer to cook," and he would not allow it unless necessity for it 
arose. 

Q. Then what was the next time ? — A. The next time was the 8th of 
August. 

Q. What did the captain say then ? — A. The captain said : *' But you 
can't see," and I said, " But I can see ;" and Mr. Melville's name was 
mentioned. I asked why it was a staft* officer was put in charge of my 
boat when there were two lieutenants present senior to me. 

Q. Now, in the refusal to put you on duty did you think that the cap- 
tain was intluenced by anything other than what he told you — that you 
had not yet been discharged by the doctor ?— A. Yes, sir; I did. 

Q. You thought he did when he refused to put you on duty ? I am 
not speaking ai30utyour relation to Mr. Melville. — A. Not at all; no. 

Q. I am speaking about the previous times when he did not want you 
to go on duty. — A. I thought there was personal feeling in it. 

Q. You thought so at the time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not the custom in the Navy for the captain to wait until the 
doctor discharges a x)atieut from the sick list before ordering him to 
duty. — A. That is the custom in the Navy ; but the circumstances 
made it worse for me, and every ounce I could pull I should have pulled, 
and been made to pull, if necessary. 

Q. If there had been a necessity, as the captain said? — A. He said 
there was no necessity for it. He used the term " no necessity." 

Q. Now I read to you from the doctor's journal : 

Sunday, August 4, 1881. — Mr. DaneDhower: Congestion of lower lid. The eye so 
far Las done very well. We have little or no sun, and it has not been exposed to any 
accident. He is very anxious to go to duty, and from his peculiar mind he has, I 
think, got the idea in his head that he is being unjustly treated. It is true that he 
is able to get along quite well, and thus be has not broken down. Before we started 
he thought his chances were nil, though I had told him I thought he would pull 
through all right, and he was always anxious for me to take the eye out. Now, that 
it has turned out as 1 predicted, he takes the other tack, considers himself a sound 
man, and has given any amount of annoyance to get himself placed on duty. 1 do 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 439 

not consider any man who is liable to break down at any time that his eye is exposed 
to a strong light is a fit man to be put in charge of a boat and party of men under 
any circumstance, and that it would be wholly unwarrantable in our condition, and 
this ho has wholly failed to see, and has no doubt a fixed idea that there is a com- 
bination to keep him out of what he perceives to be his rights. 

Kow, did you know that the doctor had made any such record as 
that? — A. I never knew it until this moment. 

Q. Now, if the doctor had communicated to the captain such views 
as those, as the physician of the expedition, would it, in your judgement, 
have influenced the captain to say you could not do duty? — A. Yes, sirj 
but not to put me under a staff' officer. 

Q. (Interposing.) No, no; I am only speaking now^ about not doing 
duty; not your relations to Melville. Now, 1 only read that to you to 
ask yoa whether if, in your opinion, after having read that to you, the 
doctor had communicated such strong views on the subject to the cap- 
tain, the captain did not do right in refusing to graut your application 
against such an earnest protest as that from the doctor? — A. Do you 
not see, sir, I would have been much happier and in better condition if 
I could have worked ; therefore the captain should have availed him- 
self of every ounce that could have been pulled. I think it was an error 
of judgment. 

Q. But I am only putting the question to you now — whether it does 
not seem to you, now that you know what the doctor's view w^as, that 
the captain was acting to prevent your breaking down and to preserve 
your health in spite of your eagerness to do work ? — A. At the time I 
said to the doctor it would not be worth while to take trouble on inter- 
est ; that if I should break down I should be carried from the camp and 
never would be carried an inch. 

Q. Suppose you were in command and you had a doctor with you 
and that doctor told you, in the language I have read to you, not to put 
a man on duty, would you have put that man on duty ?— A. Yes, under 
those circumstances, I would. 

Mr. Curtis. What proof is there that that was communicated to 
the captain 1 

Mr. Arnoux. Not any. 

Mr. Curtis. You are assuming that there is. 

Mr. Arnoux. That is not correct. The doctor would not have 
written in his journal in regard to a thing which did not transpire. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you not state that the captain told you that the doctor said 
you were not able to do duty ? — A. Yes ; he based it on the doctor's 
opinion. I would like to say that if the captain had put Mr. Dunbar 
ill charge of the whale-boat and had put me with Mr. Chipp or with 
himself, I could not have said a word, and I do not say a word now as 
a grievance, because I was fortunate enough to come through all right 
by his disposition of the officers, and I shouldfeel thankful, and I make 
no grievance of it. 

Q. If he had done what you wished him to do you would not be here 
to tell the tale?~A. In all probability. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Do you believe that his failure to put you on duty was due to any 
other cause than his opinion as to your physical condition ? — A. I be- 
lieved so at the time. I do not believe so now. I have had subsequent 
light on the subject. My feelings are different now from what they were 
then. 



440 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Lieutenant, before we separate for the adjournment, I would like 
to ask you this : To your knowledge no one has ever been att he north 
pole "? — A. No, sir. 

Q. It is unknown what the exact physical conditions of the pole are, 
is it notf — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And there was for awhile an idea among some of the savants that 
there was an open Polar Sea there, was there not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The better judgment of this day is that that idea is exploded ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And, in point of fact, whether it is true or erroneous is not posi- 
tively or accurately known ? — A. Certainly it is not. 

At this point the committee adjourned until Monday the 28th instant. 



Washington, D. C, Monday^ April 28, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present, and counsel on either side. 

John W. Danenhower resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. After you came to J^ew York did you see Dr. Collins? — 
Answer. Yes, sir. 

Q. How long after you returned to the city of Ii^ew York? — A. About 
two hours after the steamer arrived. 

Q. What was your physical condition at that time? — A. I was feeling 
very well, but suffering under excitement, which affected ray eyes, and 
when they called I was lying down with compresses on my eyes. 

Q. Now, will you state the conversation you had with Dr. Collins at 
that time ? — A. Dr. Collins and his brother were shown into my room, 
and we shook hands, and there was quite an interval of silence. Both 
l>arties .deemed to be affected and could not speak. Then a little gen- 
eral conversation commenced; they asked after my health, and they 
wanted to know what had been the trouble about their brother. I told 
them I did not want to speak on the subject; that I would ])robably 
liave to give my testimony, and did not want to speak about it. They 
seemed very much worried and troubled, and I said to them, "You need 
not worry about your brother; he was not guilty of any criminality, but 
he was suspended for a trivial offense," and I described about his remain 
ing on board the ship and making a silent protest, and not going over the 
shii)'s side; but I did not say, to the best of my belief, that Mr. Collins 
was leading such a hell of a life in the Arctic Ocean, and did not say 
that if I had been in his place I would have gone over the shi])'s side, 
lor, as a matter of fact, I was in a much worse condition on board the 
shi[) and never had any such idea as going over the ship's side. 

Q. In no such sense as killing yourself? — A. In no such sense «as 
suicide 

Q. Now, I will ask you directly, did you say the words in that inter- 
view with Dr. Collins and his brother that Mr. Collins had led a hell of 
a life in the Arctic ? — A. I do not believe I did ; I cannot swear i)Osi- 
tively. 

Q. To your best recollection you did not ? — A. To my best recollection 
and belief I did not. 

(2. Did you ever use the phrase that it was a life of hell T— A. I may 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 441 

have said tliat it was a hell of a life for the whole party, and I thought 
so ; but what I meant by that was the surroundings and the conditions. 

Q. Or that he had been in hell "? — A. No, sir ; I did not say that. 
My belief is that I used some general expression. 

Q. When you say your belief, you mean your recollection ? — A. Yes j 
my re(}ollection, and my belief based on my recollection ; that I made 
some general remark about the general condition of the whole party, 
and I may have said we had a hell of a time, which is a common ex- 
pression ; not very common, however ; that we had a hell of a time for 
three years. 

Q. To what did that refer ? — A. To our condition and surroundings, 
our isolation and desolation there, our absence from civilization. 

Q. And did it also in that connection include the sufferings and rigor 
of the retreat ? — A. Yes, sir 5 naturally, although that was the best part 
of it, in my opinion. 

Q. Did you afterwards receive any communication from Dr. Collins 
in connection with that interview? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q= Under what circumstances did you receive it f — A. Certain news- 
paper reports were published in which my name was used, &c., and it is 
my impression that in a note to Bernard Collins, with whom I was cor- 
responding, I made some allusion to it. I do not think I wrote directly 
to Dr, Collins on the subject. About the 5th of August I received this 
communication from Dr. Collins. 

Q. August of what year ? — A. Eighteen hundred and eighty-two, two 
months after my return. [Reading.] 

Board of Health, Seceetary's Office, 
113 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, Minn., August 3, 1882. 
My Dear Sir : lu an interview purported to have been held with me in this city? 
your name was used by the reporter without any occasion being given by me. I have 
written to the papers liere and the New York Herald, correcting the o)af ter, which is 
a gross outrage on every one concerned. I feel very sorry that a simple explanation 
of mine that I urged an investigation from general news received from Siljeria and 
what I read in the papers, should be manufactured into a sensational story into which 
your name and that of Dr. Newcomb were without warrant drawn. I regret very 
much (he entire affair, and hope the contradictions will fully correct the misstatement 
made. 

Believe me, my dear sir, yours, very trulv, 

D. F. COLLINS, if. D. 
Lieut. J. A. Danenhower, 

Washington, D. C. 

(At this point the examination of Lieutenant Danenhower was sus- 
pended in order that Chief Engineer George W. Melville and Lieut. 
Samuel C. Lemly might be examined, they being compelled to leave 
New York on May 1st, on the Greeley relief exx^edition.) 

George Wallace Melville sworn and examined. 
The Witness. I am chief engineer in the Navy of the United States 
with the relative rank of lieutenant-commander. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How long have you held that position and rank ? — A. The last 
rank since March two years ago 5 it will be three years the coming 
March. 

Q. Since March, 1881'?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now previous to that, what rank did you hold and what was its 
relative rank? — A. I passed through all the grades from third assist- 
ant engineer in 1861 to my present rank in 1881. 

Q. What position and rank did you have at the time you entered upon 



442 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the Jeaiinette expedition ? — A. I had the rank of a passed assistant en- 
gineer, and was appointed as chief engineer of the ship. 

Q. And what was your relative rank *? — A. That of lieutenant in the 
Navy of corresponding rank. 

Q. What was the rank at that time of Mr. Chipp 1 — A. Lieutenant in 
the United States Navy. 

Q. What was the rank of Mr. Dan enhower*? — A. Master in the United 
States Navy. 

Q. Then j^our relative rank was equal to that of Mr. Chipp and su- 
perior to that of Mr. Danenhower ? — A. Yes, sir; my relative rank. 

Q. I say your relative rank at that time 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you please state what you have to say in regard to Mr. Col- 
lins on board th,e ship, and his conduct toward the other officers, and 
their conduct toward him"? — A. Well, in starting out we were all jolly 
enough, the same as all officers are on board of all ships. After we had 
been aboard the ship a little while, people commenced to pair off as they 
were in the habit of doing; that is, an officer would select some person 
that he felt more chummy with than he did with another. Mr. Collins 
selected his friend Mr. Newcomb. They made chums together and ran 
around more together than they did with other officers. Some of the 
officers were old cruisers, had been on ship board together before, as 
Chipp and myself to China or De Long and myself to Brazil. We used 
to talk over old cruises, and probably were more familiar and intimate 
with each other than I was with Danenhower and Ambler, because I 
had never been shipmates with them before. But there was a general 
good feeling with all hands — Newcomb, Collins, Dr. Ambler, and niyself. 
Every man stood on his own bottom, and had a good time generally. 
- Q. How long a time did that cordial feeling of good fellowship last, 
counting from the time the ship left San Francisco ? — A. Well, there 
were little spats and little differences of opinion in argument, but noth- 
ing to speak of until alter we got into the ice. After we got into the 
ice, during the time of the bear hunt that Mr. Danenhower has already 
spoken of, Lieutenant Chipp and myself, Mr. Dunbar, and the Indian 
had been off to Herald Island and had returned on that Sunday morn- 
ing. When we got into the ship a party had started off' after a bear, 
and I do not remember whether Mr. Danenhower had returned at that 
time or not. During the absence of Mr. Chipp, of course Mr. Danen- 
hower was acting as first lieutenant of the ship, and the ship, as is cus- 
tomary, was prepared for Sunday morning inspection. However we 
heard that all the people were off after a bear, and the usual Sunday 
morning inspection was delayed for an hour or so, more or less, I do not 
know how much, but after awhile Mr. Collins returned, and Nindemann 
returned, and I think Mr. Newcomb was along ; I do not know whether he 
was or not. I remember that Mr. Danenhower came back before the 
muster-roll was read and reported the ship rea<ly for inspection. So 
when the people got aboard that had been off after the bear, I heard 
De Long speaking to Nindemann reprimanding him for being absent 
from the ship without leave ; I believe he changed waTches with some- 
body. I think it was Mr. Dunbar he asked to take his watch while he 
ran off after the bear which was something uncustomary ; he should 
not have changed his watch without the permission of the command- 
ing officer or the first lieutenant. As soon as the party got back from 
the bear hunt the usual Sunday morning muster went on, the seamen 
on one side and officers on the other, the Articles of War read, which is 
customary on all shii)s of war at sea or in port when the weather will 
permit, and this was simply following out the customs of the service. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 443 

Q. Let me ask you rigbt here, did Captain De Long observe that 
custom during the time that the ship was afloat in the ice ? — A. Yes, 
sir; from the time we left San Francisco until we parted company. I 
do not think he read them every Sunday ; I think only the first Sunday 
in the month ; on the ice as well as in the ship. 

Q, Proceed with your narrative. — A. After the Sunday morning mus- 
ter he took Mr. Collins to one side and spoke to him about the impro- 
priety of running off from the ship without leave. I suppose he spoke 
to Mr. Newcomb also; I do not know. Mr. Collins told me that Captain 
De Long had spoken to him about leaving the ship without leave. 

Q. Did you hear Captain De Long speak to Mr. Collins f — A. No, sir; 
I simply saw him call him to one side. He took him into his private 
apartment, as I remember, or took him off to one side of the deck. 

Q. Did you hear him reprimand Mndemann "? — A. Yes, sir ; I heard 
him speak to him publicly ; but to the officer he did not. The next day 
there was a general order issued, which was subsequently issued in 
writing and passed to every officer on board the ship — the junior officer 
and the senior officer. The custom of the service in that respect is that 
every officer attached to a ship who is junior to the first lieutenant in 
rank gets the commanding officer's permission to leave the ship and 
reports such leave to the executive officer, and upon his return reports 
his return ; also reporting his coming and going to the man on watch, 
or to the officer of the deck who is on watch at the time. On our ship 
we had a man on watch, so we used to tell the man on watch we were 
going to leave the ship, or we returned to the ship. The officer w^ho 
was senior to the executive officer, and of necessity junior to the com- 
manding officer, gets the commanding officer's permission and reports 
his coming and going to the officer of the deck only. That order that 
was issued came to me. I read the order and obeyed it. When I 
wanted to leave the ship I got the commanding officer's permission to 
leave the ship but did not report to Mr. Chipp, because he was my 
junior, but I did report to the officer of the deck, that is, to the man 
on watch, simply saying, "Mndemann, I have permission to leave 
the ship," or to whoever the man might be on watch, "I am going to 
leave the ship," or ''I return to the ship;" and the order demanded this 
of every officer on board the ship except the commanding officer. 

Q. Did Captain De Long, when he left the ship, report to the man on 
watch! — A. Invariably. Me would say, "Noros, I am going to leave 
the ship." If Erichsen was on watch he would say, " Erichsen, I have 
returned." That is simply done to carry on the duties of the ship, that 
everybody may know who is in her and who is out of her. Mr. Col- 
lins appeared to think he should not have been restricted in these com- 
ings and goings, and he said he w^onld not leave the ship ; he would 
not ask for leave; he would die before he would do it; or something of 
that kind. Mr. Collins and I were on very good terms at that time; 
in fact, Collins and I never had a disagreeable rencontre at any time. 
From the time I joined the ship until I separated company with Col- 
lins I never had an angry word with him but I was always his friend, 
and when he told me about this I said, "Collins, I would not do that; 
it bears on me the same as it does on you; I am an officer of twenty- 
three years standing, and were I on board a frigate I would be Mr. De 
Long's senior, and I do not feel that it bears on me at all that I have to 
ask his permission to come or go ; that is only a custom of the service." 
He said he would not go, he would enter a silent protest; that he 
would stay aboard even if it resulted in his death ; that is, by not 
taking proper exercise bring himself down and become sick. I argued 



444 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tlio subject with Lim and told liim tlie better way to do would be to get 
aloug as well we could. At that time the closets aboard the shij) were 
sealed up aud it was necessary to go ott'ou the ice. Mr. Collins said 
that he would not go off on the ice to at4:end to the demands of nature 
without asking De Long to let him do it. I said that would be very 
foolish. "By God," he says, "I am going to ask him to let me go on 

the ice to ." SaA s 1, "1 would not do that; you will only create 

a disturbance," and he said that he would do it. Captain De Long was 
on deck, standing on the starboard side of the quarter-deck while I was 
still talking to Mr. Collins. Collins left me and went over to Captain 
DeLong with the intention, at least the declared intention, of asking 
him for permission to go on the ice for that purpose. He addressed 
himself to Captain De Long. I could not tell what he said, but De 
Long Hushed up and ai)peared to be quite angry, and they had. some 
words together. I did not hear what they said. So that was the tirst 
disagreeable thing I saw in the whole of the cruise. After that things 
went along very irregularly; peoi)le kept themselves more by themselves. 
At first people used to play cards for quite a time in the evening. I 
never played cards. I do not know how to jday cards. I never played 
a game of cards in my life, but T used to see the other fellows playing 
cards and everything going along smoothly and all hands haying a good 
time. But from that time forth Mr. Collins and Captain DeLong remained 
separate in all things as much as they conv^euiently could, simply carry- 
ing on the duties of the ship. 

Q. llow about salutations among the officers and Mr. Collins follow- 
ing up from that time? — A. About this time there were two places 
erected on the ice, one for the service of the officers and the other for 
the service of the men. In the closet of the officers one of the seats be- 
came soiled and caused considerable talk among the officers as to who 
had done this thing. There was not much of anything said aboui it ex- 
cepting that it was disagreeable to have anybody go in there and stand 
up on the seat and soil the seat with excrement. I went out to the 
closet one morning and Mr. Collins was standing on tne seat and the 
seat was soiled. I spoke to him about it and he told me it wasn't any 
of my business to take him to task, and I simply said, "Collins, that is 
no way to do, other people have got to sit down and they have no other 

place to go," and he wanted to know if I was the house engineer. 

Of course, I did not like that sort of thing. I did not think it was proper 
when I was only ])rotecting myself aud the other people aboard the 
ship. After that there was a coolness between Collins and myself, but 
there was no rencontre. We spoke to each other coming and going — bid- 
ding the time of day, got into little discussions or arguments, and little 
things of that kind as usual. But I did not think that Mr. Collins ap- 
])eared to care to have anything much to do with me and that he did not 

treat me right by asking me if I was the house engineer. Then 

matters kei)t growing colder between the officers and Mr. Collins and 
I saw that the officers did not care to associate with him. He stuck 
closer to his friend Newcomb and Newcomb with him. They used to go 
off and walk together; Dr. Ambler and De Long and myself used to 
walk together; Chipp was always a very silent, reticent sort of a man, 
and had very little to do with anybody, but he was on good terms with 
nearly ever;^body. 

Q. I asked you to turn your attention to the matter of the morning 
salutation? — A. Yes; 1 will enter into that now. So Collins received 
the idea that the officers did not care to associate with him, or he con- 
cluded not to associate with the officers. The custom on board ship was 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 445 

for all hands of the party at tbat time to have breakfast by 8 o'clock. 
A brother oJBScer coming up from below would say, " Good morning, gen- 
tlemen," would probal)ly address himself to somebody in particular, but 
always to the mess. Mr. Collins did not do this. Well, I did not care 
much if anything about it. Dr. Ambler took it very much to heart that 
Collins did not follow the customs of the service and comiDlained to De 
Long about it. When De Long would come out in the morning — he was 
geuerally later out than any of the rest of us, but generally in time for 
breakfast — he would say, "Good morning, gentlemen," and before he 
spoke to Mr. Collins about his notreturing the morning salutation which 
was simply " good morning," Collins stood in front of De Long one 
morning and brushed his back against De Long's front and did not pay 
any attention to him at all — simply rubbed his back against his breast 
or front, and Captain De Long spoke to him then and there about that 
and told him that Dr. Ambler had complained of his not returning the 
salutation of the officers, and they had some talk about that that I do 
not remember much, if anything, about, but I remember that incident 
in particular. After that Mr. Collins almost in variab' y spoke to Captain 
De Long and said, " Good morning, captain." But to the other officers 
of the mess I do not think he paid much, if any, attention. 

Q. And how long did that continue '? — A. Well, it ran along that way 
until pretty near the bitter end. One evening when we were at supper 
we were all laughing, and joking, and talking. Jt was after this other 
occurrence that I have spoken about. Mr. Collins and I were still on 
very good terms. Sitting down at his end of the table he laughingly 
said, "There is old Melville, he is getting very gray and bald over his 
confinement in the ice." I said, " Ko, Collins, I have suffered neither 
hunger nor thirst, heat nor cold since I have been in the Arctic, but if we 
were off Saint Patrick's Land where we could all hunt we would proba^ 
bly have a better time." I did not mean Saint Patrick's Land when I 
said that, but I meant Prince Patrick Land, up to the northeast. Col- 
lins appeared to be put out by what I said and stopped short. He had 
started the little game of butt and I butted back. De Long looked back 
at Collins expecting him to have something else to say, and he said that 
when a man commenced to be personal he did not want to have any- 
thing more to say. That surprised everybody else at the table as muc'h 
as it surprised me, and I said right there and then, " What did I say "? 
What did I say to hurt your feelings 1 If I said Saint Patrick's Land, I 
meant Prince Patrick Land." " Oh," said he, " Melville, I am not a 
fool ; when you said Saint Patrick's Land you meant Saint Patrick's 
Land." " Kow," says he, " when you refer to my gray hairs, I got my 
gr&y hairs in honorable service that you know nothing at all about." It 
surprised everybody. But he had started the game on my bald head 
and my gray head ; it was only tit for tat. That matter blew over and 
we were still good friends. The next day we were out on the ice and 
talked this matter over and there was no trouble about it. Matters ran 
along that way for some time, and Mr. Collins wanted some woodwork 
done and took the carpenter away from his work to do some work for 
himself. Mr. Chipj) was a very strict disciplinarian in regard to his own 
part of the ship. The carpenter, sail maker, and all these sort of peo- 
ple were directly under his charge. Mr. Chipp spoke about his taking 
the carpenter away from his regular duties without consulting the first 
lieutenant. They had a little tiff about that and that ran along for a 
week. It finally passed over. So things went on until Collins was sus- 
pended from duty — little tiffs with all hands j not Collins and myself 
any more than myself and Mr. Danenhower. Dr. Ambler and I never 



446 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

had a set-to, nor Chipp and I. I used to make fun with Danenhower 
sometimes, but he made fun back again, and it was all right. 

Just before Collins was suspended from duty, it could not have been 
but a week or so, we had all been out on the ice. While we were on the 
ice I was telling some of the fellows about a dream I had had. We had 
so man}' thermometers to read — I think we had some sixteen or twenty 
thermometers to read at one set of observations. So when we came in 
Mr. Collins was down below, and Mr. Newcomb, too, I presume ; I know 
Collins was, because he came up afterwards, and I was dancing around 
the cabin, and said that I had had a remarkable dream last night ; that 
I dreamed that I was old Professor Agassiz himself; that I had a neck- 
lace of barometers hanging around aiy neck, and had a great lot of ba- 
rometers and hydrometers and thermometers, and Lord knows what 
other instruments, for sale at 4 cents apiece. So everbddy danced and 
laughed around the cabin and had a good time. Collins came up and 
appeared to be very much incensed at my relating this remarkable dream. 
He said that I was making fun of his profession in regard to the instru- 
ments and sale of thermometers and all that. Well, he did not seem to 
be angry except that he appeared to think I was worrying with it. The 
day following Dr. Ambler and Mr. Collins had a fierce set-to about the 
slamming of a door. It seems a shame to talk about all sorts of little 
petty foolish things, but that is what you all want to know about, and 
it seems a shame to talk about the slamming of a door or breaking a 
toothpick, and little things of that kind. Collins was down in his room ; 
he had been keeping night watch. Instead of turning out at 8 o'clock 
and getting his breakfast, he was allowed to lie-in until 1 L o'clock, that 
is the time we went out on the ice for exercise. The Jack-o'-the-dust 
had opened the door and fastened it back so as to roll a barrel through 
the door. That was the time when Dr. Ambler should go out and get 
the 10 o'clock observations, both on the berth deck and on the ice, and 
just as it was striking four bells. Dr. Ambler went out. The Jack-o'-the- 
dust followed him, and as he followed him he very naturally kicked the 
door to as a sailor will. Slam the door came to, and of course startled 
Collins out of his sleep. I was sitting in the cabin and happened to notice 
the thing. Collins turned out and dressed, and when he came up he 
was all of a growl about Dr. Ambler slamming the door. Upon Dr. 
Ambler coming on deck he accused Ambler of slamming the door. Dr. 
Ambler said he did not slam the door, and Collins said he did slam the 
door. I saw that there was going to be a row between the two, and I 
says, " Hold on, gentlemen, I know all about this ; I was sitting right 
here." I then related the circumstance of the Jack-o'-the-dust having 
passed through the door with a barrel of beans or a barrel of bread or 
something else, and as he went out kfckingthedoorto. That appeared 
to satisfy both parties and stoi)ped the row between them. Dr. Ambler 
was rather a hot-headed sort of a man and was talking about doing all 
sorts of things. Collins moped all that day, and in the evening after I 
had gone below to turn in at 10 o'clock at night. Captain De Long asked 
Collins for some particular thermometer. Collins got the thermometer 
out and gave it to Captain De Long, and then there was some general 
conversation occurred in regard to these very thermometers. Collins 
either did not want to surrender it or there w^as some question of that 
kind between them, I do not know what it was. 

Q. Can you tell about what time this was? — A. Ten o'clock at night, 
a week or two before Collins was suspended. The next thing I heard 
was in a louder tone of voi(ie. Mr. Collins said, " Captain, I wish that 
the officers would try to treat me with the same courtesy I try to treat 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 447 

them." Captain De Long took Mm up very quickly and said, '' What is 
the matter with you 1 If you have any particular charge to make against 
any officer make it right now and I will investigate it." Then they passed 
into the inner apartment where I heard no more, but next morning 
when I went out on the ice, as we were all on the ice, De Long hailed 
me. Says he, " Come here, Melville, I want to see you." 1 went over. 
He said that last evening in a conversation with Collins, Collins had 
reported me to him for plaguing him; that Mr. Collins had complained 
to him that the officers did not treat Collins with the same courtesy 
that Collins tried to treat the officers. Says he, ''I asked Collins what 
the trouble was and Collins said there was Melville who was always 
singing Irish songs and making Irish jokes and making game of my 
countrymen." So he said, '' Melville, you had better not sing any more." 
I told the captain he had no business to put a muzzle on me; it was 
one of my privileges, it was one of my rights as long as I didnot disturb 
other people to sing as much as I pleased. Says he, " Oh, yes, Melville, 
you sing something else." Says he, "You sing psalms." Says I, "I 
am not a psalm singer." He says, ''Well, but you had better stop it 
anyhow." So I stopped, and from that time up to the time I saw Col- 
lins for the last time I never sang an Irish song or made an Irish joke 
in his presence. He may have been within the sound of my voice but 
I did not know it. So it was a muzzle on me. 

Q. Up to that time had Collins ever complained to you of singing 
Irish songs and telling Irish jokes? — A. Never. As soon as I got 
through with my own story to Captain De Long I went straight over to 
where Collins was. Says I, " Good morning, Collins;" "Good morning, 
Melville." I says, "The captain told me you complained to him and 
claimed his protection against my singing Irish songs and making game 
of you." I says, "Collins, I don't think that was upright or manly." 
He says, "Hold on; I will explain that thing." Says I, "I don^t want 
any explanation ; had you come to me and told me that my jokes and 
songs were disagreeable, I would not have sung a song or made a joke;" 
and says I, "From this time forward you keep your side of the ship 
and I will keep mine;" and from that time forward I never spoke to 
him, nor he to me, except when I was told to carry him an order. 

Q. Now, have you anything further to tell of the intercourse between 
Mr. Collins and the rest of the officers ? — A. Well, Collins was dilatory 
about turning out in the morning to take his exercise. I remember a 
conversation between him and De Long aloud. He told De Long that 
he was old enough to take care of himself; that he knew enough to take 
bodily exercise, and that it was not necessary to drive him out on the 
ice as he did the other people. The custom of the ship was for all hands 
to go on the ice exactly at 11 o'clock until it struck six bells, no matter 
whether it was fair or stormy, provided the thermometer was above 
thirty degrees minus. Everybody went out of the ship. The forecas- 
tle was thrown open so the wind blew through it and froze everything 
out, as a sanitary measure. This conversation that I heard between 
De Long and Collins was about going out on the ice. Collins was always 
the last man up and the last man about getting into his clothing to 
go out on the ice, and that caused a good deal of comment. People 
noticed that he did not come and go as cheerfully as the other people 
did. He did not obey the orders of the commanding officer cheerfully, 
and at the time of his suspension it was on account of his going out on 
the ice as customary with the reist of the officers at 11 o'clock. At 12 
o'clock he had a series of observations to record. 

Q. How long a time would it take him or the other officers to record 



448 JEANNETTE INQUIRY 

them ?— A. About three miuutes or less. We all had a little book — 
just took a sheet of paper, and folded it up so as to make ten or fifteen 
pages and ruled it, for the different thermometers, anemometers, bar- 
ometers, and all that sort of truck, and we would go around to each in- 
strument and make our record. We might come in now and record it, 
or might come in in two hours from now and record it, but we put it on 
this little tablet and when convenient went into the cabin, took the log- 
slate and copied it down. You could do it instanta or do it within two 
or three hours. When we all kept portions of the night-watches I did as 
the others did ; went out, read the thermometers just three minutes before 
the bell struck and read the instruments all the way through before the 
bell struck, and was in the cabin in less than three minutes ready to 
record them again, so that it would take six minutes to make the whole 
round of the reading of the anemometers, thermometers, and barome- 
ters and make the record. At the time of Collins's suspension I was on 
the ice. I did not know anything at all about that beyond the fact 
that he was suspended, because at that time there were five of us making 
observations. When we started on the ice Captain De Long, Mr. Ghipp, 
Dr. Ambler, Mr. Danenhower, and Mr. Collins read all the meteorologi- 
cal observations. Mr. Newcomb and myself were excused. We had 
special duty of our own to attend to. When Danenhower was placed 
on the sick list I took Danenhower's place in regard to recording the 
observations, and every officer except Mr. Newcomb did an equal amount 
of the meteorological observations, with this difference, that Collins, be- 
ing meteorologist, kept the meteorological slate and entered it into the 
meteorological log in the same manner that Captain De Long did all 
the navigating duty, wrote the ship's log, kept the account of stores, 
attended to all the ship's duty, whatever was demanded of hiui, and 
made the meteorological observations the same as the other five officers 
did, so that the meteorological duty was equally divided bet^Yeen five 
officers from the time we started into the ice until the meteorological 
observations ceased. When Mr. Collins was suspended from duty then 
we shortened up into four watches instead of five. 

Q. Now, was there any irregularity in taking these observations by 
reason of Collins's suspension from duty ? — A. No, sir. During the first 
year that we were in the ice the meteorological observations were recorded 
every hour by one or the other of the officers, so that there were twenty- 
four observations in twenty-four hours; but long before Collins was sus- 
pended from duty, when we entered on our second year's observations, 
the commanding officer came to the conclusion that observations every 
two hours or every three hours would be sufficient, and when Collins was 
suspended from duty that was the custom aboard the ship, and there 
wa s no variation from that, and so far as reading the instruments is 
concerned it depends upon the man altogether. There is a personal 
error in every man's eye. You might read out a thermometer and read 
it forty and mhms one-tenth, and another man would read it minus ibrty 
plus, one-tenth a little above the line, and little discussions used to oc- 
cur every once in a while among observers; the same way in reading the 
barometer and anemometer. People used to have a little personal error 
in their eyes. 

Q. Now, as you are on this matterof taking the observations, will you 
also state, if you know anything about it, in regard to the alleged com- 
plaint of Mr. Collins that the instruments were taken away from him ? — 
A. Well, Captain De Long ax)peared to be dissatisfied with the manner 
in which Mr. Collins took care of the instruments. AVe had deep-sea 
sounding cups that cost $75 a piece. As I rememember it^ Mr, Collins 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 449 

appeared to forget that tlie ship rolled. He would lay an iDstrument 
down on the rail and it would roll off on the deck and get jaiubed up 
so that it would have to be repaired, or would be rendered useless. 
The deep sea sounding cups were in the starboard chart room and were 
supposed to be wiped oft' after using, in order to keep them from rust- 
ing. I remember they got rusty, and I remember the captain's having 
Nindemann or some of the men polishiug them up. It was the same 
way with the hydrometer for measuring the density of the sea water. 
A hydrometer with graduated glass rolled over and broke in some way 
and De Long complained about Collins smashing these things. I re- 
member his saying if we went on this way smashing instruments we 
would not have instruments to last us three months. Then the mount 
ain barometer, and the only one we had on board, was broken. That 
was in Collins's charge. There were only two spare glasses, one tube 
being inside of the other tube, and there was a little difficulty about fit- 
ting them. When it was discovered that the mountain barometer was 
broken, Mr. De Long directed Collins to set another glass, and when he 
first used it he broke the first spare glass, and De Long appeared to be 
out of patience about that, and Mr. Collins appeared to be confident 
he could set the other glass all right. So when he got ready to set the 
other glass De Long cautioned him particularly to be careful, as 
this was the last pair of glasses aboard the ship, and if we discovered 
any new land and ascended a mountain we would not have any mount- 
ain barometer to measure the heigh th of the mountaiu. Collins started 
off all right to repair the barometer. He asked me to give him a piece 
of inch and a quarter iron tube. It is necessary to boil mercury to get 
out the air in order to make it correctly. I had one of the men get the 
piece of pipe and bring it in to Collins, and I saw what he was goiug to 
do with it. He suspended the glass tube containiug mercury inside the 
iron tube and placed the alcohol lamp underneath this glass tube with 
33 inches of mercury above it. I told him he should not do that, as I 
was afraid the flame from the alcohol lamx) would soften the end of the 
tube, and it would probably burst or break. De Long heard me speak- 
ing to Collins. Collins was taking it in good nature. Collins said, ''Oh, 
no ; it tvill be all right." De Long very naturally came into the port 
work-room to see what was going on and he had some discussion with 
Collins about this barometer, too. He completed the boiliug to his sat- 
isfaction, and the tube was not broken then. But the next morning we 
found the tube had split and all the mercury had run out, and, of course, 
there was ahou-dou between De Long and Collins about the tube, and 
I was called in both by De Long and Collins as to the conversation of 
the previous day about putting the alcohol lamp under the iron tube 
aud the iron tube outside creating a fierce flame that must be like a 
blast furnace, that made it break when it cooled. He accused Collins 
there and then of not knowing how to set a tube, so I cleared out, not 
caring to take any part in it. That was the bef;inning of the instru- 
ment troubles as far as I saw. Then, later on, we killed a couple of 
bears and De Long wanted a picture of the bears — a hunting scene- 
taken. We had photographic apparatus aboard the ship, and Collins 
brought out the instrument and set it up, and took a plate and carried 
it aboard the ship, and De Long wanted him to develop the plate. For 
some reason — 1 do not know why — it was never develoi)ed. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. No negative was perfected "? — A. No, sir j he exposed the plate 
and I suppose the picture was there had it been developed, but I could 
not tell whether it was a negative or not until it was developed. 

29 J Q* 



450 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Exactly ; it is not a negative until it is developed. — A. As I 
understand it ; I am not entirely up in that thing. Then he wanted 
several other pictures taken at one time or another, and Collins either 
did not want to take the pictures or was disagreeable about getting the 
pictures taken, and the captain asked me if I could take the pictures. 
I told him yes; I had looked some into photography. I had had a 
camera and apparatus of my own when I was in Brazil ; a little amateur 
affair. I can take pictures, but they would not be artistic pictures. So 
he set me to work and I took quite a number of pictures. As long as I 
had the Beachy developer I got plates that would look well enough to 
make pictures here in the United States, but with the American plates 
there was no developer or material to make a developer of. We had 
the dry-plate process. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. You mean by that that it was neglected to be supplied ? — A. Yes ; 
neglected to be supplied. I spoke to De Long about it. He spoke to 
Collins about it, and Collins told him there was no developer provided 
for those plates. But we did not use all of our Beachy plates before 
we came out. So that was the cause of the taking away of the photo- 
graphic apparatus, and the other was the breaking of the iustriiments 
one time and another. But I do not know of any of the other instru- 
ments being taken away from Collins. When we first got into the ice 
and set up the observatory temporarily Collins did set up the dip circle. 
Now De Long supposed there was a magnetometer aboard the ship, but 
when he came to examine the stores Mr. Collins brought him a little 
current meter which simply shows the current of electricity passing 
through a wire. Captain De Long was very much disgusted when 
he got this little electrometer instead of a magnetometer or large 
magnetic electric instrument, and I heard Collins and De Long have 
some words about that, but I do not know why that instrument was not 
gotten. De Long told Collins he had \mt this article in his hands to 
pick out and instead of getting this large magnetometer he had got this 
little current meter, and De Long got out a pamphlet of instruments 
and showed Mr. Collins the instrument he wanted ; that he syipposed 
this was the instrument Collins was buying. This instrument Collins 
bought would cost about a dollar and a half and the other one De Long 
wanted would cost $450. De Long said if they got to a place where the 
current should be tried it could not be tried with this little thing of no 
value. That was none of my business, and I did not pay much atten- 
tion to it. 

Q. You commenced to tell about taking observations on the ice. Will 
you complete that ? — A. Well, when we set up the observatorj^ Collins 
set up the dip circle in one position pn the table, and he cautioned the 
people coming in there not to disturb it because he had set it in mag- 
netic meridian. I had read about all these things thoroughly while 
aboard the ship, and can use any of those instruments from what I 
learned there. Captain De Long told Collins to take the instrument 
away ; it was of no value the way it was set up, and I do not know 
whether it was removed at that time, but about that time the ice broke up 
and we had to remove all the instruments from tlie observatory and 
take them on the ship. Now, to take a proper series of observations 
from a dip-needle it is necessary to set the instrument up exactly due 
north and south and read its bearings ; turn the instrument exactly the 
other way on a due north and south line and read the bearings; turn 
it east and west and read to the southward; and so on all the way 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 451 

round. After this has been done it is necessary to take the needle oat 
of the icstniment and remagnetize it and read it again, making a se- 
ries of nearly sixteen observations to make one observation. Collins 
did not do tliis, and De Long appeared to be disgusted about that, and 
he turned the instrument over to Mr. Chipp. Mr. Ohipp made this 
series of observations in the manner that I have described, and I used 
to go out with Ohipp to see him do it about five-eighths of a mile astern 
of the ship. That was the removal of that instrument. Now, I do not 
know about any other instrument being taken away from him, but those 
are the principal instruments. 

Q. 1^0 w, that you are talking about the number of the instruments, 
do you know anything about Mr. Collins comparing or having failed to 
compare his thermometers with any standard before leaving San Fran- 
cisco 1 — A. Yes ; I heard that talked of aboard the ship. I do not know 
it of my own knowledge. I heard both Mr. Collins and Captain De 
Long talk about the instruments, and say that it was unfortunate that 
they had not made the comparisons before they left the United States, 
because with our instruments lost the whole series of observations, to 
a very considerable degree, would be worthless upon our return to the 
United States, as they had not been compared with a standard in the 
United States before we left. 

Q. Whose duty was it to have had these comparisons made ? — A. I 
suppose it was Mr. Collins's duty, as he was in charge of the instruments. 
I heard of their swinging the pendulum at San Francisco, but that 
pendulum was never compared with any other pendulum. It was swung 
in the cellar of the Palace Hotel, and its time of swinging was noted by 
the chronometer, but it never was swung by a standard, so if we had 
got anywhere and swung the pendulum it w^ould have been necessary 
to have noticed its swinging time by this chronometer or this chrono- 
meter's error, and upon our return to the United States to have swung 
it with some standard we know of here in the Smithsonian or some 
standard of some of the scientific institutions. But I remember of their 
talking of the regret that the instruments had never been compared. 

Q. i^ow you have spoken pretty generally of the personal intercourse 
of Collins with the other officers up to the time of the shix:)s being 
crushed in the ice, have you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, state as briefly as you can what was the general conduct of 
the other officers of the ship in their intercourse with each other ? — A. 
Well, I suppose all those things are by comparison. 

Q. No, no; with Captain De Long. I do not want you to go into 
any petty detail but to give a general statement. — A. I have been going 
to sea twenty- three years and I have never sailed in any ship in the 
Navy where we had as little quarreling as we did in the Jeannette. I 
have seen a cup of coffee flying across the table in other ships and little 
fisticuffs, but I never saw any such breaches of etiquette or good man- 
ners aboard the Jeannette. 

Q. No, no ; with Captain De Long. State what you have to say of 
the general conduct and intercourse of the officers with one another and 
with the men. — A. Aboard the ship every man did his duty as far as I 
know and the officers behaved themselves as well as men do as men 
among men. Captain De Long was courteous and careful, I thought, of 
the leelings of every officer. 1 know that he treated me with as much 
courtesy as any officer 1 have ever served with. T think that he was fair 
and just to everybody. I heard him take up Danenhower one time on a 
little trivia] offense. Danenhower spoke to me about it, "Did you hear 
that, Melville ! " Danenhower was in error at the time, but I did not 



452 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

think it was uecessary. But to my miud Captain De Long was equable 
of temper. 

Q. Did you ever see him iniiict any personal violence or indignity 
upon any officer or man ? — A. No, sir ; at no time or place. 

Q. Did he make a general order that there should be no profanity on 
board Ihe ship? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When was that made? — A. Oh, very early in the cruise, I do not 
remember when. I am apt to use oaths, and he was always after me 
about that, probably a half dozen times, '' Melville, Melville, you must 
stop thn t ; it won't tlo." Of course 1 knew it would not do ; it is contrary 
to the regulations. 

Q. From the beginning to the end of your intercourse with Captain 
De Long on that cruise, did you ever hear him violate that rule? — A. 
Never, never. He was very particular about carrying out the regula- 
tions perfectly straight. He appeared to govern his ship altogether by 
the regulations. He took the book and line to keep himself straight 
on that score. 

Q. Was any man on board that ship punished by Captain De Long ? — 
A. One man who is dead now was punished for profanity, but it was 
in a personal renconter with another man that came directly under De 
Long's eyes, or it would not have been noticed. 

Q, It was a violation of that rule he had laid down ?— A. It was a 
very gross violation of that rule at the time. 

Q. Was that the only punishment of De Long's inflicting upon any 
officer or man during the whole time you were on the ship? — A. Well, 
private reprimands did not count. When he susj^ended Mr. Collins that 
was considered a punishment as far as it goes. 

Q. Is that considered punishment ? — A. It makes an officer feel bad 
if he is suspended from duty. 

Mr. Curtis. I have not made a single objection so far, but I desire to 
raise the question I raised the other day. Neither this witness nor Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower, nor in fact any of those who may testify, can usurp 
the functions of the committee and state whether that is a punishment 
or not. From our theory there can be no greater punishment to a sen- 
sitive person than an unjust deprivation of his rights and privileges and 
a suspension from honorable duty. Of course, to some minds, differ- 
ently constituted, it requires physical outrage and violence to shock the 
ature of the man, but there are minds 

The Chairman (interposing). The ruling the other day was for the 
witness to state the facts. 

The AViTNESS (to Mr. Curtis). You did not give me time, Judge; I was 
going to say that an officer is suspended from duty and his suspension 
is intended as a punishment — it is considered a punishment. For in- 
stance, if I commit a misdemeanor on the ship and I am suspended for 
five days and restored to duty, I have been punished 5 if I have com- 
mitted a misdemeanor on the ship, and I am suspended for ten days and 
restored to duty, I have been punished. But if I have committed a 
misdemeanor and I am suspended from duty to await a trial by court- 
martial I am not punished until the court finds me guilty. 

Mr. Curtis. There ! W^ith extraordinary perseverance the witness 
has got in exactly what I have objected to. I move that be stricken 
out. The witness is remarkably intelligent and 

The Witness (interposing). I thought you wanted the explanation. 

Mr. Curtis. It is all right. I knew exactly what you were coming 
to and I made the objection in time. I move that part of the answer 
which is in antagonism to the ruling of the chairman be sti-icken out. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 453 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit the committee caunot strike it out ; it maybe 
disregarded. 

The Chaieman. The warning of it may not go in the record. He can 
tell the facts now. A man may be suspended and restored immediately 
or may be suspended for a long time and then restored to duty again ; 
a man may be arrested and held for a court-martial. Put those facts 
down, but leave out the opinion of the witness. 

Mr. Curtis. I think I made myself clear the other day. We were 
contending that one of the duties of the committee, among others, is 
to ascertain whether this was a punishment or not. Now, if this or 
any other witness be allowed to state whether it is a punishment or not 
he is at once usurping the functions of the committee, and it seems to 
me that the witness should be cautioned not to state anything like that 
as a matter of opinion, but, in the language of the chairman, simply to 
state his knoAvledge of the fact. 

The Witness. It was simply the custom of the service that I was 
giving you. I did not intend to twist anything at all. 

Mr. Arnoux. W^hen the committee all assemble I shall ask the com- 
mittee to rule in regard to that, because I think it is competent ; but I 
propose to wait until all the committee are here and see what shall be 
the ruling in regard to that. 

The Chairman. In this case, where the witness defines it so clearly 
and gives the reasons, on reflection I do not think that it is really objec- 
tionable. 

Mr. Arnoux. He states the facts in connection with it. 

Mr. Curtis. I should like to be heard on that point before the com- 
mittee alter their ruling of the other day. 

Mr. Arnoux. I propose we pass that until we have the full com- 
mittee .here to discuss it. 

Mr. Curtis. I agree to that, for it may be an important question 
here. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Excepting the private reprimand, and leaving out of view this 
matter of Mr Collins, there was but one punishment, and that was for 
violating the order in reference to swearing? — A. Yes, sir. Hold on, I 
will have to correct that. Mr. Newcomb was suspended from duty also. 

Q. I have said on the ship.— A. Yes, sir; on the ship. 

Q. ISTow, speaking of that order, did Captain De Long make an order 
in reference to the bringing in of sjjecimens of natural history"?— A. 
Yes, sir; he did. I received the order, and every ofi&cer and man on 
board the ship received the order. 

Q. What, in substance, was that order? — A. It was ''Gentlemen, in 
any of your perambulations or walks over the ice, if you find an.N thing 
at all in the way of natural history that is curious, bring it into the 
ship and surrender it to the naturalist, and tell him the time and place 
of discovering it," and I have seen sailors bring in a stick of wood, a 
piece of birch, or something of that kind, and say "Mr. IS'ewcomb, here 
is a piece of wood I found a mile and a half southeast of the ship." A 
man brought in a dried codfish bone, with all the flesh eaten away 
from the head, and surrendered it to IS'ewcomb, and things of that kind. 
The order was issued, because it was issued to me direct. Mr. Chipp 
was very particular about transmitting orders. 

Q. I want to direct your attention to one thing further. Was or was 
not Captain De Long careful in regard to the health of the men ? — A. I 
think that was one of the troubles. Most people thought he was too 



454 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

careful of them. Tbey did not want to be coddled or treated like chil- 
dren. He took good care of the people. 

Q. Did he make any orders that were variant from what the doctor 
had required in respect to the health of the men? — A. No, sir; they 
always had little consultations among themselves and talked the mat- 
ter over and agreed upon what they thought was best as between the 
surgeon and commanding officer. 

Q. What investigation did Ambler make in regard to air in the quar- 
ters f — A. Every day during the day time and every night at midnight 
or at a certain hour after the men were in their berths he procured ajar 
of the atmosphere the men were breathing and measured it to find the 
amount of carbonic-acid gas it contained, to ascertain whether there 
was any poisonous qualitj^ in the air. 

Q. And what in regard to the water ? — A. The same in regard to the 
water. Every day there was a pint of the water drawn from the dis- 
tilling tub below and carried into the cabin. It was my business or 
duty to carry this water up to the surgeon. He would pour it into a 
clear glass, and then drop a few drops of the nitrate of silver into the 
clear fluid. If there was any great amount of salt in it it would make 
it Hake ; if it would drop down through the water it was thrown away. 

Q. Do you know th&t there was any order that the water should not 
be taken from the distiller until it should be so tested ? — A. It was a 
general order not to permit anybody to take the water away for more 
reasons than one, not only on account of the possibility of there being salt 
in the water, but we were burning our coal, and if the men or officers 
were permitted to take water that had been distilled and wash with it, 
which is much pleasanter than washing with salt water, it would be 
wasting the water. We worked down the distiller to forty or forty five 
gallons a da^^, and that took a hundred pounds of coal. If we would 
let them take water from the tank we would be burning two hundred 
pounds a day, and the coal would not last. So there were various rea- 
sons for not having a free water butt. There was a certain amount dis- 
tilled and no more. 

Q. W^is the order any more stringent in regard to Colli us's use of 
water than in regard to anybody else on board the vessel "? — A. No, 
sir ; not a particle. 

Q. All were under the same general law ? — A. Everybody. Of course, 
I had access to the fire-room ; that is my part of the ship. I had no 
business to go there and draw a pint of water and carry it off. If I did 
it, I did it surreptitiously. 

Q. In other words, it was just as stringent upon you as upon any- 
body else ? — A. Yes, sir ; because we were distilling only forty or forty- 
five gallons per day ; that was a gallon or a gallon and a half per man, 
and if we used any more would consume too much coal. 

Q. How large an amount of coal did you have to last you, looking 
forward in days? — A. Six or eight months that would have lasted us 
if we did not meet with such disasters as we did in the first part of the 
cruise. 

Q. Now, you have spoken generally of Captain De Long. What have 
you to say in general about Lieutenant Chipp's conduct on board the 
vessel ? — A. Lieutenant Chipp was a first-rate man anywheres. He 
was one of the men that was considered the pride of the service, and I 
do not know any better man than Chi^)!) was, either as a sailor or as an 
ofiicer. He was a quiet, reticent sort of a man, and was a man that 
would go off and mope by himself sometimes. At times you could 
hardly get a word out of him. Sometimes he would come to breakfast 



JEANNETTE iNQUIRt. 455 

and say, ^^ Hello, old fellows, duff is it ; chummy, you and I likes duff; 
we likes ends" ; and he would take half and give me the other half; 
he would do that at times, and then again he wouldn't speak a word for a 
week. 

Q. That w^as the outcome of his character? — A. Yes, it was the na- 
ture of the man. That was his reputation throughout the service. I 
knew him in China the same way. 

Q. What in regard to the general character of Lieutenant Danen- 
hower until he was put on the sick list? — A. First rate, there was 
nothing the matter with Danenhower. He was up and around all the 
time. He was the most attentive man to his duty of any man I ever 
sailed with. He used to figure and potter over his books until you 
would think the books would run away with him. He was never satis- 
fied with any sight he made. He was the most persistent man in doub- 
ling up. If we were five pounds short in coal he would go all through 
the books until he found it. He was a good navigator. 

Q. What have you to say in regard to Dr. Ambler? — A. I cannot say 
too much for Dr. Ambler as a messmate and a surgeon and as a man. 
No better man ever lived than Dr. Ambler. I think that he was the 
gentleman of the ship, the high-toned gentleman of the ship, without 
reserve or exception. 

Q. It is hardly necessary to ask you to pass upon Newcomb, except in 
regard to your general intercourse with him, for the committee have 
seen Mr. Newcomb, and can judge for themselves. — A. I did not have 
much to do with JS^ewcomb. He struck me as being very young. I had 
knocked around the world a good deal, seen a good deal of war, knocked 
around during the war, chaffed a good deal amongst men, and it struck 
me the less I had to do with him the better. I never had anything at 
all to do with him until we got down on the Lena delta, and then he 
did not move as I thought he ought to move, and I started him along. 
When he was going to have a fisticuff' with Jack Cole and squared off' 
at him if I had let Cole alone he would have knocked his head off in 
two minutes. I said, "Stop that, stop your fighting." He turned to me 
and said, "Mr. Melville, it is one of my privileges to talk, and I will 
talk as much as I please," and then I lit out on him. Up to that time 
I never had had a word with Newcomb. One time in the boat his hands 
were sore, and were not strong enough to pull an oar. t had made a 
little pump, and I used to have him pump, and his hands got so sore he 
could not pull an oar, so he was like a spare pump in a grave-yard, 
neither useful nor ornamental. 

Q. Did he strike you as a pugilist? — A. No, sir; he did not. 

Q. You did not have any fear of danger to the life or limb of Cole ? — 
A. No, sir. I told Cole to let him alone. It was his duty to sit there 
and hang on that rope in the boat, and as soon as I sung out, " Let go 
your halyard; let go quick," it was his duty to let go. The whole safety 
of the boat depended ux)on that. The wind struck us and the boat 
filled with water from the stem to the stern, and I very naturally sung 
out, " Mr. Newcomb, let go the halyard." Says he, " Mr. Melville, if 
you will let me get on my boot I will let go the halyard." By that time 
1 had damned him up in a heap, and I got up myself to do it, but the 
men forward had let go the halyard. That was the first time I ev^er 
spoke to Newcomb. The next time was the occasion of the fuss with 
Jack Cole. 

Q. Before that time had you any disposition to sit down on New- 
comb?— A. No, sir. 



456 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Before that time had you any ill-will towards him *? — A. Not a bit, 
and I have not now, and never will have. 

Q. Did you after that time have any such feeling? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Something has been said about your conduct in the Lena delta in 
res})ect to the search for De Long's i)arty. Will you, as briefly as you 
can, state what was done there, not giving any more than is necessary 
to a complete understanding; give the couuuittee an understanding of 
your views as to what was done and the wisdom ot the course adopted 
ill the delta. — A. Yes, sir. Before i^arting company with the others on 
the 12th of September I received a written order from De Long placing 
me in command of the boat. I have a copy of the order here, but it is in 
the previous investigation. In addition to my written orders 1 had 
verbal orders in case of a separation to make the best of my way to 
Cape Barkin, but under all circumstances, if possible, to keep in sight 
of De Long's boat and not part company if I could help it. We shoved 
oft' from Seu]inowski Island on the morning of the 12th of September 
and ran along until about noon-time, when we hauled out on the edge 
of the ice. We hauled the three boats up to fill our buckets with snow 
and to make our tea and eat our dinner together. It was blowing fresh 
in the morning when we started, and the wind was increasing. After 
we had our dinner we shoved off the edge of the floe witli the under- 
standing that we had about 70 miles to go in a southwesterly direction 
to get to Gape Barkin. The course was due southwest. The wind at 
this time was northeast. I think before we pushed off' from the 
ice we put a single reef in the sails, and as soon as we pushed off 
De Long took the lead, I followed him, and Cliipp followed me. My 
position was in the middle, Ohipp bringing up the rear. We continued in 
com})any with each other until about 7 o'clock in the evening, when it 
was blowing a full gale of wind and the sea was tumbling over us every 
once in a while. We were scudding or running before the wind. It 
was blowing so hard we had to reduce the sails from single reef to close 
reef. The whale-boat was a much better sailor than the others. She 
was a finer built boat, therefore speedier, and there was some little diffi- 
culty- about my keeping astern of the first cutter. So when the gale was 
almost at its height, about 7 o'clock in the evening, some of the men in 
the boat told me De Long was making signals. I looked over my 
shoulder toward where De Long was. I had forged a little ahead. 
Chii)p was probably 700 to 1,000 yards astern and on our port quarter, 
but well astern. When the men told me that De Long was making a 
signal, of course I knew it was to go down along within hail so he could 
hail me. It was very awkward to heave the boat to in such a heavy 
gale of wind. The boat was so small the least little sea would catch us 
under and till her up to the thwarts. All three boats were in danger 
of swamping at that time; so we could not maneuver the boat as well 
with sail and tiller, and I told the man to let go the halyards and gather 
in the foot of the sail. By so doing we reduced the speed, and De Long 
gained on me and I drifted down almost within hail. I had slowed the 
speed of my boat so, and the wind was blowing so hard and the sea run- 
ning so high that the sea came clean over the stern and tilled the boat 
up to the thwarts; so much so that I thought the game was up. When 
the sea came over and tilled us up to our waists, I jumped up and halloed 
ont to De Long, '' 1 must run or I will swamp," and I saw him turn 
around and say something to some of the men in the boat, as if asking 
what I was saying, and I supi)ose some of the men repeated to him what 
I had bawled out. His voice could not come to me but my voice had 
gone to him. I saw him then make a motion with his arms this way 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 457 

[illustrating], which was to go aliead ; I took it for granted I was to go 
ahead. As soon as he did that I shook one reef out of the sail and in 
less tlian an hour I was out of sight of the first cutter. 

About that time or just before that time somebody in the boat said 
that he was making a signal a second time and somebody else said no, 
he was making a signal to Lieutenant Chipp's boat. I slewed well 
around in the seat and looked over the port quarter where Chipp was 
and could just see his boat rising on the crest of a sea once in awhile, 
and it struck me at that time that it was then that Chipp-s boat swamped, 
because, in maneuvering his boat, the boat jibed and the sail was struck 
aback. I distinctly saw some man standing up in the boat trying to 
haul the sail down and I have an idea that that instant of time was the 
time Ohipp's boat rolled over and all hands were drowned. We were 
a thousand yards ahead and w^e could only take care of ourselves. 
Danenhower and I had been shipmates at this time for more than two 
years and although I was in command of the boat I did not hesitate at 
all to ask him his opinion of anything going on. I would have been dere- 
lict in my duty had 1 done otherwise, and we conversed freely about all the 
maneuvers of the boat. As soon as we ran away from De Long I said 
to him, "Dan, it is blowing like blazes, we had better heave to." He 
said, " Yes, we should have heaved to long ago." Isaid, "We couldn't 
very well," and we set to work to make a drag ; the only question was 
what to make the drag of. We exx)ected to have more ice and in the 
case of a gale of wind of that kind you can get on a piece of ice and 
haul the boat up. So he proposed to make a drag of the oars. I said 
that wouldn't do, if the line parted we would lose our oars. We con- 
cluded to make the drag of a piece of canvas, which was rigged and got 
into shape. Jack Cole made the drag and Hansen helped him, and 
when we got ready to put the boat about, Dan said, "Let me heave the 
boat to. I have savey enough to listen to what people say." I said, 
"All right, Dan, you can heave the boat to," and the boat was hove to. 
Bartlett threw the drag out, and the boat came up to the drag, at first 
pretty well, but the drag kept coming home on us and the boat showed 
evidence of going to broach to, and if it did so we would all be drowned. 
To prevent that 1 got out one of the fire pots to the cooking stove. We 
had to run it down over the line, and that buried the drag down in the 
sea so that the boat lay to very well until the next afternoon at 5 o'clock. 
At 5 o'clock in the evening we commenced to talk about the matter 
again. The wind was going down and the sea was calming, and they 
got under w^ay again, and the following morning we brought up in shal- 
low water, as we supposed, off Barkin. Now, before coming down 
through the New Siberian islands, while we were jacksoned at the ten- 
day camp. Captain De Long called a council of Mr. Chipp and myself 
in regard to tlie best routes to take down along the islands. The reason 
why we came down through the islands was to avoid any long sea pas- 
sage, as it v/as when we had Thadowski Island in sight, and by short 
journey we would go from one island to another, and so avoid any possi- 
bility of disaster like that which occurred to Chipp during this very 
gale of wind where we had but 70 miles to run. So we talked the mat- 
ter over and we all came to the conclusion, nobody dissenting, that the 
better way to do was to go along from island to island until we got to 
Seminow^ski. When we got to Seminowski it was a straight reach, 90 
miles, to Cape Barkin, which was the shortest sea voyage on that chart, 
whereas going in any other direction we might increase our voyage any- 
where from 120 to 150 miles, or if we had a straight stretch to the south- 
ward froni where the ship was lost, and we had open water all the way, 



458 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

it would have been 300 miles, open sea voyage, in wbich we might pick 
up a gale of wind and might be destroyed, as Chipp was in this short 
reach of only 70 miles after we left the ice. 

Q. Now, without dwelling upon the details of the matters, after you 
reac/hed the delta, state how rapidly you moved under the circumstances 
in which you were placed and what you did. — A. During the time 
of the council in the ten-day camp by observing the chart we noticed 
that the north coast ran nearly due east and west and the east coast 
north and south. If there was any question about navigation at all 
when we got to Cape Barkin in striking the north coast, by observing 
the coast going east and west, I would know I was on the northward. 
If I struck the other line I would know I was on the east coast. My in- 
struction was to go to Barkin and get a pilot. From the information 
we had we knew that there were numerous natives winter and summer at 
Cape Barkin. My instructions were to go to Cape Barkin, get a pilot, 
and enter any mouth of the river, it did not matter much which, and to 
proceed up the river until I came to a Eussian settlement ; before pay- 
ing any attention to anybody, to secure the safety of myself and my own 
boat's crew. I first stood to the eastward, then to the southward and 
eastward, and then to the southwest, hoping to make one of the eastern 
entrances to the. river, because I found that I could not. get into Cape 
Barkin owing to the shoals ; that when the boat grounded in about two 
feet of water there was no land in sight. Upon approaching the east 
coast of the delta we raised the land to the southward — saw the mount- 
ains, the high land to the southward. Mr. Danenhower wanted me to 
run down to the southward and make the land at the mountains. I 
said " No," I w^ant to make one of the eastern entrances to the river 
and get into the river at once ; we have been at sea long enough." We 
were nearly five days then at sea, and in a pretty distressed couditioD. 
On the morning of the 17th of September, I think — the 16th or 17th — 
we raised two low headlands or sand spits and made straight for the 
center water betw een the two headlands. After we got inside of the 
headlands we tried to make land on one of the shores. We saw some 
drift wood ; it nearly capsized the boat. The men were so crippled that 
they could not handle the oars of the boat well. 

Q. Crippled from what*? — A. From frost. They were frozen stiff in 
the legs. We had been five days in the boat all cramped up, with our 
knees drawn up under oar chins. Some of our feet and limbs were 
pretty badly frozen, and most of the men's hands were sore and the 
fingers swollen. So I did not attempt to make another landing until 
we had proceeded i)retty well up the river. Of coarse, I was anxious to 
obey my orders to go to Barkin. Danenhower thoaght we would not 
have any great difficulty in getting to Barkin. I would listen to what 
he had to say. There were a good many of the people in the boat talk- 
ing, and I woald listen to what all had to say. I had told Dauenhower 
if we could not make a landing hy 12 o'clock I would put the boat 
about and go ap to Barkin. He was carrying my watch in his pocket. 
At 12 o'clock he said, '^ It is 12 o'clock, what do you say ? Shall we 
go about?" I was a little loath to go about, but I said,' " Yes, down 
sail, we will put the boat about and go out." Bartlett was sitting 
in the boat pulling one of the stroke oars. He heard the conversa- 
tion. He said, " There is plenty of water here ; this river is as big as 
the Mississippi at New Orleans, and if we continue on we can get 
up the river." I only wanted a half an excuse to turn me the other 
way, so the boat was headed up the stream the second time, and 
continued on up the river. That night we got ashore, made a landing 



JEANKETTE INQUIRY. 459 

at an old liiit, and dried out. The next day we made a sLort run as far 
as what we called Mud Hill Camp and staid there over night. The 
next morning- we got under way again and ran down as far as a river. 
I thought it was the main river because it was running north and south, 
had a clean reach north and south, and I supposed I was in the river 
proper, although I afterwards found I was only in the delta. We got 
under way, and when we were under way probabl^^ a couple of hours, we 
came to a couple of nice huts, new huts, in good condition, as if the peo- 
ple had been there just a little while before. It was a fishing station. 
The wind was blowing qiute fresh and we had not had much sleep, so 
we landed at these two huts and dried out our clothing. We landed at 
12 o'clock and staid there over night and the next morning shoved off 
again ; I still supposing I was in the main branch of the river, and I 
stood due south trying to follow the west bank. Towards 10 or 11 
o'clock during the day we raised a couple of small hnts on a hill and as 
that w^as due south we tried to make it, but owing to the sand spits 
and shoals in the channel we could not get to where we wanted to, 
and finally hauled out within a mile or a mile and a half of it at a place 
which we afterwards used to call Cai:>e Borkiah. After we got dinner, 
just before we shoved off, we saw three canoes coming toward us with 
three natives in them. We pushed into the stream and as they came 
towards ns they seemed to be a little alarmed at first. One of the boats 
kept light by. Another contained a young man who was a little more 
venturesome than the other. He came alongside, ^ot being able to 
talk to them I told one of our men to get out a pot of pemmican, at the 
same time to cut off a piece and show it was good to eat. I told one of 
our men when this young man got alongside to seize his canoe, which 
he did quickly, to the alarm of the native. Afterwards we pacified them, 
showing them our guns and things to eat, &c. Finally we drifted into 
the beach and made some tea. I then made them a picture of my boat 
and their three canoes, putting their canoes ahead of me with his pad- 
dle poised ready to sound the water, to travel, in order to make them 
understand we wanted to go to Bulun. I had Bulun on my little chart. 
I showed this place which I called Bulun, but they call it Bulungo. I 
made a sketch showing how we were to go, with the canoe in advance 
and my boat following behind, and they appeared to understand it 
very well. I made them understand we wanted to get a place to eat, 
sleep, and wash our faces. They led the way and took us up to Cape 
Borkiah where these huts were. We arrived there and they gave us 
some fish, and one of the men said he would go after the starostoi or 
head man of the village. The starostoi is the head man and the golo- 
vab is the next man. We staid there that night. 

The next morning we made up our minds to go on. I did not see any 
women there, and I came to the conclusion it was onl^^ one of their lodging 
places or fishing places. The huts w^ere not furnished. There was no 
prospect of getting anything to eat. Our provisions were getting very 
low. As soon as we parted with De Long we were on half rations, so 
we were verj^ hungry. When we got dow^n to the beach and pushed 
the boat off' 1 tried to have the young man that came alongside of us ac- 
comxjany us, but he would not go. He said, no ; we would all die. He 
seized the gunwale and stamped on the earth, saying, ''Boos ! Boos ! " and 
hauled the boat in as though hauling the boat across the earth. He 
meant that the ice was in the river and that we could not go to Bulungo. 
He said, "Pommeri! Pommeri! Pommeri ! " Put his hand beside his 
head, and laying down like he was dead; " Tak Pommeri j" we will all 
die. So I saw the reason for his refusing to go. There was consider- 



460 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

able young ice in the river, so we bundled into our boat and shoved oflP 
without him, and continued along what I supposed was the west bank 
of the main river. We followed it along until we found it was getting 
so shallow that we had to put out into the middle of the stream. Then 
we got into a labyrinth of shoals, sand spits, and little channels, and 
it came on to blow and snow, and at 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon we 
came to the conclusion, as we were not making headway, to go back 
and find the natives. We put the boat about and came on back, but 
not knowing exactly where we were drifting, between 8 and 10 o'clock 
at night we drove the tent-poles into the mud and stopped her. 

The next morning all the men except Danenhower and one other were 
pretty badly frozen. From my knees to my toes was full of blisters. 
Some of the others were in a worse condition even than I. We got the 
boat under way in a snow-storm and ran her back and came to where 
we were the day before. While we were making tea one or two of the 
men ran along the bank to see if they could see any huts. They came 
back and said that they saw the huts. As soon as we got through with 
our tea we went back to Cape Borkiah and there we found four natives. 
Another man had got on the scene — Vassili Koolgork. We staid there 
that night. He had brought some venison with him. We had a talk 
with him. Then I made him understand that we wanted to go to Bulun 
and he said, " i^To," and he commenced to stamp and said, " Boos, boos," 
and that he would take us to a place where we could eat and sleep. I 
said, " All right," that would do me. We bundled ourselves into the 
boat again. I told Bartlett to take the paddle and cut a notch in it and 
show how much water our boat would draw. We shoved off and started 
around the same way we did the day before. Vassili thought he could 
pilot the boat across the shoals, but he found there was not water enough. 
He then took us to the northeast and took us to sea around outside of 
the islands, and eventually brought us up at Geeomovialocke. That 
was a passage of four days. We arrived at Geeomovialocke about noon 
on the 26th of September. We found a village of some half a dozen 
huts there and probably fifteen or twenty people, male and female. I 
do not think there were more than twenty. Before arriving there we 
had stopped at a deserted village called Arrii, where there were no 
people at all. We delayed there a little while and an old man and two 
women and a grandson came ashore and he went with us as an extra 
jjilot to Geeomovialocke. 

When we arrived at Geeomovialocke we hauled the boat up and 
the starosti, Nicolai Shagra, took us up to his house and gave us geese 
for our dinner, and about 9 o'clock woke us up and gave us a fish. We 
turned in that night and the next morning we wanted to go on, and 
they said no, we could not go, it was blowing too hard. He blew up his 
sleeves, meaning that the snow would go in there and down our throats 
and we would all perish. About an hour or two afterwards the storm 
had gone down and he consented to go. Before leaving Geeomovial- 
ocke I singled out one of the tent cooking utensils to leave, in order (we 
had lots of that kind) to lighten the boat as much as possible. We 
then started under the conveyance of Mcolai Shagra and the native 
pilots. Yaphem Kopelloff, who was said to be a Russian exile, said to 
liave been a soldier sentenced for stealing powder or something of that 
kind, was in the stern sheets of our boat, and three or four pilots bad 
I)iloted the way before starting with him. Nicolai Shagra understood 
what we wanted to do. We could not understand their language. We 
made pictures. As soon as they gave us anything we would get the 
word. For instance, when they gave us fish, Jcooshet was to eat j speCj 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 461 

to sleep; bonse was haloghan^ and in a very little while we had a vocab- 
ulary of forty or fifty words. Before starting they told us it would 
take fifteen days to go to Bulun, and tlie way they indicated fifteen 
d.jys was by i)utting their head on their hand to indicate fifteen spees or 
sleeps. I asked then how about the grub, I hadn't anything to eat. 
So they gave us fifty fish, put them in the bag, and a small piece of 
venison that Shagra put in, not for us, but for himself. So I cried out, 
"Fifty fish for eleven men for fifteen days' journey!" They said all 
right, we will catch more on the way. 

We started off with the wind in our faces and rowed and sailed, and 
did all we could. The men were crippled and could not row wel'. The 
boat was overloaded. The natives, of course, being in canoes, were 
more or less frightened because the young ice was running two inches 
thick in the river. They very naturally kept near the shore, but nobody 
knew the channel except the natives. They were our pilots. We had 
to depend upon them. We might sound with a pole and step out into 4 
or 5 feet of water, as we did. I had Bartlett four or five days sounding. 
You couldn't go a mile in any direction without using the sounding 
})oie. Towards 2 o'clock in the afternoon the natives waved us back, 
saying we could not go any farther. Our boat was ashore continually, 
and we would lay on our oars and shove off again. It was blowing- 
fresh, and the ice was running probably two inches thick. They made 
us understand we would have to go back. The exile who was in the 
stern made himself our tutor. He made us understand we would have 
to go back. So we put tbe boat about and ran towards Geeomovialocke. 
That was on the evening of the 27th of September, and there was not 
a soul in that boat who was not very glad to go back at that time; and 
before we started on that journey one of the best seamen there was in 
the ship, Herbert Leach, begged and cried to be left behind rather than 
to make the passage. I said, "^o; if anybody staid, we would stay all 
together, and he was helped into the boat. He was one of the best 
sailors there was in the party. So we got back to Geeomovialocke. The 
most of us crawled out of the boat and up on the bauk, and the natives 
made me understand they wanted us to haul the boat out of the water. 
It was a very steep bank, probably 10 or 12 feet high, and I was afraid 
they would break the boat, and did not want to do it, but they made 
me understand it was going to blow and freeze, and that when the ice 
commenced to run out I would lose my boat. I was sitting on the edge of 
the boat, and Mr. Danenhower mustered all the men, women, and chil- 
dren in the village and hauled it on the bank. They then took us to a 
hut and quartered us for the night. 

The next morning the bay was covered with ice except water holes 
here and there. I then understood why the natives were so particular 
about hauling the boat out. If I had left the boat in there the ice 
would be around it, and the next gale would break the ice and carry 
the boat off to sea with it. They made us understand that afterwards, 
when I learned their language better. Then we set about going to 
Bulun as quickly as possible. We prepared a letter in English, Danen- 
hower made a copy in French, one of the men made a German copy and 
a- Swedish or Is^orwegian copy, and we stuck in a picture we had of the 
American fiag. After we made up this package we carried it to Mcolai 
Shagra and made him understand it was to go to Bulun, the Russian 
settlement, at the first possible means of getting it there. He assured 
us it should be sent. In the mean time, to demonstrate w^hat had be- 
come of the rest of the boats I made them a large block representing 
the shipj and I made three boats, and rolled the ship on the table and 



462 JE4NNETTE INQUIRY. 

threw the big ship underneath the table and made them understand 
that that had gone down. That left me three boats on the table. I 
put eight men in one boat, thirteen in another, and eleven in another, 
and then I put the sea in motion again and put the other two boats 
under the table into the sea. This was early after the landing at Gee- 
omovialocke. I made them understand there were two other boats 
besides ours, and that they must either be lost or their crews drowned 
in the sea. So Nicohii Shagra said he could not go to Bulun until the 
ice made across the bay. Then we inquired how many days. Well, 
ten or fifteen days — fifteen sleeps, putting his head on his hand and 
sleeping again for fifteen sleeps. And there was no means of moving 
them earlier than that. 

When we landed at the Lena delta there was nobody in that boat 
who knew exactly where we were within 60 miles ; that is, we did not 
know the latitude within 30 miles north or south of that point. This 
was the only chart we had to go by. [Exhibiting same.] If auy person 
will look at this chart he will see how we were placed, without a guide, 
dog, road, or track, or anything else of that kind. You can see the po- 
sition we were in to find our way from Geeomovialocke to Bulun, not 
knowing we were at Geeomovialocke, and not knowing the direction of 
Bulun. When we were put into quarters by the natives at Geeomo- 
vialocke, after having visited Nicolai Shagra, I told the men that they 
must be as cheerful as possible, and to carry plenty of wood and keep 
the fires going; that would keep us warm and give them healthful ex- 
ercise; that we were not yet out of the woods ; that it was necessary to 
follow all sanitary precautions as to healthful exercise, and to be cheer- 
ful and avoid scurvy ; we had had the longest march on record in get- 
ting oft' from a base of supplies ; that we had been hungry and cold and 
worn out; that that was a common occurrence for seamen being cast 
away as we were, and if they shut themselves up close in a hut, such 
as we were in at this time, they would die of scurvy ; that I did not know 
that any scurvy had yet set in among us, but the history of the world 
showed that under the circumstances people would die of scurvy. I 
also related to the people the circumstances of a Russian officer with 
his wife and a party of Cossacks sent to this veritable Lena delta, that 
had attempted to winter at the mouth of the Olenek, where they had 
been supplied with everything that was necessary to take care of them 
during the winter, and although they were in a country where there 
were plenty of natives to supply them with fish, this intelligent Kus- 
sian officer, with his wife and a whole Cossack force, died of cold and 
hunger and scurvy; that we were at one side of the delta and they 
were at the other ; that we were not out of the woods by any means. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. From what did you get that record? — A. I read it as matter of 
history, sir. I told the men this to encourage them, and talked to them 
in that way. Our legs at this time were badly swollen and full of blis- 
ters and sores, and so far as the appearance of our limbs was concerned 
they showed every evidence of scurvy although I now believe that 
there was not a particle of scurvy, in the whole ship's company from 
the beginning to the end. But at that time I feared that scurvy would 
set in among us. We were eleven of our people and one liussian exile, 
making twelve people. We were dependent wholly upon the natives 
lor our su})ply of food. 

Q. Is that part of Siberia a penal colony"? — A. Yes, sir; they send 
their convicts all the way to the river Kolyma, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 463 

Q. Was this Eussian exiled for political offeuses ? — A. No, sir; he was 
a criminal. They house them with the natives and they keep them or 
not as they please. They can put them out to starve if they want to. 

Q. They are left entirely to their own resources'? — A. The natives 
give them anything they want to eat. They are not allowed to follow 
their ordinary vocations. An exile is turned adrift. 

Q. Do they build their own houses?— A. They can build a hut in the 
desert, but are not permitted to own cattle or farms. I had a long ex- 
perience with those people. 

Q. Is the border of this country so well protected that they cannot get 
back to Eussia ? — A. Yes, sir ; I could not travel 16 versts, 8 or 9 miles, 
without a passport, but I could not travel from one village to another with- 
out having a red passport. I had a general passport from the governor- 
general, a ticket. When 1 got to that village I had to have a blue ticket, 
and for the next village I had to have a yellow ticket, and so on. A man 
traveling as I was could not travel without being under the surveilance 
of the police. 

Q. Do they give the political exile anything to support him ? — A. No, 
sir ; he has 25 rubles a month and he must never have more than 299 
rubles in his possession. That regulation is made in order to prevent 
his escaping. But the political exile is supplied with 25 rubles by the 
Government. 

Q. Proceed with your narrative. — A. Our food consisted of four fish 
in the morning about the size of a shad, and sometimes four in the even 
ing 5 we had no salt, pepper, or anything of that kind. We had no bread. 
We had no bread for forty days. Some of the geese were so iar de- 
cayed that when you hung them up by the neck and thawed them out 
their entrails would drop out on deck. We used to wash and clean 
them. One of the troubles that occurred between two of the men 
sleeping in the same berth w>!S that one of the men put his geese over 
his berth to thaw them out before breakfast, and the droppings came 
down on the other and soiled his clothing. Under those circumstances 
I was very anxious to get away from Geeomovialocke. I was afraid 
that if scurvy did not set in among my people typhoid fever would 
and wou}d kill us ; that probably we would die of typhoid from eating 
this loathsome food. 

By Mr. AUNOUX : 

Q. Do the natives eat this food ? — A. Yes, sir. So you will observe 
at this time there was not an abundance of food in the huts or in the 
village at which we were stopping ; the exile, Yaphem, brought us a lot 
of goose-eggs. Some of them were in different stages of incubation, 
and when we broke them we would find blood and bones and yellow 
feathers in them. It was a question whether we should throw them 
away or not; but they were put in the pan and fried and we ate them. 
So this was not a land of plenty that we had come to. Eesting upon 
the assurance that Nicholai Shagra would send to Bulun at the earliest 
possible moment the dispatches or letters that we had written, we 
watched the bay day after day. Sometimes it would freeze over, at other 
times be full of holes. A gale of wind would come on and drive part 
of the ice out of the bay. But after we had been there about ten days, 
another exile came into the camp and Yaphem brought him into our 
hut. He told us that he had come from Toomose, on the opposite side 
of the bay, about 10 versts across. Yaphem told us that he was a big 
soldier and had considerable influence with the natives. We told him 
of our short supply of food, and showed him some of the decayed 



464 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

geese. I told him that I was afraid my people would die liviug on 
this kind of food. Either that day, or the day before, or just at that 
time, Bartlett had gone to get our daily allowance of fish or geese 
from the starosti of the village. Instead of getting his four fish as 
he expected he threw two of these decayed geese to him. Bartlett re- 
monstrated, and wanted four geese or else four fish, and after some dif- 
ficulty he did manage to get four and a half rotten geese as our evening 
supply. Kusmah, for this was the name of the other exile, remonstrated 
with the natives, and they increased our supply of fish; that is, they 
gave us larger fish or more of them. Fish are not taken in large quan- 
tities at all times at the Lena delta or any of its branches. The fishing 
season proper sets in after the month of October, when the fish is gen- 
erally^ caught through the ice. Later in the season we had an abundance 
offish, but that was when the fish were running plentifully, as the shad 
do in our rivers in the United States. Upon Kusmah's first visit to our 
hut 1 asked him how long it would take him to go to Bulun and return. 
He said he could not go then, because the ice in the bay was not secure; 
that he had crossed the bay it is true, but he had to pick his way with 
a small team of dogs, and that the river proper on the other side of the 
mountains was so broken and full of running ice that it was impossible 
to travel, but that in four or five days he would return to Gceomovia- 
locke, and by that time in all probability the bay would be sufiiciently 
frozen so that he could make a journey to Bulun. He returned, accord- 
iug to appointment, on the fourth or fifth day after his first visit. Mr. 
Dauenhower and myself had talked in regard to whether or not it would 
be better to send somebody to Bulun with Kusmah. Mr. Dauenhower 
was anxious to go to Bulun to see the Cossack commandant and send 
what succor was necessary back to me or return with it. Bartlett was 
anxious to go, aud had spoken to me about going along with Kusmah. 
Mr. Hanenhower told me that if anybody should go I should permit him 
to go, as he was an officer. I reminded him that he was on the sick list, 
and that under the circumstances I did not know that it was uecessary 
to send anybody. Mr. Dauenhower was anxious to go to Bulun and 
then continue on to the telegraph station. 1 told him that it would 
not matter to go to the telegraph station; the outside world might know 
all about us, but that would not help our case any where we were ; I 
did not care anything about the telegraph stations. At that time there 
was no person in my luit said anything at all about going to search for 
De Long. There was not a soul at any time during the whole of our 
residence at Geeomovialocke up to this time who did not suppose De 
Long and his party were dead; that his boat had swamped and rolled 
over in a gale of wind. That was the common conversation among 
every soul that I ever heard talk about it. That was my belief at the 
time. 

Q. Was that true also in regard to Chipp? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You had the same opinion in regard to both boats ? — A. I never 
heard a man express any other opinion but that we were the only boat's 
crew to come out of that gale. The general conversation and the com- 
mon conversation among us all when we would huddle together in the 
night was the possibilities and the i)robabilities, and knowing that our 
boat was the safer boat we had no idea that the other boats had lived 
through tlie gale at all, ])articu]arly De Long's boat, on account of it be 
ing so deeply loaded. We considered that she was so deep that there 
was no show for hei-'at all. When Kusmah returned the second time 
Mr. Danenhoweraud myself walked down to the whale-boat and turned 
her over. We had the boat's crew go down with us and turned the boat 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 465 

over a.ud let tbem inspect her. The rest of the crew went back to the 
hut and Mr. Daueuhower, myself, and Knsmah went into a, deserted 
palatka, a picket hut different from balogan or yakut. A palatka is a 
hut with a tent-pole all the way to the top. A balogan is a hut carried 
part of the way in the lorm of a trungated cone, the Top cut off and a 
smoke-hole through the center of it. We weut into this hut to have a 
conversation with Kusmah. The question was how rapidly could he 
go to Buluu, and how rapidly return. He said that he could go and 
return in about five days. I told him if he could go and return in five 
days and bring the Cossack commandant back with him — we had learned 
there was a Russian Cossack in command at Bulun — and bring sufficient 
reindeer and sleds to carry us from Geeomovialocke and land us at 
Bulun that I would give him the whale boat and 500 rubles, but he must 
bring us food, clothing, and reindeer sleds. He said that he would go 
and return in five days. We then had some conversation in regard to 
Danenhower or some olher person going with him. He said no ; he pre- 
ferred to go alone; that one man and his outfit for this journey would 
weigh four hundred pounds; he had but seven dogs; that if he took 
two men with their supplies it would be eight hundred i:)ouuds, and it 
would require thirteen dogs ; that he could go more rapidly by going 
alone and return in five days. That settled my mind at once that neither 
Bartlett nor Mr. Danenhower should go along. He said that he would 
go quicker and return quicker if he went alone. That matter was then 
settled and the man cleared out. 

Q. jS"ow, one moment right there. Did you give any instructions to 
his spreading the news! — A. No, sir; that was a matter that was for- 
gotten, not neglected, because the matter had been all talked over, but 
Danenhower had picked up a great deal more of the language than I 
l:^d, and he acted more as an interpreter than as a direct conversation- 
alist with Kusmah, and in my anxiety to fix all these things I did not 
neglect, but I forgot to mention the spreading of the news. After we re- 
turned to the hut we were living in and Kusmah had left, Danenhower 
said, "Melville, you forgot a very important -thing ; we forgot to tell 
Kusmah to spread the news of the missing boats." He says, " I can 
get a team, and will go over and tell him." I says, "Very well, enough 
said ; do it." 

Q. Did he get there before Kusmah started! — A. Oh, yes; he saw 
Kusmah. 

Q. Now, in the petition of Dr. Collins it is stated that even at the 
time Melville sent the exile Kusmah to Bulun he gave him no direction, 
or adopted no means for spreading the news of the missing boats. 
That statement is incorrect, is it not! — A. No, sir ; I could not say that 
is incorrect, because I did forget to do it, but we had talked the matter 
over, and we were prepared to do it, but it was an oversight. 

Q. At the time this man left he had that instruction! — A. No, sir; 
he went over to his home, say, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. 

Q. At the time he started to go to Bulun he had the instructions! — 
A. Yes, positively ; because I think it was either that night or the next 
morning that Danenhower carried my message. 

Q. So that when you sent Kusmah to Bulun he carried those instruc- 
tions! — A. Yes, he carried the news to look out for the i)eople; and, if 
I remember right, I told Danenhower to say that if anybody would find 
any of the missing x>arties I would pay them one thousand roubles for any 
information in regard to the two missing parties. It is more than two 
years since this matter occurred, and it may have been that I told some- 
body else that I would give a thousand roubles if the missing boats' 
30 J Q* 



46 G JE ANNETTE iNQUIRt. 

parties were found ; but I did offer rewards to the natives, or exiles, ot 
anybody else that would find any trace of the missing boats. Before 
Kusmah got started, Mr. Danenhower went over to Kusmah's and saw 
Kusniah, and told him to spread the news of the missing boats. While 
he was there he learned that Nico'ai Shagra was going to accompany 
Kusmah to Buluu. I was a good deal put out at that when 1 heard it 
first, but did not know that Kusmah was a criminal exile and under the 
surveillance of Nicolai Shagra. 

1 afterwards learned that he could not go to Bulun under danger 
of being flogged or put in prison, without being accompanied by or hav- 
ing a pass from the starosti of his village, and that was the reason he 
gave me for taking the starosti instead of either Danenhower or Bartlett. 
Kot only that, he combined his team of dogs with Nicoalai Shagra's 
dogs, and they still guaranteed the passage in five days. While Dan- 
enhower was over at Tomoose, the village where Kusmah lived, he 
learned of a hut at a place called Tarahoo. By some manner of means 
they made him understand that that was Barkin, which was about 40 
miles into the northeast. He came over and told me of this hut being 
40 forty miles at the northeast, and he wanted to go there. I told him it 
was all nonsense, it was a wild-goose chase, there was no use going 
there, there was nobody there, and he w^ouldn't find anything if he went 
there. He persisted in going, and at first I told him he should not go, 
that I was in command of the party, and that it was my duty to go. 
He said, " No, Melville, it is your duty to stay by your men.'^ I said, 
" Duty or no duty," throwing out ray sleeping-bag, " I will go, I am boss 
here." He said, *' Well, Melville, I don't think it is fair ; 1 learn»-d this 
information over at Tomoose, and you want to st' al my thunder." I 
said, " Danenhower, T am getting too old to steal anybody's thunder; I 
have never been accused of petty theft in my life, and I am too old a 
man to do that sort of thing now ; if you put it on that ground take 
your sleeping-bag and go, or take my sleeping-bag and go." So he got 
a team and i)ut on his sleeping-bag and started over to Tomoose, as I re- 
member it, to make the start from Tomoose. He had been having the 
use of a team of dogs owned by Spiridon — an old fellow that we desig- 
nated the pirate, he was such a i^iratical-looking old rascal — and when 
he got over to Tomoose he hitched up his teams and started off all right. 
Before going poor Dan. was laughing and talking about how good a 
joke it would be if the old fellow got his tea and tobacco and didn't go. 
Before going the old rascal drove him over home after getting his tea 
and tobacco, and would not budge farther. Keither persuasion nor 
threats would start this old rascal out of his hut. So Danenhower came 
back and reported that old man Spiridon had turned out to beainrate; 
that he had i)aid him his tobacco and tea, and he would not take him. 
Danenhower next thought of getting hold of Vassili Koolgork, and he 
started off to the northward or northeast, and instead of that, very much 
to his surprise, as he stated afterwards, they carried him 40 versts to 
the southeast, an opposite direction to where he wanted to go, down to 
Tarahoo, an island I have visited since. They arrived there overnight, 
and the next day he attempted 

Q. (Interi)osing.) Do not enlarge upon matters which Lieutenant 
Danenhower knows all about. — A. Arrived at Tarahoo or off Tarahoo; 
they slept overnight in a hut, and the next morning attempted to make 
the passage over to this little outlying island, but the ice was not suf- 
ficiently strong on the bay for them to cross to the island. The natives 
tried the bay with their dog-staves and the ice broke through with them, 
and there was danger of their getting drowned. Upon their return the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 467 

Datives laughed to me and told me how much more venturesome Danen- 
hower was about going on the ice than they were to try and make this 
passage. Before Danenhower left me I cautioned him to be back inside 
of four days, telling him I had every reason to believe Kusmali would 
be back in his five days, and I had offered him a large reward, promis- 
ing him the whale-boat, something they had never seen anything equal 
to before in the mouth of the Lena. Five hundred roubles and the whale- 
boat was a fortune to a man at the mouth of the Lena ; therefore I had 
every reason to believe he would come back as quickly as possible and 
earn his reward. I told Danenhower not to cross any water where the 
wind would blow him out to sea. The evidence shows he could not go to 
this island, owing to the weakness of the ice, and he returned to me 
and made his report. We sat down waiting daily for Kusmali to return. 
The sixth day passed along without much comment; the seventh and 
eighth days ; the ninth or tenth day I commenced to get very impatient. 
By this time all our people were getting strong and vigorous. With the 
exception of Leach anyone of us could have marched had we had a guide. 
So the question then arose about starting to march. 

Q. Tell me about what date, as nearly as you can recollect. — A. Say 
the 14th or 15th of October. Then a discussion occurred among us all. 
Bartlett said he thought he could march without any difficulty at all. I 
felt that I could march the distance if I had a guide. 

Q. What day did Kusmah get back"? — A. It was about the 29th day 
of October. It was the 24th that I became so anxious. 

Q. At that time were there any dogs or reindeer teams where you 
were ? — A. There are absolutely no reindeer teams kept in that part of 
the country ; they must be brought there. 

Q. After Kusmah went away, and before he returned, were there any 
other dog teams'? — A. There were a few dog teams came in, but there 
was absolutely no dog teams at Geeomovialocke except four or five 
straggling dogs. I am sure, under oath, positively, that they could not 
muster ten dogs, old or young, on the island of Geeomovialocke. 

Q. How many dogs does it take to make a team ? — A. From seven to 
eleven to thirteen, according to the size of the loads you are going to 
carry. There were a few dogs over at Tomoose. 

ByMr. McAdoo: 
Q. Ordinary dogs"? — A. Yes; miserable low cur dogs. Instead of 
14th or 15th, I will say the 24th or 25th I commenced to get very anx- 
ious. I found Kusmah had not returned in five days, six days, seven 
days, eight days, nine days, or ten days. We commenced to talk about 
moving on. 1 did not want to be jacksoned there all winter. I was 
afraid the people would die of scurvy. I then commenced to cast about 
and see if I could get dogs and fish. I might have got dogs enough to 
have carried us and fish, or we could have hauled our own sleds ; but 
I wanted a pilot ; there was no pilot there, nobody to guide us from 
Geeomovialocke to Bulun. There was not a soul in my eleven that 
knew exactly where we were traveling, and not a soul in my eleven that 
knew the exact direction of Bulun, and not a soul in my eleven that 
knew our latitude within 30 miles north or south of where we were. 
The natives told us we w^ould have to cross a mountain 1,300 feet 
high to get over to where the Lena Eiver was. When we commenced 
to talk about it I listened to what every man had to say about it. 
Bartlett said he could start right there and then and go. I did not 
think he could go. Danenhower said, " Melville, there is no reason 
why you should go ; you be prudent ; Kusmah is expected back here 



468 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

every day, and I am sure tbat if we should start out without a guide 
there would not be 25 per cent, of the whole party get into Bulun alive.^^ 
I thought there was a good deal of philosophy in that. I was located 
where I had enough to eat. There was no sickness in my party up 
to that time. My people were getting better all the time. I expected 
a guide back every day, and if worse came to worst, though we had not 
SLifficient clothing, if I had a guide we could make the distance to Bulun ; 
and when we talked to the natives they kept saying " Pnrga, purga," 
aod blew up your sleeves and down your neck, "You will die in the 
snow." As I said before, we expected Kusmah to be back every day. 
He did not return until the thirteenth daj^ after he left, on the 29th day 
of October; became in that evening. Before he was announced as 
coming into the village of Geeomovialocke we had had our supper and 
were all gathered together in a little knot. People cast awaj^as we were 
stood together much closer than aboard the ship. Tenting together, 
sailors and officers lie down alongside of each other ; they have many 
things to talk about. We had all gathered together and the common 
conversation that evening was where the whole of the people had died. 
The common belief at that time was that there was not a soul on those 
two boats that came through alive; that both boats had swamx)ed, and 
there was no question of going to hunt De Long or Chipp, but the ques- 
tion was about saving our own precious lives and getting to a place of 
safety. At that time, on the night of the 29th of October, as I remem- 
ber the conversation, there was not one soul in that hut who had any 
idea that any member of either the first or second cutter's parties was 
alive. Very much to our astonishment when Kusmah came in he brought 
us a bag of bread, a ball of butter and some tobacco, and things of that 
kind; and amongst other things he fished out a slip of paper from his 
jacket and gave it to me to read. It was a note put in the testimony 
before the Jeannette Board of Inquiry. It stated that Captain De Long, 
and Mr. Collins, and Dr. Ambler were somewhere, and wanted assist- 
ance, food, and clothing. That was the first evidence we had of any of 
the boats' crews having come ashore. That was on the evening of the 
29th daj of October. As soon as 1 got the note I showed it to Danen- 
hower, and we went outside the hut to have a quiet talk to ourselves. 
I came back to the hut and told Kusmah he must put all the stuff 
that he had brought right on the sled again, and take me back to 
Bulun. I inquired of him where the natives were carrying these two 
sailors. He said the natives had them, and were taking them to Bulun. 
I said, "Put the bread and the butter on the sleds with some fish, and 
I will start to-night for Bulun, and see Nindemann'and Noros, and find 
out as to the whereabouts of De Long and his party." He said no, we 
could not go; his dogs had been thirteen days on foot, and the balls of 
their feet were worn out so that they could not travel. A native never 
drives his dogs two days in succession if he can help it, because in less 
than ten days you cut out the feet of the dogs so that they cannot 
travel. They sometimes put moccasins of deer skin on their legs to 
prevent the cutting of the dogs' feet. The next thing was to find out 
where I could get a dog team. Kusmah said he would go to Arrii, 10 
versts to the north, and see if he could not get a team. On the morn- 
ing of the 3()th day of October Vassili Koolgork, with the dog team, came 
to Geeomovialocke, and I started to go to Bulun. His team was all 
right, but his sled was broken. We stopped at Tomoose and had a new 
sled partly built and partly made, and the next morning started again 
for Bulun. On the evening of the second day of November I arrived at 
Bulun. The natives drove me into Bulun, and told me where the two 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 469 

Americans were. I went to the hut, opened the door, and passed in to 
where the travelers stopped. It was a public place. I saw Noros stand- 
ing up behind the table cutting a loaf of bread. Nindemann was out of 
sight; he was l^'iug down iu a little settle or bedstead. I waited a mo- 
ment to see if Noros would know me. He looked up when he heard the 
door open, and I stepped forward and said, ''Hello, Noros, how do you 
doT' He exclaimed: "My God, Mr. Melville, are you alive? We 
thought the whole of the whale-boat's people were dead." By this time 
Nindemann rolled out of his bunk, and stood up, and I shook hands with 
both of them. We had a general hand-shake, and I told him yes, we 
were all alive; that I had been trying to get in communication with 
Bulun for twenty days. 

They then related to me the whole story of their trials and tribula- 
tions, about where they had landed, how they had marched, what they had 
suffered, and, in fact, told me the whole ot their tale. I told them that 
1 had come there to go north, to look for De Long and his party. They 
both told me that they were very sick; that the decayed fish they had 
eaten was operating on their bowels, and that they had been vomiting 
and purging ; that they were not able to keep their clothes buttoned for 
fifteen minutes at a time. I set to work then to find out what they had 
to say, and as Nindemann had a j:ood deal more !^ense, I thought, than 
Noros had, I took down the whole of his statement as near as I could. 
He had a copy of a chart that I copied on this piece of paper [exhibit- 
ing same], and added the section he did not have from my own chart 
from Stolboi to Bulun. Now, these two men were so sick they were 
not fit to go along with me. Noros expressed a desire to go along, say- 
ing that he was well enough. At this time it was necessary to depend 
upon the natives for dogs, for sleds, and for food to eat. For that rea- 
son I took down, as carefully as 1 could, what Noros had to say, and 
this was what he had to say : 

Q. This was written down at the time, from what they said to you !~ 
A. Yes, he and Mndemann ; Nindemann particularly. My intention 
was to return on the left bank of the river, or the west bank of the 
river, and follow the west bank of the river until I came up with De 
Long and his party. jN'ow, these were my instructions to carry out this 
first search that I made for De Long and his people. 

Landed about 3 miles east of Sagasta. Boat 1 mile off sliore. Traveled south about 
3 miles and struck the Lena River and two houses; old one to the northward, new 
one to south. A paper left in south hut. About 4 or 5 miles south of the houses 
is a small river running east, 25 yards wide at the mouth. South bank low. Seven 
old houses 2 miles east on this river. Three days' journey south of the river and huts, 
one old hut. Paper. 

Meaning a paper in that hut. 

Small river running east. Hut north side ; raft to cross small river, 350 yards wide. 
Two days' journey to lirst balogan. Paper. 

Meaning a paper in this hut. 

Here the river run east ; a large-sized river. Encamijed ; south two days. Saw 
the signal staff on the south end of an island. A hill on the island where the staff 
is. One hut 2 miles off staff" and on east side of the island. Two days' slow march 
after leaving the signal station. Left the captain on a small river running west on 
north bank of river. Long low spit in river north and south ; that is between 
signal staff' and Bulcou-r and Ku Mark Surk. High land to east of river. Small mount- 
ains near. High mountains distant. Went up the river one mile to cross and then 
across country to main river. Traveled 18 miles. One hut to north and west of Bul- 
cour or Ku Mark Surk. Mountains near to Bulcour or Ku Mark Surk. 

We did not understand the names of the places at that time. 



b 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



High, peaked and bluff. Two huts ; a peaked hut and flat-top hut. 

I made pictures of them. 

Two graves and two crosses on the bank of the river. Two days by Reindeer from 
the hut to Ajaket. One day's march before that from the sleighs where picked up. 

That was where they were picked up. 

Two days' slow journey to Bulun. Kept the west bank of river. Mountains about 
30 miles south of the north coast. One arm left at first cutter. 

Meaning a gun. 

Two at the signal staff", one with Alexy, one with Nindemann. Fifteen or twenty 
days from separation to rescue. Twelve or fifteen miles to nortiiward and east, fol- 
lowing the right bank of the larger stream, on the beach will be found the chronome- 
ter, two log-books, &c. Boat one mile off'-shore and large pole erected. 

I wrote this from Nindemann's instructions as I got them. I abbre- 
viated a good deal of his language. Those were my instructions to go 
north on the first search for De Long. 

Q. Now, sir, having received that much information from Nindemann 
and Noros, what did you next dol — A. I was getting ready with a 
reindeer team to take me to Booroolocke, that is a station 80 versts to 
the northward and eastward of Bulun. The day following my arrival 
at Bulun Bartlett came in camp. I asked him what brought him there. 
lie said the Cossack commandant had arrived at Geeomovialocke and 
had brought this paper, meaning a telegram that Nindemann and Noros 
had prepared and had given to the Cossack commandant to send to 
the American minister ; that Danenhower had started him ofl' with it at 
once to carry to me, as he considered it a letter of importance. 1 read 
the paper over, and, as it gave me no additional information, 1 threw 
it into the drawer of the table, first showing it to Nindemann. Ninde- 
mann said that that was the telegram that he had prepared and in- 
tended to have sent to the American minister. It was a short state- 
ment of where the ship was cast away, how far they had traveled, 
where they had landed, and they wanted aid and assistance ; something 
of that kind. It is printed in the former testimony. First the head 
man of the village came in accompanied with the young priest of the 
village. Koolgork had received a letter from the Cossack commandant, 
written in Eussian. He, being a Jakutsk, could not read it. The 
young priest of the village read it, and, althouirh he spoke no English, 
he interpreted it to me in such Russian and Jakutsk as I understood. 
It directed the golabah of the village to prepare a reindeer team for 
me at once to carry me to Booroolocke, where on the morrow I would 
meet the w^hole of my party and the Cossack commandant on their way 
to Bulun. 

I set out the next morning at 10 o'clock, arrived at Booroolocke late 
in the evening of the 4th of November, as I remember it, and on the 5th 
of November the Cossack commandant, accompanied by Mr. Danen- 
hower and the remainder of the whale boat party arrived at Booroo- 
locke. 1 then gave Mr. Danenhower orders to take the whole of my 
party as far south as Jakutsk. I had prepared written orders and left 
them at Bulun for Mr. Danenhower, not knowing whether I would meet 
him or not, in which I told him to take the whole of my party south as 
far as Jakutsk. But before starting I told Bartlett to tell Mr. Danen- 
hower in case I did not see him that I had directed Bartlett to remain 
behind and in case 1 did not turn up in thirty" days to fit out an expe- 
dition and come out and liunt for me. When 1 met Danenhower I told 
him wliat instructions 1 had given Bartlett, and also told him what writ- 
ten orders 1 had left for him at Bulun. The Cossack commandant then 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 471 

fitted me out with two dog- sled teams and dog drivers. He told me 
that he had put ten days' supplies on each sled, and that after I had 
exhausted ray ten days' supplies the natives could take me to where I 
could find additional supplies. On the 5th day of November I started 
north, and Mr. Danenhower and the remainder of my party started south 
for Bulun on their way to Jakutsk. I arrived at Ku Mark Surk that 
night, keeping the west l)ank of the river, as Nindemann had been di- 
rected by his commanding officer in his march south. I expected to 
follow in their footsteps and retrace their footsteps, and find the De 
Long party. The next day I made a journey of 55 versts to a place 
called Bulcour, where Nindemann and Noros were picked up by the 
natives. I had with me one of the natives, who had been one of their 
saviors, and he knew where Bulcour was, of course. He took me right 
to Bulcour. It blew a gale of wind, and we could not get on ; we were 
obliged to camp down. The wind was to the northeast. Neither dogs 
nor men will face a gale of wind in a snow-storm in the Arctic when it 
it blowing more than 20 miles an hour. We delayed there one day. 

The next morning we started on again and found the place of the 
sleighs that Kindemann had described to me on the west bank of the 
river. Nindemann and Noros had told me that the place of the 
sleighs was the first hut they had slejjt in after they had left De Long's 
party. They had forgotten that they had slept in the hut at Mat Vai. 
They told me they had visited two tumble-down huts at the place of the 
two crosses. These were land-marks for me to travel by on the west 
bank of the river. After the first night's journey, not coming up with 
the hut, we pushed on and dug a hole that night and slept in the snow. 
The next morning we were up and at it again, and drove 40 or 50 
versts and made another camp in the snow and slept in the snow that 
night. Dug a hole about G feet square and 3 feet deep -, put the sleep- 
ing bags down in the hole and put the sled up to the northward and 
let the dogs come in on top of us to keep us warm and slept very 
well. The next day I got up with .the place of the crosses and found 
where Mndemann and Noros's feet were indented in the snow in the 
old house. I had followed in their trail as far as this. It was coming 
on near night and I wanted to get to the nearest place to sleep. They 
said Mat Vai. When we got out to Mat Vai we found that the door 
was banked uj) with snow and the hole in the roof was left open. 
When the natives tumbled the snow down and we got in we found that 
somebody had been there and rearranged the sticks with the feet to- 
wards the fire and the head raised with a log of wood after the manner 
of American Indians. As soon as I saw that I was satisfied Americans 
had been there. They said yes, it was not Jakutsk. Nindemann had 
fo) gotten to tell me where they had slept that day. 

We turned in that night and in the morning 1 searched all along to 
see if I could find any sign of De Long and his party. I supposed after 
starting Nindemann and Noros that he had started his next two best 
men. After we got out of the two huts one of these natives picked up 
a waist-belt. I saw it was one of the belts of the men on board the ship, 
so then I was positive I had picked up a fresh trail and still stuck to 
the west bank of the river. The Jakutsk said they couldn't go any fur- 
ther; that the provisions were all gone. I said no, we had provisions for 
ten days aud we had been out only five days. They protested they 
hadn't au}^, and commenced to load the sleds. I seized a stick and 
struck one with it and threw the stick after the other. They ran away. 
I sat down, drew my gun, pointed ifc at them and told them to come 
back. They threw up their hands not to shoot and begged not to be 



472 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

hit with the stick. I told them to come back. They came back and I 
asked how near it was to the nearest Eussian settlement. Tlj^y said 
250 versts to the northwest. I asked if they wanted to go. They said 
there was nothing to eat, no fish, no reindeer, and they would not un- 
dertake this journey at 250 versts. So 1 said yes, we had plenty of 
dogs; that I would eat the dogs, and we must go on. They replied 
no, you won^t eat the dogs. I said yes, I would eat the dogs, and after 
I got through with them I would eat the Jakutsk. They dropped on 
their knees and threw up their hands and did not want to be eaten. I 
told them we would push on. We went from there further along, keep- 
ing the west bank of the river. 

We were four days on that journey and had absolutely nothing to 
eat except fish head, guts, and hornsof a reindeer. When the reindeer 
had died there was a certain amount of blood that accumulates in the 
horns which has open pores like pumice-stone; they pulverize that 
and eat that. We still stuck to the west bank of the river. Instead of 
keeping on De Long's trail I was going oft his trail all the time. I am 
particular about explaining this. Had I gone north, sticking to the west 
bank of the river, I would have come out 250 miles west of the Lena delta. 
There are no less than one hundred and fifty islands and maybe two 
hundred branches of the river. Here is a naked chart with their names, 
drawn by the Jakutsk [exhibiting the same]. That is a small section, 
about one eighth of the delta. Now, every one of these is an island, and 
every one of those islands when my interpreter would inquire the name in 
Eussian he would give it to me in Eussian, and I would spell it in En- 
glish phonetically. The natives made this chart in pencil and I traced 
it in ink. Three of the old men of the country made this chart — Vas- 
sila Kiigour, Smevin Tomat, and Lakento Shomoola, three of the oldest 
and most intelligent men in the country. I Avant you to notice partic- 
ularly that the ])art of the country where De Long and his people were 
l^ound was a total blank to the natives. Here is Point Omer that I wrote 
in afterwards [indicating!. 

By Mr. ]\IcAdoo : 
Q. An island? — A. An island. They knew all about this part of the 
country [indicating] and all about this part of the country |indicating|, 
but that [indicating] is a part of the country that they never went into; 
they kept out of it. There was a tradition connected with it. They 
are superstitious people and they kept out of it. So the natives did not 
know where he was. Tliey knew everything to the eastward and every- 
thing to the westward, but in this part of the delta they knew nothing. 
Kow the proper name for the Lena delta is the Lena archipelago from 
the numerous islands there is, so that after you leave the Lena and go 
into the delta there is no telling which way you will take. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Go on with your narrative about the search in November? — A. I 
was testifying about the west bank of the river. I took the west bank 
of the river and stuck to it. The two dog drivers brought up eventually 
at North Bulun. When we an ived there the whole village came in to see 
us. There were probably a hundred to a hundred and fifty people in 
the village. One man came forward with his cap in his hand and 
brought me a pai)er. I read the paper and found it was a record leflr 
by De Long on one of the branches of the Lena Eiver along which he 
had marched. It is in evidence in the record of the court of inquir^^ 
I cannot remember what it is. but it was one of the first he had left at 



JEANNETTK INQUIRY. 473 

a place called Ballok. He did uot know tlie name of the place. An 
old woman came aluii^' then and searched around her clothes and got out 
another pajter and saia her son had found liiis. She ga\'e me the paper 
and 1 foiiud it was second in sequence. The first said he had landed 
in the delta at the northward. I asked the young man where lie got 
his paper a..d he said 55 versts east of where we were. I asked the 
old lady abc>ut the papcjr ^he gave me, and she said that her son found 
it, bu( could not tell mc where. AVhcii he came in he said he found it 
a little to the southward. They then told me that there was another 
record and a gun in the neighborhood which would be brought in on the 
morrow. Of course, ihat was just what 1 wanted. 1 had found the 
records and the men who found them, but I wanted to get the third 
record and the gun. 

The next day it was blowing and storming terribly, but they broughi. 
in the ^un and the record. I asked the man where he got the third 
record and he said at a place called Usturda, about 45 Oi 50 versts 
southwarii and east of Bulun. There were no more papers in this 
neighborhood. The last record was the third one in sequence. De Long 
had remained at tliis place a certain number of days for the river to 
freeze over, and had crossed the river to the westward, and was going 
to follow the west bank of the river to the southward in hopes of meet- 
ing a settlement. That was definite information to me. All I had to 
do was to go to the same place, cross the river and follow^ his steps to 
the southward, and 1 would without doubt come up to him. I then got 
two fresh teams of dogs and a fresh supply of fish. I took the precau- 
tion this time to count the fish myself, a fish for every dog and a fish for 
every man, so that each man and dog would share alike. M} legs were 
so badl}^ frozen I was not able to wear my moccasins. When the wo- 
men opened my moccasins and ripped them down they ripped the scabs 
dowqi with them, and they made me a pair of /oot-muiiiers. I went into 
the hut and got my fur clothing to start on this second i)art of niy first 
search. While I was getting my fur clothing on the natives stole all 
the fish off the sleds. I did not know that at the time. But we started 
off and we got over to Ballok all right. I found the but where De Long 
had been and some broken vials and i^eces of skin trousers, and identi- 
fied the place. 

I followed the east bank to the northward until I came to the Arctic 
Ocean, and then Ibllowed the Arctic Ocean until I came to the cairn, 
and found the chronometer, the navigation books, and a whole lot of 
things of that kind. I loaded up the two sleds witli everything except 
an oar, and returned to Ballok, and I got there with the intention of 
following my tracks to Osootok, to Usturda, and so on to the south- 
ward. After I had slept at Osoofok I found there was nothing to eat; 
so I laid about me with a stick, and the natives ran off again. I fii ed the 
gun and they fell on their knees and put up their hands, and 1 sung 
out to them to come back again, and they came back again. They ex- 
plained that there had been a famine, and I had taken all the fish in the 
village; that eighty of their dogs had died of starvation, and that the 
women and children would die, and that w^as the reason they had stolen 
the fish, and that I must go back to North Bulun. So there was noth- 
ing left for it, and that evening we started back to North Bulun. I 
then picked over what stuff' I found at the cache. I took all the valuable 
papers, the chronometer, the sextant, the navigation books and papers, 
and the box of specimens from Bennett Island, and a large Bible that had 
been left there, and a lot of truck that I thought valuable as history on 
jiew^s of the expedition. The fire-pot and drtnking-pots and things of 



474 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that kind I left with the natives, and the next day started for Osootok, 
and found where the people had been, followed down to Usturda, where 
De Long had been, and found some remains of the lire there, aud found 
some remains of bones of meat. That was the place where he said he 
would continue the west bank of the river in hopes of meeting a settle- 
ment. I looked on the bed of the river next morning, and found the 
tracks where they had hauled Erichsen across the river. Found where 
several men had broken through the river j found the holes in the ice as 
Nindemann explained to me afterwards. I found the tracks of the 
sled, and followed the tracks across the river, and then started along the 
river to the southward, and kept the west bank, as Nindemann had 
directed me to do, and as De Long's record told me to do, and so on 
down. There was a blinding snow-storm all this time. I never saw the 
sun from the time I left until I got back. I did not see the sun until 1 
got to Jakutsk. 

Q. That was how long ? — A. We were going two months then. If it was 
not snowing the wind was driving the snow so it was blinding, and the 
dogs could not go. The dogs lay right down and you would pick them 
up and shake them, and they will only go on a little while, and when 
the snow would come in their faces again they would turn right around, 
the same as a man would, go off the course, and you may beat them to 
make them take the course, and they will go on for awhile and do the 
same thing over again. After crossing the river to the westward I 
started to strike to the southward, as directed both by his record, and 
as near as I could find out from what Nindemann told me. Nindemann 
told me that he had traveled about 16 or 20 versts to the southward to 
a little hut. I described the hut to the natives and they told me where 
it was. I crossed the river where De Long died and found a hut that 
I supposed was the hut where Erichsen had died, as described by Nin- 
demann, but upon searching the hut I found it was not the hut — that 
the record was not in the hut. I then inquired of the natives if there 
were any other huts in the neighborhood that would answer the descrip- 
tion. They said yes, about 20 versts still farther to the southward, on 
the east bank of the river. Knowing that the men were weak and cold 
and hungry and frozen, I thought that may be they had forgotten 
whether it was on the east or the west bank of the river, so I continued 
down until we found the second hut and examined it. I then made up 
my mind that I was oft' the track. The natives said the only other huts 
they knew of were in to the westward. I subsequently found, after I had 
returned to Usturda in company with Nindemann, that De Long and 
his party after crossing the river to the westward had marched to the 
southward, had found a great bend in the river going in to the west- 
ward with the appearance of carrying them out toward the mouth of 
the river Olenek. De Long and his party wanting to go south, it would 
have been out of their way to have continued on the river to the west, 
and they recrossed the river to the eastward, which accounts for my 
losing their trail at that point. 

That night I arrived at a hut known as Sista-Ganach. In this hut 
we found a lot of fish heads strung on strings ; a lot of fish entrails and 
offal from reindeer. My food had entirely given out after the first feed 
at Usturda. We made use of this food. It was good food for us. I 
was then thoroughly convinced that De Long had not come down this 
branch of the river, because in his strait they would have made use 
of the food that we did. The next day we started again, it slill blow- 
ing and storming terribly, but the natives assured me that the next hut 
was only dO versts distant, at a place called Cuvina. Arriving at Ou- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 475 

vina, I found further evidence that De Long and his party had not come 
down the main branch of the river, because I was now on the main 
river. This was Saturday night. It stormed so on Sunday morning 
tbat tbe natives did not want to move. Tbey exhibited an amount of 
otfal tliat tliey had picked up in tbis but, and said that to-morrow was 
vos Crissinia, which means Sunday ; that they wanted to rest ; and as 
we liad plenty of food, such as it was, I consented to rest, with the un- 
derstanding that tbey sbouhl not stop short of tbe place called Mat Vai. 
They agreed to this. Between Mat Vai and Ku Mark Surk tberewere 
180 versts in which we could procure no food. They said they knew 
where there were some bones buried in the delta ; tbat after traveling 
a few hours they would stop and dig them out. 

We remained over Sunday at Ouvina, and about 3 o'clock Monday 
morning started for Mat Yai, the weather being clear and there being 
bright starlight. After traveling two or three bours the natives stopped 
and went across the Tundra, and about a half an hour afterwards re- 
turned with a load of reindeer bones, ribs, and big bones that had been 
buried during the summer time. We started along then for Mat Yai, 
and came in sight of Mat Vai about G o'clock in the evening, the 
weatber still being fine, and knowing it would be necessary to camp 
two nights in the snow between Mat Vai and Bulcour, I hurried the 
people on by Mat Vai, intending to camp in the snow tbat night. But 
as soon as we entered the mouth of the Lena River proper, where the river 
debouches between the mountain ranges, tbe wind became so fierce tbat 
the dogs would not face the storm and we were obliged to camp down. 
We dug the usual square hole in the snow and turned in, and the gale 
continued to blow for thirty-six hours, during which no man started 
out of his sleeping bag at all. W^e were not able to get up or get out 
at all. By this time of course we were pretty cold and pretty hungry. 
The first five or six hours that a man is in his sleeping-bag he will be 
comparative ly warm and comfortable, but after tbat he commences to 
freeze, and when the snow blows into the sleeping-ba.?: and thaws in 
contact with his arms or his neck and then freezes the skin clothing 
freezes fast to the skin, and, as in my case in particular, when I pulled 
the frozen jacket away from my wrist, it pulled the skin away as large 
as a silver dollar. 

After thirty- six hours the gale abated sufficiently for us to get out 
again. Tbe natives said we must have something to eat before we 
started, so they got out their reindeer bones. One man with his sheath- 
knife cut a sliver from between the ribs and gave it to me to eat. I bit 
off apiece of it and thoughtlessly commenced to chew it. It was so rotten 
that I spat it out in disgust and threw the remaining piece of the rein- 
deer meat to the dogs. The natives laughed at that and cut me another 
piece, but I made them cut it up into cubes about an inch square, which 
I swallowed, probably a pound or a pound and a half of it. It went down 
all right, but the heat of the stomach, when it commenced to thaw out, 
evolved gases, and the gases coming up made me sick, and I lost my 
breakfast. That was more amusement for the natives ;. but it gave the 
dogs a feed. But I was not going to be stumped, so I told them to cut 
me another charge, and they did so, and when I swallowed the second 
pound or pound and a half it staid there. We got under weigh that 
day and camped the second night in the snow; had another feed next 
morning, and tbe next morning arrived at Bulcour, sleeping there over 
night. The next night we were at Ku Mark Surk, where we had fresh 
provisions, fresh fish. We were with tbe natives then. The next day 



476 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

we arrived at Booroolocke and the next day at Bulun. Arriving at Bn- 
lan I found that Mr. Danenhower had gone south with five of the people. 

Q. What day of the month was it that you arrived in Buhm '?— A. I 
was gone twenty-three days at that time; that woukl be about the 29th 
or 30th day of JSTovember. 

Q. At this time about how many hours of daylight were there in the 
twenty-four? — A. There was no daylight proper at all. The sun had 
gone below the horizon. An hour before noon and an hour after noon 
in the open daylight you could read ordinary print; say for two hours 
in the forenoon and two hours in the afternoon you can read ordinary 
print. The rest of the time it is twilight and sixteen hours of darkness 

Q. How cold was the weather?— A. From minus 25 to minus 40, 
from 20O to 40^ below zero. 

Q. At that time?— A. At that time. 

Q. ISTow go on and state what you did after the returning about the 
29th of November until yon started out again. — A. Arrived at Bulun, 
I went up to the Cossack commandant quarters and sent word over to 
Bartlett that 1 had returned, and he, with Nindemann, I think, or two 
or three men, came over. The Cossack commandant set up his samovar 
and made tea and prepared some supper and set out his vodky and 
we had two or three drinks of whisky. That was the celebrated drunk 
that Melville had at Bulun. I did not get drunk. I went to bed. The 
next morning 1 went over and saw the hands and saw them i^roperly 
clothed, had a wash and bathed and had my Icl^s fixed up. I then 
heard that the assistant ispravnik, a man named Epachef, had been 
sent with a box of medicines to find out who we were, what we were, 
and what we were doing there, and all about us; that upon his arrival 
at Bulun he had seen Bartlett, and Bartlett had told him 1 had gone 
north on the search. lie started over to Geeomovialocke and then 
followed across the country up to North Bulun, we passing each other 
on the road, and 1 hearing that he was to the northward of me, waited 
for his return. He returned in two or three days. 

Q. How many were there in his party ? — A. He had a Cossack with 
him ; there were two of them. 

Q. They in going up had made a search to Bulun? — A. Ko, sir; he 
had gone siii'ply to find me and my people, or any of us. At that time 
his search was to find me. 

Q. You passed each other. Do you know how near you were to- 
gether? — A. Yes, sir. When I was at North Bulun he was at Geeomo- 
vialocke ; we were about 150 miles apart in round numbers. When I 
left North Bulun to come south he left Geeomovialocke, and arrived at 
North Bulun when I was half way south towards South Bulun ; so that 
the greatest distance ai)art, may be, was 150 or 200 miles, and the closest 
at one time v/as 30 to 50 miles. I do not know exactly. 

Q. How long did you remain? — A. I waited at Bulun until Epachef 
came back. He had a lot of ofiicial business to attend to. I staid there 
two or three days. I started off' to go with him to Verkchoiyansk. I 
put tlie party in charge of Bartlett, with orders to leave just as soon as 
he could have his clothes finished. While at Geeomovialocke they had 
no clothing for that part of the country at all. 1 have seen many of 
the men on the march with their bare ieet on the ice, and they made 
soles out of canvas, out of their knapsacks. I myself cut strips three- 
quarters of an inch wide i'rom my kna])sack to make soles for my feet. 
So when we arrived at Geeomovialocke we were not in i)roper condition 
to face the winter weather. The men who went over to Bulun borrowed 
clothes, and when they arrived there they had to return the clothes 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 477 

and the Cossack commandant Lad clothing made for Daneuliower's 
party, wbo bad gone in advance. 1 told Bartlett to wait with bis i)arty 
until tbey were satisfied with tbeir socks and mittens and everything of 
that kind. I started oft' with the ispravnik. It is 9G0 versts from 
Bulun to Verkchoiyansk. I traveled throngb in six days and twelve 
hours, stopping at each station and telling them there that my party 
would be along in a few days and to have necessary food for (hem. 
Bartlett traveled through in about nine days. The rule of the road all 
the way to the north of Irkutsk is that but three people can travel en 
train,, and when we tried to travel five or six people at a time it became 
necessary for us to make special arrangements, and to have the order 
of the governor and the ispravnik and everything else of tbat kind, 
because the rule is that but three people can travel at any one time — 
one passenger and one driv^er, and one Cossack, or any three, unless it 
be the merchants traveling with their own trains. They own their own 
horses and tbeir own reindeer. Then they can travel a hundred at a 
time if they choose. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What is the object of that rule *? — A. I guess it is to give each 
person a chance to carry his load through. The stations are kept up 
all the way through so as not to obstruct the mail, and x^arties must 
travel not more than three at a time. But when we traveled, being 
shipwrecked travelers, tbey let us travel as we pleased. Many people 
ride on horses or oxen to the southward or Verkchoiyansk. I arrived 
at Verkchoiyansk and made preparations to advance at once to Jakutsk. 
When I arriv^ed at Verkchoiyansk, that was the first place that I met a 
person wbo could speak English properly. Before leaving Bulun 1 told 
the Cossack commandant the best way that I could that I would give 
h'im a thousand rubles if he would find any part of our party, dead or 
alive. 

Q. Did you also issue orders or have the commandant issue or- 
ders 

A. (Interrupting.) When I got to Verkchoiyansk I did. When I 
arrived at Verkchoiyansk there was an exile there named Leon, who 
spoke and wrote German and English very well. I then wrote a letter to 
the ispravnik of the district, giving instructions for the search to be con- 
tinued on the Lena delta, and the order was issued by the ispravnik of 
the district. The ispravnik in northeastern Siberia is supreme. He 
is responsible to no one. He can have what he pleases, does what he 
pleases, and nobody takes him to task. 

To continue .the search still, I went as far south as to the telegraph 
station. Before I arrived at Bulun the second time I made up my mind 
tbat He Long and his party were dead. That if in the hands of the 
natives they were well off. I crawled along like an animal for twelve 
or fifteen days, I was so frozen. Noros told me and Nindemann too, I 
am pretty sure, •' Mr. Melville, it is no use going to search now. It is 
twenty days since we left and we had had nothing to eat for two days be- 
fore we left. They are all dead and we can find them in the spring-time." 
That was the first time I met the two men at Bulun. But notwithstand- 
ing I thought I ought to make the effort, dead or alive. Arrived at 
Verkcboiyansk, I wrote instructions to continue the search while I went 
to the end of the telegraph station. I started from Verkchoiyansk in 
advance of Bartlett and the party by a day or two, may be three days. 
I wanted to prepare food and clothing there. It is necessary to carry 
all the bread and meat that you eat. There are no taverns by the road- 



478 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

side. If you are going to make a marcli you have to carry your grub 
with you. If you are going to make a march of a thousand miles you 
load 3'our grub on your sleds and carry it along. So the men had tea, 
coffee, or bread. They bake the bread and kiln dry it so it won't freeze 
in the frost. When I arrived at Jakutsk 1 found Danenhower aud his 
party doing well, and the original telegram that I had sent from Bulun 
had not been answered up to date. I got into Jakutsk just after Christ- 
mas, I think the 27th day of December. I had expected an answer to 
my telegram that I sent from Bulun on the 2d day of November. The 
very nigbt that I arrived at Bulun I prepared a telegram and had a 
special courier started that night to carry a telegram all the way 
through to the end of the telegraph station. It went through all right 
until it got as far as Irkutsk where the telegraph station was. Unfortu- 
nately I had no money. My telegram was detained there and sent by 
mail. 

But the telegram had been opened and read by Mr. Leon at Verk- 
choiyansk, and a Russian translation sent through, and some days after 
my telegram had started along by mail towards St. Petersburg, it was 
then telegraphed by the lieutenant-governor of Irkutsk, Pedo Shanko. 
But my original telegram was not sent, but a garbled telegram, such as 
a Russian would try to make out. But after my telegram had gone part 
of the way it was picked up and telegraphed by somebody at some sta- 
tion farther on. So wh*^n I arrived at Jakutsk the 27th day of Decem- 
ber I did not get an answer as I expected. I was then prepared to ad- 
vance the whole of my party down to Irkutsk, to the end of the telegraph 
wires. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. Where does the telegraph begin ? — A. At Irkutsk ; but General 
Tchernieff said the mail would be in in a day or two, and probably the 
telegram would arrive. And I waited, and when my telegram came it 
told me to spare neither jmins nor expense in securing the safety of the 
second cutter, and sending the sick to a milder climate. I then started 
Danenhower with the whole force south, with orders to open communi- 
cation with the Secretary of the Navy at the telegraph station, and so 
continue on his journey to the Atlantic seaboard; that he would un- 
doubtedly get orders from the Secretary of the Navy what to do I se- 
lected the two best men in the gang to continue the search; that was 
Nindemann and Bartlett. I could not make use of any more, because 
in that country white men are a nuisance. They require the natives to 
take care of them. Very few men can take care of themselves. If you 
carry a man you have to have a team of dogs and a man to take care of 
his dogs. The natives have to supply him. I selected the two best men 
in the world for the expedition, and started north again on my second 
search, and arrived at Bulun in the latter part of February. I think it 
was the 22d day of February I arrived there. I learned that no team 
had passed between Geeoraovialocke and Bulun for three mouths, owing 
to the gales of wind. 

While we were to the southward of the mountains the trees were 
loaded down with snow so that they were bowed down to the earth. As 
soon as we crossed the mountain range, some 4,500 feet above the level 
of the sea, there was not a particle of snow to be seen. The wind was 
so fierce it had swept everything off except between the hills and in the 
valleys or in the river beds where the snow would be driven owing to the 
force of the wind to the north of this mountain range. When I arrived at 
Bulun they told me no man had passed the place within three months. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 479 

I said we must go at once. I had an order from the governor to take 
everything there was in the conntry, and he ordered the ispravnik to 
accompany me to the delta and to enforce all contracts, and to enforce 
the natives giving me everything I wanted. We stopped at Bulun long 
enough to i:)urchase seventeen head of reindeer to go to tlje place I was 
going to make the search on the delta. I secured three interpreters, 
one for myself speaking English, one for Bartlett, a Cossack sergeant 
who spoke Jakutsk, and one, an ex-captain of cuirasiers, who was an 
exile named Bohokoff, who spoke German with Nindemann. Each one 
of us was fitted with an interpreter. I started from Bulun to go over 
to the Lena delta, to Geeomovialocke, to secure eight or ten thousand 
fish to have hauled up in the northern part ot the delta or Mat Vai or 
Gass Garta, at the central depots to support the search. 1 put Bartlett 
in charge of the party to take the reindeer and provision train from 
Bulun up to Gass Garta. Nindemann in coming through from Verk- 
choiyansk to Bulun (the weather was so bad and snow was so deep in 
the valleys), killed anywheres from seven to ten or fifteen reindeer trying 
to get through. Bartlett killed as many more. I guess we killed twenty 
or thirty reindeer trying to get to the northward. When we arrived at 
Bulun I got reindeer and started to go to Geeomovialocke. 

Q. What did you feed the reindeer on"? — A. You must have moss. 
A reindeer will starve to death on grass or grain. He must have moss. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. What day was it when you left Bulun? — A. I left Bulun about 
the 23d day of February — the 23d or 24:th — and left orders for Bartlett 
and Kindemann to start at once, giving me time enough to cross the 
mountains and get as far as Geeomovialocke, and I sent dog teams too 
to carry them on. Reindeer could take them as far as Ku Mark Surk 
only. 

Q. Why was thaf? — A. Because there is no moss for the reindeer to 
the eastward of that, although they send the reindeer at times over to 
Geeomovialocke. There are little patches of reindeer moss coming 
down through the Tundra at the eastward from the River Yana, but 
from Geeomovialocke to Bulun to the westward they cannot travel so 
well because there is no moss for them, and the reindeer are only run 
through that section of the country where there is moss. Therefore it 
was necessary for me to send dogs from Geeomovialocke to Ku Mark 
Surk to carry Bartlett and Nindemann with their interpreters and the 
provision train up to Gass Garta. We started with the reindeer teams 
across the mountains and came down on the bay. Instead of getting 
in in something like sixteen or twenty hours from the reindeer station 
at Booroolocke, we were something like three days in making the jour- 
ney — snowed in so that we could not get oi. When we arrived at 
Geeomovialocke 

Q. (Interposing.) Which was what day ?— A. About the 27th of Feb- 
ruary. I bought seven thousand fish and hired teams to carry a suffi- 
cient number of fish over to Ku Mark Surk, and to carry Bartlett and 
his party up to Gass Garta. The day of my arrival I started three dog 
teams with a half a load each of fish. There were only fifty fish to a 
team. We considered one hundred a load. We started and were gone 
three or four days. It was blowing a heavy gale of wind all the time 
we were there. On the third or fourth day those people came in and 
abandoned their teams, dumped their fish, lost half the dogs, came back 
with their faces frozen and hands and legs frozen, and could not go any 
farther. We staid there for probably a week, waiting for the gale to 



480 JEANNETT INQUIRY. 

abate. On tliiee diffcronf occasions, when the lionses were witliin 50 
yanls of each other, men going out to go from one hut to another were 
blown awny, and the people had to go out and hnd them. Three differ- 
ent nights in succession not a soul couUl go from one hut to another, 
only 50 yaids apart. That was the condition of tlie weather whih^ I 
was there. After we had a lull in the storai, I sent thr teams on, giv- 
ing them fish inough, and tohl theni they must go through or nOver 
come bad:. TIk y s{;ntedajid got through as far as Ku ]M .rk Snrk and 
started Bartlett and his party to the northward. I had started three 
different pnrties with fish from this same place, Geeomovialocke, to go 
the nonljern route as far as Cass Carta, dii'ecting thcuo to leave a depot 
of supplies at Mat Vai for JJartletl when he came up that way, or for 
my service wLen I came ak)ng. Those teams went thn^ugh, but they 
ate all the hsh, and leJt notching for Uartlett or his party when they 
came through. When the stormy weather had sufficiently abated I 
started from Geeomovialocke and stopped at Arrii, with the intention 
of going by Borkiah, the place where we originally stopped, and a place 
called Ohulboy and Ordono. 

The first day I made a good journey as far as Borkiah. As we ap- 
proached Chulboy we expected to find three or more vacant huts, and 
as we approached Chulboy we saw the siuoke coming ou,t of one of the 
htits, and couiing up to it the dogs started for tbe door and tried to get 
in, and the dog driver stopped them, and one of the men went down into 
the hut. He came out terribly alarmed, and said that there were three 
dead people in there. Of course there was a consultation right away 
among the people. My interpreter was there and the ispravenik of the 
district and two or three dog drivers and Yapheme, one of the carriers 
of wood — a man 1 had engaged to break wood and carry ice for water. 
After they held the consultation outside I saw a figure coming out of 
the hut leaning on a staff', his face burned black, and I discovered it 
was a man and he was crying bitterly. I asked the ispravenik what 
the trouble was and he inqtiired of the man; and he said that hiniself, 
and his wife, and his mother, and his father-in-law, at»d five children had 
started to come from the northwest. Long Island, to (comedown to Gee- 
omovialocke; that there was a famine over there and they had started to 
make this journey about the timei was trying to make a journey in the 
opposite direction; that they were coming down to Geeomovialocke, 
where they said there was an abundance of fish, and they had lost their 
way in this gale, three of the people had starved and were buried in a 
snow-bank, ami the old man, and a young num, and himself, were s > 
badl}^ frozen crawling around in this hut, starving to death. They tore 
down the inside of the hut for fire-wood, had eaten their sled lashings 
and the youngest child that still survived they were rubbing before the 
fire trying to bring it to life. I relate this circumstance to give you an 
idea of the trouble the natives have to travel in this country and how 
im])ossible it was for me and my party to travel, not knowing our lati- 
tude within CO miles, and without food, clothing, or a guide. 

By Mr. McAdoo: 
Q. Did you helj) those natives there? — A. Yes, sir. I gave them every- 
thing we had and started on my journey up to Cass Carta. When we 
got there Bartlett and his party had not arrived. I gave those people 
what tea we had and one day's food. When we arrived at Cass C'arta 
1 told Vassili Koolgiyuk to start back as fast as he could and stop at 
Mat Vai and get fish aiid bring them up to me; If there were no fish, to 
start do\ND to Geeomovialocke and bring uj) a fresh supply of food. I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 481 

was there without food, or the team of dogs or anything, and Yapheme 
said he knew the way up to Kigoilocke about 75 or 80 versts away, and 
that if we got hard up he would go and get provisions. We stopped 
where we were two or three days on one day's food. I got Yapheme 
ready to start, but before making the start we got on the roof to take a 
good look down to the southward and the eastward to see if Bartlett 
and Nindemann were coming with the provision train. Not seeing any- 
thing of them we heard the dogs away to the north and west of us. We 
waited for the northern team of dogs to come in. When they came in 
they had heard that we were down at this place and they came in with- 
out provisions but brought a team of dogs with them. I was getting 
ready to send this team back to North Bulun to get fish when we saw 
the provision train coming from the southward and eastward of us. Of 
course when Bartlett and Mndemann came in with the provision train 
we had plenty. Immediately after that we set about organizing the 
search. The ispravenik of the district had sent word all over the country 
to bring in all the dog teams — sent word that any native who owned, 
even one dog should bring it in to Oass Carta. In three or four days 
we had probably 150 dogs there, some from Long Island, some from 
Geeomovialocke, some from Arrii, and others from all over the country. 
The teams were regularly going, and I supplied the natives and the dogs 
with fish. 

As soon as it was possible, I fitted two teams and Nindemann and 
myself started off with the two teams. By means of the instructions that 
J originally had from Mndemann, and the records that I got at North 
Bulun, I had located Usturda all right. I had crossed the river to the 
westward all right, because I had followed the sled tracks, but in start- 
ing to the southward I had lost the trail, so when I started north the 
first time I started with Nindemann and our two interj^reters and went 
to Usturda. As soon as we hove in sight of it, Nindemann said right 
away, "That is the place." We had slept in the southern hut during the 
night. The next morning we started up to Usturda. We crossed the 
river to the west bank, as directed by De Long's record, and started to 
the southward along the bank. When we had proceeded about a mile, 
or a mile and a half, to the southward, Mndemann said, " Here we re- 
crossed the river," pointing to the eastward. That is where the river 
takes the great bend to the westward. De Long did not want to go 
west, he wanted to go south. So he naturally crossed the river to the 
westward, and we crossed the river to the westward as directed 
by Mndemann, and commenced to hunt for such land-marks as he 
remembered. He spoke of a dry river ; that they had passed up the 
bed of a dry river. In the mean time we were talking to our native 
drivers all the time about huts that were in the immediate neigh- 
borhood. My idea then was to find the hut in which Erichsen died ; 
that it would shorten my search tliat much from the northward to the 
southward. As soon as Mndemann came up with me at Oass Carta, 
he told me that I was too far to the westward, and he remembered then 
that he had camped at the hut called Mat Yai and that De Long was 
somewheres to the eastward of us, that I had made my location too far 
to the west but that I had stuck to the main branch of the river ; that 
was my difficulty. So we started in and followed up the bed of the 
river during that day and found several of the places that Nindemann 
recognized, but lost the trail again. The face of the country was so 
changed between the snows of the winter and the previous fall that he 
did not recognize the country. 

We returned to the hut to the southward of Usturda and slept there 
31 J Q* 



482 - - JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that uight, and next morning made a fresli start and took another lead 
that Nindemann thought was right. We got over in the vicinity of 
some other huts that the natives knew of; arrived there we searched 
several huts but did not find the hut from which Erichsen was buried. 
It came on to blow and storm, and the natives said that the hut called 
Sista-Ganach was about 40 versts distant, so we ran for that to sleep 
there that night. It was blowing- the next day and I was not able to 
go on, so I dumped what fish I had there as a depot of supplies and re- 
turned to Cass Carta. I found that it was not worth while to carry 
interpreters witli us, because we could get as much out of the natives 
by the drivers as the interpreters could. We had learned the language 
so we understood them and they understood us well enough. I then 
fitted a party for Bartlett, because sufficient dogs had arrived to fit three 
teams beside the other teams that were hauling fish for us all the time. 
I directed Bartlett to go to Mat Vai and to work from Mat Vai to the 
northward taking the main branch of the river, telling him that Ninde- 
mann and myself would start from the northward and work to the 
southward, endeavoring to find Erichsen's hut as a commencing place, 
hoi)ing to find the river along which DeLong and his party had retreated 
before they died. Bartlett started from the southward and Mnde- 
mann and myself from the northward and during the first day we 
sear(;hed around and Ibund a good many huts but could not find the 
river at all. We went to the east and southeast and south, and in all 
directions. We had a tent with us. We camped down at night under 
the lee of a snow-bank and during the night there came on a storm and 
it snowed a good deat and covered the ground we were on and the next 
morning we were all snowed in. 

We tried to force our way to the southward, but the dogs and the na- 
tives would not face the gale. It was my intention to strike down to 
the southward and meet Bartlett. Bartlett had instructions if he found 
my trail to turn on my trail and follow me into a camp or to turn on 
my trail and follow me into Mat Yai. So that night we ran to the hut 
known as Cuvina to get out of the storm. The next morning it lulled 
a little bit and Nindemann and myself started down to Mat Yai. In 
the mean time the teams that had been hauling fish for us were driven 
by the storm to take refuge in the same hut that we had been in. We 
left- about the time they arrived. At the time we left Cuvina Bartlett 
left Mat Yai to work to the northward. He was caught out in the 
snow-storm and was detained two days or two nights in the storm. I 
arrived at Mat Yai, and the next day being clear started out to make 
the search for De Long. Nindemann had told me he was not sure which 
river he came along from the northward to the southward, but the island 
of Stolboy bore nearly south of them during all the time of their march 
north, and the bank of the river along which they marched was filled 
with ice thrown up in huge masses and that was about the only land- 
mark he had. He also knew of a flat-boat that was in this river as one 
of its permanent landmarks, so, as he was undecided in regard to which 
river to follow up, JL told him that we would go into the westward and 
search from the westward around to the northward, and from the north- 
ward around to the eastward, until we came to the river on which he 
thought they caine. 

We started that way in the morning, and run that way until after- 
noon, until the island of Stolboy bore south of us. That is a large rock 
in the bay Miiich they call the Stolb. We stopped oft' this last point of 
land near the large river, and Nindemann and I had some talk about 
the river. He was not sure whether it was a river or not, and I go at 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 483 

little impatient, and left him at his sled and got up on top the high land. 
When I got up on top of the high land on this point making out in the 
bay I discovered where there had been a great fire made the previous fall, 
and as soon as I found the fire-bed I sang out ''Nindemann, Nindemann, 
I have found it," and he hurried up, and the natives, seeing there was 
something going on there, liurried up also. When we all got up on the 
high lands we could see where the wind had blown all the snow oft' that 
in the previous fall. When the snow was soft the men in traveling 
around there had left many foot-marks in the snow, which was now 
turned into ice. The wind drove all the snow from the high lands into 
the low lands, so it was tolerably clear of snow. I asked the Jakutsk if 
that was a Jakutsk fire. They said no ; they made a Jittle bit of a fire. 
I said, then, it was a fire made by Americans. IS^indemaun got it into his 
miiid that this was the river he came along, and if this was it they had 
turned. He then pointed to me where they had gone 50 or 60 miles 
away to the southward, and then to the eastward again, going from 
headland to headland around to Mat Vai, and from Mat Vai to the 
eastward and the southward. Mndemann then told me of his attempt 
to find the flat-boat or Erichsen's hut. The main thing at this time was 
to find Erichsen's hut. When I had found the foot-prints of the people 
there I had an idea that they were still to the westward. I had no idea 
that they had gone back to the northward again. The whole party had 
gone back to the northward. I thought that they had gone to this point 
where Nindemann turned and where the fire was, and I supposed they 
had gone on around to the southward on their journey to Bulun. But 
Mndemann started off ahead of me two or three hundred yards. His 
dogs were in full cry, and as I followed him he sang out that he saw the 
flat-boat ahead. 

I always traveled with my face toward the bank in making the search. 
If I found anything as big as my fist I always went and picked it up 
and examined it to see if it would put me on the track of the search. 
Nindemann happened to be looking the other way. He was looking after 
the flat-boat. I was about two or three hundred yards behind, and I saw 
two or three big sticks sticking out of the snow and also the rope lashing, 
and out of the lashing was a gun-muzzle protruding 2 or 3 inches out of 
the snow. When I saw these sticks I dropped off my sled and run up 
to where they were and pulled the gun out and cleared the barrel to see 
if there was not a record in it. I supposed when they left they had left 
a record in the gun-barrel and I cleared it, but saw there was no record. 
I then sent the dog driver to the northward and brought Nindemanu 
back. I then supposed that the people had got tired carrying their 
books and papers and had made a deposit of them at this place, and 
that they had erected this land-mark over the top of it and had con- 
tinued on their march to the southward. I told the two natives to start 
to work and dig out the bank. The bank was probably 25 or 30 feet 
high with a natural slope coming down to the base of 40 or 45 feet ; 
where the snow would be 25 to 30 feet high, at the edge of the bank it sloped 
down to nothing. Where the tent-pole was set up the snow was 6 or 8 
or 10 feet deep, and the tent-poles stuck out a yard. Wliile the natives 
were digging Niudemann andmyself jumped up on the high bank to take 
a survey of the surrounding country. The natives carried two snow- 
shovels to make holes to sleep in or something of that kind. Niude- 
mann said he would go to the northward and see if he could find anything 
of the party in the direction of Erichsen's hut. I said I would go down 
to the point of laud where the fire was and find my way back to Mat 
Vai where the hut was, where 1 proposed to sleep that night instead of 



484 JEAWNETTE INQUIRY. 

sleeping in tlie snow. It was only 15 miles across the bay, and I pro- 
posed to run over there and sleep and start out again in the morning. 

On my way to the point of land one of the natives came along with 
me carrying a compass. As I came along I saw a black tea-kettle par- 
tially buried in the snow. It was a copper kettle that had become 
darkened up with smoke, and of course it would readily show in the 
snow. As soon as I saw it I pointed it out, and said there is a tea- 
kettle. The next thing we saw was the bodies partially buried in the 
snow. The first object was a man lying on his side, with his left hand 
raised towards his head, the forepart of the faces to the west, and the 
snow had driven in on that side. The front of the bodies was covered 
and the back was swept perfectly clean. As soon as we came upon 
the three dead men the native was frightened, and he dropped the com- 
pass and I picked up the compass and the tea-kettle, and immediately 
northernmost to the three I found the ice journal. As soon as I found 
the ice journal, I turned back to where the last record was made, and 
saw that it was made the 30th of October. Then I read backwards. I 
found where Erichsen died about the 9th of October, I think it was. 
The next man that had died was Alexy, who had died in the flat-boat, 
and had been buried on the bed of the river. The next two men were 
Kaack and Lee, and the record then said: "We are too weak to carry 
our comrades out on the river to bury them, so we carried them around 
the corner. Then my eye closed." I did not understand that altogether. 
I suppose De Long's eye had given out, or probably he felt sad and 
closed his eye in sorrow ; I do not know which. I did not understand 
about carrying them around the corner, the bank running in a northeast 
and southerly direction. There was no corner. Then it went on record- 
ing the deaths of people. The last record was "Boyd died during the 
night, and Mr. Collins dying." The whole thing was right there. The 
northernmost man had been buried abreast of the flat-boat. I was then 
within 300 yards of the flat-boat. The rest of the party were right by the 
record. I then made up my mind to dig up the rest of the people where the 
tent-pole was. I immediately sent a dog driver after Nindemann before 
I moved the bodies at all and brought him back and showed him the 
small articles I had found, the medical chest, the compass, a hatchet, 
and a tea-kettle, ;ind the last ice journal. I turned to the last of it and 
showed him Avhere the last page was not complete; that isDe Long had 
not completed the whole of the sheet, and in addition to that two-thirds 
of the next sheet was torn off; that is, after he had completed one sheet 
he had not written all the way down, but there was enough for him to 
Avrite two or three days longer, but in addition to that he had torn ofl 
about two-thirds of the next page. I feared there might be some ques- 
tion about the mutilation of the book ; for that reason I was trying to 
call Nindemann's attention to the tearing of the book. I hunted for this 
I)iece of paper and could not find it. I thought maybe De Long had 
written a letter to his wife or had written some private paper, and I was 
particular to have a search made for this piece of paper that was torn 
off", but never found it. I found that the bodies were those of De Long 
and Dr. Ambler and Ah Sam. I examined the bodies and found noth- 
ing on them, that is, they had not been mutilated. They were frozen 
down to the ground, and I had to put a stick under them and pry them 
out. We rolled the three bodies together. 

By Mr. AnNOUX : 
Q. Please to state right here the exact position of Dr. Ambler. — A. I 
will tell you the way the three bodies laid. They were camped at the butt 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 485 

of a great tree stamp, probably 16 or 20 inches in diameter, with the 
root attached. They had made a fire at the crotch or trunk or root of 
the tree. Ah Sam laid on his back with his toes turned up and his 
hands on his chest as though his comrades had laid him out. His boots 
were oft and his toes stuck through his red woolen stockings. The 
tent cloth had blown down over him. The wind had blown from the 
southward. De Long lay farthest to the northward with his back to 
the east and his face to the west. He lay on his right side facing to the 
west, his right cheek resting on his right hand, which was under him, 
and his left hand partially raised in the air sloping a little behind him. 
Dr. Ambler's shoulders overlapi^ed De Long's knees; that is, he was a 
little farther to the southward. He was a little to the westward of De 
Long, and his head rested about against De Long's knees, and De Long's 
toes rested against the small of Dr. Ambler's back. Dr. Ambler lay 
well over on his face with his left hand up to his mouth and his right 
hand down between his legs, and he. had bitten the inside of his hand 
from the first joint of the finger all the way round to the thumb, chewed 
the whole thing out. His mouth was full of blood and there was a little 
ball of bloody ice in his mouth and a little pool of blood on the ground 
underneath his mouth. He lay so [illustrating], with his pistol hand 
between his legs. When I saw the blood and saw his face I rolled him 
over. I found the pistol. I knew it was De Long's pistol. I knew De 
Long carried such a pistol through the whole of his journey on the ice. 
Danenhower had thrown it away ; Erichsen was sent back and picked 
it up, and De Long had carried it through the whole of the march. 
When I first rolled him over and saw so much blood lying around I 
thought he had shot himself in the mouth. I examined his head, and 
found no wound, and naturally picked up the pistol and examined the 
chambers. There were three whole capsules in the chambers, but no 
exploded charges. I showed it to Nindemann, and said it was impos- 
sible for him to have fired a charge, because the empty capsules would 
have been in the chamber. Then, upon closer examination, I found 
where he had bitten his hand between the finger and the thumb, and that 
accounted for the blood. 

Q. Speaking about Captain De Long's hand being raised and his arm 
thrown partially back, you found just behind him his last note? — A. 
His ice journal. 

Q. So that apparently his hand had been raised to throw it back or for 
some purpose of that kind in connection with the book ? — A. That is 
what I said originally, and that is my idea now; that when he got 
through writing and it had come to the bitter end he had thrown the 
book behind him, and his hand had never come back to his side. The 
ice journal lay about four feet six inches behind. I can remember the 
distance that well. 

Q. That was to save it from the fire 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Might not the wind have blown it there ?— A. Fo, sir ; and it had 
two quarter-inch wooden backs and it lay open. The wind might have 
blown open the leaves, but I do not think it carried the book away. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. He threw it there to save it from the fire !— A. Yes ; that is my 
idea. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. The fire was in front of them 1 — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. And his hand lay back from the fire *?— A. Yes, sir. Those two 



486 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

were farther away from the fire than Ah Sam was. Ah Sam laid with 
his feet almost in the fire and his head to the east, laying flat on his 
back. De Long and Ambler were lying at right angles to him. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Tell us about the discovery of the others. — A. As soon as we rolled 
the three people together and covered them with canvas and put some 
logs on them to keep from blowing the canvas away, we went back to 
the tent-poles and started the men to digging, and they dug away, and 
finally came down to the earth, and they found a fire-place, and they 
dug a little more, when they found an old mitten and a drinking-pot. 
I told them to dig away, and they kept digging, and finally they threw 
out a box of books, one of the tin cases containing the books, and all at 
once they jumped out of the hole as though something was after them, 
both of them. I sung out, '' What is the trouble ?" and they said, ^' Two 
dead." So I dropped down in the hole and saw one man's shoulder and 
another man's feet. They had just cut one man's toes with the snow- 
shovel. So I told them to dig away, and they coutinued to dig, and 
finally they brought a^ third man in sight. When we left to go to Mat 
Yai that night to sleep there were three men in sight — one man's feet, 
another man's shoulder, and a third man's head. I did not know who 
they were. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. There were three bodies in the tent ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And a fire had also been kindled there ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And the other three bodies were 300 yards away on the island ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. There had evidently been two camps ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How do you account for that ? — A. My idea is this : that after De 
Long had written the record that Boyd h^^d died during the night and 
Mr. Collins was dying, he came to the conclusion, there being but three 
left, and they being on the bed of the river, that he would move. You 
see, m the spring time the river carries out everything, and he made an 
attempt to get on this high land and tried to get the books and papers 
with them. Three of them managed to get there. They had carried 
the chart case and used the chart case for poking the fire, but they were 
not strong enough to get the bundle of books and carry them up to a 
place of safety. 

Q. Then your idea is that the other party died before those with De 
Long ? — A. Oh, there is no doubt about it at all. De Long and Ambler 
made up their minds that the end had come. Now, the question was 
whether they would ever be found. 

Q. Why did they not carry the tent ? — A. They carried the tent cloth 
up. 

Q. Why would they leave the gun down there? — A. It was of no 
further use. It was hung right on the crotch of the sticks. 

Q. Was there any possibility of anything being there that they could 
have shot? — A. I guess not. I had an idea long before 1 got there that 
the foxes would have disturbed the bodies, but they had not. There 
are many foxes in that section, but not a fox had disturbed the bodies. 
My idea was that De Long and Ambler kuew the end had come. They 
knew if they had died dowu on the bed of theriver the floods in the early 
spring would carry them ofl', and they made a last eftbrt to get up on 
the high ground, where there was a chance that the bodies and the re- 
cords would be found. The record said that they were too weak to 
carry their comrades out on the ice to bury them. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 487 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Did you not think that they were too weak to carry their guns?— . 
A. That was the idea. They had made one journey and carried up the 
tent cloth, the chart case, the box of medicines, the hatchet for cutting 
wood, and a piece of ice to melt for water to make their tea, and the tea- 
kettle. Now they had gotten up there, tbe idea was to come hack and 
carry up another load, but when they got that first load up there they 
were too weak to come back for another load. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. Was tbere anything at all left in the way of medicines or tea? — A. 
Ko, sir; simply a few little bottles — balsam for putting on burns — 
something of that kind. 

Q. Nothing to sustain life? — A. No ; the record told of using up all 
that. 

Q. Did you find the body of the Indian, Alexy? — A. No, sir; the 
river bed had fallen in and the body had i)assed off. I am glad you 
asked about that, because I forgot to mention that. In the early fall 
time the river freezes over from the bank and the ice bed is supported 
by the water underneath, and when the snows to the southward cease 
to supply the river with water, the water falls and the ice bed of the 
river, not being supported by water, falls in. These ice bridges are 
not strong enough to support themselves. 

Q. The water is running under the bridge? — A. Yes ; that freezes, 
and it freezes a second time, and you can see it just as distinctly as the 
steps of the pyramid in Egyi)t. When the bed of the river tumbles you 
can see where it tumbles, and it freezes again and tumbles, and the 
whole thing is thrown up in great masses as big as a house. So early 
in the season De Long had buried Alexy on the ice of the river and had 
covered him with pieces of ice. We started from the flatboat and 
steered right across and then searched around there in all directions. 
We examined everything that we could see that would look like a little 
cairn that could have been built up with ice where they could put a man, 
but the whole thing was 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. (Interposing.) You never cleared up the mystery about taking the 
bodies around the corner ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was that mystery ! — A. As soon as I returned to Mat Vai I 
commenced and made a copy of the last thirty days of the journal to 
send to the Navy Department. I also prepared dispatches to the Navy 
Department informing them of the finding of the bodies. I sent copies 
of the same to the Russian Government. I had an interpreter with me, 
a Swede, who spoke Eussian and English. While I was doing this, I 
sent Nindemann and Bartlett with a dog partj^ over to dig the bodies out. 
They dug the bodies out after we had found them. While I was en- 
gaged in doing this writing I had to lay on my stomach, the smoke was 
so bad in the hut. The hut was 8 feet square and 4^ feet high. It was 
necessary to lay on my stomach with my ink in the ashes of the fire and 
the pen between my fingers and write the record, taking but a single 
word at a time until I had written the whole. To write it correctly I 
had to go over it many times. I always came to this place where " we 
carried them around the corner and then my eye closed." That both- 
ered me. After Bartlett and Nindemann had been digging for several 
days, and had found all the bodies except the two first men, whom 
they could not find, they came in one night after the day's work and had 



488 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

not found anything. These were the two men that had beeii carried 
around the corner; so I got on the sled with them the next morning and 
rode over to where the tent-poles were. In reading this record about the 
bodies beiug carried around the corner, I noticed the gales of wind had 
always been from the southward. They had naturally put up their tent 
to the southward, and sat to the northward of it. They carried them 
around the corner of the tent to the southward. When I went over to 
the place where the people had been found, Nindemann and Bartlett 
and the natives had dug into the bank away to the northward, but not 
to the southward. So I said, after arguing the matter to myself, that 
men must be buried to the southward. I directed the i^arty to dig to 
the southward and they dug there that day and found them. Before 
they started in 1 started back to the south, and that night they brought 
in the two last men, Kaack and Lee, I think. That was the theor}'^ that 
I worked on — that the gales of wind were from the southward ; they had 
put the tent cloths to the southward to protect themselves, and they sat 
to the northward and carried these bodies around the corner. He did 
not say around the corner of the tent, but that was what he meant. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. What was the appearance of these bodies? — A. They looked lirst 
rate. Their faces were a little flushed, their hands black from the lire, 
and their faces a little burned, but they looked quite natural. The color 
was frozen in their faces ; they were not the color of dead men. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. They had a natural color ? — A. A natural color. Their stomachs 
and limbs were very much emaciated. Their stomachs were very much 
collapsed, but their faces were just as natural as mine to-day. 

By Mr. Aenoux : 

Q. They did not present the ordinary appearance of death ? — A. No; 
they did not look like ordinary dead men. The color was present in 
the faces of De Long and Ambler. Ah Sam was of a dark color, of 
course. His skin was darker. He was a Chinaman. The other men 
that died near the fire their hands were very much burned ; Lee's feet 
were burned. 

Q. It was very evident to you, by your personal inspection of these 
bodies, that they had died from starvation and cold "? — A. There was no 
question of that in my mind at all. 

Q. Did you not say at one time that the bodies looked more like ala- 
baster ? — A. I said that they looked like marble men, but the color that 
was in the cheeks was not like marble ; it was like stained marble. 

Q. And you found that their stomachs were so much colhipsed that it 
was almost as if pressed against the backbone ? — A. The general ap- 
pearance of the people was as if you had put a block against their 
stomach and pressed it down to tlie backbone. The limbs were emaci- 
ated ; then there was a long black spot, hollow from the chest to where 
it came up to the hips again. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Skeleton-like I — A. Yes, sir ; we hauled all the people over to 
Mat Vai. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Now, I want to ask you in regard to the papers and other prop- 
erty that was found. — A. All the ship's papers, every paper belonging 
to the ship, was placed in tin cases before we left the ship, and they 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 489 

were never taken out of those tin cases that I know of unless it might 
have been at some time to have dried them when they got wet in the 
boats 5 but I had never seen them taken out from the time I left the 
ship until I found them. That accounts for my finding every paper be- 
longing to the expedition. There is not one paper, one inch square, that 
De Long put in those cases and started from the shii^ with that is miss- 
ing to-day, and the reason is tbat every package of books was measured 
by myself and the dimensions carried down to Lee, the machinist, who 
did duty in the engine-room, and he made the tin boxes. The original 
intention was to solder them all around, but not having time to do that 
we simply slipped the caps on and passed a lashing around them. 

Q. Where were those found ? — A. In the immediate vicinity of the 
dead bodies. Nindemann and Bartlett found those while digging in 
the bank where the dead bodies were found. When we carried the rec- 
ords over to Mat Yai 1 took all the papers out of the tin boxes and 
shook the snow out of them aud dried them and put them back again 
in the presence of Niudemanu and Bartlett. I did not search any body, 
not even De Long's. When we first found De Long Nindemann came on 
the scene and took his watch. I remember he could not get it out of 
his pocket and he got out his jack-knife and cut the lining out and he 
found all the little trinkets there were on it, and there were five 20- 
dollar gold pieces in his pocket. It was the same way with Dr. Ambler 
and Ah Sam. I think the first night we searched De Long only. I do 
not remember having searched Ambler. I am not sure about that, but 
the men that were dug out of tlie bank I never searched at all. I may 
have searched or assisted in the search of De Long, Ambler, and Ah 
Sam ; that is, a preliminary search, because we found those three on 
the uplands. Nindemann did the searching and I stood by. So of 
course, if I was present, I was aiding in the search. Lee was found 
stripped nearly naked. Kaack also was stripped nearly naked. Their 
clothes had been taken off to clothe the others. But the searching of 
Boyd and Collins and the other people was done directly byNindemann 
and Bartlett. In the evening when they came into the hut at Mat Vai 
they brought in whatever they had procured from the bodies of the 
dead. They had tied them up in a couple of handkerchiefs and I wrote 
on the outside of the handkerchiefs in ink whose it was besides writing 
the name of each person on a slip aud putting it inside of the handker- 
chief and kept each person's effects by themselves. After the bodies 
had been searched and hauled over to Mat Vai, 1 prepared the cairn 
tomb on the top of the mountain. Before putting them away I directed 
Nindemann and Bartlett to go out a second time and search all the peo- 
ple. It was very cold at the time, and I was dancing around with my 
mittens on while Bartlett and Nindemann searched the bodies. They 
found nothing additional on De Long or Ambler, but in searching Ool- 
lins's body they found a crucifix probably 3 or 4 inches long. They said, 
" Mr. Melville, what will we do with this ? " At first I was inclined to 
take it off, with the thought that his people would like to have it; but 
I said, " No, it is part of his religion ; we will bury him with it." And 
that was the only thing left on the body. 

Q. Now with regard to the papers given to you from Mr. Oollins's body, 
what did you do with them ? — A. I stowed them all away carefully. I put 
them in a wooden box and covered the box with raw-hide and sealed it. 

Q. Before you did that did you open the handkerchief to see wliat 
was contained in it ? — A. Yes ; I opened the handkerchief in the pres- 
ence of the people at the fire. I remember the little note-book of Ool- 
lins's that has been shown here, and there was one wad of writing paper. 



490 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I could not tell whether it was one sheet or three sheets. It was all 
wadded together so that it was impossible to open it, and it had been 
carried in his pocket and wetting with the sea had almost reduced it to 
a pulp. I tried to open it, and could see on the margin something about 
" Melville" — saw my name. I tried to open it, but there was danger of 
tearing it and I then squeezed it together as I found it and put it along 
with the rest of the things in the package. 

Q. Were there any loose papers besides ? — A. Two or three loose pa- 
pers — something like an envelope, but I do not remember what they 
were. 

Q. Did you abstract from that handkerchief or lot of papers any pa- 
per or piece of paper of any description ? — A. No, sir ; absolutely noth- 
ing, not as much as a postage-stamp. Mr. Jackson wanted me to turn 
the things over to him. At first he wanted to take charge of me alto- 
gether, but later on, on the way up the river, he produced a telegram which 
he said he had received fron^ the Secretary of the Navy, which I sup- 
posed was authentic, directing me to let Mr. Jackson have the use of 
Collins's aaid De Long's papers and journal. I then, on board of the 
steamer, got out the package and sat down on the deck with two or 
three of our people around and turned the whole of Collins's effects over 
to Jackson. I watched them as a cat would watch a mouse, and I do 
not believe Jackson was able to get away with a square inch of any- 
thing. 

Q. Did you permit Jackson or anybody else to take the papers out of 
your sight? — A. Noj sir. 

Q. Did he return all the papers to you 1 — A. He did. 

Q. Having returned them, what did you do with them? — A. Did them 
up in the same packages I had them in before, put them in the tin case, 
and delivered them to the Secretary of the Navy. 

Q. From the time Jackson saw them until the time you carried them 
to the Navy Department had they been opened ? — A. When we got to 
Irkutsk I sent a telegram to the Secretary of the Navy that I had found 
all the bodies and had found every record belonging to the expedition. 
I then had a long journey before me from Irkutsk, in Siberia, to the 
United States. I was afraid that some part of the package of papers 
or something of that kind might be lost, might sink at sea, might be 
burned aboard the steamer. To verity my statement I had Lieutenant 
Berry in one of the rooms of the hotel verify every paper, and I deliv- 
ered the paper with the list in verification to the Secretary of the Navy. 
From the time that Lieutenant Berry verified them I did not see them 
until I delivered them to the Secretly of the Navy. 

Q. Lieutenant Berry was not permitted to retain a single paper? — A. 
No, sir ; not a particle of i^aper an inch square. 

Q. So that now you are certain that every paper A. | Interrupt- 
ing.] I am perfectly certain that every paper that came into my posses- 
sion was brought home and delivered to the Secretary of the Navy. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did you read these papers that were found ? — A. No, sir ; I glanced 
through them, read the indorsement probably ; oh, no, I did not read 
them ; it would have taken me a coon's age to have read them through. 
1 did not attemi)t it. 

Q. I want to ask your opinion as to whether you could have got away 
from Geeomovialocjke to Bulun at the time that Kusmah went? — A. Any 
one man could have gone. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 491 

Q. Could the party? — A. Ko, sir; absolutely no. There were neither 
dog teams nor reindeer teams nor provisions, nor had we the clothing. 

Q. In your opinion, when you first got to Geeomovialocke was it pos- 
sible to get to Bulun by boat*?— A. Ko, sir; I could not pilot the dis- 
tance, and there was no man in our ijarty that could pilot the distance, 
and the pilots that we did have said that we would die in trying to get 
to Bulun, and took us to Geeomovialocke instead. 

Q. Mr. Bartlett said : 

We could have got away at the time Kusmah went. 

A. The whole party could not have gone, sir ; absolutely no, sir ; we 
could have gone, yes ; but we probably would have died 10 miles or 50 
miles away ; there is no telling. 

Q. But in speaking about going from Geeomovialocke to Bulun, you 
do not think it would have been practicable to have done so? — A. We 
could not have done so with safety. I was placed in command of that 
party ; it was my business to look after the safety of that party. We 
had everything to lose and nothing to gain; therefore 1 looked at it on 
every side. The best thing we could do, under the circumstances, was 
to wait for food and provisions, and as soon as it was possible to move 
my people as a whole body they were moved. 

Q. Would it have been possible, in your opinion, at any time in Octo- 
ber, to have gotten sufficient food and tran spoliation to go to De 
Long ? — A. Yes ; had I known where De Long was, or had 1 had any 
idea that De Long was alive. Had anybody said, "^Melville, 150 miles 
northwest of this, hunt on a mountain so and so, there you will find De 
Long," I might have got dog teams and provisions enough to have got 
to De Long. 

Q. But speaking of it as it actually was? — A. I^o, sir; it was impos- 
sible for anybody to have started with any possibility of success. 

Q. How many miles did you go in making the search that you made 
in November? — A. I traveled about 1,010 versts — about 600 miles. 
Those are direct distances. 

Q. Mr. Bartlett, speaking of the unsuccessful attempt to reach Bu- 
lun by water from Geeomovialocke, said that it was unsuccessful be- 
cause he did not think the effort was made with energy enough. Do 
you think that your failure in that respect was in any way due to a lack 
of energy ? — A. No, sir ; I do not think so. I think the people were so 
badly frozen and so badly crippled that they were not able to work. I 
guess Bartlett sees it in a different way now than he did two years ago. 
I think he thinks differently. I do not think there was any man in 
that boat who was sorry to get back to Geeomovialocke when the boat 
was put about and run back there, and. as I said before, one of the men 
did not want to go at all. 

Q. Did not Bartlett have something to do with the amputation of the 
flesh on Leach's foot ? — A. Yes ; he used to clean it. He cut off the 
decayed, blackened flesh — something of that kind. The bones pro- 
truded. Bartlett used to clean it every morning. I was afraid gan- 
grene was going to set in. It was perfectly black and the flesh had 
sunk back a quarter of an inch. The odor from it was very disagree- 
able. Bartlett used to peel the flesh down with his jack-knife. 

Q. After the interesting account you have given of the facts con- 
nected with the search for Captain De Long, I will ask you whether, in 
your judgment, it would have been possible for you or your party to 
have rescued him and his party? — A. No, sir; when I got information 
of the whereabouts of De Long on the night of the 29th day of Octo- 



492 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

ber, if I could have seen the whole of the distance right through a range 
of mountains, could have put my eyes upon him and started off then 
and there with a team of dogs, and traveled night and day, I could not 
have got to him in time to save him. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. You have said that you saw Chipp's boat sink ? — A. I thought I 
did. I did not see her sink. I saw her on the crest of a wave, and the 
boat struck aback and a man standing up trying to pull the sail down. 

Q. So that you had good reason to think he had perished ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. When did you last see Captain De Long's boat ? — A. About 8 
o'clock on the evening of the 12th of September, about 70 miles north- 
east of Cape Barkin. That was when he waved me on. 

Q. In what condition was his boat then "? — A. The boat was sound 
enough, but she was very deep, and the water was rolling along the 
whole length of the boat and still tumbling in. 

Q. But she was in no more special danger, so far as you could see, 
than your own boat ? — A. No, sir ; we thought it was touch and go with 
all of us. 

Q. When you landed you say you were under the iraj)ression very 
strongly that Captain De Long's boat had perished the same way as 
Chipp's '? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That it had sunk !— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Why did you think so ? — A. Because he was carrying a much 
larger load than we ; and we had such a narrow escape that I thought 
the chances that were against me were against him. 

Q. But you did not have the same reason for thinking Captain De 
Long's boat had sunk as you did about Chipp's boat ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, if you had not been under the impression that Captain De 
Long's boat had perished would you have acted differently ! — A. No, 
sir ; I do not think I would. I could not have acted differently. I got 
to Bulun just as soon as I could get there. My orders were to go to a 
Kussian settlement. I did not arrive at a place of succor until I got to 
Bulun, and then when we put our force of eleven hungry men into Bu- 
lun we eat them out of house and home; this other village was so small. 

Q. Then, even if you had known that Captain De Long's boat had 
made a landing, without knowing the place where he landed, it would 
not have made any difference in your conduct ? — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Now, if you had been told on the day that you landed that Captain 
De Long had landed somewhere within 50 or 100 miles from you, were 
you in any condition to have gone to his succor? — A. Not at that time. 

Q. How early was the earliest i)0ssible time that you could under any 
circumstances have gone to his succor? — A. Well, it was ten days be- 
fore the people commenced to get well enough to travel. 

Q. If, at the end of ten days, you had been told that Captain De 
Long and his party were alive and in need of succor, without being told 
where he was, do you think it would have been x)ossible to have saved 
one of the party ? — A. That is hard to say. You might search on the 
delta from now until doom's day and not find them. There is such a 
multiplication of channels and there are so many islands that it is im- 
l)Ossible to go in any direction, either winter or summer, with any de- 
gree of certainty. The natives get lost. What would we do there 
without a guide i 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 493 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. If it had not been for Nindemann and Noros you would never have 
thought of going north"? — A. Oh, yes. When we got to a place of safety 
my orders were to look out for the rest. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Would you at the end of ten days have been able to procure suf- 
ficient food to have gone to their relief I — A. No, sir. At the time Kus- 
mah visited us, we complained to Kusmah,and he shook up the natives, 
and said he was going to have them punished if they did not ^ive us 
more fish. That is the time Bartlett had a set-to with the starbsti of 
the village, and slung the two geese at his head, or threatened to hit him 
alongside the head with them. When he came back to me he was tear- 
ing mad. He said they gave him two rotten geese. 

Q. Mr. Bartlett also, when asked if he did not remember a conversa 
tion with you while at Geeomovialocke as to De Long's whereabouts, 
answered : 

We used to discuss the probabilities of his whereabouts quite often. 

A. Those are the conversations I spoke of. 

Q. Are those the ones in which you had the general opinion that he 
was dead? — A. Yes; we wondered whether they had died; whether 
they ever got ashore. How soon they had perished, and that sort of 
thing. That was the burden of our conversation. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. If Nindemann and Noros had had money with them at the time 
the natives found them, would that money have been any inducement 
to these natives to have gone where Captain De Long's company were ? — 
A. It might have been. They know the use of money there. But the 
people are very kindly. If Nindemann and Noros could have made them 
understand that there was a lot of starving men over there they would 
have got up and gone right away ; because, while I was at Geeomovia- 
locke the second time one of the men that I spoke of was an old exile ; 
he was an old criminal, and had gone out of his house, and he was gone 
so long the natives missed him, and the whole village turned out and 
searched for him. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. They are a kind hearted people? — A. A kind-hearted people. 
So I think if Nindemann and Noros could have made the natives un- 
derstand that there were ten men over there in that direction starving 
to death they would have gone for them. They are very timid people, 
though, and very superstitious ; afraid of spooks and dead men. 

Mr. NiNDEMANN. I had not been with the natives half an hour when 
they asked me if I had money. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. This question was put to one of the witnesses, and I will ask you 
what you think about the subject : 

Do you now say that Melville did wrong in not trying to help De Long before he 
did? 

Do you think that you did anything wrong in not going to He Long 
before you did, under all the circumstances of the case? — A. No, sir; 
I worked then with all the mind I had. If our foresight was as good 
as our aftersight things would be different. With the lights I had at 
that time, I did everything that it was possible for me to do for him and 



494 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

his people, and if I were situated exactly the same way I would do ex- 
actly the same thing over again. 

Q. That is, with the same light you had then ? — A. Certainly. 

Q. Did you learn afterwards that there were plenty of natives within 
25 miles of the place where either of you landed f — A. No, sir. The 
nearest settlement to where De Long landed was North Bulun. That 
is 55 versts due west of the place called Ballock. 

Q. Had you ever given any attention to the subject of Arctic litera- 
ture to ascertain what was known of the Siberian coast? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, from what you had learned up to the time that your expedi- 
tion sailed, what was the condition of that coast ? — A. That it was in- 
habited in spots and places ; that there were hundreds of miles of the 
coast that we might strike that would be a perfect blank, with neither 
natives or animal life of any kind. 

Q. lu your judgment, knowing what you do to-day, from the place 
where the ship went down, what was the best place to attempt to 
reach? — A. If I were cast away at the same place with the same lights 
I had then I would go to the Lena delta. 

Q. From all you knew at the time, was not the Lena delta the best 
place, and if so, why? — A. From where we were crushed the maiu ob- 
ject was to make for the nearest land where we could possibly get food. 
The ivory hunters and the natives have lived for years on the New 
Siberian Islands. I had every reason to believe, and I believe now — 
and we saw lots of evidence of reindeer on the New Siberian Islands — 
that there were and are plenty of reindeer on the New Siberian Islands. 
To avoid a long passage at sea which would bring on just such a dis- 
aster as the loss of Chipp's boat, a long sea voyage wherein we had to 
do everything our ingenuity could devise to preserve ourselves, such as 
weather cloths, sea-anchors, drags, the proper thing to do is to make to 
the nearest land, aud then go from island to island making short sea 
voyages until we reached the Lena delta. As it was, the greatest dis- 
aster came on in a short sea voyage of only 70 miles, and that was the 
rolling over of Chii)p's boat. Now had De Long had provisions when 
he got ashore, there would have been no disaster. There was no dis- 
aster except the disaster from the sea voyage, that which occurred to 
Chipp. 

Q. Now, what did you do in the way of travel when the ship went 
down ? — A. We first laid out a course due south. 

Q. IIow long a time did you follow that course ? — A. We followed it 
until we found that the ice was running so rapidly that 

Q. (Interposing.) Tell us the time. — A. Ten or fifteen days. 

Q. During those days did you take any observations ? — A. Yes ; De 
Long got observations whenever he could. 

Q. When was the first one he got ?— A. The first observation he got 
was when we were on the way about four or five days or a week after 
we started. But he did not post the position ; that is, make it known. 
He did not put up a bulletin as they do aboard ship, because everybody 
was wondering where we were, and after ten or fifteen days' travel to 
the southward he got another observation. He did not i)ost that. But 
the day following he got another observation, and when he got the sec- 
ond day's observation, he sent for me and told me he wanted to see me. 
He said he did not want me to tell anybody what he was .going to tell 
me, but he thought it was proper I should know the location of the 
party. He said, " We have been traveling to the southward now some 
ten or fifteen days," whatever it was, '* and we have lost some 28 miles 
to the nortliwest." He said, " I got an observation yesterday, but I did 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 495 

not say any thing about it, because I was sure I could get another ob- 
servation to day, and from the two I worked a suinner, and from the 
two observations I must be on this line somewheres, so that we have 
really lost 28 miles into the northwest." We were driving oft* to the 
northwest faster than we were traveling to the southward. 

At that time Dr. Ambler appeared in the tent, and he said to Dr. 
Ambler also, that some of the people were very sick, and he did not 
want to discourage the sailors. He told him the reason why he did not 
post it was he did not want to discourage the men. "But," he says, 
" If we go on this way we will never get out, because we are driving to 
the north faster than we are traveling to the southward ; but in case 
any accident should happen tt) me, I want you to know where we are." 
Then he drew a little sketch in his ice journal. He said, "The ice is 
running to the northwest ; if I go due south, I will take the longest 
course across the running stream. The shortest way to cross a running 
stream is to swim right across the stream and let the current carry you 
right along." He ;:sked me if I did not think so, and I said yes. Then 
we changed the course a point or two to the westward. We then set 
right across this running stream of ice, and a week or two after that he 
got another observation and he fonnd we had made 27 miles good. I 
had advanced all the sleds, except the last party where De Long worked 
up his observations, for working the sights, and he told me to tell the 
men as it would cheer them. As we marched to the southward with 
our last load but one, and on our way back again, I huddled the men 
together and sang out that the captain said we had made 27 miles good. 
The men cheered and said they would make it 60 the next week. 

Q. Did that bring you to the New Siberian Islands "^. — A. No, sir. Now, 
for four or five months before the ship was lost, the question arose that 
in case the ship was not crushed and our provisions gave out, which 
would be the quickest and best line of retreat, and it was well under- 
stood by all officers in the cabin, where we used to discuss things very 
freely, that the proper line of retreat was by way of New Siberian Islands. 
During the second winter we saw that there were no probabilities of our 
freeing our ship. We knew we were drifting so slowly we could not 
drift out into the Atlantic. We knew that the day would come when 
we would have to abandon the ship, whether crushed or not. Now the 
question was, which was the quickest line of retreat. So it was very 
well understood before we left the ship at all that the New Siberian 
Island was the quickest line of retreat, and when we were on the New 
Siberian Island I saw the bones and heads and skeletons of hundreds 
of reindeer that had been killed there by the ivory hunters and the na- 
tives, who, in the winter time, go all the way from the Lena delta to 
hunt the reindeer. 

Q. Does the ice extend across? — A. Yes; in the winter time. 

Q. When you changed your course from a line due south, how far does 
your judgment lead you to believe the ice extended to the southward? — _ 
A. We had every reason to believe that the ice was impinging on the' 
New Siberian Island, because, as we drifted along from the eastward 
toward the westward on a northerly course, as we approached the island 
we found that the ice was taking more of a northerly shoot. In that 
way we always knew there was an island to the south of ns. 

Q. Give your idea or your opinion as to how many miles of ice there 
were to the south of you. 

The Witness. From where ? 

Mr. Arnoux. From where you changed your course on the line due 
south. 



496 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

A. We expected the ice to go all the way to the New Siberian Islands, 
and at times from the New Siberian Islands reaching part way to the 
coast. 

Q. How many miles to the south ; 300 miles *? — A. Yes ; all of that. 

Q. And about what rate of travel were you making a day on the ice ? — 
A. From a mile and a half to two miles and a half, and eventually as high 
as 3 miles a day, which was the most we ever made. 

Q. How many days' provisions did you have when you started out 
from the (ihip?— A. About ninety. 

Q. Consequently, if your idea had been correct that the ice did extend 
that far to the south, if you had kept on a line due south would you 
have been able to reach the coast of Siberia "? — A. Never, sir. If we 
had not struck upon water where we did we would never have marched 
out. We never could have hauled the boats through. We would have 
perished on the march. We had got about the limit when we struck 
the water. We made then some 12 or 15 miles some days, w^hereas if 
the ice had extended all the way to the coast we would never have 
marched out. One of our discussions on the ship was whether it was 
best to march the whole of the way if the ice extended to the coastline, 
and to take no boats. Now, if we had gone without boats, we would 
have perished on the New Siberian Islauds. 

Q. When j^ou spoke of coming to the water you did not mean the 
open leads ! — A. No, no. The ice and water. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. 0., Tuesday, April 29, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members being present, 
also counsel on either side. 

GEORaE Wallace Melville resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Are you acquainted with the use of nautical instruments'? — 
Answer. Not fully ; not as a navigator. Yes, I am acquainted with 
them. 

Q. Are you sufficiently so to say whether it would have been wiser 
for Captain De Long to have carried his sextant after he reached the 
delta, and under the circumstances in which you were all situated? — 
A. No, sir; it would not have been proper to have carried the sextant 
after he landed at the Lena delta. A compass was not necessary. 

Q. How much do the compasses weigh which he carried? — A. A 
I)Ound or a pound and a half each. 

Q. And how much do the boat's compasses weigh that he did not 
carr;y ? — A. About 10 pounds ; 9J to 10 pounds. 

Q. In your judgment, did he or did he not act wisely in selecting the 
compas:s that he did, leaving the heavy one behind, under the circum- 
stances ? — A. I think he did. 

Q. Did you anticipate at the time of leaving the ship that you were 
going to be for any continuous length of time upon the sea? 

The Witness. You mean making a long sea voyage? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. What was your anticii)ation ? — A. Well, that we would have ice 
and water all the way to the delta. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 497 

Q. And did you anticipate tliat after reachiug the delta you would 
ueed to navigate or to engineer your way on the land "? — A. Nothing 
but what could have been done as well by a compass. 

Q. Did you learn afterwards that there were natives within 25 miles 
of the place where Captain De Long landed? — A. No, sirj they were 
further oft* than that. 

Q. About how far? — A. Not less than 40 miles. 

Q. Did you learn that there were natives at a distance of 40 miles at 
the time you landed '? — A. I do not know that there were when we 
landed, but there is a permanent settlement known as North Bulun, 
sometimes known as Tomat. And that is located 55 versts due west of 
the place called Ballok, and it is probably 15 miles on a southwesterly 
march to where De Long lauded. Arriving at Ballok there was 55 
versts west of that place a permanent settlement on the river Kitarch. 

Q. And if he had traveled to that settlement did he make enough 
miles to have reached it? — A. Uh yes, sir. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. You say if he had gone in that direction after landing he would 
have been saved; he would have come up with natives. Is that it? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Was that place upon his chart?— -A. No, sir. 

Q. Did the Eussians know of the existence of that place? — A. No, 
sir ; they did not. They learned it after we were there. 

Q. Taking from that part of the coast of Siberia westward was there 
any settlement, so far as you know, within 1,000 miles of where you 
were? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I meant to say east of you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How near was the nearest? — A. LTstjausk, at the mouth of the 
Yana Eiver. 

Q. How much of a place is that?— A. Well, it probably has 150 peo- 
ple. 

Q. And beyond that ? — A. Beyond that to the eastward again I do 
not know of any settlement nearer than the river Indigerka. 

Q. What settlement was there there ? — A. I do not know. I visi*ted 
Ustjausk, so I know. 

Q. How far is Ustjausk east of the Lena delta ? — A. Well, taken 
from the easternmost settlement, say from Geeomovialocke it is about 
150 miles. 

Q. And then from there to the Indigerka Eiver? — A. I am not sure 
of the distance, but the Kolyma is 700 miles, and I think to the Indi- 
gerka is probably half the distance ; say 350 miles. 

Q. Now, how far to the west of the point where the ship went down 
was the Lena delta? — A. I could not say without looking at the chart. 

Q. If you had gone due south from where the ship went down would 
it have brought you to the Indigerka Eiver? — A. About that; yes, sir. 

Q. Had your maps any definite information about the settlements in 
those parts of Siberia? — A. No, sir; the charts that were supplied our 
ship were coastwise charts, showing the great rivers makiug into the 
Arctic Ocean, and on different parts of the river were little dots i)laced 
with the words "settlement," " settlement," "settlement," somethiug of 
that kind, without giving us any information in regard to the number 
of inhabitants. What information we had of Siberia and the people 
living on the coast of Siberia we read from the llterat^ire in the ship. 
32 J Q* 



498 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And did not that literature give you the belief that the most popu- 
lous part of the country was at the Lena delta? — A. It did. 

Q. The counsel for Dr. Collins, pointing on the map to some place 
south of where the Jeannette went down, asked if this river waters a 
civilized and populous country through here. Do you know that there 
is a civilized and populous country at the mouth, or anywhere near the 
mouth of the Indigerka River ?— A. No, sir ; I do not. 

Q. Do you know that there is a great city on that river ? — A. No, sir; 
I do not. 

Q. From what you have read do you believe either that there is a 
great city there or that there is a civilized and populous country there'? — 
A. I have reason to believe that there are natives there, but I do not 
know in what quantities. 

Q. Do you think from what you have read that there is a great city 
and a populous country there ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. In your judgment, from what you have read and known of the 
country, did Captain De Long take the wisest course for the safety of 
the ship's crew ? — A. Yes, sir ; he did. 

Q. Did you not anticipate that when you reached the delta you would 
immediately find a pilot and relief? — A. Yes, sir; I liad every reason 
to believe it. 

Q. Did you make provision for a protracted march through a desert 
when you left the ship, after reaching Siberia, or was your preparation 
only to reach Siberia? — A. The preparations were to reach Siberia; that 
is, we carried provisions enough for our march, and barely that. 

Q. Anticipating, did you not, that when you reached Siberia you 
would find relief ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Something has been said about getting earlier at the delta. If 
you had been earlier at the delta would you not have found the land 
more difficult to travel on by reason of the floods ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not find it very wet? — A. Yes, sir; we found it very wet, 
but the floods pass off before the 1st of August. The floods pass away 
by August. 

Q. Therefore if you had reached it two months sooner you would have 
been there before the floods passed off*, would you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Something was said by one of the witnesses about being able to 
get there two months sooner. If you had got there two months sooner 
you would have found it all flooded, would you not? — A. If we were 
only ninety days on the march we could not have got there, taking it 
from the time the ship was crushed. 

Q. This is what one of the witnesses said: 

I think if we had left Beunett Island we could have been at the delta some months 
sooner than we were. 

How long were you traveling to the delta from Bennett Island ? — A. 
We were six weeks in making the journey from Bennett Island to the 
delta. 

Q. And you were about one week at Bennett Island ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Making seven weeks altogether? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Therefore it would have been a physical impossibility to have got 
there two months sooner, if you left Bennett Island out of the question, 
would it not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When you were on the ice after the ship went down did the offi- 
cers have certain duties assigned to them ? — A. Yes, sir ; every officer 
had his own assignment of duties. 
. Q. What was yours ! — A. After we were thrown out on the ice I as- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 499 

sisted the commanding officer in making preparation for the start on 
the march to the southward, and up to the time that Chipp was put on 
duty I was in charge of the whole of the working force. Dr. Ambler 
had charge of his sick, as was his duty, and he assisted in road-making. 
Mr. Danenhower started in at first to do work and was afterwards told 
to go with the sick-tent. Mr. Collins started in at first to work and 
was afterwards relieved from duty. Mr. Newcomb worked on the roads 
along with Dr. Ambler, that is, knocking down hummocks and prei)ar- 
ing the way for the sledges. He assisted in making the bridges to slide 
the sleds across the water gaps in the floe. Mr. Chipp, of course, was 
too sick to work. De Long and Mr. Dunbar, the ice pilot, laid out the 
line of march to the south. One of them would go ahead with the flags 
and the other would follow up and con him from the top of a hummock 
with a flag ; tell him to go a little to the right or a little to the left, and 
so lay out the line of march to the southward, aud then retrace their 
steps and track out what they considered the best tracks for the sleds 
to follow up, and after the sleds were advanced to the front De Long 
always returned to the rear and saw the last sled loaded up and the 
whole of the force advancing ahead of him. 

Q. You say that Lieutenant Chipp was sick. Was he not with some 
of the men taken sick by what the doctor supposed to be poison from the 
tomato cans? — A. From lead poisoning. 

Q. He was sick when the ship went down, and continued sick for 
some time after ? — A. Sick for some time before the ship went down, 
and sick a month or six weeks, 1 do not know how long after the ship 
was thrown out. 

Q. So that the captain was the only line officer fit to do duty *? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. What did you do? — A. Bossed the whole of the working gang. 
Every time they went over the floe I went with them. Sometimes we 
marched thirteen times over the floe and I marched every foot of the 
march with them, and in case the sled stuck it was my business to help 
in pulling it out, pulling and hauling in front, behind, and all around. 
It was my business to see that they kept going. The reason why I did 
not go into the harness was because De Long did not intend that any 
officer should do seamen's work, but in marching back again I walked 
very rapidly and the hands were sujiposed to keep up with my pace, so 
that I was simply the lead horse, although I did not pull in the harness. 
I speak of the first day or two. 

Q. And did you not constantly have to lift and help 1 — A. Every day. 
I do not believe in the city of Washington to-day or to-morrow, or any 
other day, there is a laborer that does as much work as I did the first 
six weeks of marching, in the way of manual labor. 

Q. One of the witnesses says : 

Many times you would see them comiug in at night, what we would call the last 
fleet of sleds. They would often congregate on the sunny side of a lump of ice and 
sit and warm themselves aud wait for the people to come up with the boats. 

A. I have never seen them sitting on the sunny side of a piece of ice, 
warming themselves. The sick people always came in as the last sleds 
came in. I never sat on a sled or took a bit of rest until the sleds brought 
to at night, and I did not see any other officer do it, either. 

Q. Did you see any restraint upon the coming and going of Mr, Col- 
lins while on the ice ? — A. No, sir ; he roamed at large. At first, when 
he was working with the working gang, he worked the same as the 
men did, and when he was told to desist from further work for a day 



500 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

or two he dallied behind along with the sick people. I used to see him 
talking to Danenhower or talking to Ohipp, but within a very few days, 
I cannot say how many, he asked to have a rifle, or his rifle, the one "he 
had been using aboard the ship, and then he roamed at' large on either 
side of us, ahead of us, or behind us, whenever there was a shot at a 
seal, or something of that kind. 

Q. Was his walking behind enforced, or was it voluntary ? — A. I 
cannot say that it was voluntary ; I do not know. The first day or 
two after the suspension, understand, the first day or two after he was 
told to desist from work on the floe, he staid along with the sick people. 
Whether ordered to do so or not I do not know. But a very few days 
after that he had his rifle, and roamed at large over the floe. 

Q. Now, so far as you know, was not his being behind at any time he 
was in the rear entirely voluntary ? — A. So far as I know. 

Q. Did you take all that it was possible to take after the ship went 
down, situated as you were? 

The Witness. Take all of what, sir ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Provisions and supplies of all kinds, and things that 
were needed. 

A. Yes, sir j we took nearly all the supplies that were thrown on the 
ice. There was a great deal more put out on the ice than was intended 
to be carried away in the beginning, but after we started on our march 
we had a couple of dog sleds continually returning to the place bring- 
ing up provisions, so that we eat a lot of loose provisions for the first 
week or so, not intended for the march at all ; and in regard to cloth- 
ing, we left more clothing behind us than we carried with us, because 
we were overburdened with clothing. In the beginning of the march 
the men loaded themselves up ; they made themselves too warm; put 
on too much clothing, and then for the next week or ten days, you could 
almost track the people along the floe by the stuff thrown away. One 
man would throw a spare cap, another man his jack-knife, and so on, re- 
lieving themselves of weight. But there was more stuff gotten out of 
the ship than we had any occasion to carry. 

Q. Did you know of a gun being taken from Mr. Newcomb while you 
were on the ice ? — A. Only what I heard people talking about. I was 
not a witness to the affair ^t all. 

Q. Did you hear his testimony and the testimony that was given in 
relation to that transaction ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. This question was put to him in regard to that : 

Did you ever commit any act of insurbodination, disobedience, or disrespect that 
justified any positive punishment of you? 

Now, in your opinion as an officer of the Navy, was his conduct at 
that time such as to justify punishment ? — A. Yes, sir. I, as a com- 
missioned officer of twenty-three years' standing, would expect to be pun- 
ished if I behaved myself in the manner he did. 

Q. Was Mr. Newcomb ever called on to do seaman's duty ? — A. No, 
sir. When he was sent to my boat to perform duty I asked the com- 
manding officer what his status was, understanding that he was a pris- 
oner at large. He told me to direct him to perform such duties as I 
might assign him, and to consider him a prisoner at large. So when 
he was in the boat he was not able to do seaman's duty, but I did have 
him work a little hand i)ump to keep the boat free from water j a part 
of the time attending the halyards, and doing such other little duty as 
be might perform in the boat, and that was only when we were boating. 

Q. Did you know that there was a great deal of grumbling going on 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 501 

among the men, owing to delays during tbe retreat ? — A. Oh, I used to 
hear the men grumbling sometimes. 

Q. Was it an uncommon thing? — A. Oh, no; sailors will growl any- 
how ; it is a part of their rights and privileges. 

Q. This question was put : 

Do you remember that that feeling assumed such proportions that on more than one 
occasion De Long read the Articles of War during the retreat ? 

Did his reading of the Articles of War have anything to do with the 
grumbling of the men ? — A. I^o, sir ; 1 do not think it did. It is the 
custom, both afloat and ashore, to read the Articles of War the first Sun- 
day of every month. 

Q. Was it then, and only then, that the captain read them 1 — A. Yes, 
sir ; as I remember. 

Q. Newcomb said while you were on the retreat on the ice he shot 
food for the whole party ; how correct is that? — A. Well, what he shot 
of course the whole party ate. But my recollection of his shooting birds 
after we left Bennett Island on the retreat is — I do not think he shot 
enough birds altogether to make one day's food for the whole party of 
thirty-three men. 

Q. Did you see many ptarmigan ? — A. Quite a number ; yes, sir. 
There was quite a number on Seminowski Island, and quite a number 
on the delta. 

Q. How many do you suppose you saw altogether on the delta ? 

The Witness. During the whole time that t was there ? 

Mr. Arnoux. On the delta during the fall. 

A. Well, during the fall I do not suppose I saw more than a dozen — 
say twenty -five at the most. I was there during the winter, and I saw 
a great many more in the winter-time. I suppose I saw a hundred 
during the winter-time, but then I was there three or four months. 
When I say winter-time, I should have said during the second search. 
That would be after February — February, March, and April. I left 
there the first of May. I probably saw a hundred during the whole time 
1 was there. Every bird that I saw flying on the Lena delta would not 
amount to one hundred and twenty-five — that is, of the ptarmigan. 

Q. That was during all the months you were there ? — A. During all 
the months I was there ; after the landing and in my second search. 

Q. Who was it that attended to fixing the wash board ? — A. The first 
wash-board was fitted by Mr. Sweetman on Mr. Ohipp's boat. I sup- 
pose that the officers attended to their own boats ; I did to my own. 
Nindemann attended to his, De Long's boat, and I gave directions and 
cut the cloth myself, with Qiy own hand. I borrowed a seaman's knife 
and split the canvas to make the weather cloth for the whale-boat, and 
I sui3posed the other officers attended to their own boats. Undoubt- 
edly the sailor men did the work, but it was under the direction of the 
officers. I cut the piece of canvas for Jack Oole to sew in the deck- 
head in my boat, to make the cock-pit deck. He, of course, did the 
sewing, with a palm needle, and I cut the work and laid it out for him. 

Q. Now, were those in your boat and the captain's boat like that 
which had been previously put on Ohipp's boat"? — A. No, sir ; part of 
Ohipp's v» eather cloths or weather boards — he had little boards put up 
on the side with vertical stanchions and little boards astern. Then he 
had small weather cloths running forward from that. The first cutter 
and whale-boat were much better decked in than Ohipp's boat. 

Q. But the idea was the same ? — A. Much the same ; yes, sir. 

Q. While you were on the ice and before you took to the open water, 



502 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

were tbere any gales ^ — A. Oh, yes, sir. While we were at BeDiiett 
Island I remember of tents blowing down one night. I remember a 
great avalanche of stones and stuff came down on us during one of the 
gales while we were still at Bennett Island. That would be the latter 
part of July or 1st of August — that is, between the landing and the 
leaving-. 

Q. Then, after you left Bennett Island and while on the way to Semi- 
nowski Island, did you not also have gales ? — A. We had very fierce 
gales between Bennett Island and the north side of the New Siberian 
Island. When we were jacksoned in w^hat we called the Ten day Camp, 
we hauled out, owing to the gale of wind that was blowing in among 
the ice. We were obliged to haul our boats out for safety. 

Q. Something was said that at that time you made a remark to some 
one about poison. Did you in fact have any poison ? — A. No, sir ; be- 
fore the ship was crushed, of course, we used to talk a great deal among 
ourselves as to what the proper thing was to do. Dr. Ambler and my- 
self talked very freely about never committing cannibalism, or permit- 
ting cannibalism, and he and I agreed to carry cyanide of potassium 
with us, so that if things ever came to a state where cannibalism would 
be possible, we would put ourselves out of the way. 

Q. But as matter of fact you did not have any such poison, did j^ou ? — 
A. No, sir ; we left in a hurry. 

Q. Nor so far as you know did the captain have any such poison ? — 
A. No, sir; I never had any talk with De Long about that, but I did 
with Dr. Ambler. Dr. Ambler and I talked about it many times before 
we set out. 

Q. Speaking of the course that you took in the ice the counsel for 
Dr. Collins asked this question : 

To what, in yonr judgment, was your foolish course due ; to want of management 
and judgment f 

Do you judge that your course was a foolish one, or that there was any 
want of management and judgment ? — A. I cannot say that the course 
was foolish by any means. No, sir; it was not a foolish course. 

Q. Do you know of any mutiny among the men or talk of mutiny 
among the men on the ice 1 — A. No, sir ; if there had been any mutiny 
among the men I would have been the first man to have helped in put- 
ting it down; it would have been my duty. Had I heard of any mutiny 
I would have reported it at once to my commanding officer, and had I 
failed to do so, I would have got myself into trouble ; I would have been 
a party to the mutiny. The first duty of an officer is to prevent a mu- 
tiny. 

Q. Mr. Bartlett said that Mr. Collins repeated to him that Captain 
De Long had said to Collins that it was not within tlje dignity of an 
officer to associate too freely with the men. What, as a naval officer, 
is your judgment in regard to such an expression of opinion ? 

The Witness. That is, the expression of De Long ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

The Witness. I think that was a proper expression. I do not think 
that an officer should associate with the men if he could help it. We 
were very i)eculiarly placed, though. After we were thrown out on the 
ice 

Q. (Interposing.) This was on the ship. I have gone to the time 
you were on the ship. — A. I think that was right and proper. I never 
associated with the men. 

Q. Is it not according to the etiquette of the Navy that the officers 
should not associate too freely with the men? — A. Ceitaiuly, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 503 

Q. And always has been? — A. Certainly, sir. I liave been on board 
a sl]ip with two or three hundred men, and never spoke to a man except 
in the line of duty. 

Q. The counsel for Dr. Collins made a remark about Mr: Collins being 
degraded and dishonored; was he degraded "? 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that. The counsel still perseveres in asking 
questions of the witness that are to be determined by the committee. 
Now, one question I apprehend, that will have to be decided by the 
committee, is whether or not 

The Chaieman (interposing). I think those questions have been de- 
termined several times, and that is to state the fact and not the con- 
clusion of the witness. 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly; but the counsel keeps on putting questions. 

Mr. Arnoux. Ah, but these questions have been asked by the coun- 
sel, whose memory is very treacherous in that respect, over and over 
again, of every witness he has called, and I am using his own words 
that he applies to the testimony. Of course, if it was proper for him 
to use it at any time, then it is proper for us to repeat it. It comes in 
precisely the same position as it would, in my judgment, if a witness 
says a certain matter was said. You have a right to ask the other wit- 
nesses in regard to it, whether that matter was said. 

Mr. Curtis. The learned counsel does not seem to possess the faculty 
of remembering a fact so as to state it properly. All the questions of 
that character that were asked by me were asked by me simply in the nat- 
ure of cross-examination, as a matter that he himself had brought out, 
and I would enjoin upon the learned counsel before he talks about 
treacherous recollections to be careful of his own. 

Mr. Arnoux. I have it before me. The words I used on page 49, be- 
fore I had cross-examined Mr. Bartlett. I had not had the pleasure 
then of cross-examining Mr. Bartlett at all, when counsel used the two 
words I have quoted about Collins being degraded and dishonored. 

Mr. Curtis. He asks him was he degraded and dishonored. 

Mr. Arnoux. He asserts before the committee that he was, and I ask 
the witness whether he was. 

The Chairman. Is this interrogatory in regard to the same matter 
tliat he asked Mr. Bartlett about ? 

Mr. Arnoux. He was asking Bartlett questions and then Mr. Bou- 
telle interrupted the examination, and this is what he says — 

Mr. CuitTis. That makes no difference, may it please the committee. These instru- 
ments were to be used by Collins. He was there for that purpose, and it was the 
good faith of the Government that was to be kept with Mr. Bennett, the originator of 
this enterprise, that so far from being degraded and dishonored in his capacity as a 
scienliiic man he should have had every facility 

The Chairman. Oh, yes, but he did not ask the witness that. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, did not the committee believe uy> to this time that 
the counsel had taken the position that I had asked that question? 

]Mr. Arnoux. I w^as meeting his language. 

Tlie Chairman. No witness has testified to that. 

Mr. Arnoux. 1 know that no witness has been able to say^ that the 
language of the gentleman has been borne out in the slightest degree. 

The Chairman. No witness has been permitted to do so. These are 
matters of conclusion alone. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Mr. Melville, is there such a thing as degradation in the service? 
]Mr. Curtis. I object to that. 



504 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Chairman. I think the fact that there is such a thing as degrada- 
tion, and what it is, in the Navy is admissible 5 but as to the conclusion 
of a witness, that is another thing. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Now, answer the question, if you please. Is there such a thing as 
degradation in the Navy? — A. There is such a thing as degradation in 
the Navy, under certain circumstances. 

Q. Now, what is degradation in the Navy? — A. If a person was found 
guilty of any military offense, and is deprived of his rank or pay, or 
pnnished, I think he is degraded ; sometimes properly, sometimes not. 

Q. Is it not sometimes what is called '^reduced to the ranks?" — A. 
It is very uncommon in the Navy to be reduced to the ranks. Such 
things did occur during the war, but I know of no case since the war 
where an officer was reduced to the rank of a common seaman. 

Q. That is what they call degradation in the Navy ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, is there such a thing in the Navy as a man being dishon- 
ored ? — A. I do not see how he could be unless he dishonored himself. 
A man generally brings on his own degradation, or his own dishonor. 

Q. Do you know anything about Star's arrest on the ice? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. What was that? — A. While we were on the march the men had 
worn out their foot-gear, so that they were making soles of all sorts of 
truck, such as Senate mats, and making soles for their shoes of their 
moccasins, of canvas, of wood, and little bits of leather from their knap- 
sacks. Erichsen had made himself a pair of Senate soles for his mocca- 
sins. He had partially worn them out, and had cast them off. A man 
in my tent, named Iverson had his bare feet on the ice. I picked up 
this old pair of moccasin soles, or Senate soles, and threw them into the 
body of the second cutter. They had been wet, and they rested on 
Star's sleeping-bag. In the evening when the sleds were brought in, 
the boats all ranged in regular order. Star went to the boat to get his 
sleeping-bag, and he found this wet pair of moccasin soles resting on 
his bag. He picked them up, and in anger threw them from him as far 
as he could, and w^anted to know who had put them on his sleeping-bag. 
When he threw out the first moccasin I sung out, "Star, don't throw 
those away, they belong to me." And he says, "I don't care who they 
belong to;" and he threw the other one as far as he could. He says, 
" You haven't got to sleep in my sleeping-bag, and if it is wet, I have 
got to sleep in it;" something of that kind. W^ell, that is gross in- 
subordination. Aboard a ship- of- war that man would have been put 
in irons for addressing me in that manner. I said, '^Stop your noise; 
stop, and go and pick those up, and bring them back here; they belong to 
me ; " and he said, " No, I won't." He could have been punished for that. 
On board a man-of-war he would have been put in irons for that and 
tried by court-martial. I repeated the order ni a loud tone of voice: 
^>rick up those moccasins and bring them back." By this time De 
Long appeared on the scene, and he says, "What is all this noise about?" 
He says, "What is the trouble, Melville?" and I related the circum- 
stance exactly as it was. He said, " Star, go and inck up those moc- 
casins, and put them in the boat, as Melville directed you to do." He 
said, " No, I w^on't," and went on to make an explanation to De Long. 
Dc Long repeated the order, and told him to obey the order, and shut 
u\) his mouth. He continued to talk, and then De Long suspended him 
from duty, and told him to go to the rear. 

Q. How long a time did he punish him for that? — A. Well, here- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 505 

maiHcd off' duty for a week or ten days; I could not say exactly liow 
long- it was. 

Q. What date was it? — A. That I could not say. 

Q. At what part of the journey were you 1 — A. That was before we 
arrived at Bennett Island, I think, but 1 am not sure about that. It 
might have been after we left Bennett Island. I have not got it fixed 
in my mind. De Long told me to make a note of the matter at the 
time. I made the note but lost it. It was made on soft paper, and it 
was dissolved by the washing of the seas in the boat. 

Q. And do you mean that refusing to obey the order of a superior 
officer, or contradicting a superior officer, is considered a great offense 
on board a man-of-war? — A. Yes, sir; it is. 

Q. And you say it would be punished by putting a man in irons un- 
der ordinary circumstances? — A. I have seen men put in irons for a 
less offense on board a ship -of- war. 

Q. On the ice would shotguns have been as useful to you as the 
rifies ? — A. Positively, no, sir. 

Q. Had you ammunition that was fit for use for the shotguns? — 
A. No, sir. We put a lot of shotguns out on the ice, but they were left 
behind. 

Q. Mr. Kewcomb told of a quarrel or an act of insubordination in con- 
nection with yourself. Did you have any intention at that time of 
shooting him, or any thought of shooting him ? — A. Oh, Lord, bless you, 
no, I hadn't any intention of shooting anybody. The boy was like a 
jelly fish. 

Q. Did you know that Danenhower felt dissatisfied that you were 
placed in superior command in the third cutter ? 

The Witness. In the whale-boat, you mean ? 

Mr. Arnoux. In the whale-boat, I mean? 

A. Yes, sir ; he told me himself he did not think it was fair treat- 
ment. 

Q. He told you so ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Notwithstanding that he had that feeling, did he not assist you on 
all occasions ? — A. Yes, sir ; he did his duty like a man. 

Q. And did you not at all times avail yourself of his professional 
services ? — A. Yes, sir ; whenever there was a crisis arose of any kind 
I would talk to him the same as I would to any other officer that I had 
been shipmates with for two years, and listened to what he had to say, 
and took the benefit of his advice. 

Q. And what in general do you say was his conduct during the time 
that you were his superior officer ? — A. He was perfectly subordinate in 
all things. 

Q. Did you ever know or believe that he attempted to get away from 
under your command ? — A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Did you have any idea that he was going to telegraph to the United 
States in regard to it when he went ahead, or when you sent him ahead ? 

The Witness. In regard to what? 

Mr. Arnoux. To deprive you of the command, or do any act of in- 
subordination ? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you take from the ship all the charts that you had that were 
serviceable for the retreat ? — A. Yes, sir ; so far as I know. There are 
no correct charts printed ; that is detailed charts of any of the coast line 
of Siberia. There are only coastline charts, but no detailed charts. 
There were none in our ship, and we took the best charts there were in 
the ship for the service. 



506 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. While you were on the ship did Collins have any arms? — A. Yes, 
sir ; he had a shotgun and a rifle. They were in his room for his use. 
I had the same thing — a shotgun and a rifle — for my use. 

Q. Do you know how far west the ship drifted from the time she went 
into the ice? — A. As I remember it, about 1,300 miles in a northwesterly 
direction. 

Q. Do you know how many miles it was north of where she went in, 
where she was crushed ? — A. About 450 miles. 

Q. Who was it that planned the retreat ? — A. De Long. 

Q. Some witnesses have said something about a Christmas entertain- 
ment ; do you remember it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. State what there was about that. — A\ Well, Christmas evethesail- 
ors came aft and rapped at the door, and one of the men, named War- 
ren, who had his face blackened up, came in and pasted a bill poster in 
the cabin, announcing a negro minstrel performance in the deck-house, 
and I do not know but what they came aft and serenaded, or something 
of that sort, and the captain invited them in, and gave them a glass of 
grog, or else gave them liquor, and sent them to the forecastle, or prob- 
ably sent the steward forward with grog for the forecastle mess. And 
Christmas eve or night, I am not sure which, they had a deck-house 
performance, in which the men sung songs and went through the usual 
minstrel troop performance ; that is all there was about that. 

Q. At that time was there any drunkenness on the ship ? — A. No, sir ; 
I never saw any drunkenness in the Jeannette. I would like to explain 
just here about how much liquor we had. When we sailed from San 
Francisco some of the officers may have had a small amount of liquor; 
I do not know how much. I had two bottles of Irish whisky that was 
presented to the mess — ^^not to me — by Paymaster Corcoran, of San 
Francisco, with the understanding that I was to open those for a punch, 
either the first Christmas night or the first C hristmas eve that we were 
in the ice. When we lett San Francisco I did not have one ounce of 
spirituous liquor of any kind of my own. I had about two dozen bot- 
tles of lager beer remaining out of a five or six dozen box that some of 
my friends sent aboard at San Francisco. There were a great many 
visitors coming to the ship a day or two before we sailed, and we had 
a demijohn of whisky and a demijohn of sherry, and this beer of mine — 
my private property — to enteitain the guests coming aboard. So that 
there were about two dozen bottles of this beer remaining in my posses- 
sion when we left San Francisco, and absolutely no liquor belonging to 
myself. Mr. Collins hadasmall amount of liquor, but on his first birth- 
day in the ice he invited his friends in and we had a little jollification, 
but so far as drunkenness is concerned 1 never saw any drunkenness. 
Some of the boys got a little merry and talked a great deal, something 
of that kind, but the greatest jollification I ever saw in the party was 
the day Collins got out his little demijohn of whisky and had the birth- 
day party. 

Now, so far as liquor was concerned, during the whole of the cruise 
it was the custom of the commanding officer to supply to every officer 
and to every man on the ship two ounces of whisky once a week, I think 
on a Saturday night, when we had our punch. There were eight mem- 
bers in the after-mess. That would require a sixteen ounce bottle for 
eight of us. There were Captain De Long, Mr. Collins. Dr. Ambler, Mr. 
Danenhower, Mr. Melville, Mr. Newcomb, Mr. Dunbar, and Mr. Chipp, 
making eight. Two ounces would be an ordinary drink of whisky. 
There was supplied a certain amount of candied lemon peel and sugar. 
The first punch that was made on board of the ship was made on Sat- 



JEAKNETTE INQUIRY. 507 

iirday night ; I made if, and some of the fellows thought I made it too 
sweet 5 most of them thought I did not make it strong enough. So 
after that we used to divide the bottle into eight equal parts in the 
tumblers on the table and every man mixed his own punch. So the 
whole of the " drunken orgies " that occurred on that ship from the time 
we sailed until the time we left her amounted to exactly two ounces of 
whisky once a week, and Captain De Long's record of the stores will 
show it. Now, on New Year's eve or Christmas eve, after we had the 
deck-house performance, the sailors used to go aft and have a little 
tambourine show outside the cabin door, or something of that kind, and 
then there was an extra amount put up, may be two ounces j I do not 
know what the quantity was. It was one of the jokes of the negro min- 
strel troop that on Saturday night they had three pints — a negro joke — 
that they had three pints of whisky among the men. 

Q. Now, did Mr. Collins and all the gentlemen of the mess drink 
their respective portions'? — A. Yes, sir; at first they did, but when peo- 
ple commenced to pair olf and keep away from each other a little bit, 
Collins stopped taking his grog, Chipp stopped taking his grog, New- 
comb stopped taking his grog, and, of course, there was so much the 
more for the rest of us. It was generally divided among five or six. 
Captain De Long never took more than his share, and Dr. Ambler and 
Dunbar divided the portion that was not used by the rest between 
them. Part of the time Mr. Danenhower was sick, and his surgeon 
would not let him have his share of the whisky j somebody else disposed 
of it. 

Q. Was there ever a time on board the Jeannette, from the time you 
left San Francisco until she was crushed in the ice, that in any of 
the festivities you have spoken of, or any of your Saturday night 
occasions, that any man was so ikr under the influence of liquor as to 
be intoxicated or drunk? — A. No, sir; I do not think there was any 
time. Of course, being drunk, and being intoxicated, and under the 
influence of liquor, are comparative matters. But I never saw any man 
or officer on board the ship -drunk. I have seen them excited, of course, 
but not drunk. 

Q. Now, did you ever see Mr. Collins writing in the cabin? — A. Oh, 
yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see him writing as much after he was suspended as be- 
fore, except wiitiug in the journals ? — A. Well, he kept the meteorolog- 
ical log, and after all the record was made on the log it was his business 
to copy that into a book, which was known as the meteorological log. 
But for a long time after he was suspended from duty he used to work 
in the port chart-room along with Mr. Newcomb, and where Dr. Ambler 
was, and he was writing all the time. He made pictures of some of the 
oflicers. He made a very nice water-color picture of Mr. Newcomb, and 
some of the other oflicers, I think ; so that he had pen, ink, and paper, 
and everything at his command there all the time. So far as I know he 
never was restricted in regard to them. 

Q. As a matter of fact was there any difterence in that respect, ex- 
cept writing in the journals, between the time after his suspension and 
the time before his suspension ? — A. So far as I know there was no re- 
striction at all. I will state, now, that I heard Mr. Collins say on one 
occasion that he was not going to keep up his big journal — that he did 
not want to do work for other people — and at that time, I suppose, he 
suspended work on his large x^rivate journal, 

Q. What was done with the large private journal?— A. It went down 
in the ship. 



508 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did he have an opportiiDity of taking it onti — A. Oh, yes; Mr. 
Danenbower aud Mr. Oollius and Mr. Newcotnb and a whole lot of the 
people were standing in the cabin after we got through getting thestuif 
out on the ice, and the cabin was strewn with underclothing of all kinds, 
fishing gear and shot guns and everything else of the kind, ready to be 
put out on the ice, and Captain De Long came in and addressed himself 
to Mr. Newcomb, and said, '* Mr. Newcomb, is this all your stuft""?" and 
he said, "No, sir; it is only part of it." Captain De Long was joking 
him at the amount of stuff that was carried up there, and all these peo- 
ple were standing there. It was only seven steps down into the lower 
cabin, where Mr. Collins could have carried out his journal, or his bed- 
ding, if he liked. 

Q. Did you ever hear him say anything about his not thinking it was 
worth taking ? — A. I heard somel)ody on the ice say that ; I do not 
know who it was, whether Collins or somebodj^ else. 

Q. It was one,of the party ? — A. It was one of the party after he was 
on the tloe. Somebody asked Collins, speaking about the recovery of 
the books and papers — it was either Collins himself or somebody who 
knew of the matter at the time, and announced the fact that Collins said 
he would not take his big journal, because it was not worth carrying. 
Captain De Long asked me if I got my private papers. I told him, no; 
they went down in the ship ; and he wanted to know why was that, and 
J told him they were not worth saving. 

Q. Mr. Bartlett said that Collins told him, speaking of the officers in 
the cabin, that they were ahvays making game of him. — A. Well, he 
might have told the man that. 

Q. I want to know not what he said but what was the fact about 
that ? — A. I do not know that anybody made game of him ; I never did 
intentionally. I do not think the others did either. 

Q. Dr. Collins's counsel put this question : 

Are yon not clearly of the opinion that if Captain De Long had possessed a proper 
compass he could have indicated with a degree of precision where he was? 

What do you say to that question ? — A. Compasses are of no use 
except to point a direction, not to point a position. 

Q. Did you know that it was Captain De Long's intention on leaving 
San Francisco to go through Bering Strait! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And what was his ultimate destination if he could possibly arrive 
at iti — A. He wanted to get as near the pole as he could. 

Q. Was it in your judgment proper to try to reach Wraugel Land? — 
A. Under the understanding at that time, yes, sir. 

Q. What understanding do you refer to "?— A. That, so far as our 
knowledge was concerned, we believed there was either a continent or 
an ocean island extending from Wrangel Land to the northward, and 
the idea was to get into coast water, and work the ship as far to the 
northward along the coast water as possible, and when the ship was 
broughtto to sled as far north as possible with dog sleds during the 
winter-time. 

Q. Did you have the dog sleds for that purpose! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, would it have been wiser to have wintered at Wrangel Land 
than to have wintered in St. Lawrence Bay! — A. Well, if we could have 
made harbor at Wrangel Land, of course, that would hav^e been the 
proper thing to do. 

Q. And when you went into the leads in the ice was it with the ex- 
pectation that the ice would break apart, or that the leads would enable 
you to get to the land! — A. Yes, sir; we had every reason to believe 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 509 

that the fall gales would break up the ice, and that we would be able to 
work our way in as far as Wrangel Laud. We were frozen in at an 
exceptionally early season of the year. 

Q. Did the Kogers afterwards circumnavigate Wrangel Land"? — A. 
I understand she did ; I was not aboard of her, of course. As far as my 
knowledge goes, the ship did not go around Wrangel Land, but they 
circumnavigated it with boats. 

Q. So that in the season that they were there the ice was in such a 
condition that they were able to go around the island ? — A. I do not know 
that; no, sir. I know that the Rogers w^ent further to the northward 
and farther to the westward than we did, and where we were frozen in, 
but I do not know that they could have gone around Wrangel Land. 

Q. Or their boats go around ? — A. Their boats did ; yes, sir. The 
ship went around part of the way, or coasted the south side of it, and 
found a proper harbor, and they put the ship in there, and the boats 
started and came all the way around the island, or nearly all the way 
around, and returned to the ship. 

Q. They went with their boats that summer, and the summer you 
were there the ice was around the island and prevented your reaching 
it '? — A. The ice was packed right down on the island when we were 
there. 

Q. Was that new ice or pack ice ? — A. Oh, that was pack ice. The 
ice had not commenced to make when we got in. That was old ice ; 
previous pack; we got in there in September, so the ice was just 
making. 

Q. How did you maneuver the boat at the time she went into the ice ? 

The Witness. Do you mean the ship ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes ; the ship. 

The Witness. Well, we first sailed down oft' the coast of Siberia, 
then kept along the edge of the stream of ice where the ice is stream- 
ing out — kept along the edge of the pack first to the northward and 
then to the northward and eastward, until we sighted Herald Island. 
After we ran a little to the northward of Herald Island we commenced 
to work in to the westward. We were in and out of the ice three or 
four times before we set in for a full do. Eventually we pushed the 
ship into the westward as hard as we could push her, taking the leads 
and warping where it was necessary with the steam launch, and so on, 
working our way on to the westward. Our idea was to work our way to 
the westward as well as we could, and when the fall wind came on it 
would rack the pack, and we could work through to the westward. 
Wrangel Island was in sight after the first two or three days in the ice ; 
that is, so far as we knew, it had the bearings of Wrangel Island. We 
could see the mountains and hills and valleys plainly from the ship. It 
had the proper bearings. 

Q. Did you drive the ship into the ice as hard as the engines could 
drive her"? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What was the reason I — A. To force her w^ay through the floe. 
The ice was still loose, and if we got the ship's nose wedged in betw^een 
two given pieces the idea was to wedge them apart, and work through 
from water-hole to water-hole, and so on, to drive and bore our way 
through the pack. 

Q. So the purpose was not to drive her into the ice to be fast in the 
ice, but to go through from one lead to another, and thus to reach the 
land! — A. That was the idea; exactly, sir. 

Q. Did you k( ep the tire-hold free on the ship "? — A. Yes, sir; atone 
time, I do not know exactly what time, the young running ice ran under 



510 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the ship aiKl came up in the fire-holes, so we plugged up the holes en- 
tirely, then we cut new holes; and on another occasion when the fire- 
holes were plugged up the same way we broke up and hoisted out great 
masses of ice, I su[)pose 4 or 5 tons of ice, and hauled it off to one side 
to keep the fire-hold clear. 

Q. Now, counsel for Dr. Collins put a question, whether if you had 
difiterent kind of boat^s, boats that would have been 2 feet shorter and 
wider, and 6 inches deeper, it would not have been better with the shal- 
low water that you met at the Lena delta ; would it have been better 
to have h^d boats that were G inches deeper draft 1 — A. No ; we would 
have brought up on a beach so much earlier, of course. Had De Long 
been able to have gotten his boat into the river I think his party would 
have gotten through. No ; there is no advantage in having a deep draft 
boat. 

Q. In asking you generally abont the officers yesterday, I overlooked 
Captain Dunbar. Will you tell the committee of your judgment of Cap- 
tain Dunbar as an officer and a gentleman ? — A. Well, Captain Dunbar 
was a fine 'specimen of an old sea captain, as suave and gentlemanly an 
old gentleman as ever went to sea, I should say. He had gone to sea 
very early in life, and had commanded whale ships, I understood, for 
more than twenty years, and he wtis as genial and pleasant in his man- 
ner and behavior and inteicourse with the officers of the ship as any 
messmate I ever had. 

Q. Mr. Noros told about a man-hole and something about the cover. 
Did you take hold of that cover with your hands, or with any intention 
in any way of striking him with it ? — A. Oh, no, the man-holes are 
placed where they put the coal into the coal-buuker, and they are in 
the line of the gang-w^ay, coming from the cabin gohig forward, and 
after the coal had been worked out Captain De Long saw proper to 
transfer a part of the provisions into the coal-bunkers to get them off 
the deck out of the way, to make more room in the ship. The man was 
working down below, and I did not know that he was working there at 
the time, so I took my foot and pushed the plate onto the man-hole, as it 
was dangerous for a man coming along ; he would tumble in and break 
his legs. It was my business to see that those places were kept cov- 
ered ; that i)art of the ship was under my mimediate supervision. The 
next thing I saw, the man pushed it ofl' again ; I look down and saw 
the man down in there at work. He didn't say much of anything to me 
at first as I remember, and I took my foot and pushed it on again ; he 
shoved it oft* again. I said to him, '* You leave that on now," knowing 
that they worked with lamps down there. 

Q. Had such been the order ! — A. We always had big lamps, bunker 
lamps, with a great fiame like a torch for the men to work with ; the 
reason that I put the i)late on was because it was my business to keep 
those plates on, to see that nobody tumbled down and broke their leg. 
Those plates have no business off at any time except for putting in 
coal. 

Q. Did you touch that plate with your hand? — A. I do not think I 
did. I think, as I remember, I shoved it on with my foot. 

Q. Dr. Collins in repeating something which he said had been told 
him, said that you spoke of Newcomb as a '' cursed Yankee," &c. Now, 
did you ever use the term Yankee to Mr. Newcomb, or speak of Mr. 
Newcomb in that way, as a term of rei)roach ? — A. No, sir; not as Mr. 
Collins put it. I used to call him a Yankee i)eddler sometimes, because 
when we were at Saint Michaels he went ashore and bought a lot of 
small truck, needles, pins, and one thing and another of that kind; a 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY 511 

whole lot of truck for Bartlett. He told me this himself. He said that 
he got them from the post agent, and he had played a doubling trick 
on the post agent; that he had gone a mile or a mile and a half out of 
the village and set up a store to trade with the Indians and the joke 
was that he had doubled up on the agent. Well, he told it as fun and 
I thought it was pretty funny too. I probably called him a Yankee 
peddler, sometliing of that kind. Any other time 1 do not remember 
of calling him that. 

Q. Noros said that on a certain occasion you spoke of Mr. Collins as 
a ^^ cursed Irish cow." Did you ever use the term to or of Mr. Collins 
as a term of reproach? — A. I did not at that time; and I remember 
the circumstance very well. I was afloat in the boat and 1 do not think 
I called him an Irish cow at that time. 1 won't say i30sitively that I 
did not, because I might have done it ; but as I remember it I said^ 
^' See the damned old cow slide down the hill." Now, I have been re- 
proached and villified and abused about this eternally pitching into 
people being Irish. Now, that is altogether wrong. If there is any- 
thing in the world 1 do believe in it is in free religion or free country, 
and I never to my knowledge abuse a man on account of his religion, 
or his country, or his color, and I am honest in what I say. There is 
nothing in the world will make me get up and fight quicker than to 
say ''a damned Jew," "a damned Catholic," or, a damned anything 
else, and that a man should be abused on account of his religion as I 
have been ought not to be tolerated. I do not think that I ever said it 
with an intention of reproaching Mr. Collins. 

Q. When you said '' Yankee," did you say it with any intention of re- 
proaching Mr. Newcomb! — A. No, sir; more to designate the man, I 
guess. 

Q. Now, when you said Collins was an old cow, you did not mean to 
say that he was a cow, did you? — A. Oh, no, sir; that is an expression 
that I am very apt to use. I use it in connection with myself very 
often. If I get angry with a man I will tell him that he will find out 
I am no damned cow or something of that sort. So it is quite likely 
that I called the man a cow. 

Q. Were you called as a witness before the court of inquiry! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you there testify freely and without any intimidation ? — A. 
There was no intimidation to me anywhere ; never at any time. 

Q. Did you feel perfectly free to tell the whole truth there ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Did any person attemiit to prevent you or intimate to you that 
you were not to tell the whole truth ? — A. Not a soul. 

Q. I read this to you : 

Called Chipp and Melville into my tent this afternoon and gave them information in 
regard to my plans for the future and such general rules and directions as to their boats, 
food, and other things as were advisable ; ordered them in all cases to keep close to me. 
That, I think, covers any other point, for if I am always around to refer to they need 
no orders in advance ; and if, unfortunately, we get separated, things must be left to 
their judgment. In this latter case they will without delay proceed to the Lena and 
not wait for me or anybody short of a Russian settlement'large enough to feed and 
shelter them. 

Mr. Curtis. I would ask the counsel for Mr. De Long, Mr. Danen- 
hower, and Mr. Melville what that is taken from ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Wait till I finish. 

Mr. Curtis. I object to the question being put until we know from 
what the extract is taken on which it is based. 



512 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Chairman. He is asking him about the facts. 
Mr. Curtis. He is reading an extract. 

Mr. Arnoux. This which I read pertains to the date of the 20th of 
August. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Is that a correct statement of the orders that Captain De Long 
gave to you and the conversation he had with you on or about that 
date ! — A. Yes, sir; I remember that very well. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer here in evidence the entire original journal of 
Captain De Long. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that as it is a copyrighted book it is not com- 
petent. 

Mr. Curtis. We also offer in evidence the entire original journal of 
Br. Ambler. I offer this journal, and I am assured by Mr. Arnoux, on 
his professional word, that he has 

The Chairman (interposing). You can put that in afterwards. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Now, Mr. Melville, for the satisfaction of the learned counsel on 
the other side, let us settle one or two matters. Are there any Arctic 
willows on the delta? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How far north of the spot where the body of De Long was found 
do they grow? — A. They grow as far as I have been, almost to the 
water's edge. 

Q. For miles? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. They are a species of tree, are they not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And can be used, of course, like other trees for fuel, and were used 
by you on occasions as such, were they not? — A. Yes, sir ; used for start- 
ing a fire. 

Q. In some instances these Arctic willows attain quite a size, do they 
not?— A. As you come south they grow into the true willow of the south, 
the wild willow, not the weeping willow. 

Q. How are they farther north ? — A. They are like little lichens. 

Q. Now, in regard to this Wrangel Land, so far as your present light 
enables you to answer, it is an island you say? — A. To the best of my 
knowledge and belief. 

Q. But, so far as its being a continent to the pole is concerned, it is 
an entirely imaginary land? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, were you ever on Wrangel Land ? — A. Never. 

Q. Did you ever circumnavigate Wrangel Land? — A. I did, but a 
long way about I remember. 

Q. I understand what you mean by that, but were you ever attached 
to any expedition or to any vessel that touched at what is called 
Wrangel Land ? — A. Never, sir. 

Q. Have you any evidence whatever now, or did you ever possess any, 
that the land s])oken of as Wrangel Land or Wrangel Island by the offi- 
cers of the llodgers expedition was the identical land on which your 
eye rested when you were endeavoring to get to this island ? — A. Noth- 
ing beyond knowing the bearings of the island in that direction. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, are not all these things very indefinite and 
uncertain connected with Arctic explorations and discoveries ? — A. Yes, 
sir; until thoroughly explored. 

Q. And is it not a matter of fact that the information that you bad in 
reference to this region at the time you started out on this voyage of 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 513 

discovery was not only scanty but erroneous *? — A. A great deal of it 
was very erroneous; yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you spoke, or rather the counsel for Mrs. De Long and Lieu- 
tenant Daneohower called your attention to these settlements on the 
Siberian coast. I do not care whether you term them towns, villages, 
cities, burgs, or hamlets, because we are not here to quibble about words. 
What I want to keep in your mind is the fact of a community of peo- 
ple residing in a place. Now, are you aware at the present moment that 
there are settlements of people on the coast "? — A. I have never been 
there. 

Q. Are you aware that there are settlements of people on that coast 
from trustworthy information, in your judgment, that you have re- 
ceived! — A. No, sir. 

Q. You are not *? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You do not know such a place as Ustjansk '?— A. Yes, sir ; 1 men- 
tioned that place ; I have been there. 

Q. You know of such a place, then ? — A. Yes, sir ; I have been to 
that place. 

Q. That is a settlement ? — A. Yes, sir ; that is a settlement. 

Q. What river is that on ? — A. That is on the river Yana. 

Q. And do you not know that there are other settlements besides 
Ustjansk 1 — A. Well, in the same manner that I do not know that Wran- 
gel Land is a land, because I have never been there in the same manner. 
I do not know that there are any settlements along the coast. 

Q. But you have been informed so, have you nof? — A. Yes, sir; I 
have been informed the same way about Wrangel Land. 

Q. Now, do you not know that Ustjansk has a population which varies 
from 400 to 600 and 800 1 — A. It is quite possible ; I guessed it at 150, 
and I was there one day. 

Q. Now, in all the Arctic literature that you had read prior to your 
departing on this voyage you had not read suflScient to inform you of 
the erroneous character of Peterman's book, had you I — A. Well, up to 
the time we had sailed that was the best knowledge that there was in 
regard to Wrangel Land. Peterman was considered an authority. 

Q. And Peterman's book you found out afterwards to be full of 
errors '^^A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, here is another question I want to a^ik you before we go into 
other matters : You were asked by the learned counsel for Mrs. De 
Long and Lieutenant Danenhower if a man could be deirraded in the 
Navy. Let me ask a question. Supposing a man is unjustly charged 
with a crime and offense in the Navy; supposing, for instance, by in- 
terested or collusive evidence, by witnesses swearing to preserve their 
own fames and names, he is convicted unjustly, do you not think that 
man is degraded ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that comes within the exact ruling. I 
did not ask it. 

Mr. Curtis. Not at all. The question of the counsel is fresh in my 
memory. The counsel put the question to the witness : *' Is there any 
such thing as degradation in the Navy; is there any such thing as dis- 
honor in the Navy!" 

Mr. Arnoux. That is a totally different question. 

Mr. Curtis. It is an opinion he was asking. of the witness. 

Mr. Arnoux. I was asking for a fact. 

Mi*. Curtis. He got his opinion; and now I claim I have a right to 
put a question to him showing what that opinion is worth. 

Mr. Arnoux. I did not ask for his opinion ; I asked for a fact, 
33 J Q* 



614 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Chairman. I think this is going to the substance of the question 
you objected to. and was sustained by the committee. It is an analo- 
gous questiou. 

Mr. Curtis. To save time I will withdraw the question. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you state that there is no dishonor in the Navy ^ — 4* I do not 
think I did. 

Q. Was that question put to you by Mr. Arnoux ? — A. There were 
questions of that kind put, but I do not remember exactly how they 
were put. 

Q. Do you remember that he put this question to you within half an 
hour: "Is there any such thing as dishonor in the Navy?" — A. I think 
he did. 

Q. Do you not know he did ? — A. Yes, sir ; I guess he did. 

Q. Your memory of events that have happened within the last half 
an hour is certainly as vivid as upon events that happened years ago? — 
A. With this difference, that there has been a great deal of discussion 
going on, and half the time I lose the thread altogether. 

Q. Now, that you have spoken about discussion, let me ask yoa the 
question : You have sat here from the beginning of this investigation, 
have you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have heard every witness testify ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have heard every argument of counsel ? — A. Yes, sir ; pretty 
nearly. 

Q. You have heard every theory advanced on both sides 1 — A. Pretty 
near. 

Q. And during that time you have been in constant consultation with 
the counsel of Mrs. De Long and Lieutenant Danenhower, have you 
not ? — A. Yes ; every once and awhile. 

Q. And you have been aiding, assisting, and coaching him, have you 
not ? — A. More or less; yes, sir. 

Q. And you and the counsel of Mrs. De Long and Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower have been in frequent consultation together, have you not ? — 
A. Not very frequent ; no, sir. 

Q. Well, some consultations 1 — A. Yes, sir ; some consultations. 

Q. And in those consultations, of course, the question has come up as 
to the respective views that you held, has it not ? — A. More or less ; yes, 
sir. 

Q. And how such and such matters were to be met, or could be met 
in the evidence? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. As, for instance, how such and such a witness in such and such a 
statement could be contradicted ? — A. Quite possibly. 

Q. And of course, in all these serious consultations, in order to arrive 
at the truth, you were assisted by the suggestions of the learned coun- 
sel, were you not ? — A. More or less ; yes, sir. 

Q. And of course, the learned counsel would point out to you in a 
very satisfactory manner how such and such parts and bits of evidence 
that had been taken before the committee could be successfully met, 
would he not? — A. Yes, sir; more or less. 

Q. Now, Mr. Melville, what do j^ou mean by the word populous ? The 
learned counsel for Mrs. De Long and Lieutenant Danenhower asked 
you in reference to the fact whether there were populous cities or settle- 
ments on the river that he spoke of. What do you mean by the word 
populous? — A. Well, many people. 

Q. Would you, for instance, consider a settlemeut of six or eight hun- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 515 

dred people populous? — A. It would be for that sized city; yes, sir; if 
there were four or five in one house. 

Q. You would consider a settlement of six or eight hundred people 
sufficient to have entertained your party, would you not 1 — A. Yes, 
indeed. 

Q. And to have preserved them from starvation *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And to have given you all the immediate physical assistance that 
you required ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then, if there were more than one settlement like that, or if there 
were many of those settlements in that part of the country, it would 
not be a great stretch of imagination to say that there were many 
populous settlements there, would it ? — A. No ; it would depend alto- 
gether upon how far they were apart, whether they were within march- 
ing distance, you know. A country should either be within marching 
distance to make it a safe country to pass through, otherwise you might 
get oft' your base of supplies and starve on your journey. 

Q. Did 3^ou ever read a book while perusing this Arctic literature 
called the Geography of the Eussian Arctic *? — A. I do not remember 
it. We had many volumes of Arctic literature in regard to the coast of 
Siberia for its whole length ; some published as far back as the year 
1600. 

Q. Did you ever read a book, the title of which I have given you, that 
described with some minuteness the settlements on this Yana Eiver and 
in its vicinity, that was published in Kussia nearly thirty years ago, 
and that has been translated into English over twenty-two years'? — A. 
1 do not remember that book in particular. 

Q. And at the time, you were perusing this Arctic literature and read- 
ing the book of Peterman, which, I believe, was in German, was it not? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Are you a German scholar? — A. No, sir ; I did not say I read the 
German. 

Q. I did not say that you did. At the time you were reading this 
Arctic literature and possessing the journal of Peterman, you did not 
know anything about the existence of these settlements in that coun- 
try, did you? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How did you derive it? — A. By reading this Arctic literature, I 
was telling you of, and by comparison of the maps or charts for the 
whole of the coastwise line of the coast of Siberia, where the large riv- 
ers were. They would have a little dot put down saying '' Settlement." 
A great many with an interrogation mark, which was questionable ; 
some places where there had been settlements they had wiped out, that 
had become deserts for want of food. Fish would run scarce, and places 
where there were settlements twenty years ago there are none now, and 
the whole population appeared to have shifted altogether, so if we 
marched for any particular place, when we arrived there we would not 
receive the succor we were seeking. 

Q. That is your opinion? — A. Yes ; that is my opinion. 

Q. Of course, so able a man as you are does not claim to be infalli- 
ble ? — A. Not by any means. 

Q. And you do not want us to believe, trusting and confiding as we 
may be, that all your opinions that you have expressed are infallible ? — 
A. No, sir ; those are only my opinions, according to my best judgment. 

Q. That is your judgment of one man? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Yonr judgment of one man is based on his experience? — A. And 
reading and conversation with the other intelligent officers of the ship. 

Q. Now, that matter of the charts I wish to examine you about by 



516 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

itself, and I will leave it for a moment. In any conversation that you ever 
had between yourself and Collins, during your very vivid and dramatic 
narrative of yesterday, is there a single human being that can corrobo- 
rate your statement, that you know of. If so, name that person ? — A. 
No, sir ; the officers are all dead, excei)t one. 

Q. So, then, this question is between you, a living man and a dead 
man who cannot open his mouth *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And in all these conversations that you say 3 ou had with Col- 
lins upon matters that you have described, there is not a human be- 
ing whom you can name that can corroborate you in any particu- 
lar ! — A. No, sir, not a soul. Some of the details, probably, Mr. Danen- 
hower 

Q. (Interposing.) I am speaking of the conversations you had with 
Collins. — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. When anybody else was by. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. As to the conversations you had with Collins, not the conversa- 
tions themselves f — A. No, sir ; I do not know of anybody. 

Q. You spoke yesterday of a conversation you had with Mr. Collins 
in reference to the sextant. By the way, let me ask you here, have you 
any means of your own of fixing the dates of occurrences that happened 
during the course of this expedition ? — A. No, sir ; none now. 

Q. So, in point of fact, you, in fixing dates, rely upon your geperal 
recollection ? — A. Yes, sir ; and little incidents that happened of im- 
portance that probably fixed the date at that time. 

Q. Now, willyou be kind enough to tell me when it was you had this 
conversation, or did you have more than one conversation with Mr. Col- 
lins in reference to the sextant? — A. The first time when he said he was 
going to ask Captain De Long for permission to go on the ice to do a 
job, that was one occasion. 

Q. Now in point of fact, how many conversations in all did you have 
with him on that subject? — A. Oh, many. I could not remember; but 
that was one particular occasion that was very offensive, and I advised 
him not to do it. 

Q. When was this first occasion that you are now speaking of? — A. 
Well, it was immediately after the bear hunt, and when the order was 
issued that nobody should leave the ship without permission. 

Q. Did Collins desire to leave the ship for a necessarj' purpose ? — A. 
He undoubtedly did have to go on the ice to do a job. 

Q. Well, I say he desired to leave the ship for a necessary purpose ? — 
A. But he did not put it that way to me. 

Q. But you so understood him? — A. I understood him to say he was 
going to put Captain De Long on his mettle, or insult him by asking 
him to let him go on the floe to . That is the way I understood him. 

Q. Did you understand him as saying to you that he desired to go on 
the ice for the purpose of discharging this necessary office? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Now, you saw nothing improper, insubordinate, or out of the way 
in the mere desire to go upon the ice for that necessary purpose, did 
you? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And what you found fault with was the way he intended to put 
his request to the captain? — A. Correct, sir; exactly. 

Q. That is, the words that he intended to use? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, have you any knowledge of your own that he ever made his 
request to the captain in the words that you have described ? — A. No, sir. 



JEANNEITE iNQUmY. 517 

Q. Ad(1 so far as you know when lie told you in substance that he 
intended to ask the captain's leave to go upon the ice for that necessary 
purjjose, it might have been a simple ebullition of feeling on his part, at 
the time, and indicating a purpose which was never carried out? — A. 
Without doubt, but I think I ought to explain, to make myself solid on 
yesterday's work. At that moment of time Mr. Collins left me and went 
directly over to the commanding officer, and made his request. Whether 
it was proper or improper of course I could not tell, but I saw that De 
Long flushed up, a|)parently excited, and the two gentlemen had some 
words between them, and Mr. Collins came back afterwards. 

Q. Did you hear a word that he said ? — A. No, sir; not a word. 

Q. Did you hear a word that DeLong said'? — A. Not a word, sir. 

Q. And so far as you now know he made the request, if he did make 
it, in proper and respectful language? — A. I do not know but what he 
did. 

Q. Exactly. And so far as you now know the flush that you saw on 
the face of De Long might have been entirely independent of any 
language addressed to him by Mr. Collins ? — A. Might have been. One 
second more for an explanation. I did hear De Long say something, I 
have forgotten what it was, in retort, or return to Mr. Collins, because 
he spoke loudly to Mr. Collins. I said I had not heard a word, but I 
did. 1 want to correct that; 1 do not remember what it was. 

Q. Have you any information on the subject that so far as any pro- 
ceedings before the Board of Inquiry are concerned, or that so far as any 
paper left by De Long is concerned, the subject-matter of his complaint 
against Mr. Collins is contained in the paper known as the memorandum, 
and to be found at page 320 of the record of the Board of Inquiry ? — A. 
That was the memorandum that De Long made in regard to Mr. Collins. 

Q. Do you know of any other? — A. No other paper. 

Q- Do youknowof any other complaint explained in the handwriting 
of Captain De Long against Mr. Collins except that one at page 320 ? — 
A. Let me look at that, please, so I will be sure. [After examining the 
record of the Court of Inquiry.] No, sir; I do not. I remember of no 
other charge or written paper against Mr. Collins. 

Q. Has it struck j^ou as singular that none of the others of the sur- 
vivors of the crew of the Jeannette ever heard any of the conversatious 
between Captain De Longand Mr. Collins to which you have testified? — 
A. No, sir ; it is not queer to me at all, because Collins and myself were 
very good friends at that time, and we were very much in accord in a 
great many things, and he spoke to me about these things as his friend, 
and I advised him not to do or say these things. 

Q. I am speaking not of the conversations that you had with Mr. 
Collins, in which he may have made certain statements to you, but I 
am speaking now of the conversations which you claim were overheard 
between Captain De Long and Mr. Collins, and I repeat the question. 
Does it strike you as somewhat singular that none of the others of the 
survivors of the Jeannette crew should ever have heard any of those 
conversations ? 

The Witness. Do I understand you to say that no other i)erson heard 
any of the conversations that I heard between De Long and Collins? 

Mr. Curtis. That you narrated yesterday. 

I The Witness. Well, which particular ones, please ? 
Mr. Curtis. All of them. Danenhower heard a conversation, as he 
claims, between Captain De Long and Collins in reference to the sub- 
ject-matter of the memorandum ? 



I 



518 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. Kow, I want 3011 to exclude tliat from your luiud for the 
present moment. Does it not strike you, I say, as singular that none 
of the others of the survivors of the crew of the Jeannette ever overheard 
the .conversations other than those contained in the memorandum be- 
tween Captain De Longand Mr. Collins, which you spoke of yesterday f — 
A. Well, I do not know that they did not. They did not hear the con- 
versation between Collins and myself in regard to the of&cers on the ice. 

Q. I will put it another way. If they did not hear any of those con- 
versations which you described yesterday as having taken place would it 
not strike you as a little singular? — A. I do not know that they did not. 

Q. But if they did not ? — A. If they did not : yes, sir ; certainly ; it 
would strike me as singular, except the private conversation between 
Collins and myself. 

Q. I ^ni not speaking of those. Now, you have given us the first con- 
versation in reierence to the soiling of the closet. Did I understand 
you to say yesterday that you knew, of your own knowledge, that Mr. 
Collins hiaiself soiled the closet? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is there any person among the survivors that you can name that 
can testify to any such state of facts ? — A. They may not be able to 
testify to the fact that Mr. Collins soiled the closet at that particular 
time; but I have no doubt that Mr. Danenhower or Mr. Newcomb, who 
were members of the captain's mess, heard the conversation in the cabin, 
or the growl, as we generally term it, aboard shi]) among the officers 
about the closet being soiled, and when I went out to the closet Mr. 
Collins was sitting in the position of a man (k>ing a job. 

Q. You misunderstand me. Now keex) your mind right on this ques- 
tion, if you please. Is there any other man that you can name — I do 
not mean any person engaged in a conversation in the cabin in which 
the subject was mentioned — but is there any other man among the sur- 
vivors, that you can name, who will testify that he saw Mr. Collins soil 
the closet ? — A. I do not think they can ; no, sir. 

Q. So that, so far as that allegation is concerned 

A. (Interrupting.) It rests wholly with me. 

Q. It rests wholly with you and the dead man? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many times do you claim that you saw him soil the closet ? — 
A. Only once. 

Q. Now, then, follow this, if you please. Before the time that you 
say you saw him soil the closet had the fact of the closet being soiled 
been the subject of conversation ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you recollect that Mr. Collins said to you that the reason that 
he was standing in an upright position upon the closet seat was that it 
had been soiled bj' a drunken person and was in no condition to use ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you remember that there was a member of the crew, or rather 
I will not say crew but a member of the ship's company A. (Inter- 
rupting.) Tbat includes officers and men with us. 

Mr. CuRTJS. I do not wish to name the person, I do not wish to as- 
perse anybody unnecessarily. 

Q. Do you remember as a matter of fact that there was a member of 
the ship's company on one occasion in such a drunken condition that he 
entered the closet, that ho soiled the closet, and that the other members 
of the ship's company were compelled to carry him from the closet in 
that drunken condition ? — A. No, sir, I do not, positively. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you ever hear any such thing? — A. No, sir, I never heard of 
it before to-day. 



JEANKETTE INQUIRY. 519 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Then that is the ouly occasion ! — A. Yes, sir ; I only mentioned 
that because that was the cause of the first little contest lietween Mr. 
Collins aud myself. 

Q. Wait a minute. If the closet had not been soiled it would have 
been just as easy and much easier for a person to have sat upon it, 
would it not ? — A. Certainly, that was my idea of it. 

Q. And you can imagine no reason whatever why a person should 
make use of the closet in the standing position that you speak of, un- 
less it had been soiled "?— A. But it had been soiled by some person 
standing on it before, and the question was who had done it. 

Q. What I want to get at is this : Is it not the most natural thing to 
suppose that a person would sit ui)on the closet if it were clean 1 — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Then is it not the most natural thing in the world to believe that 
if a person made use of the closet in a standing position, it was because 
it had been soiled ? — A. Quite possibly so. 

Q. Exactly. And then, before this particular time that you say you 
saw Collins standing in this particular position on the closet seat, you 
had never seen him soil the closet 'f — A. No, sir ; I had not. 

Q. You did not testify yesterday, as I recollect, that Captain De Long 
had complained to you of any disrespectful language or behavior of 
Mr. Collins in that particular regard "? — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. And he did not "? — A. No, sir ; he did not say a word to me about it. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, so far as the subject of the water-closet is 
concerned, you have no reason to believe that it had any thing whatever 
to do Avith the suspension of Mr. Collins f — A. No, sir; positively, no. 

Q. Very well. Then I will isolate that. Are you a practical photo- 
grapher f — A. No, sir ; I am an amateur. 

Q. On how many occasions, that you can testify to positively, did Mr. 
Collins fail to produce a negative? — A. I have no knowledge beyond 
the picture of the bears, and I do not know that he ever tried to de- 
velop those. 

Q. liixactly. Then it is true that with reference to his failure to pro- 
duce a negative you know of but one instance, and that was the failure 
to produce the negative of the bears'? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And is it not true that you do not know whether he had the proper 
instrument or instruments for that purpose ? 

The Witness. Am I sure that I understand your question ^ 

Mr. Curtis. Well. 

The Witness. I am sure that he had a proper camera. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

The Witness. I am sure that he had proper plates to take pictures ; I 
am sure that he had a proper amount of developers for the English plates ; 
I am sure that he had the American plates, but I am not sure that he 
had the developer for those plates. He had two cameras ; they were 
both good. 

Q. Now, without the developer he could not, in the technical lan- 
guage, develop the negative f — A. No, sir. 

Q. And while it may be true that he had all these other instruments, 
still if he didn't have the developer he could not produce a negative? — 
A. But he did have developers for the Beachy plates, and not for the 
American plates. 

Q. But he could not develop it ? — A. No, sir j if he did not have the 
developer he could not develop the plate. 

Q. But let me ask you — it may or may not have come under your 



520 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

observation — would not the climate of that region, the position of the 
sun, the intense cold, and other physical causes, in your judgment, tend 
to produce failures in photography? — A. Yes, sir, without doubt. 

Q. And is not that conceded by eminent photographers? — A. Every- 
body I think that knows anything at all about it concedes that point. 

Q. And you would not for instance say, as a matter of opinion, even 
under the most favorable circumstances, if a man failed in one instance 
to develop a negative that he was incompetent as a photographer, 
would you "? — A. No, sir ; not by any means. 

Q. Much less woukl yon say so as a matter of opinion, if his instru- 
ments were imperfect or defective, or the physical conditions of the 
country were against it f — A. I think the greatest difSculty there was 
owing to the climate, but in regard to this i)articular case of the bears, 
without knowing all the facts of the case, I understood to the best of 
my knowledge and belief that Mr. Collins either refused to try to de- 
velop the plates or had some grumble or growl with De Long about 
developing the plates. 

Q. But you do not know that of your own knowledge? — A. No, sir; 
I do not. 

Q. And of any conversation on that subject between De Long and 
Collins you have no knowledge? — A. Very little; not worth talking 
about. 

Q. We will dismiss the photographic business. Now, as to the bear 
business. Collins wanted to chase a bear, did he not ? — A. Well, I was 
absent from the ship when the bear scrape occurred. 

Q. Then youdo not know anything about it of your own knowledge? — 
A. I returned to the ship while the party was still absent. I was not 
present when they started on the bear hunt, but I was present when 
they returned. 

Q. Now, in three minutes, say two minutes by the clock, tell me ex- 
actly what was the cause of complaint against Collins in reference to 
the bear business ? — A. Being absent from the ship without leave. 

Q. Being in pursuit of the bear ? — A. Being absent from the ship 
without leave. 

Q. But in point of fact he was absent in pursuit of the bear, was he 
not? — A. Yes, sir; I understood so. 

Q. Now, he was not a seaman brought up in the strict rules and regu- 
lations of the Navy ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. He was on that vessel in a special capacity, as Captain De Long 
describes him, as the meteorologist ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And 1 suppose after you had been awhile on the ice there matters 
grew monotonous ? — A. Very, indeed. 

Q. And when the bear hove in sight A. (Interrupting.) They 

thought it was a God-send. 

Q. They thought it was a God-send, and they gave chase to the 
bear ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Before they chased the bear, before the bear hove in sight on that 
occasion, had there been any general order giv^en through the ship, to 
the ship's company, that no one should leave the ship? — A. No, sir; 
there was a great deal of liberty on that score. 

Q. Very well. Then prior to the bear business there had been no 
order given to the ship's company that they should not leave the ship, 
and a great deal of liberty had been given. Now, after that this order 
was promulgated, was it? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. To your knowledge, did Mr. Collins ever disobey that order ? — A. 
No, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 521 

Q. Then just as soon as the order had been given Mr. Collins obeyed 
it, and did not disobey it to your knowledge ? — A. He didn't disobey it. 
He entered what we call a silent protest, not leaving the ship at all; he 
staid aboard and said he would die rather than leave the ship. 

Q. He did not disobey that order"? — A. ISTo, sir. 

Q. So that you have no reason to believe that anything in connection 
with leaving the ship in pursuit of the bear, had anything to do with 
any cause of complaint of Captain De Long against Collins ? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. So we will dismiss that. Now, you stated yesterday, in these con- 
versations — I am speaking of the conversations exclusive of the one 
in relation to the subject-ihatter mentioned in the memorandum — Cap- 
tain De Long usually took Collins to one side. Is that so ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. If that was so, how was it possible for you to hear the subj ect- 
matter of their conversations'? — A. Because we were all messing to- 
gether in the cabin, in a room about two-thirds of t^e length of this, 
and about the same width, and there were very light bulkheads or par- 
titions dividing the rooms. There were two doors opening into this com- 
mon department. We were sitting so that conversations going on in- 
side of the bulkhead and inside the room, unless conducted in very low 
tones of voice it would be necessary to get up and go out of the cabin, 
and at certain times, when Captain De Long was particular about hav- 
ing a conversation with any person upon any particular subject, he was 
particular to have the cabin cleared, and then we got up and went out 
into the cold. Then, of course, we dirt not hear anything. 

Q. Now, of course you knew that Mr. Collins was an Irishman by 
birth ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is what Lieutenant Danenhower said the other day true — that 
you would sing Irish songs in his presence, and is it true, as Lieutenant 
Danenhower stated the other day, that in a spirit of mischief he would 
urge you to do it 1 — A. He might have done so, but I never did it in a 
spirit of mischief— really and honestly I never did. 

Q. Collins was a sensitive man, as you have stated ? — A. Yes, sir ; he 
was morbidly so. 

Q. And like many of his countrymen sensitive on the subject of his 
native land, and all political questions connected with it '^ — A. Very 
much so ; he used to entertain us many times with long stories upon the 
subject. 

Q. Now, you stated on one occasion you saw Mr. Collins rub his back 
against the breast of De Long. Is that so ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, where was that? — A. In the morning when the captain 
came 

Q. (Interposing.) Where was that? — A. In the cabin. 

Q. Wait a minute. I guess we can get it in a briefer way. It was 
in the cabin in the morning, and who were present ! — A. Nearly the 
whole mess. 

Q. Was Danenhower there ? — A. Nearly the whole mess. Of course 
Danenhower would have to be there if he was a member of the mess. 

Q. Among the survivors, who were there*? — A. Only Danenhower, 
and Mr. Newcomb and myself. We are the only three survivors of the 
cabin mess. 

Q. Now, if such an incident had really occurred would not Mr. Dan- 
enhower and Mr. Newcomb have had the same opportunity of observing 
it that you had? — A. Yes, sir. 



522 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And would it strike you as remarkable either tliat they did not 
observe it or did not recollect it? — A. Yes, sir; it would. 

Q. ]Sow, as you told me at the opening of your cross-examination 
you have sat here during the whole proceeding an interested and intel- 
ligent auditor, do you recollect that either Mr. Danenhower or Mr. New- 
comb made any reference to that fact ? — A. No, sir ; I do not remem- 
ber that they did. 

Q. Now, as to the rubbing of his back against De Long's breast ; 
what did De Long say, if anything'? —A. That is the time he took him 
to task for not answering his morning salutation. 

Q. Did Captain De Long complain that he had rubbed his back 
against his breast ? — A. That he did not pay the proper attention to 
him in the morning. 

Q. No! no! no! — A. No, sir; he did not say anything about rub- 
bing against his breast. 

Q. Did Captain De Long make any complaint that Collins had 
rubbed his back ggainst his breast? — A. He accused him of not treat- 
ing him courteously in the morning. 

Q. You understand the question f — A. I will answer it. When Cap- 
tain De Long came out of his apartment into the common cabin Collins 
was standing there. Captain De Long paid, " Good morning, gentle- 
men." He expected every gentleman present would say " Good morn- 
ing, sir," or '* Good morning," or " Good morning, captain," as they hap- 
pened to feel about it. Mr. Collins was standing close by him and 
instead of turning immediately towards him and saying " Good morn- 
ing," he brushed his back against him so that his back came against 
De Long's front, and that was the time that De Long took him to task 
for not answering his morning salutation. He said nothing at all about 
Mr. Collins rubbing his back briskly against Captain De Long's breast. 

Q. Now, what I want to get at is this : He did not complain at that 
time that Collins had rubbed his back against his breast 1 — A. No, sir; 
he did not. 

Q. But he did complain in reference to the fact that he had neglected 
to make a morning salutation ? — A. Yes, sir ; that is, sort of ignored it. 

Q. The matter is very trival, so I dismiss it with this question ; is 
there any evidence in existence of which you have knowledge that the 
rubbing of the back of Collins against the breast of De Long had anj^- 
thing whatever to do with his suspension f^A. It may have been irritat- 
ing, and followed it ; I do not know. 

Q. No, no ; is there any evidence existing that you know of that that 
had anything whatever to do with his suspension? — A. I cannot say 
that it had. 

Q. Now, do you agree with Lieutenant Danenhower that while Mr. 
Collins treated the other officers with reserve and distance he was par- 
ticularly polite to Captain De Long ? — A. Yes, sir ; after that time. 

Q. Very well ; then the moment that his reticence and his reserve 
were called to his attention, and he was told that he did not do that 
which was correct and right in reference to the morning salutation, ever 
after he went out of his way to be particularly polite to Captain De 
Long? — A. He did, sir. 

Q. Now, I wish to ask you some general questions by which, perhaps, 
I can abbreviate a good deal of the examination in detail. If a superior 
officer charges an inferior officer with a violation of duty, with a breach 
of discipline, with insubordination, with mutiny, with any offense, do 
you deem the words, for instance, " I am not guilty, I did not violate 
the rule," or " I have not committed a breach of discipline," or " I have 
not committed the act of insubordination," or ^' I have not been muti- 



jeanneTte inquiry. 523 

nous ; '' do yoii consider the denial of the charge of violation of duty to 
be a disrespectful contradiction of the superior officer ? — A. That de- 
pends very much on how the contradiction is made. 
* Q. Let me put it in another way. Supposing the party remains 
speechless, might it not be urged against him that he was guilty"? — A. 
You might say he was contemptuous. 

Q. Exactly. " ■ He would be contemptuous if he did not speak, and if 
he did speak it would be a contradiction *? — A. He is required to ad- 
dress his superior officer in a proper manner, both in language and de- 
portment ; the Articles of War are very particular about that. 

Q. ^^Tow let us see if we can get that clear. If he remains speechless 
under certain circumstances that would be contemptuous, would it not? — 
A. Yes, sir : treating with contempt his superior officer. 

Q. You would not in order to avoid the appearance of contradiction 
have a man admit a charge that was not true, would you ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then, if the superior officer makes the charge, " You have done so 
and so and so and so," and the inferior officer says, "I deny that I have 
done so ; and 1 have not violated the rule," you would not consider that a 
contradiction would you ? — A. Barely, sir. But in a case of that kind the 
Junior officer, it matters not how low he may be, even a common sailor, 
a man at the mast, if he keeps his hands out of his pockets and stands 
up in the position of a sailor, he is permitted to protest against any act 
of his commanding officer, whether he is an admiral in the Navy or a 
captain ; but he must do it in a proper manner. 

Q. Now, let me call your attention to this language. I read now from 
page 321 of the record of the Court of Inquiry, and from an extract of 
the memorandum which begins on page 320 : 

He commenced — 

That is, Collins commenced — 

" I came here supposing " 

I interrupted, " Never mind that part of it. Tou are here in fact, and we will deal 
with the fact." 

He resumed, ^' T do not like the tone or manner in which you speak to me, and the 
way in which I am taken to task." 

Now do you know anything in the regulations of the Navy, or in the 
rules that govern the conduct of a man, that makes that language dis- 
respectful, insubordinate, or mutinous 1 — A. Well, as to that particular 
section, I should not say it would be. 

Q. Very well, I will go to another section : 

I rej)lied, '' I have a perfect right to say what I say to you." 

He said, '*I acknowledge only the rights given you by Naval Regulations." 

In point of fact did Captain De Long possess any rights but those 
given him by Naval Regulations ?— A. Nothing at all, except the laws 
governing the Navy. 

Q. Then, in ijoint of fact, is there any misstatement in that declaration ? 

The Witness. Which declaration is that, sir ? 

Mr. Curtis. That I now read : 

I acknowledge only the rights given you by naval regulations. 
A. That is right. 
Q. I will go on : 

I inquired, " Do you mean to imply that I am doing contrary to naval regulations ? " 
He said, " I mean to say that you have no right to talk to me as you do." 
I replied, " You should not have disobeyed my orders." 

He said. " I will not admit such an assertion. 1 have always carried out your in- 
structions." 

Is there anything insubordinate or mutinous or disrespectful in that? — 
A. Not in detail. 



524 JEANNETTE iNQUmY. 

Q. !N"ow, we will see if there is in gross, after awhile. By the way, you 
would naturally believe that Captain De Long knew as much about 
this conversation as Lieutenant Danenhower! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And in a question of recollection between the two you would be 
very liable, as between the two, to believe in the correctness of his 
memorandum, would you not ? — A. Oh, yes j that is more likely to be 
correct than a man's memory. 

Q. It goes on : 

I inquired, " Do you undertake to contradict me, Mr. Collins, and say that I am 
asserting what is not so ? " 

He replied, "I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed or violated your 
order." 

Is there anything mutinous, insubordinate, or disrespectful in thaf? — 
A. ^o, sir. 
Q. (Reading:) 
He promptly and emphatically replied, " I say I have not." 

A. There was a flat contradiction. I would not have dared to do that 
to any commanding officer. 

Q. That was a denial ; would you have him admit it? — A. No, sir; 
I would put it in different language. I would not dare to say that to a 
commanding officer without danger of being suspended. I have some- 
times kicked against the pricks, and been suspended, but that was 
when I lost my head. 

Q. Now, of course, you are aware that even in the Navy the rules and 
regulations have been greatly altered and modified within the last half 
century '^ — A. Oh, witiiin the last ten years. 

Q. And there are a great many of the brutal regulations that for- 
merly existed in the Navy that have no place there now ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. They used to flog men ? — A. Not in my time. 

Q. They used to subject men to cruel outrages ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. They do not do it any more ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Collins was not a seaman in the Navy? — A. No, sir. 

Q. He was a meteorologist, attached to the expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If you were not in the Navy, and a man said, '' You have violated 
the law, you have been guilty of a breach of discipline," would you con- 
sider it your duty to remain silent ? — A. No, sir j I would kick. 

Q. Exactly ; and if you said, even promptly and emphatically, as you 
naturally would, if wrongfully accused, " I say I have not," would you 
consider that disrespectful ? — A. Outside of the Navy I would not. But 
my knowledge and drilling during the last twenty-three years in the 
Navy, of course makes me look at things differently from men not in the 
service. 

Q. Exactly. Now, will you tell me where officers of the Navy get 
the right to construe resi)ectful words into disrespectful ones, and to 
construe denials of violations of discipline into contradictions — where 
officers of the Navy get the right to do all these things differently from 
other people ? — A. I do not know, unless it be the custom of the serv- 
ice, and the military discipline and control that we are all subject to. 

Q. Do you not agree with me that to say that such language is dis- 
respectful and insubordinate and mutinous is going too far ? — A. For 
a landsman, yes j but for an officer or seaman of the Navy, no. 

Q. Then you are wedded to the traditions of your profession ? — A. 
Well, I must be after the drill of twenty-three years. 

Q. So that, consequently, you speak in reference to that particular 
matter as an officer of the Navy ? — A. Yes, sir; the yoke has borne as 
hard on my shoulders as upon almost any other officer of the Navy, to-day. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 525 

Q. So much for that. I will ask you the general question, because I 
do not wish to take up more time than is necessary ; outside of the 
cause you stated yesterday, outside of the cause that is expressed in 
this memorandum, do you kuow of any reason, real or imaginary, ex- 
pressed or not, that led to the suspension, or caused the suspensiou, of 
Mr. Collins — outside of what you have stated, and outside of this mem- 
orandum? — A. No, sir J nothing beyond his general conduct on board 
the ship. 

Q. When you make use of the general expression "general conduct," 
it is based on your judgment of the specific acts that you have testified 
to ? — A. Principally ; but Mr. Collins was somewhat irritating in his 
manner toward the commanding oificer in a way that 1 could not de- 
scribe if I tried. 

Q. But you have given all tlie acts and utterances that you know of ? — 
A, Particularly. Well, there are a lot of little petty things that I would 
be ashamed to mention. 

Q. You have given us all the acts and utterances that you now re- 
member, except those you would be ashamed to mention"^ — A. Yes, sir; 
so mean that I am ashamed to sit here and hear them detailed before 
this committee ; so much so that I feel as if I would like to cut off my 
right hand before I would like to talk about them. 

Q. You and 1 agree then, all men have their peculiarities of manner 
and bearing and tone? — A. Yes, sir; certainly, even if we are all saints. 

Q. You spoke of a dream : In point of fact you told Collins that you 
dreamed that you had this necklace? — A. No, sir; I was relating it to 
the mess in general. 

Q. Collins was present? — A. He was down below; I did not know he 
was below. 

Q. You related that you had this necklace of meteorological instru- 
ments about your neck ? — A. Thermometers, hydrometers, and so on. 

Q. Well, I will not spend any time on that. Now, in reference to Dr. 
Ambler, whom we all admire and reverence, and Mr. Collins. All there 
was about that was that Mr. Collins was asleep off* duty, and JDr. Am- 
bler, in closing the door, i)robably hastily, caused it to make a noise. Is 
that it?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Well ? — A. Mr. Collins accused Dr. Ambler of having slammed the 
door, but Dr. Ambler didn't slam the door. I happened to be sitting 
present iu the cabin reading a book. The jack-o'-the-dust, the man who 
gets out the provisions and serves them out, had opened the door 

Q. (Interposing.) It didn't amount to anything? — A. Nothing at all. 

Q. We are in accord on all these matters. He thought Ambler had 
slammed the door? — A. Collins thought so. 

Q. He was asleep ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And whether the door was slammed or not, the noise awoke 
him ? — A. The jack-o'-the-dust slammed thedoor, and that waked him up. 

Q. The door was slammed ; it woke Collins up, and he came up in a 
fit of petty irritation, caused by being waked up suddenly, and he said 
that Ambler slammed the door? — A. Yes, sir; and there was a little 
growl between the two. 

Q. And afterward it was explained, and it was all arranged ? — A. 
Yes, sir; I explained the matter to them, and it was all arranged. I 
merely mentioned that as one of the small differences between men that 
there is no reason for, but because it happened on an Arctic cruise it is 
dragged out as something heinous and terrible. 

Q. You don't know of any ill feeling remaining between Dr. Ambler 
and Collins growing out of that? — A. No, sir. 



526 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, there is one other thing I want to ask you about. You have 
told me that you are not a practical photographer. Are you a practical 
meteorologist? — A. I have never followed it as a profession. No, sir; I 
am an amateur. 

Q. You are undoubtedly a man of great versatile ability? — A. I do 
not know about that. 

Q. But I ask you in all candor and fairness, Mr. Melville, would you 
be inclined to put your opinion upon a meteorological question against 
the judgment of a man whose life was devoted to that subject? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. And in a difference of opinion between you and such a person as 
that, although you might have strong convictions that he was wrong, 
you would be very much inclined to waive your judgment in preference 
to his ? — A. I have all the regard in the world for the i)rofessional opinion 
of a professional man. 

Q. Now you spoke about the breaking of some barometers, I thiuk ? — 
A. A mountain barometer, a hydrometer for measuring the sea water, 
and a measuring glass used in conjunction or connection^ with the 
hydrometer. 

Q. Now, you said Mr. Collins broke a barometer, did you ? — A. Yes, 
sir, or it was broken while it was in his charge. 

Q. Did you see him break it? — A. I did not. 

Q. Do you know when it was broken ? — A. I do not. 

Q. Do you know how it was broken ? — A. I do not. 

Q. And for all you know it might have been broken by some other 

person, or by the A. (Interrupting.) The rolling of the ship, may 

be ,• it was in his charge, and that was all. I spoke of the breaking of 
the tubes when he attempted to repair it. That is what I referred to 
particularly. 

Q. I will come to that after awhile. So far as the barometer is con- 
cerned, you do not know who broke it? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You do not know of any design that Mr. Collins might have had, 
malicious or otherwise, to break it ? — A. Oh, I do not think anybody 
would maliciously do anything of that kind. 

Q. Where was this barometer kept ? — A. In the i>ort work-room. 

Q. Who had access to that room ? — A. Mr. Collins, Mr. Newcomb, 
and Dr. Ambler. 

Q. Three persons? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Perhaps it is possible that the naturalist in his gambols around 
the vessel might have broken the barometer? — A. No, this little place 
was divided off into three parts, one part for the meteorologist, one 
part for the naturalist, and one part for the surgeon. 

Q. How many of these hydrometers were there? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Did you ever see Mr. Collins break any of them ? — A. I never saw 
him break one. 

Q. How many, to your knowledge, were broken ? — A. The only one 
that I know of was the one that the discussion arose about between 
Collins and De Long — one hydrometer and one hydrometer glass. 

Q. There were or should have been five or six hydrometers. All that 
you know that were broken was one, and you do not know who broke 
that one ? — A. No, sir, all I know is that it was in his charge, and he 
was responsible for it. 

Q. Now, what else was broken besides the barometer and the hydrom- 
eter? — A. One of the deep-sea sounding cups was rolled off the rail 
on to the deck. 

Q. How many of those were there ? — A. Six, as I remember. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 527 

Q. Where were they obtained ? — A. Out of the starboard chart-room. 

Q. I mean where were they obtained originally ; in San Francisco? — 
A. No, sir; there is an officer in the Navy who manufactures them, or 
has a royalty for the manufacture of them, and they were sent to San 
Francisco j they are known as Sigsby's cup. 

Q. There is an officer of the Navy who has the patent right and the 
monopoly to manufacture these things ? — A. Sigsby's cup, as I under- 
stand. 

Q. And they are considered to be perfect?— A. Considered the best 
cup in the world. 

Q. Now, did you see Mr. Collins break that? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You saw him break that"? — A. I saw him leave it on the rail, and 
the ship rolled it off on the deck. 

Q. How many of those did you see broken ? — A. Only one, and that 
was not broken ; it was bent. 

Q. Then, out of the six deep-sea sounding cups only one was bent? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The others remained intact ? — A. No,* sir ; there was one lost over- 
board ; it became detached from the line. 

Q. You do not think that Mr. Collins threw it overboard? — A. No, 
sir ; not by any means. 

Q. Now, this deep- sea sounding cup that was bent was left by him 
where? — A. On the ship's rail. 

Q. And the ship made a movement, I suppose ? — A. Lurched. 

Q. Were you in the ice at the time ? — A. No, sir ; in the sea. 

Q. And the cup ? — A. Eolled off on the deck. 

Q. Eolled down and was bent ?--A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was afterward repaired ? — A. I do not know how it was j I do 
not think it was bent beyond. repair. I could have repaired it. 

Q. You do not think that the fate of the expedition was in any way 
affected by the bending of that deep-sea sounding cup? — A. No, sir. 
We had four of them left. 

Q. And you saw nothing in that terrible bending that justified the 
suspension of CoUins? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, we have got rid of that. Now, what else ? — A. I do not know. 
I did not keep tally of these things. 

Q. Passing to another subject for a moment 5 when you said the other 
day that you called Collins an Irish cow the learned counsel insinuated 
that you meant an Irish bull ? — A. As I remember it, I denied the soft 
impeachment. As I remember it, I did not call him an Irish cow. I 
said, " See the damned cow roll down the hill." 

Q. Now, I believe that you, with all this twenty-three years' experience 

in the Navy, and your profound reverence for naval regulations 

" A.- (Interrupting.) I do not always reverence them ; I break them 
sometimes. 

Q. Did you tell Captain De Long when he spoke to you about sing- 
ing songs and annoying Collins that he. Captain De Long, had no right 
to muzzle you? — A. Indeed I did. 

Q. Were you suspended for that ? — A. No, sir ; I was not. 

Q. You are pretty well versed in the English language as well as 
others ? — A. More or less. Yes, sir ; I studied grammar when I went 
to school, but it was a good while ago. 

Q. You are a man of pretty liberal culture. Will you point out to 
me, if you can, in the memorandum charge made by Captain De Long 
against Collins any word used by Collins, even as stated by Captain 
De Longj that approaches in disrespect, contradiction, or resistance, 



528 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the word " muzzle" that you employed in your conversation with Cap- 
tain De Long? — A. I did not state it in a manner that was either dis- 
respectful or mutinous when I stated that to Captain De Long. There 
is a great deal in the manner in which a man addresses his command- 
ing officer. 

Q. You see we cannot photograph the manner of two dead men in 
the Arctic Sea, and we have to rely a good deal on what they said and 
did. — A. That is exactly what I said; I said, "Captain, I don't see the 
reason why 1 should be muzzled in this manner. There is no reason 
why I should not sing a song if I want to." 

Q. Now, you spoke about a difference of opinion between you and 
Collins about some instrument, and for fear that I might misstate you 
I will ask you what that instrument was? — A. It was a barometer. 

Q. At the time that took place who among the survivors, if any, 
were present? — A. I do not know that either Mr. Danenhower or Mr. 
Newcomb was present at the conversation, but they both know of this 
barometer affair. 

Q. Well, so far as Mr. Danenhower is concerned, with the single ex- 
ception of this afternoon, he has been in constant attendance here dur- 
ing this investigation? — A. Yes, sir; to the best of my knowledge. 

Q. And if they had had knowledge of that fact that you speak about 
their knowledge must have been as accurate and as vivid when they tes- 
tified as it is now ? — A. Well, they may not have thought of this mat- 
ter. There are many little things that occur to different people. Dif- 
ferent people remember different things. 

Q. Now, let us get at the difference of opinion between you and Col- 
lins about the barometer, for I want to dismiss that subject. You told 
him he did not repair it correctly, did you ! — A. I told him I didn't 
think he was going about it in the right way. 

Q. Wherein ? — A. In placing an alcohol lamp under a tube with a 
pressure of 33 inches of mercury and enveloping the glass tube with a 
wrought iron tube, creating a draught that would make a fierce flame 
on the bottom of the glass tube. By so doing there was danger of his 
melting out the bottom of the tube, or getting it so hot that the bulging 
of the bottom of the tube would burst the tube. 

Q. In point of fact, was it repaired ? — A. So far as Collins could do it, 
yes. 

Q. In point of fact, was it repaired in accordance with your ideas or 
his? — A. In accordance with his. 

Q. So that that which you told him was impossible to be done was 
done, and it was simply a matter of difference of opinion between you 
two? — A. No, sir; because it broke; the next morning it was bursted. 

Q. Did you ever hear of Watts, the great engineer, being told b;^ a 
common workman how to do a very important, complicated things — A. 
I have heard so ; yes, sir. 

Q. You would not seek to attack the general ability of a man because 
in some, perhaps unimportant, matter in his profession he had made a 
mistake, would you ? — A. Oh, no. 

Q. Have not the greatest sailors and navigators often made mistakes 
in the simplest matters ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It simply turned out that your prediction in that particular proved 
correct? — A. Correct; yes, sir. 

Q. Now, in reference to the subject of profanity, let me ask you, is it 
not a regulation of the Navy that profanity be strictly forbidden on 
board ship? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And so far as the carrying out of that regulation was concerned, it 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 529 

was in accordance with naval orders and directions, was it not ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. It was part of the discipline ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. But, as you told us, once and awhile the tars would utter an oath 
or two ? — A. Oh, I used to kick up my heels once in awhile. I can swear 
when occasion requires it, and I have seen the time when occasion did 
require it to make people move faster, although it was contrary to reg- 
ulations. 

Q. Now, you spoke of Lieutenant Chipp. He was, as you described 
him, a noble character. — A. He was considered one of the best men in 
the Navy. 

Q. He was considered a brave officer and a humane and good man *? — 
A. I think so ; yes, sir. 

Q. And in every way fitted for the responsible duties which he un- 
dertook ! — A. I think so, sir. 

Q. Now, in regard to the naturalist, I understood you to tell me that 
the man of science threw himself into a pugilistic attitude. Are you 
quite sore about that? — A. I am very sure, sir. 

Q. How large a man was his antagonist 1 — A. A man about the same 
size, an older man, but thicker set. 

Q. More heavy? — A. Oh, yes, sir; a man forty-five or fifty years of 
age. 

Q. A man that in your expressive language was -A. (Interrupting.) 

A rattling good man. 

Q. And much too powerful for him? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you have any apprehension that the man of science, the 
naturalist, would injure Mr. Cole ? 

The Witness. Who was the scientific man, Mr. Cole or Mr. Newcomb ? 

Mr. Curtis. I mean the man of natural science, the man of natural 
history. 

The Witness. Oh, Mr. Newcomb. 

Mr. Curtis. Did you have any apprehension that he would injure 
Mr. Cole ? 

The Witness. No, I was afraid Cole would injure him. 

Q. Was that why you told him that you had seen better men shot 
than he ?-^ A. No, sir ; that was because he did not treat me with the 
proper respect due his commanding officer. 

Q. Then it was not because he was emulating the example of Mr. 
Sulhvan? — A. No, sir. 

Q. It was because you thought the natural historian did not treat you 
with proper respect? — A. Correct, sir. 

Q. Was there a gun near you? — A. No, sir; there was not a gun 
within 15 or 20 feet of me. 

Q. Was there a gun within 50 feet of you? — A. Yes, sir; within 20 
feet. 

Q. And you are a man who if not treated with proper respect by your 
inferiors is very apt to let them know it ? — A. Eemind them of it. 

Q. Then it was you told him to shut up his mouth and that you 
had seen better men shot than he ? — A. Not until he gave me some 
more lip. 

Q. But it was on that occasion ? — A. Yes, sir; that was the occasion. 

Q. And the gun was within a very lew feet of you, say 20 feet? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. You have not since learned that the natural historian said, as is 
claimed by Danenhower, that you did him a very good service on that oc- 
casion ? — A. I guess that he did, because if I had let Jack Cole go in I 
34 J Q* 



530 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

know he would have knocked seven bells out of him. Poor fellow, he 
is dead; he died yesterday. 

Q. Well, it is enough to know that you had no apprehension for 
Cole I — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you quite sure that the natural historian threw himself into 
a pugilistic attitude ? — A. I am sure that they squared away for each 
other; both of them put up their props [illustrating]. 

Q. Now, we will come to this subject of charts. Those that you made 
were how many ? — A. I made six charts of two kinds. One was a copy 
of the outline of the coast from an ancient Eussian chart. The other 
was a copy of a German chart. 

Q. Peterman's? — A. I am not sure that it was Peterman's. I have 
learned since that Peterman was the historian in this matter, but some 
other German was the surveyor who made the survey of the delta. But 
I uBji^lerstand it is the chart that is called the Peterman chart. 

Q. Do you understand that this chart that Peterman printed, which 
turned out to be erroneous, was ever made from any actual survey ? — 
A. Yes, sir ; there were corrections made of this chart that I had by 
JSTordenskjold people when they got around there. They corrected the 
chart. 

Q. You made how many in all "? — A. I made six charts. Three copies 
of each kind ; two for ISTindemann, two for Bartlett, and two for myself 
to work by. 

Q. You based your charts upon the knowledge derived from the Pe- 
terman chart and the information you obtained in the country? — A. Yes, 
sir ; right on the ground. 

Q. Of course you admit that these charts are liable to be very imper- 
fect ? — A. \ ery imperfect indeed. There is no perfect chart to-day of 
the Lena delta. 

Q. And there is no perfect knowledge of the geography of that 
region ? — A. No, sir ; there is not. 

Q. It is all matter of speculation ? — A. There has been a Eussian sur- 
veying party up there for two years now. They may have corrected it 
considerably, although they have not had time to get out their chart. 
So I am positive in saying there is no correct chart of the Lena delta. 

Q. There is no man who knows the actual physical conditions of the 
pole, because so far as you know no man has ever seen it ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And what those actual, physical conditions are is matter of specu- 
lation? — A. Of speculation, sir. 

Q. In which one man's opinion is as good as another's? — A. Almost. 

Q. Now, you spoke about the New Siberian Island. As I understood 
you — I did not take that down — but my recollection is that you spoke 
about the New Siberian Island as abounding in food ? — A. Eeindeer. 

Q. Are you not mistaken in reference to that, so far, for instance, as 
the last fifty years are concerned ? — A. No, sir ; for this reason, that since 
the ivory hunters have left there the game has had plenty of time to 
increase, and when we were there wherever we traveled over the country 
we found abundant tracks of reindeer, as close as you see the tracks of 
common cattle in a barn-yard. Where we landed we found fresh drop- 
pings that had not been dropped more than an hour. 

Q. Did you ever see any reindeer? — A. I never saw one living rein- 
deer on those islands, but hundreds of skeletons of reindeer, where the 
ivory hunters had killed them, and where the natives came over to the 
main land and had killed and dressed reindeer. 

Q. You saw all those indications of the recent presence of the ?ein-» 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 531 

deer that you have described, but never saw a single reindeer 1 — A. No, 
sir, not one on the New Siberian Islands. 

Q. Didn't that strike you as a little singular 1 — A. No, sir, not at all, 
because reindeer would take to the mountains as soon as they hear or 
smell the approach of an enemy, as they consider man. They browse 
in the valleys. Sometimes you can come on them as you read of, a 
hundred in number. I remember of reading of one hundred and thirteen 
reindeer killed in one day 

Q. (Interposing.) Never mind that. You do not know that the rein- 
deer is an animal very easily tamed and very easily approached ? — A. 
Not always. The tame reindeer they herd as we do cows. I have seen 
hundreds of reindeer in herds like cows. 

Q. Do you know that the people living on the Siberian coast — I am 
not speaking of the New Siberian Islands — have been forbidden by 
order of the Russian Government to go over to the New Siberian Islands, 
for the reason of the scarcity that prevails there, and that no party ever 
goes there without taking its provisions ? — A. I know that, exactly. 

Q. That is true 1 — A. Yes, sir ; that is true. A party of thirteen 
men went over there, and starved to death over there, and from that 
time forth the Russian Government issued an edict that no hunting 
party should ever go over, but I met a man who told me he went over 
there and hunted and killed reindeer. 

Q. Did you ever find an example of Baron Munchausen among these 
people? — A. Oh, they are terrible liars. 

Q. Very imaginative! — A. Yery. 

Q. And you did not always place perfect reliance on what they told 
you 1 — A. Not altogether. 

Q. And it is very eas>^ for a person to be present at scenes to describe 
them to people who have not, and put his own coloring upon them ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, one moment about the shotguns. It is not true that the 
reason why the shotguns were useless was that the cartridges were de- 
fective ! — A. That was part of the reason. 

Q. Is not that true *? — A. Not the whole truth. 

Q. Now, Lieutenant Danenhower stated that he desired to explain a 
matter which had been greatly exaggerated, and he went on to state 
that the reason why the shotguns were useless was that the captain 
had been induced to purchase the wrong cartridges. — A. That was so. 

Q. Is that partly true? — A. What he stated was true, but there were 
other reasons besides. 

Q. Would not that in itself be a sufficient reason 1 — A. Yes. 

Q. You cannot conceive that a shotgun would be of very great use 
if the cartridges were defective 1 — A. No, sir 5 but we could pull the 
cartridges down and then the cartridges would go into the shotgun. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenhower's reason was that they were affected by 
the weather ; that through dampness they became useless. — A. No, sir; 
I beg your i)ardon. If I take a number 12 cartridge and put it in water 
it swells up, but a number 10 cartridge 

Q. (Interposing.) Suppose you had had metallic cartridges, would you 
have taken them along? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And for all destructive purposes they would have been just the 
thing you wanted, would they not? — A. Yes, sir. It strikes me, how- 
ever, there was some misapprehension on your part, because the damp- 
ness had destroyed the powder or the caps. That was not so. It was 
because the dampness sweHecl the paper so that they would not go into 
the bre§e!} of tlie gun. 



532 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. I am only telliug 3^011 what Lieutenant Danenliower stated. Did 
you take the positiou yesterday that this delta was devoid of food? — A. 
Tn^o, sir ; uot entirely without food, because people live there. 

Q. Consequently there must be food to maintain them *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. There are reindeer there ? — A. Only during certain seasons of the 
year. 

Q. How far north do you find reindeer ? — A. Well, we found evi- 
dences of reindeer on Bennett Island. We found reindeer horns there. 
It was evidence as far as the horns were concerned. We found rein- 
deer on the New Siberian Islands. We killed one reindeer on Sem- 
inowski Island, and De Long and his people killed reindeer at the Lena 
delta, and I have seen reindeer at the Lena delta myself; I have never 
killed any there, though. 

Q. Now, we will say nothing of the fish. Did I understand you to 
say that there were foxes in the delta ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is it not true that foxes can be made an article of food ? — A. Oh, 
yes, sir. 

Q. Certain preparations of them are quite palatable, are they not? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not think if you had had those shotguns with proper cart- 
ridges you could have made use of them ? — A. Well, I yevergot close 
enough to a fox to shoot one. I have seen them dodge into their holes 
with, the dogs after them, but it is possible to get close enough to shoot 
them ; yes. 

Q. Something was said by the chairman yesterday which struck 
me, and I wish to ask you a question. Did Captain De Long have any 
money in his possession ! — A. Yes, sir ; five twenty-dollar gold pieces. 

Q. And prior to that did he not have some money which he lost over- 
board ? — A. I do not know about that. He fell overboard one time and 
Dunbar pulled him out and he stripped to wring his clothes out, and I 
saw the gold pieces piled up. 

Q. As matter of fact, are not the people of that country very eager 
and thirsty for money? — A. Oh, yes, sir; they like money. 

Q. They have not only the coin of the Eassian empire, but they have 
the paper money there ? — A. They have very little coin there. It is 
nearly all pai)er, rubles, and coppers. 

Q. You stated that there is a certain amount of blood in the reindeer 
horn. That is the case with very young reindeer, is it not? — A. Yes, 
sir, when the horn is in the velvet. 

Q. It is covered with a sort of velvety substance — feels like velvet ? — 
A. It is when they are mating. 

Q. At the time you discovered where De Long's party had perished, 
you found this original note-book ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. With the wooden covers ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know where that identical note-book is now? — A. To the 
best of my knowledge and belief it is on this table now. 

Q. And to the best of your knowledge and belief, that book which is 
on the table is the one that you secured at the time of the discovery of 
the dead bodies of Cai)tain De Long and his companions? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And to the best of your knowledge all of the journal is in that 
book? — A. I will look at it now. I think it is complete. 

Mr. Aknoux. There were three different volumes. You refer to the 
last part of it? 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 533 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. All of Captain De Long's journal is in those three parts ? — A. 
Yes, sir ; as far as I know. 

Q. Did you ever read the journal! — A. No, sir ; it was too much like 
work. I never removed one square inch of the i)aper, neither did I per- 
mit anybody to tear out one square inch of the paper. 

Q. Did I understand you to state yesterday that it was your opinion 
that they died of starvation and want, and still you state that the blood 
was in their faces'? — A. Yes, sir ; there was a little flush on each man's 
cheek. On the cheeks of De Long and Ambler particularly more than 
upon any of the others. I did not say that the blood was in their cheeks, 
I said there was blood in Dr. Ambler's mouth in a ball of ice, but that 
the color was frozen into the men's faces. 

Q. I understood you to say that the color was frozen into the men's 
faces 1 — A. Yes, sir ; not as flushed as I am now, but with a slight tinge 
of red on the cheeks. 

Q. Do you adhere to that statement now ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you ever seen any person before who died of starvation *? — 
A. Never. 

Q. Have you any means of fixing, outside of what is said to be the 
last entry in the book called De Long's journal, the day of his death? — 
A. Nothing, sir. 

Q. Have you any evidence or knowledge that he may not have lived 
for days after October 30 "? — A. Nothing beyond my common sense. I 
do not think it is probable. 

Q. That is your judgment ? — A. Yes, sir 5 that is my judgment. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, when was it you found De Long and his 
companions ? — A. It was the latter part of March. 

Q. Of the following year ?— A. 'Yes, sir ; the 22d or 23d. 

Q. Of the year 1882 ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The last entry in the note-book is October 30, 1881 ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you did not see Captain De Long and his companions until 
the following spring? — A. No, sir; I did not. 

Q. Now, have you anything except your opinion and judgment that 
Captain De Long may not have lived for days and weeks after the 30th 
of October ? — A. Nothing beyond my judgment. 

Q. Now, something was said by the learned counsel as to your opin- 
ion whether there were any civilized or populous places of people living 
south from the spot where the Jeannette was lost. Do you look on the 
Eussian people as civilized ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In the political sense of that term ? — A. Well, they are pretty civi- 
lized, politically or otherwise. They are a very decent sort of people. 

Q. I say, do you look on them as civilized ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The people who inhabit this country are subjects of the Czar ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And whatever may be their condition in a political or natural 
sense, they are civilized people ? — A. Yes, sir ; I think so. In addition 
to that there are a great many wandering natives, Tungus, Yakuts, 
and people of that kind, barely Christianized -, I do not know whether 
you would call them civilized or not. 

Q. I suppose in a political sense they are termed civilized people. 
These settlements, or hamlets, or towns, or villages, or berghs, or com- 
munities of people, in many instances, were within four or five miles of 
each other, were they not ? 

The Witness. At the Lena delta ? 



534 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. No ; on the Siberian coast. 

A. I do not know of any as close as that ; no, sir. 

Q. Do you not know of at least three or four? — A. No, sir j at the 
Lena delta there are several. 

Q. I will come to the Lena delta in a minute. — A. They are within 
8 or 10 versts of each other ; that would be 5 or 6 miles. 

Q. That is true of the Lena delta? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do not raauy of these settlements or cities contain, depending on 
the season, all the way from 200 to 300 to 400 up to 800 people?— A. 
Well, I never have seen any that was larger than Ustjansk, and I 
guessed at that containing 150. tou told me to-day there were 400 
there at times. 

Q. Yes ; and at times 800. — A. I w^ould not dispute it, because it is 
possible there might be as many people there at times. 

Q. Now, in reference to the original settlement of that country ; of 
course, you do not, as a man of intelligence, confine yourself to naval 
or Arctic literature ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Have you ever read that that country has been populated for 
hundreds of years? — A. Yes, sir; I have heard of the Cossacks mak- 
ing their advance into Siberia as early as the year 1300. 

Q. Yes ; and do you remember as a historical fact that at that time 
they had a great encampment or city, as they termed it, in that region 
of country ? — A. At Jakutsk ; yes, sir ; but that is a long way from the 
sea board. It is more than 2,000 miles from the sea-board. 

Q. Now, speaking of Captain Dunbar, he was a man of very great 
experience, was he not? — A. As a whaleman, as a sea captain; yes, 
sir. 

Q. And he had had great experience in Arctic voyages, had he not ? — 
A. Yes ; I heard him say that he had been up on both sides. I don't 
know how many voyages in the Arctic Ocean he had been on, but he 
had been on the Antarctic Ocean a great deal seal fishing. 

Q. He was selected as your ice pilot, was he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know whether or not, as Lieutenant Danenhower stated, 
that it was against his judgment that the vessel was put into the 
open lead when it was ? — A. I don't know about that, sir ; I heard it 
talked of. 

Q. You heard it spoken of A. (Interrupting.) As common conver- 
sation among the officers of the ship. 

Q. That Captain Dunbar had expressed an opinion against putting 
the ship into that lead ? — A. I don't know about that particularly, but 
about putting her into the ice. 

Q. Well, Captain Dunbar was a man, from your description of him, 
w^ho was in every way competent to advise?— A. Yes, sir; as an ice 
pilot. 

Q. And whose advice should have been received with a great deal of 
deference? — A. Yes, sir, with this little difference, that he had been 
sailing vessels in the Arctic Ocean to catch whales, and a whaleman 
never puts his vessel in the ice. He never goes into the ice ; it is his 
policy to keep out of the ice. 

Q. I only ask you if Cai)tain Dunbar did not advise against going in 
there, as you understood it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, about this man-hole matter. As I understood, Noros was in 
the hold. What was he doing in there? — A. I don't know what he was 
doing. He stated that he was stowing provisions. I think that is cor- 
rect. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 535 

Q. You kicked simply the cap ? — A. Yes, sir -, the plate that goes on 
top. 

Q. Do you call it a plate or cap ? — A. Either will do. 

Q. You didu't take the plate or cap in your hand, did you ? — A. !N"o, 
sir ; I do not think I did. I do not like to stoop, for I am pretty stout, 
and it is a loog way to get down to the deck. I know that I very often 
kicked the man hole plate that way — put my foot on it and push it in 
its place, and I imagine I did the same thing there. It is quite possible 
I might have done that, but it is not necessary to do that, and it is a 
dirty piece of iron and weighs considerable. 

Q. I think it is due to you to give you an opportunity to make a cor- 
rection. Mr. Koros said in his testimony in speaking of you, that you 
applied to him and another seaman a very vile epithet. Do you remem- 
ber what he referred to ? — A. Yes, sir ; 1 remember it I think he made 
a mistake in one word ; I think he added one word. It is quite possi- 
ble I used the other word, because I am very apt to, especially when 
disgusted with a man. I think that he added one word, either inten- 
tionally or not ; I don't believe I used the second word. I am profane, 
but I am not nast3^ — at times I mean. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, was not the town on the mouth of the 
Yana, Ustjansk, the largest town on the Siberian coast north of Yerk- 
eransk that you saw '1 — A. I think the largest town north of Yerkeransk 
was a question as between Bulun and Ustjansk, but I will not dispute 
the point with you, saying there were 400 people there 5 possibly there 
were. If there were 400 people at Ustjansk, that was the largest town 
I have seen. I thought there were 150. If there were only 150, then 
Bulun is the largest. 

Q. Was there not plenty of open water to the south of the Siberian 
Island 1 — A. Yes, sir ; there was an ice blink to the southward, and I 
took Mr. Danenhower on the high land and showed it to him, a line of 
ice. 

Q. Was there a great deal of time lost on the southern shoals on the 
new Siberian Island in trying to go to the westward I — A. No, sir. 

Q. You said yesterday that in the light of the knowledge you pos- 
sessed at the time of the expedition you would do exactly under similar 
circumstances what you did then? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you received as the result of this expedition any new light 
in reference to the most proper course to have pursued ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not consider it unfortunate that Captain De Long and the 
other officers of the ship were governed by the erroneous information 
of Peterman and others in reference to that region ? — A. Well, when 
the Peterman chart was made no doubt that information was correct, 
and the day has gone by when 

Q. (Interposing.) How could it be correct? — A. Because, where the 
natives were placed on De Long's chart, had they remained there, De 
Long would have found them, but unfortunately for De Long, as the 
people there are migratory people, they had moved away from there, and 
he went directly to the place where the natives used to be, and there- 
fore starved to death. Had the settlement been permanent, De Long 
would have found people within two days of his landing. 

Q. Now, on what data do the natives work in making their charts 1 — 
A. They take any particular village where they are. Then they say 
there is a big island to the east, another big island to the east, then 
there is a house, then there is a big river going up, and so on. The 
islands are all put in there, but not according to scales. 

Q. That information is imparted from one to the other of the natives, 



536 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and that is the way the chart is made? — A. The chart that was made 
for me was made for my information. The chart known as the " Na- 
tive's chart" was a rough, rudely constructed chart. Ask the natives to 
take you to any one of those islands, as I wrote the names of those 
islands in, phonetically, and they can take you right to the island. 
They are well acquainted with the topography of the delta. 

Q. In point of fact, was there not a great deal of time lost in trying 
to land on the New Siherian Island? — A. It took a great deal of time to 
laod, but whether it was time lost or not is another question. 

Q. By the way, yesterday, did you not say that at Seminowski Island 
you could not find any dog teams? — A. No, sir. 

Q. It was at Geeomovialocke ? — A. Geeomovialocke; yes, sir. 

Q. In point of fact, were you not mistaken?— A. Originally; no, sir. 

Q. Originally, could you not have obtained four dog teams there? — 
A. No, sir. When I wanted to get to Tomoose I wanted only four teams 
to drag me across and I could not procure one dog team of four dogs, 
although after the Cossack commandant arrived, with the authority of 
a Canute behind him to flog them if they didn't do as he wanted, we got 
all the teams we wanted, and the night Kusmah arrived at Geeomovi- 
alocke there was not a team to take me out that night, and the next 
best thing was to send to the northward to the village of Arrii, 10 versts 
away, and bring a team down next morning, and that was the team that 
took me away from Geeomovialocke — not the Geeomovialocke team. 

Q. You gave us yesterday a very vivid and beautiful description of 
your adventures and sufferings. I suppose you did not intend to omit 
the fact that the brave men who were with you partook of those suffer- 
ings? — A. Certainly not. I beg your pardon, what time do you mean? 

Q. During the retreat ? — A. No, sir; certainly not. I spoke of the 
men walking into camp at night with their bare feet on the ice — some 
of them. 

Q. I say what I want to bring to your attention is that these suffer- 
ings through w^hich you so heroically passed yourself were endured by 
other members of the ship's company ? — A. I mentioned nearly every 
man. I mentioned the fact of Leach's feet, and of the man walking 
back and forth with his sounding pole, and so on. 

Q. How did you make your landing on the New Siberian Islands ? — 
A. On the south side of the island we tried to land, and the boats drew 
so much water that we could not get in well, and De Long ordered me 
to take the most of the weights out of my boat ; and I sounded into the 
shore, then I piloted everybody in ; made a ferry-boat of my boat and 
hauled everybody in. That was the first landing we made on the south 
side of Siberian Island. 

Q. Describe in full the night you spent on the shallows between the 
island of Thadeowski and Katalmi, and how you endeavored to anchor 
your boats. — A. We started from the island of Thadeowski after break- 
fast in the morning. There v/as a large shoal making to the southward 
between the two islands. The wind was blowing fresh and there was a 
good deal of sea, and we tried to beat around this shoal and kept con- 
tinually bringing up on the shoal. The sea was so heavy we could not 
pull against it. De Long made an attempt to land. We attempted to 
land to the eastward of the slioal ; that would be on the west end of 
Thadeowski Island. The boats grounded us off' a mile and a half from 
the shore, and, it being a soft muddy bottom, we considered it imprac- 
ticable to land. We pushed off' our boats again and beat all that night — 
holding that. We tried to beat around the shoal. When we drove in 
on the shoals there was danger of the boats rolling in the surf 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 537 

and all the boats being swamped. De Long ordered us to lialt, and 
hailed my boat and wanted to know if I had anything to anchor 
with. I answered the hail and said no, I had nothing but pemmican 
and that was as light as the water almost. We could not carry anchors 
for a distance of four or five hundred miles across the floe, or three hun- 
dred miles, to the water ; neither had we found rocks large enough to 
make anchors of. So then he directed me to try to hold on with the 
oars and the tent poles. He had a jnck-ax in his boat, and he tried to 
make an anchor of the pick-ax and some other weights. I do not know 
all he had in his boat; and the sea kept driving us in on the shoals. Dur- 
ing the night Ghipp got awaj' from us. He had managed to beat off 
and ran away off to the eastward somewheres, clear of the shoals, butDe 
Long and I stuck together. In the morning when the dawn broke we 
thought we saw a channel across the shoals. De Long ran his boat in 
and I followed close after him. I saw that he was into the breakers, 
and I put my boat about at once and saw he was ashore. He then hailed 
me to come in and help get him off. I ran in alongside of him and took 
part of his crew into my boat to lighten him, but that swamped my boat 
so that there was danger of filling. By this time the sea had worked 
our boat across the shoals into the deeper water, and I got my boat's 
crew back in my boat and pulled out. In the mean time he told me to 
take his tow-line and try to tow him off. I got hold of his tow-line, but 
instead of hauling him off he got on to another shoal. Finally he told 
me to cast off and take care of myself, and we pulled out, and eventually 
he pulled out. By that time it was clear, broad daylight. Then we 
ran off to a piece of drift-ice and hauled up alongside of it, and had our 
breakfast. That was the first time we lost Ghipp. Ohipp was gone 
from us twelve or fifteen hours. 

Q. Did De Long know where he was when he was stopped by the ice 
at the New Siberian Islands to the northward ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he not suppose he was at the eastward end of the most east- 
ern island of the group"? — A. IsTo, sir, I heard him make his boast that 
he made within 8 miles of his chronometer time westward, which was 
remarkable for a chronometer that I had seen rolled off and on top the 
sheds and under the sheds. 

Q. Have you seen chart "S" in this book of the Court of Inquiry? — 
A. Yes, sir; as far as I know that is very near correct. 

Q. It is not incorrect in any way? — A. Xo, sir; it is correct, so far as 
I know. 

Q. That is, it is correct on the basis of the present information? — A. 
Yes, sir; as far as I know this is correct. [Eeferring to the map.] 

Q. When you were at the winter hut on the southern side of Thadeow- 
ski Island would it have been shorter for you to have gone south to the 
west of the Liakov Island, and thence west to the Yana Eiver, or to 
have taken the course that you did? — A. It would have been a shorter 
distance from the winter hut at Thadeowski Island down to the Yana 
delta, but there is a reason for that. It was the intention of De Long, 
after consultation, and the opinion of Mr. Ohipp and myself — I was not 
much of a navigator, but still he had a great deal of respect for my 
opinion in all things — and we proposed to go from island to island, to 
prevent a long sea journey. That is the reason why we took this course. 
Then, again, at the mouth of the Yana River, where Utjansk is, although 
there is no delta shown on this chart, there is a great deal worse delta 
than at the Lena delta. I have been on both deltas. 

Q. Did you not swear in your testimony yesterday that you took the 
course you did because it was the shortest sea voyage between the 



538 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

islands and the main-land ?— A. Yes; I meant going from island to 
island. 

Q. Was that statement true ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. During the consultation at the ten-day camp did you not propose 
to go by Liakov Island and the Yana Eiver, and did you not state that 
De Long and Chipp were against you ? — A. Not to go to the Yana, sir. 
That was part of our conversation ; but the conversation was whether 
we should enter the east side or the north side. 

Q. On that point De Long and Chipp were against you 1 — A. Yes, 
sir. My reason for that was that in case of a separation I would have 
thirteen chances to get in one of the eastern branches instead of three 
chances of getting into one of the northern branches. There were 
thirteen rivers for me to go into on the east side. 

Q. Had you any definite information about the Lena except that which 
you have described'? — A. No, sir; only what we had read; and it was 
further to the westward in the Empire of Eussia, where there were a 
great many more inhabitants. We knew that away to the eastward 
there were very few inhabitants, but that, of course, we got only from 
our reading, not from having been there. 

Q. What is your opinion about Arctic literature in general; is your 
opinion of it so firm that it is best to sail to the North Pole on the strength 
of it ? — A. Not always. 

Q. You never kept a journal, did you? — A. No, sir; that is, during 
this cruise. 

Q. If Nindemann was able to cross one of the main branches of the 
river on October 1, was it not possible to cross from Geeomovialocke 
to the main-land 1 — A. It was not, because at that time the bay was 
open. 

Q. What was the condition of the party on the 3d day of October, 1881, 
when you resumed charge ? — A. They were still pretty lame ; not all 
well. 

Q. Were any of them well 1 — A. I cannot remember the date of the 
3d particularly. That would be six days after we landed. 

Q. Were they not all in fit condition to travel ? — A. If we had con- 
veyance, yes ; but to march, no, sir. 

Q. Were any of them fit to march ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And are you as positive about that as you are about anything else 
that you have said ? — A. Well, now, I would like to modify that to this 
extent; that when I said not fit to march, I had in my mind's eye the 
march from Geeomovialocke to Bulun, that we have always been talk- 
ing about — 280 versts crossing the mountain range 1,300 feet high. 

Q. That was the next question I was going to ask you. — A. Because 
in that case I say positively no; no person was in condition to march. 

Q. Were there any in condition to travel any distance ? — A. We might 
have traveled 10 miles, but we had no provisions to go beyond that. 

Q. Is your opinion upon that subject as accurate as it is upon the 
other matters you have testified about ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did not Kusmah cross the bay or river to the main-land when he 
went to Bulun *? — A. Yes, sir ; he did. 

Q. Then could you not have crossed it? — A. We could under like; 
circumstances. 

Q. Did not Kusmah cross the river or bay when he took Danenhower] 
to his house ? — A. He did. 

Q. Was not his house on the main-land? — A. I am not sure that itj 
is ; 1 think it is on the island of Tomoose. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 539 

Q. Well, is not Tomoose on the main-land'? — A. It is doubtful to my 
mind ; I will not say yes or no about that. 

Q. What is your opinion ? — A. I think it is on an island near the 
main-land — a point of land making out between the Lena Eiver and 
the Arctic Ocean. 

Q. Why could you not have gone or sent to Bulun at that time "? — A. 
Because we did not have the dogs to carry the party, and we did not 
have provisions or clothing. 

Q. Were not all the dogs you got when you went to Bulun got from 
Geeomovialocke or Tomoose? — A. No, sir; they came from Arrii, the 
dogs that I went with. 

Q. All of them ? — A. It was a team from Arrii that carried me to 
Bulun. 

Q. How was it you could not get the dog teams before ? — A. In the 
first place, there were no dogs in or around Geeomovialocke that I could 
get or have any control of. I was dependent upon the natives, not only 
lor my supplies of food, but for clothing and wood, except what my 
people could pick up around. I could not leave there without a guide. 

Q. Do you think that your recollection about that fact is as strong as 
about any other? — A. Yes, I do. 

Q. And as accurate? — A. Yes, I do. 

Q. And do you think if you discover that you are mistaken in refer- 
ence to that it would shake your opinion in any other matter? — A. No, 
sir ; I would be very much astonished. 

Q. But it would not shake your opinion ? — A. No, sir; not a bit. 

Q. Is it not a fact that you could have got all the transportation that 
you required, at Geeomovialocke in the early part of October if you 
wished? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What were your reasons for directing Nindemann and Bartlett to 
keep a close mouth when you found Jackson and Gilder, the Herald 
correspondents, had arrived ? — A. To avoid any useless talk, or news- 
paper reports ; that the men might talk too much and say things they 
might not be prepared to swear to. 

Q. Is that your answer ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you swear now that you could not have gone to Bulun on or 
before the 12th day of October or sixteen days after you arrived there ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you are as positive about that as about anything else ? — A. 
Yes, sir ; perfectly positive. 

Q. You stated in your testimony before the naval court that you could 
not have moved sooner owing to the condition of Danenhower's eyes 
and Leech's feet. Is that true ? — A. That is part of the reasons. 

Q. Are those all ? — A. No, sir ; want of clothing, transportation, a 
guide, and food. 

Q. And did you state all those reasons before the naval board? — A. 
I do not remember whether I did or not ; I think I did. 

Q. They were as true then as now ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Is it not a fact that Danenhower's eyes were then in a better con- 
dition than usual?— A. ^They might have been better than they were, 
but they were not in proper condition. He complained of the smoke in 
the hut, and we used to put the fire out or put it back, to let the smoke 
go up, to prevent the irritation of his eyes. 

Q. In point of fact, is it not true that Danenhower for twelve or eight- 
een months was in such a condition with his eyes that he could not see 
much of what was going on ? — A. Yes, sir ; I think so. 



540 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. By tbc way, do any of these Arctic navigators have what are 
called optical illusions or delusions'? — A. I have heard of them. 

Q. Did not they see lands and continents and bodies of water that 
do not exist f — A. Greenhorns going into the Arctic seas are very apt 
to be fooled as to lands. 

Q. Is it not a fact that at that time Leech was in as good condition 
to travel as at any time up to his arrival at Jakutsk ? — A. Yes, sir ; but 
we had a team to haul him when he left. 

Q. As you understand the Articles of War, or the regulations of the 
Navy, are the officers permitted to curse and swear at men working for 
or with them 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. It is expressly prohibited, isn't it! — A. Yes, sir; it is forbidden. 

Q. And where it is indulged in it is in express violation of the 
rules ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you send any written notification by Kusmah to the Eussian 
authorities at Bulun ? — A. No, sir ; in the anticipation of getting there 
in five days myself I did not think it was worth while. 

Q. You had no doubt at that time that you could reach the place in 
five days? — A. I had the assurance of Kusmah, who was going as my 
courier, the only man I had to depend on at that time, and the large 
reward I had offered to him, that he would have succor over to me in 
five days, and that succor was to be furnished by the Cossack comman- 
dant or other authorities. 

Q. Didn't Danenhower remonstrate with you for not doing so? — A. 
No, sir ; he asked me to let him go, and when Bartlett wanted to go it 
was a question between the two men, and I said no, I would not let 
either go. 

Q. Did not Danenhower have to follow Kusmah and give him di- 
rections as to spreading the news of the missing boats ■? — A. 1 sent him 
over for that, but that was an oversight on my part ; I could have gone 
or sent anybody else. 

Q. Did you not give Bartlett an order to bring back Danenhower, 
dead or alive f — A. Never, sir, at any time or place, or under any cir- 
cumstances. 

Q. Did you not object to the delay of De Long at Seminowski Island, 
and tell him that the party was in condition and wanted to go on with- 
out delay? — A. No, sir; I will explain that. 

Q. Do so. — A. When we killed the deer, De Long said we were going 
to have a good meal ; and I said, " Captain, miles would be better than 
meals J^ And that matter has been talked of, I suppose, and been dis- 
torted and twisted into its present shape. There was no protest; 
nothing of the kind on my part ; but I remember the expression ex- 
actly, that I would prefer miles to meals. 

Q. You are at present in the service of the United States ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. You are about departing upon another expedition 1 — A. I hope so. 

Q. Of course you feel interested that this investigation should result 
favorably to you ? — A. Certainly ; every man has his own honor at heart. 

Q. Of course. And it is with that very natural feeling and sentiment 
that you have testified ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And so you addressed us yesterday and to-day. Did you ask De 
Long to take the boat compasses '? — A. No, sir ; I did not. Let me ex- 
jdain that again. The boat coini>asses were set out for the boats. They 
were all prepared and intended to have been put on the boats. I said, 
" Captain, wi^l I take the boat compasses, or are we going to take the 
surveyor's compasses?" He said, *' Never mind the boat compasses, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 541 

the surveyor's compass will answer all our purposes, aud they are less 
than half the weight." They are really one-tenth the weight. That 
conversation occurred in the starboard chart-room. I knew it was part 
of the outfit of the boats, and it was part of my duty to take them, and 
therefore I did take them. 

Q. Is it customary on a man-of-war under Navy discipline to put a 
first-class fireman in charge of the engine room v\ atch *? — A. When there 
is nobody else to keep watch ; yes, sir. 

Q. As engineer, did you stand watch in the fire-room during the whole 
expedition ? — A. As chief engineer of the ship I never keep a watch. 

Q. Then you did not ? — A. Xo, sir ; in any ship of the Navy; we have 
subordinates for that purpose. 

Q. As matter of fact, didn't the cook and steward get water from the 
engine-rooui before the water was tested ? — A. They might have done 
so ; if tbey did it was contrary to orders. 

Q. What time in the day were the tests of the distilled water gener- 
ally made ? — A. About 10 o'clock. 

Q. As matter of fact didn't the men in the engineer department drink 
the water before it was tested, and was there any objection to their 
doing so ! — A. There were orders against it, and if they did it they 
did it against orders. 

Q. But is it not a fact that they did do it *? — A. Probably they did. 
I have seen men drink salt water on the floe. 

Q. But to your knowledge f — A. No, sir ; not to my knowledge ex- 
cept that the fireman might have done it. 

Q. Is it your opinion that that delay at Bennett Island was neces- 
sary 1 — A. In part, yes, sir. 

Q. In whole"? — A. We might have got away before we did, but as we 
were on an exploring voyage and we struck the land it was right and 
proper that we should survey the island as far as we could. It was 
necessary for us to remain there long enough to get a proper location 
of the island, and get the sun. We did not have clear weather and 
for that reason it was necessary to delay there long enough to get proper 
observations to locate the island. That with the rest intended, and the 
fresh food that we expected to get from the birds. 

Q. Was the delay at Seminowski Island necessary in your judg- 
ment"? — A. Well, we might as well have camped there as camped any- 
where else. 

Q. That is your answer. Who were the best men on the retreat ? — 
A. The two best men of the gang were Bartlett and Nindemann, but 
every man on the expedition did a fair share of the work. There were 
some men who were better than others. 

Q. I suppose they were considered better simply because of their 
greater experience *? — A. Well, they were short, thick- set men, and full 
of vigor. They could stand any amount of fatigue, and those two men 
were always at the boats with the sledges and at the bows of the boats 
when mounted on the sledges, and always took the hardest part of the 
work. There were some men who were shirks, that we had to drive 
along to make them go. I will tell you something. I never saw any 
thirty-three men and officers in any ship better than those in the Jean- 
nette. I never saw a better ship's company than there was in the Jean- 
nette. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 
Q. Were you on another expedition ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. Which one '? — A. The Tigress. 



542 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. How did the company of that expedition compare with this? — A. 
Yery much the same as this one. 

Q. Was it a purely naval expedition or a quasi naval expedition ? — 
A. Purely naval. 

Q. Had you any civilians along like on this expedition ? — A. Only 
one, and he did not pan out very well. I won't mention his name. 

Q. Was he an official of the expedition ? — A. No, sir. He was first 
shipped as a seaman, and then put in the position of a petty officer. 

Q. Was the expedition characterized by any quarrels or difficul- 
ties *? — A. No, sir. We had very little quarreling in the Tigress, ex- 
cept between two of the officers. I saw one officer slap another one's 
face J a full slap. 

Q. Did you have the same difficulties to contend with ? — A. No, sir; 
bless you, no. That was only a summer's jaunt. There was no difficulty 
at all. 

Q. So that they were not put to the same test ? — A. Oh, no, sir ; we 
had a terrible time on the Jeannette — cooped up and unable to move 
from the ship's side for two years. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Would you have been able to find the bodies of De Long and his 
companions so soon without the assistance and knowledge of Ninde- 
mann ? — A. I would not so soon. 

Q: Was there a council of officers to arrange for the retreat? 

The Witness. Before we left the ship ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. No, sir ; no council proper. 

Q. Or improper ; informal, I suppose you mean ? — A. Yes, sir ; gen- 
eral conversation. 

Q. Do you know what course was taken by De Long to reach Ben- 
nett Island, after sighting it on the 11th of July ? — A. I do not. 

Q. What time did you reach it? — A. It was the latter part of July, 
and we left the first part of August, remaining there seven or eight: 
days, so that it would probably be the 26th of one and about the 4th 
ot the other. 

Q. Was there any open water to the southward when you were mak- 
ing for Thadeowski Island? — A. We tried to make Thadeowski Island 
to the northward — from the northward coming south, and there was 
open water up to the time we had to haul out owing to the gale of 
wind. Then we were jacksoned there for ten days in the north side of 
the island. We were detained unintentionally. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. You mean you were unable to make a move for the time being ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. CURTis : 

Q. Let me ask you this question : Did you not advocate a retreat to 
the Yana River from the ten-day camp ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you as positi^'e about that as you are about anything else you 
have testified? — A. Yes, sir; I am positive about that. Let me tell 
you, all these courses were very much talked over. Whenever we would 
get set fast there would be always a talk among the officers of Ihe 
possibilities and probabilities. There is hardly a route we did not dis- 
cuss, and it is quite possible we discussed that it might be a good route 
this way. 

Q. But so intelligent a man as you are in a consultation with a com- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 543 

mandiDg officer would be very apt to give his opinion ? — A. Yes, sir ; I 
did. 

Q. Now, I will put it another way. In this consultation, formal 
or informal, where the proper course of retreat was canvassed, did not 
you say, "I advocate a retreat to the Yana River," while you were at 
the ten-day camp ? — A. It is quite possible I did. 

Q. And when you said that you were honest and sincere in your opin- 
ion ? — A. Indeed I was. In discussing routes there is no doubt that I 
discussed that route as well as the other route. 

By Mr. Aknoux : 

Q. Do you remember as a fact that you did? — A. I remember a con- 
versation about it, yes, sir ; but as for advocating it particularly, I can- 
not say for a certainty. 

Q. Are you here in attendance in this investigation under a sub- 
poena "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know at whose procurement the subpoena was issued ? — A. 
Ko, sir ; my subpoena was signed by Mr. McAdoo, and, of course, I 
obeyed the order. 

Q. You were speaking about conversations between Collins and De 
Long, and that Ihey were not within the hearing of any other than your- 
self. Did you mean to say that all the conversations that you have 
spoken of in every part were not in the hearing of others *? — A. 'No, sir ; 
I explained that to Judge Curtis at the time. At the particular conver- 
sations in regard to two or three distinct matters, I said there was no- 
body present but myself. 

Q. Prior to the bear hunt were not all the ship's company required to 
be at the inspection ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Speaking of the matter between Mr. Collins and Captain De Long, 
I wish to ask you this question : When the denial of a charge is made 
by one who throughout the whole interview is curt, contemptuous, and 
disrespectful, in both language and bearing, the manner of his answer- 
ing being more offensive even than the words used to his superior officer, 
is not that insubordinate and mutinous ? — A. It is considered so j yes, 
sir. 

Q. When you said that outside of the naval discipline one might con- 
tradict in the way that Collins was represented to have contradicted 
Captain De Long, did you refer to a person who was subordinate to 
another'? — A. Between two men that might be business men, or men of 
acquaintance, that had no responsibility the one to the other, they might 
give each other the lie, for that matter. 

Q. When you told Captain De Long that he had no right to muzzle 
you, did you address him in a curt, contemptuous, and disrespectful 
manner! — A. Oh, we were having a pleasant conversation over it, when 
he said, "You had better sing psalms." I said, "I did not ship as a 
psalm -singer." I was in earnest when I said it, too; and I said it in a 
proper manner, and he took no offense. 

Q. What were the natives of the Lena delta? — A. Yakuts and 
Tungus. 

Q. You said that you had a certain sentiment of honor here being 
affected by this investigation. Has that at all influenced the testimony 
you have given? 

The Witness. In what manner, sir? 

Mr. Arnoux. In any manner to depart from the truth. 

A. No, sir; positively, no. I have been obliged to state things here 
that I would not ordinarily have stated, I think it is a very small and 



544 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

contemi^tible business to talk about little picayunisli affairs between 
men. 

Q. Did you make a report from Siberia on or about the 6th of Jan- 
uary, 1882! — A. I may have done it. 

Q. Did you write this in that report : 

In conclusion I call the attention of the Department to the upright and manly con- 
duct of Master J. W. Danenhower, who cheerfully rendered valuable services under the 
most trying circunistai)ces, and whose professional services I availed myself of on all 
occasions. We were in perfect accord at all times, although an unfortunate circum- 
stance deprived him of his legitimate command. 

A. That is correct. That is an appendix to one of my reports com- 
mending Mr. Danenhower for his services. 

Q. I wish to read this from the journal of Captain De Long: 

And now occurs the first serious breach of discipline among the crew since our com- 
missioning, over two years ago, and on the part of a man whose conduct has been so 
uniformly beyond reproach as to make it the more surprising. It appears that Mel- 
ville had placed a pair of soles on the stern of one of the boats, and the shifting of tho 
boat in dragging had shifted them onto the sleeping-bag of Edward Star, seaman. 
Upon halting to camp, Star went to the boat, picked up the soles and flung them some 
distance on the ice in a temper. Melville informed him they belonged to him, ordered 
Star to pick them up, at the same time saying, "Don't do this again." To the order 
Star paid no attention, but growled something about wet soles on his sleeping-bag, 
and he didn't care whose they were. Hearing Melville repeating his order and Star 
making argumentative and sulky replies, I went to the scene, and to my surprise, 
found Star showing no intention to pick up the soles, but continuing to make surly 
and disrespectful replies. I at once ordered him to stop talking and to obey Melville's 
orders. He paid no attention to either order but continued his rummaging in the 
boat and his growl continued. ''A nice place to put wet boot soles," &c.; and it was 
only upon my repeating three or four times the order to pick up those soles that he 
did so. But to my order to keep silent, he paid no obedience until he apparently had 
no more to say. I ordered him to stand apart from everybody, and in a few moments 
asked him if lie had anything to say in explanation of his conduct, disobedience of Mel- 
ville's orders and disobedience of the orders of his commanding officer. He had nothing 
to say beyond mildly offering a statement that he didn't know that Melville was speak- 
ing to him, which, to say the very least, is preposterous. I at once put him off duty, in- 
forming him at the same time that I should take the first opportunity to try him by 
court-martial. Probably everybody in camp saw and heard the whole affair. 

Q. Is that a correct statement of the transaction? — A. Yes, sir; that 
is correct. I did not go into all those details when I made the state- 
ment, but that is perfectly correct, as I remember. 

Samuel C. Lemly sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Where do you reside? — Answer. I am an officer in the 
Navy ; I am from the State of North Carolina. 

Q. What is your rank and position ? — A. I am a lieutenant of the 
junior grade in the Navy. 

Q. And did you have anything to do with the Court of Inquiry that 
was convened in 1883 in respect to the loss of the Jeannette; and if so, 
what? — A. I did ; I was the judge-advocate of the court. 

Q. Were you so ai)pointed under an order which reads as follows : 

Navy Department, 
Washington, September 2d, 1882. 
Sir: a Court of Inquiry, of which you are appointed judge-advocate, is ordered to 
convene at the Navy Dei)artment, Washington, D.C, on Thursday, tho r)th day of j 
October, 1882; at which time and ]dace you will appear and report yourself to Com- 
modore Wm. G. Temple, United States Navy, the presiding officer of the court. 
Very respectfully, 

WM. E. CHANDLER, 

Secretary of the Navy. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 545 

A. That is a correct copy of the warrant on which 1 acted as judge- 
advocate. 

Q. Did you, in the course of your duty as judge-advocate before that 
court have anything to do with the examination of the different wit- 
nesses ? — A. I did. And I conducted the examination of all the wit- 
nesses during the time that I was judge-advocate of the court. In order 
to explain the matter fully, I wish to say that I was detailed to other 
duty after the report of the court was sent in, and there were still four 
witnesses up in Siberia to be examined. I was detailed from duty as 
iudge-advocate and sent to China on other duty. Then Lieutenant 
Wain Wright was appointed as judge-advocate, but that was after the 
principal work of the inquiry had been completed. 

Q. In connection with your duty as judge-advocate, did you have any 
interviews with Dr. Collins ? — A. I did. I had several interviews with 
Dr. Collins, and I had some correspondence also with the doctor. 

Q. When and where did you first see Dr. Collins 1 — A. I first saw him 
here in Washington, I think, in the Judge-Advocate-GeneraPs office at 
the Navy Departnient. 

Q. State as briefly and comprehensively as you can what conversa- 
tions you had with him. — A. The way in which I came to have this con- 
versation with Dr. Collins was this : Very soon after the court was 
organized I received this letter from the Secretary of the Navy : 

^^WY Department, 
Waskington, October 18, 1882. 
Sir : I inclose, for your information, a letter from Hon. W. D. Washburn, with one 
from Dr. D. F. Collins, in relation to the investigation by the Court of Inquiry of 
which you are judge-advocate. 

You will communicate with Dr. Collins and inform him that he will be afforded 
every facility for presenting to the court such information as he may possess in rela- 
tion to the matter under investigation. 
Very respectfully, 

WM. E. CHANDLER, 

Secretary of the Navy. 
Master Samuel C. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge-Advocate Court of Inquiry, Navy Department, Washington, D. C. 

With that were the two letters referred to me : 

Minneapolis, Minn., October 9,1882. 
Sir : I beg to inclose you herewith letter of Dr. D. F. Collins, in which he seeks for 
information with reference to the polar expedition investigation. He seems to in- 
fer that notifications have been given to certain parties, while others have received 
nothing of the kind. He claims to have valuable information on this subject, and I 
trust that he and all others who can add anything to this investigation will have an 
opportunity to be heard. I cannot suppose that anything else is thought of. Please 
let me hear from you. 

Believe me, yours very respectfully, 

W, D. WASHBUEN. 
Hon. Wm. E. Chandler. 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

With that the letter of Dr. Collins : 

Minneapolis, Minn., October 6, 1882. 

Dear Sir : As you have probably seen from the papers, the court of investigation 
into the conduct of the Jeannette polar expedition has organized in Washington. Up 
to this date I have received no notification from the authorities in reference to the same. 
On inquiry I find that my brother, B. A.'Collins, in New York, who is charged with 
the care of my late brother's affairs, is ignorant of all proceedings also. 

If the investigation is to bo open, and for the purpose of getting at all the facts in 
relation to the expedition, then I cannot conceive why notifications to be present 
should be extended to relatives of some of the lost party and others be not informed. 

35 J a* 



546 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

We have A^aliiable information, wliicli if we are allowed to use it before the court, 
will tend to throw light on points that tvill he otherwise passed over, and in justice to 
all jiarties a full, impartial investigation, covering all questions in relation to the un- 
fortunate expedition, should he made. 

The object of this note is to inquire what steps are necessary for us to take in the 
matter, and to say that we desire to be represented by counsel, and to i)lace in the 
hands of the court questions, which if answered fully and freely will develop all we 
seek to arrive at. 

Thanking you for your kindness in the matter, 
I am, dear sir, yours, very trulv, 

D. F. 

Hon. Wm. D. Washburn, M. C, City. 

In accordance with the letter of instructions from Secretary Chandler 
I wrote this official communication to Dr. Collins. I notice that in his 
evidence he states that he received no official notification. I wrote 
this letter and inclosed it in an official envelope bearing the penalty 
stamp : 

OCTOBER 18, 1882. 

The honorable Secretary of the Navy has forwarded to me a letter from the Hon. W. 
D. Washburn, with one from you, in relation to the investigation of the loss, &c., of 
the Arctic exploring steamer Jeannette. 

You are informed that the Court of Inquiry of which I am judge-advocate is now in 
session here, and that every facility will be afforded you for presenting to the court 
such information as you may i)ossess in relation to the matter under investigation. 

No notices have been served upon any one to appear before the court for examina- 
tion, except the survivors of the expedition and those acquainted with the condition 
of the vessel upon leaving San Francisco. 

I shall be pleased to give you all the information on the subject that you may de- 
sire. 

SAM. C. LEMLY, 
Master U. S Navy and Judge-Advocate of Jeannette Court of Inquiry. 

Dr. D. F. Collins, M. D., 

Minneapolis, Minn. 

V 

In reply I received this letter : 

Minneapolis, Minn., Oc/o&er 31, 1882. 
Dear Sir: Absence from the city has prevented my answering your favor of a 
week ago. I have forwarded ^our letter to Mr. B. A. Collins in New York. My 
brother is preparing a series of questions to submit to you, which if answered fully 
will throw much light on the '^Jeannette expedition," and the fate of those who per- 
ished. 

I trust that the investigation will not close until the testimony of every survivor has 
been taken, as, to my knowledge, at least, one of the men still in Siberia has much 
valuable testimony to give. 

I am, dear sir, yours, very truly, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 
Master Lemly, U. S. N., 

Judge-Advocate, ^^c. 

I then wrote several letters to Dr. Collins and to Mr. B. A. Collins, 
in New York, urging them to come on, as I wished to confer with them 
in relation to this matter before going into it, and I received various 
letters in reply saying that they could not come for one reason and an- 
other ; but finally Dr. Collins did come on here to Washington, and we 
had this interview in the Navy Department, in the office of the Judge- 
Advocate General. I was called in and introduced to him by Colonel 
Kemey, and I told him that before going into this matter of the petty 
quarrels aboard the Jeannette, and particularly into those among the 
officers and with regard to the reports made against his brother by 
Captain De Long, things which we are not required to do under the 
precept, I wanted to confer with him and to tell him that there were 
certain reports made against his brother by Captain De Long. 






JEINNETTE INQUIRY. 547 

Q. I waut to ask you whether this is the precept to which you refer : 

To Commodore William G. Temple, United States Navy, 

Navy Department, Washington, D. C. : 

In conformity with a joint resolution of Congress, approved August 8, 1882, a Court 
of Inquiry, of whicli Commodore William G. Temple is hereby appointed president, 
Capt. Joseph N. Miller and Commander Frederick V. McNair, members, and Master 
Samuel C. Lemly, judge-advocate, is ordered to convene at the Navy Department, 
Washington, D. C., on Thursday, the 5th day of October, A. D. 188'2. 

The court will diligently and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the loss 
in the Arctic seas of the exploring steamer Jeannette, and of the death of Lieut. Com- 
mander George W. De Long and others of her officers and men. 

The court will also carefully inquire into the condition of the vessel on her depart- 
ure, her management up to the time of her destruction, the provisions made and 
plans adopted for the several boats' crews upon their leaving the wreck, the efforts 
made by the various officers to insure the safety of the parties under their immediate 
charge and for the relief of the other parties, and into the general conduct and merits 
of each and all the officers and men of the ex]3edition. 

At the conclusion of the investigation, the court will report their proceedings, the 
testimony taken, and the facts Avhich they deem established by the evidence adduced. 

Given under my hand at the Navy Department, Washington, D. C, this 29th day 
of September, A. D. 1882. 

WM. E. CHANDLEE, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

A. That is the precept to which I refer and under that precept which 
requires us simply to inquire into the general conduct and merits and 
in addition to that into the loss of the ship and the conduct of the ex- 
pedition, I did not deem it necessary to go into these little matters and 
unless he insisted upon it they would not be gone into. I showed Dr. 
Collins then, in the presence of Colonel Eemey, these two reports that 
are published here, made by Captain De Long against Mr. Collins, which 
are as follows : 

Arctic Steamer Jeannette, 
Beset and drifting in the pack. 

December 2nd, 1880. 
memorandum. 

The followingis the statement of an occurrence this day, in which Mr. Collins treated 
me with such disrespect as to cause me to relieve him from all duty in the ship, and to 
inform him that upon the return of the vessel to the United States I would report him to 
the Secretary of the Navy. My order in relation to daily exercise requires everybody 
(except sick and the man on watch) to leave the ship at eleven a. m., and remain 
out of her on the ice until 1 p. m. ; of course it has been understood that Mr. Collins 
should come on board at noon to make and record on the slate the meteorological ob- 
servations for that hour, but I have observed on several occasions of late that he seemed 
to remain on board much longer than such duty required. 

I had considerable trouble last winter in getting Mr. Collins to comply with the or- 
der in regard to daily exercise, his delay in getting out of bed, his requiring time for 
his breakfast, when up and dressed, &c., making it 11.30 a. m. before he made his ap- 
pearance on the ice. I pointed out to him then his failure to obey my order, remon- 
strated with him on his repeating the offense, insisted on my order being obeyed, and 
finally secured a literal compliance with it, although, as he informed me, he had his 
own opinion of the wisdom or necessity for such an order, or words to that effect. 

To-day, at 12.10 p. m., I went into the cabin to see why he remained so long, and at 
the same time to close my air-joort, and found he had removed his coat, had lighted 
and was smoking his pipe, and while writing in the port chart-room was carrying on 
a conversation with Mr. Danenhower. I said nothing, and returned to the ice. At 
12.20 p. m., as he had not yet come out, I went again to the cabin, and found him at 
the stove adjusting his gloves and continuing the conversation before referred to. The 
following is the substance of an ensuing talk : 

I asked Mr. Collins, ''Has it required all this time to make and record the 12 o'clock 
observations ? " 

He replied, "Well, sir, I hardly know the meaning of your question." 

I said " The meaning of my question is this : Is it necessary for you, in order to make 
and record the 12 o'clock observations, to remove your coat, light your pipe, engage 
in conversation with Mr. Danenhower, and remain in the cabin until 12.20 p. m. ?" 



548 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

He answered, curtly, '' Well, perhaps I might have done it quicker, but I did not 
know my minutes were counted for rae." 

I said, in substance, '* I have seen fit to issue an order that everybody should go on 
the ice from 11 to 1, and your coming in the cabin and remaining until 12.20 is a viola- 
tion of my order that I will neither submit to nor permit you to continue. I have 
noticed for several days that you were longer than necessary in taking the noon obser- 
vations, and to-day I satisfied myself on the subject " 

He replied, " Oh, very well ; if you are satisfied, of course I have nothing to say. I 
was not aware (or " I did not know ") it was necessary to follow me up." 

I asked, " What do you mean by that ? " 

He said, " I mean that in taking me task as you do, you are doing me a great in- 
justice." 

I said, " As this matter has gone so far, it must go further. Be good enough to re- 
move your coat and sit down." When seated I continued, " Mr. Collins, a representa- 
tion to me of injustice has only to be made in proper language to secure you all the 
justice you want. But I do not like your manner or bearing in talking with me. You 
seem to assume that you are to receive no correction, direction, or dictation from me ; 
that your view of an occurrence is always to be taken ; and that if I difier from you 
it is my misfortune, but of no importance to the result." 

He commenced, " I came here supposing " 

I interrupted, " Never mind that part of it. You are here, in fact, and we will deal 
with the fact." 

He resumed, '* I do not like the tone or manner in which you speak to me, and the 
way in which I am taken to task." 

I replied, '' I have a perfect right to say what I say to you." 

He said, " I acknowledge only the rights given you by Naval Regulations." 

I inquired, '* Do you mean to imply that I am doing contrary to Naval Regulations? " 

He said, " I mean to say that you have no right to talk to me as you do." 

I replied, "You should not have disobeyed my orders " (1). 

He said, "I willnot admit such an assertion. I have always carried out your in- 
structions" (2). 

1 inquired, " Do you undertake to contradict me, Mr. Collins, and to say that I am 
asserting what is not so ? " 

He replied, (.3) '' I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed (or '^violated") 
your order " (4). '^^ 

I said, '*But, Mr. Collins, I say you have disobeyed (or ''violated") my order" (5). 

He promptly and emphatically replied, " I say I have not " (6). 

I said, ''Great allowance has been made for your ignorance of Naval Regulations, 
your position in the ship, and your being so situated for the first time. But you must 
rememberthat the commanding officer is to be spoken to in a respectful manner and 
with respectful language, and you do not seem to attend to either particular." 

He replied "I treat the commanding officer of this ship will all the respect due to 
him as the head of the expedition, but when he charges me with violating an order (7) 
I say I have not" (8). 

I said, " Do you suppose you will be permitted to talk to me in that way ? Are you 
beside yourself?" 

He replied, " Not at all. I am perfectly calm and collected, and know what I say." 

I said, "And you contradict me flatly in that way ? Have you lost your senses ? " 

He replied, "No, I have not lost my senses ; I know what I say." 

I went on, " When I say that by remaining in the cabin as you did to-day you vio- 
lated my orders, you continue to contradict me." 

He answered, " When you say (U) I have violated an order, I say I have not." 

I then rose, saying, "That is quite enough. Circumstanced as we are, the matter 
cannot be conveniently dealt with here ; but upon the return of the vessel to the 
United States, or her reaching some point of communication, I shall report yon to the 
Secretary of the Navy. Meanwhile you will perform no duty in the ship beyond com- 
pleting the work called for in my written order of September first." 

Throughout the whole interview Mr. Collins was curt, contemptuous, and disrespect- 
ful in both language and bearing, the manner of his answering being more offensive 
even than the words used. Instead of making suitable replies to my questions, and 
proper explanations of the violation of my order, he arraigned me for the manner in 
which the questions were put, and contradicted me flatly when I said he had violated 
my order (10). 

Mr. Danenhower, who left; the cabin at my first question, was in his room, necessa- 
rily in a position to hear the conversation and I notified him that I should refer to 
him as a witness. He volunteered his willingness to have a Avritten statement of the 
occurrenc(5 made for his signature, while it was fresh in his memory, and I therefore 
reqiiested Lieutenant Chipp to write such a statement from dictation, as Mr. Danen- 
hower's eyes of course prevented him from doing so himself. 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieut. U. S. Navy, Commanding. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 549 

December Ath, 1880. 

Upon reflection, and recalling as far as possible what was said, I have to make the 
following additions to the foregoing memorandum in the places designated hy the 
Nos. 1, 2, 3, &c. As to the exactness of the places I am not certain, and there may be 
some little doubt as to the sequence of the words. But as to the language being em- 
ployed (or similar terms so closely allied as not to aifect the meaning by the smallest 
trifle), I am absolutely certain. 

(1.) "I consider that by coming into the cabin as you did to-day, removing your 
coat, lighting your pipe, and carrying on a conversation with. Mr. Danenhower, you 
took advantage of the 12 o'clock observations to disregard my order in relation to the 
exercise." 

(2.) ''And when you say I took advantage of the 12 o'clock observations to disre- 
g^ard your order, I say it is not so." 

(3.) " Wait a moment; I will not have you put words in my mouth." 

(4.) "And when you say I take (or "took") advantage of the 12 o'clock observations 
to disregard your order, I say it is not so." 

(5.) "And that your remaining in the cabin as you did to-day is taking advantage 
of the 12 o'clock observation to disregard my order." 

(6.) This should read, "And I say it is not." 

(7.) Or "taking advantage of the 12 o'clock observations to disregard it." 

(8.) This should read, " I say it is not so." 

(9.) This should read, "And I say I have not" (10), or rather when I said his re- 
maining in the cabin in the manner he did this morning was taking advantage of the 
12 o'clock observations to disregard my order. 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 

Lieutenant Commanding. 



A true copy. 



SAM. C. LEMLY, 
Master JJ. S. Navy and Judge-Advocate. 



U. S. Arctic Steamer Jeannette. 
Lat. N. 75° 15', long. E. 171° 36'. 

Arctic Ocean, MarcTi 20, 1881. 
Hon. Secretary op the Navy, 

Washington, D. C: 

Sir : I have to report to you Mr. Jerome J. Collins, shipped as seaman U. S. Navy, 
in accordance with the suggestion of your predecessor, attached to this vessel, and for 
the purpose of an Arctic expedition, known and by me entitled meteorologist, for dis- 
respectful language and deportment and insubordinate conduct while in the Arctic 
Ocean in this vessel under my command. Upon the disappearance of the sun on the 
16th day of November, 1879, I judge d it wise and proper, as conducive to health, to re- 
quire every officer and man not on the sick list, and excepting the seamen in charge of 
the deck, to leave the ship for the purpose of exercise on the ice, by walking or other- 
wise, from 11 a. m. to 1 p. m. daily, so long as the temperature was above 30° Fahren- 
heit, unless stormy weather or other sufficient circumstance caused me to suspend the 
enforced exercise for a day. This was enforced until the reappearance of the sun on the 
25th day of January, 1880, and again during our second winter in the ice, while the 
sun was absent, from November 6, 1880, to the 5th day of February, 1881. 

From the earliest date Mr. Collins showed a disposition to disregard this order, and 
attempted to render it inoperative in his case in various ways, such as failing to get 
out of bed in time to leave the ship at 11 a. m., necessitating the sending of some one 
to his room to call him wben his absence was remarked, next delaying his appearance, 
though called in advance by a servant, upon the ground that he was ready to leave 
the ship but must get something in the shape of breakfast, and finally remaining in 
the cabin an unnecessary time in making and recording the noon meteorological ob- 
servations. 

At first he was merely reminded by nie of his failure to obey my order, and re- 
quested to be more careful in future; then his continued failure was more seriously 
commented on, and he was made to understand that obedience would be enforced ; 
and finally, after long endurance, he was reprimanded for thus repeatedly evading 
and disregarding my order, upon which he became both impertinent and disrespect- 
ful, saying that he took more exercise than any other person in the ship; that he 
had his own opinion about the wisdom or necessity of my order, and that I spoke 
to him as I would not dare to speak to an officer of the ship. In fine, instead of 
explaining or offering excuses for his conduct, expressing his contempt for my reg- 
ulations and attempting to arraign mo for enforcing them. Upon the resumption of 
the enforced exercise In the second winter, Mr Collins again showed an evasion of 
and failure to comply with the order in relation thereto, by consuming so much 
time in the cabin to make and record the noon meteorological observations as to 



550 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

considcrcably sliorten liis exposure to the open air aud daylight during the two hours 
set apart for that purpose. On the 3rd of December, 1880, he so far disobeyed my 
order as to remain in the cabin until 12.20 p. m., and meanwhile to light and smoke a 
pipe, do some writing, and carry on a conversation with au officer on the sick lists 
then present, until I interrupted him and called for an explanation. Mr. Collins at- 
tempted to parry my questions, but failing in this assumed a disrepectful aud insubor- 
dinate manner, and used disrespectful and insubordinate language, saying that he did 
not know his minutes were counted for him ; that he was not aware it was necessarj^ to 
follow him up ; that I was doing him great injustice ; that I had no right to talk to him 
as I did ; that he would not admit my assertions ; that he would not have me put words 
in his mouth ; and, finally, when I repeatedly told him he had disobeyed my order he 
positively and as repeatedly contradicted me, saying "I have not ; and when you charge 
me with disobeying an order, I say it is not so." I called his attention to the fact that 
I must be treated with respect, both as to language and deportment, and that he failed 
in both particulars ; but he replied that " he treated me with all the respect due me, 
and acknowledged only such rights as were conferred on me by Naval Regulations ; 
but that I had no right to charge him with evading or disobeying an order; and when 
I did so charge him, he would continue to say "it is not so." I asked him if he was 
beside himself, and had lost his senses, to thus continue to contradict me, but he as- 
sured me that he was perfectly calm, and knew what he was about. Upon this I in- 
formed him that he would be reported to you upon our return to the United States, 
or upon reaching some port of communication, and that pending such action he could 
perform no more duty in the ship. 

I would state ihat many allowances have been made for this gentleman's seeming 
ignorance of the requirements of naval discipline, and great consideration and forbear- 
ance have been shown him by me in view of his position on board ship. He has been in- 
formed of his errors and remonstrated with on their repetition, but all to no purpose. 
He has manifested an unwillingness to be directed or controlled, and has resented such 
action so disrespectfully and impertinently as to make ignorance doubly inexcusable. 
He has been treated with consideration due to the commissioned officers, and has been 
subjected to such regulations as govern them. But he complained at having to obtain 
my permission to leave the ship as a restriction upon the liberty of his movements 
which he was not accustomed to and could not bear; and that in carrying out what 
he came here to perform such a restriction was very objectionable. When, in order 
to provide for a continuance of good health and to secure a perfect sanitary condition 
in our exceptionably trying circumstances, I ordered the surgeon to make each month 
such physical examination of officers and men, myself included, as would enable him 
to report to me in writing their condition, Mr. Collins protested against being exam- 
ined, claiming that he would decide for himself when lie wanted medical treatment 
and that meanwhile he did not propose to submit his person to experiments, or to 
contribute to medical statistics; though upon his error being pointed out he asked 
and was permitted to withdraw his letter of protest, asserting afterward that I had 
announced that these examinations were for experimental purposes. 

This gentleman seemed to assume that regulations were made and orders issued to 
give him personal annoyance and discomfort aud that his obedience was exacted be- 
cause he was borne upon the muster-roll as a seaman, and his remarks in connection 
therewith were usually extremely offensive. (It may be unnecessarj'^, but I would 
here state that this gentleman was never spoken of or referred to in any way as a sea- 
man ; that he lived and messed with me in the cabin, as did the officers of the Navy ; 
that he had a room assigned him in the ward room, a.nd that in every manner he re- 
ceived from the crew the res^ject paid to an officer.) He complained that he was not 
considered head of a department, and, until corrected, added the title of ''scientific 
observer" to the name "meteorologist," by which he was known and designated — as- 
suming generally such an independence of authority aud control as could not be toler- 
ated in any vessel belonging to the Navy of the United States. 

Situated as we were, drifting about in the ice, and liable at any moment to a disaster 
involving abandonment of the ship, suitable punishment for this gentleman's offenses 
was neither prudent nor advisable. Any adequate punishment, whether inflicted by 
my order or in pursuance of the sentence of a summary court-martial, would have 
necessitated a confinement of greater or less duration, which would have been seri- 
ously detrimental to health. I had already sufficient anxiety and difficulty in con- 
templating the possible diaggiug of one officer on a sled several hundred miles, the 
doubt of several others being strong enough to stand the exposure and the imminence 
of danger and disaster cxt(?ndiug then over fifteen months, and I was not inclined to 
further add to the invalid list and further diminish my already crippled resources. So 
long as no overt act of violent insubordinatiou presented itself my only remedy seemed 
to report the facts upon my return to the United States, and to ask that they receive 
such attention as to you appears right aud proper. 
Very respectfully, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant U. S. Navy, Commanding. 






JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 551 

These were shown to Dr. Collins, and he was asked if he desired to 
go into this matter ; in other words, if he desired to force this matter 
upon the court. My idea being that we were not required to go into it 
under the precept unless they insisted upon it, aud he left without giving 
a definite answer and left me with the very decided impression that he 
did not intend to go into it. He went on to New York as he told me 
to confer with his brother, Mr. B. A. Collins, and I think it was the next 
day I received this telegram : 

AsBURY Park, N. J., Nov. 20th. 
Master S. C. Lemly, U. S. N., 

Navy Dept, JVasJin., D. C. : 
Proceed fully with questions. Will be at Riggs House this evening. 

D. F. COLLINS. 

In reply I wrote a note which I addressed to the Eiggs House, which 
is as follows : 

Navy Department, Washington, Nov. 20, '82. 
Dr. D. F. Collins, M. D., 

Biggs House, Washington, D. C. : 
Your telegram has been received. If I should fail to see you at the Riggs House 
this evening, which is possible, I will be at your service to-morrow at an early hour, 
say 9 a. m. 

Resp'y y'rs, 

SAM. C. LEMLY, 
Lieut. U. S. N. and Judge-Advocate Jeannette Court of Inquiry. 

I went the next morning to the Eiggs House and met Dr. Collins 
there. In the mean time his brother, Mr. B. A. Collins, had furnished 
me with a list of questions which he desired to put to the witnesses. I 
had those questions with me when I went down to confer with Dr. Col- 
lins in relation to this matter, and he had then determined to go into it 
fully, and I told him then that I would put every question which he had 
asked me to put and I would object to such questions as I considered 
improper ; that is to say, I would allow every witness to tell before the 
court what he knew himself, but I would allow no witness to testify to 
hearsay. I never told Dr. Collins that I would object to every question 
that reflected upon the dead, and I objected to no question for the sim- 
ple reason that it might reflect upon the dead, and the record of that 
court will show that a great many questions were put, which, if they 
had been answered as they were expected to be answered, would have 
reflected very severely upon the dead. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What authority do you follow as to the admission of evidence, 
Greenleaf on Evidence 'I — A. Greenleaf on Evidence we use as a book of 
reference. However, there are naval and military authorities— De Hart, 
Ives, Eegan, Army books on court-martial. But the general rules of 
evidence we follow as in the courts of law, and Greenleaf is almost in- 
variably used as a book of reference. 

Q. Proceed. — A. I told him then that I would object to those ques- 
tions calling for hearsay evidence. As I said, this record will show that 
no question was objected to which would reflect upon the dead. I then 
told Dr. Collius that I would very much prefer to have him employ coun- 
sel; that he was entitled to counsel before the court, and if he desired 
to go into this matter I thought he ought to have counsel; that I could 
not very well fight for both sides, and that I did not desire to go into 
it because I did not think the court was required to do it. 



552 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Was this court an open court ? — A. Always. It was what is called 
an open court ; it sat with open doors. 
Q. Did it sit under this order as an open court : 

Navy Department, 

Washington, October 5, 1882. 
Sir : In reply to your inquiry of this date, you are informed that the investigation 
by the court of inquiry of which you are president will be held in open court. 
Very respectfully, 

WM. E. CHANDLER, 

Secretary of the Navy. 
Commodore William G. Temple, U. S, N., 

President Court of Inquiry, Navy Department. 

A. It was an open court in pursuance of that order. But whenever 
there was a discussion between the members of the court, anything in- 
volving the opinion of a member, as is customary in courts of inquiry and 
courts-martial, the court was cleared ; that is to say, every one, including 
the man who has been called the official stenographer of the court — every 
one except the members of the court and the judge-advocate — were sent 
out of the room during this discussion. 

Q. And when the court reconvened it announced its decision on the 
question pending? — A. It announced its decision on the question which 
was pending when the court was cleared. That is the custom in courts- 
martial and courts of inquiry. At this interview at the Kiggs House, 
I urged Dr. Collins to employ counsel, and he told me that he did 
not desire to do so, and that he was fully satisfied to leave the 
matter in my hands and was satisfied that I would put these ques- 
tions and object to such as I considered improper, and allow the 
court to decide the matter. Bight here J wish to say that while Dr. 
Collins was here, I invited him to go into the room where the court was 
being held, and he said he did not desire to do so. I told him it was 
an open court and he could go in as a visitor, or could appear before 
the court in behalf of his brother, and he said that he did not 
desire to do so. I did tell him that he would not be worth anything as 
a witness before that court, because he knew nothing of the circum- 
stances, and that I did not feel authorized to subpoena him as a witness 
and pay his expenses here. On the day after Dr. Collins left, one of the 
papers having published an article in which Dr. Collins was reported 
to have said that he w^as very much disgusted at being denied counsel 
before the court, I sent Dr. Collins this paper, calling his attention to 
the statement, and I again asked him to employ counsel and told him 
I thought he should do so. I told him that I did not see how he could 
have misunderstood me, but that if he did suppose that I said he was] 
not entitled to counsel he had misunderstood me. In reply, I received | 
a letter of which I think I have a copy. My letter to him when I for- j 
warded this paper, I have not a copy of. This is his letter : 

Board of Health, Secretary's Office, 
113 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis, Minn., Nov. 28th, 1882. 
Master C. M. Lemly, U. S. N, 

Judge- Advocate, ^c. : 
Dear Sir: Your letter 24th I received to-day. We are perfectly well satisfied 
to let our case rest in your hands, feeling assured that any questions that would be 
admitted will be asked by you. The paragraph in the Critic I knew nothing about, 
and it is only one of the thousand absurd statements that have been made during this] 
inquiry. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 553 

I would feel tnncli obliged if I conld procure exact copies of all memoranda found 
on my brother's body. I have written to my brother in New York and have asked 
him if there were any other questions he desired sent to you. As yet I have received 
no answer. 

I am, dr. sir, yours very respectfully, 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 

[Now every question which Dr. Collins gave me and requested me to 
put was put; that is, I mean to say, was offered unless it was a question 
which was made unnecessary by the answer to a previous question. In 
this way, asking, " Do you know anything about the circumstances of 
these difficulties between De Long and Collins?" ^' I know nothing 
about them." Then the questions depending upon these details were 
not put, having been answered by that question. But every other ques- 
tion which was given me by Dr. Collins was put by me and objected to 
by me if I thought proper, and then the court decided as to whether it 
should be put or not. In some instances I was sustained in my objec- 
tion and in others I was overruled. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. You would put the question before objecting ? — A. I put the ques- 
tion and cautioned the witness not to answer until I stated my objection. 
Then I stated my objection and the court was cleared and the court de- 
cided as to whether or not it should be put. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Will you give to this court the questions to which you made ob- 
jection, and in respect to which the court sustained your objection? — 
A. The first witness examined upon these questions that were proposed 
by Dr. Collins was Mr. Melville. Mr. Danenhower had been examined 
when I received these questions, and he had gone away, but he was 
afterwards recalled for the purpose of putting these questions to him 
which had been ])roposed by Dr. Collins. The first question I objected 
to was to Mr. Melville, as follows : 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did De Long ever speak to you about a difti- 
culty with him ? 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question, on the ground that it calls for hear- 
say evidence, and referred the court to Greenleaf, part 1, paragraphs 99, 101, 104, 1'24. 

The court was then cleared for the discussion of the objection of the judge-advocate, 
and afterwards reopened, and the president of the court then announced that the ob- 
jection of the judge-advocate is sustained, and the question would not be put.) 

* * * * a % * 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did you ever give an order to any one of your 
party to bring Lieutenant Danenhower back to camp, dead or alive, when he went 
away? 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question, on the ground that it touched upon 
matter not brought out in the direct examination, and reminded the court that the 
cross-examination should be confined to such matters as were adduced in the examina- 
tion-in-chief. 

The court was then cleared for the discussion of the objection of the judge-advocate, 
and afterward reopened, and the president of the court announced thafc the objection 
of the judge-advocate was not sustained, and that the question would be put, which 
was accordingly done.) 

That is a case in which the court overruled the objection and the ques- 
tion was put. 

Q. I ask only for those to which you objected, and the ground of your 
objection, and which the court excluded. — A. Those are the only ques- 
tions objected to that were put to Mr. Melville. On page 252 : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Did Mr. Collins tell you anything about the 
treatment he received ? 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question as calling for hearsay, and the court 



554 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

was cleared for deliberation npou the objection and afterwards reopened, the witness 
being present, and the president of the conrt announced as the decision of the court 
that the objection of the judge-advocate was sustained and the question shall not be 

put.) 

* * * * # « « 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Did you receive an order to return or was any- 
one sent to bring you back ? 

The Witness. Mr. Melville told me to return before Kusmah got back in order not 
to delay the party should Kusmah arrive on time. I know of no one being sent to 
bring nie back on that occasion. I was told 

(The judge-advocate objected, and the witness was instructed by the court to con- 
fine his testimony to that which is within his own knowledge.) 

* * * « * jf * 

Then, on page 254: 

Question by the Judge -Advocate. What were the opinions of Ninderaann and 
Noros, when they were met, as to the probability of saving De Long; had an effort 
been made during the time the party (Melville's) were at Geeomialocke ? 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question as calling for hearsay, and opinions 
of witnesses who have already testified before the court. 

The objection of the judge-advocate was sustained by the court. ) 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did you hear either of them say it was criminal 
negligence on his, Melville's part not to look out for his comrades? 

(The judge-advoeate objected to this .question, upon the grounds heretofore stated 
for the preceding question, and the objection was sustained by the court.) 

Those are the only questions that were ruled out of the questions 
that were proposed to be put to Mr. Danenhower. Nindemann's exami- 
nation is the next. None of the questions that were proposed to Nin- 
demann, as I see here, were objected to. 

By Mr. CuRTiS: 
Q. Are you not mistaken about that ? — A. No ; I don't think I am 
mistaken about that. I do not see by the record — and I am going by 
the record, not from memory — that any question was objected to. The 
next witness would be Noros. In the examination of Noros, the witness 
having said that he knew nothiug of the difficulty or trouble between 
Lieutenant-Commander De Long and Mr. Collins, the next question 
was : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. What did Mr. Collins say to you regarding the 
affair ? 

(The judge-advocate objected to the question as calling for hearsay. 

The court was then cleared for deliberation on the objection of the judge-advocate, 
and afterwards reoponed, the witness being present, and the president of the court 
then announced, as the decision of the court, that the objection of the judge-advo- 
cate was sustained, and that the question will not be put.) 

The next question was : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate, You had some trouble yourself with Lieutenant- 
Commander De Long, did you not? 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question as irrelevant to the cross-examina- 
tion in behalf of Mr. Collins, and stated that the witness had been given full license 
to lay charges against the late Lieutenant-Commander De Long, if he desired to do so, 
or felt aggrieved. 

The objection of the judge-advocate was sustained, and the question was not put.) 

Another question was : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. When you showed him your note-book, what 
did he tell you regarding his notes, and what he was going to do when land was 
reached f 

(The judge-advocate objected to this question on the ground that it calls for hear- 
say. ) 

The court was then cleared for deliberation on the objection of the judge-advo- 
cate, and afterward reopened, the witness being ])resent, and the president of the 
coiiit then annouruted, as the dcc^ision of the conrt, that the objection of the judge- 
advocate was sustained, and that the question would not be put. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 555 

By Mr. AnNOUX : 

Q. Who was referred to in that question? — A. Mr. Collins. 

Q. Now, the next one is on i)age 237? — A. There a question was ob- 
jected to by the court as being irrelevant cross-examination on behalf 
of the late Mr. Collins. The question was : 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Had you any trouble with Chief Engineer Mel- 
ville after reaching the Lena delta ? 

(A member objected to this question on the ground that it is irrelevant to a cross- 
examination in behalf of the late Mr. Collins. ) 

The court was then closed for deliberation upon the objection of a member, and af- 
terward reopened, the witness being present, and the president of the court then an- 
nounced, as the decision of the court, that the objection of the member is sustaifted, 
and that the question will not be put. 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did Mr. Melville threaten you in any way ? 

(A member of the court objected to this question on the same ground as stated in re- 
lation to the preceding question. The objection of the member was sustained by the 
court, and the question was not put. ) 

I think the ground that the court took there was, that while these 
questions on behalf of Mr. Collins would be admitted, it was not com- 
petent for Dr. Collins to conduct the investigation and bring out the 
quarrels between other people ; that that was their business, and not 
that of any outside party. 

Q. Did you then make the objection? — A. ISot in these things. On 
the preceding page, 236, I made that objection. 

Q. By whom was this objection made? — A. A member of the court 
objected to these questions. I, of course, do not know what particular 
member. 

Q. Now, what was the next one? — ^A. I do not see any others ob- 
jected to. Then there were a number of these questions besides those 
proposed by Dr. Collins, to be put in behalf of his brother. The wit- 
ness was likewise examined by the court, and a number of question put 
in reference to this matter. The order of examination was thus : I ex- 
amined the witness first, then I examined in behalf of Jerome Collins, 
then the court put such further questions as they saw fit. 

Q. Did the court, in addition to the questions which you have already 
spoken of, ask questious that would tend to bring out the facts between 
Mr. Collins and Captain De Long or Mr. Collins and the officers of the 
expedition ? — A. The court asked a number of those questions. 

Q. Look on page 239 and give to this committee one or two instances. 
—A. (Eeading :) *• 

Question by the Court. State how Mr. Collins was treated by the commanding 
and other officers of the Jeannette officially and socially. 

Do you want the question simply, sir ? 

Q. That question was answered. — A. That question was answered. 

Q. What was the next question ? — A. (Eeading:) 

Question by the Court. Was Mr. Collins treated with the usual official respect and 
social courtesy by his messmates ? 

Q. Was that answered? — A. That was answered. 
Q. What was the next question? — A. (Eeading:) 

Question by the Court. State, if you know, how Mr. Collins treated the command- 
ing and other officers of the Jeannette. 

» * * * * * # 

Question by the Court. Did the crew of the Jeannette treat Mr. Collins with the 
respect due an officer ? If not, state in what manner he was treated differently. 

* * * * * * * 

Question by the Court. How did Mr. Collins treat the crew of the Jeannette in 
comparison with others in authority? 

# *• * * * « « 



556 .JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Question by the Court. Have you any personal knowledge of any difficulty at any 
time between Mr. Collins and any officer of the Jeannette ? If so, state all you know 
about the matter. 

Q. And were all these questions answered ? — A. All these questions 
were answered. 

Q. See if there are any other questions put that were objected to ? — 
A. Those questions which I just stated as being objected to, put to 
Noros, were put to Newcomb, the naturalist, instead of Noros. I saw 
Noros' name *' Louis P. Noros," at the top of the page. I see about the 
middle of the page : 

Raymond L. Newcomb, naturalist and taxidermist of the Jeannette expedition, 
was then called as a witness, and having been sworn, according to law, by the presi- 
dent of the court, testified as follows : 

So the questions which I just stated as being put to Mr. Noros were 
put to Mr. Newcomb. 

Q. In other respects what you stated was correct : That these ques- 
tions were put and the rulings were made that you have given ? — A. 
Yes, sir, as I gave them ; and to each witness similar questions were put, 
and the only questions that were objected to were those calling for hear- 
say and those which are like the one that I have given, calling for mat- 
ters which we did not consider concerned Mr. Collins. 

Q. You were not in court and did notconduct the examination of Mr. 
Bartlett "? — A. I did not; that was after I left. 

Q. Which ones were they that you did not examine ? — A. The four 
last witnesses were examined after I left ; they were Leach, Manson, 
Lauterbach, and Bartlett. 

Q. Now go on with the conversations, if you had any further, with 
Dr. Collins ? — A. I remember having no further conversation with re- 
gard to Dr. Collins than I have already stated ; but I wish to say this : 
That I never said to Dr. Collins that the Secretary of the Navy desired 
that these things should not come out ; I was never authorized to speak 
for the Secretary of the Navy. And another statement which has been 
made here I wish to contradict. Dr. Collins said in his statement before 
this committee that T said he must remember that this was a naval court 
and that everything would be looked at from a naval standpoint. I did 
say that, but he did not give the connection in which I said it. I showed 
him these reports that were made against his brother, and I said, '' these 
may apjjear to be very insignificant matters to you, but you must re- 
member that, looked at from a naval standpoint, they are offenses against 
discipline, and very serious offenses, and you must remember that this is 
a naval court, and things will be looked at by this court from a naval 
standpoint." It was in that connection. 

Q. And was that the only connection in which you used that lan- 
guage? — A. Tliat was the only connection in which I used that lan- 
guage. 

Q. Did he ever tell you that he thought your course was unfair, or 
that it would be unfair to make any objection to the questions which 
he offered ? — A. Never. On the contrary he expressed himself in that 
letter which I read to you as perfectly satisfied to leave the matter in 
my hands. 

Q. What ground did he give for not adopting your recommendation 
that he should employ counsel'? — A. I do not know that he gave me 
any reason for not doing so. 

Q. Did he say he was satisfied to leave it in your hands ? — A. He 
did ; he said it repeatedly. 

Q. Was it in tliat conne(?tion that you spoke to him or suggested to 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 557 

him the employing of counsel ?— A. Yes, I think I did. He said so 
subsequently in the letter which I have read from him, in which he al- 
ludes to the report in the paper stating that he said he was denied 
counsel. He says in that letter that he is perfectly satisfied to leave 
the matter in my hands. There is one thing more that I would like to 
state, and that is with reference to the stenographer of the court. It 
has been said here before this committee, and I think appears in the 
resolution autliorizing this investigation, tliat the official stenographer 
of the court stated over his signature that important evidence was sup- 
pressed. I wish to say here that the whole of the evidence that was 
before that court might have been suppressed without that stenogra- 
pher knowing anything at all about it. He was never present at any 
of the discussions of the court. He was always sent out, and knew 
nothing about them whatever. He had no opportunity of finding out 
anything about them, and I will say further that I never trusted that 
man in the least with any of the confidential work. That was all done 
by my clerk. 

Q. Was there any desire on your part to screen any person or to pre- 
vent the truth in regard to the subject-matter of the inquiry being 
brought out before that court ? — A. I^Jone whatever. On the contrary, 
I wanted everything that had any bearing on the inquiry to come out, 
and I only desired to keep out such matters as I considered had no bear- 
ing upon the inquiry. We have to act under a certain precept. That 
precept prescribed our orders, and a court of inquiry, for instance, au- 
thorized to investigate the grounding of a ship, would not go into the 
matter of shortage in the paymaster's accounts. I had charge of put- 
ting all the evidence before the court, and I desired to give them only 
such evidence as bore on the loss of the ship and the general conduct 
and merits of the expedition, and to keep out what I considered the 
petty, insignificant quarrels. 

Q. So far as any evidence bearing upon these questions was concerned, 
you considered it your duty to bring out all the evidence without regard 
to the effect it might have upon the living or the dead ? — A. Yes j and 
I did everything that I thought was proper. 

By Mr. OURTIS : 

Q. Are you aware that Dr. Collins has sworn upon the stand here 
that you suggested that he procure counsel?— A. I have not read his 
evidence carefully. I believe that he did. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to turn to page 320 of the record of the 
Court of Inquiry and tell me on what principle laid down in Greenleaf's 
Evidence, or any other book of evidence — Phillips or Starkie, or anybody 
else — that memorandum was admitted in evidence? — A. I do not know 
of any rule under which it was admitted ; it was admitted by the court ; 
1 wish to say here that my functions as judge-advocate of that court 
were in no wise judicial ; the court decided those matters and rejected 
or admitted evidence as they chose. 

Q. Do you know of any legal principle of evidence that permitted 
the introduction of that memorandum? — A. I do notj I recall none. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 
Q. Did you object to it, lieutenant? — A. I did not. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. And it became a x)art of the record, did it not ? — A. It did. 
Q. Without any objection on your part ? — A. It did. 
Q. Now, you say you objected to questions that were based upon mere 



558 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

hearsay ; is it not true that all the questions that were ruled out for 
that leason were based upon the evidence of parties to the expedition ? — 
A. It was all based upon the evidence of parties to the expedition ; 
yes, sir. 

Q. And no question that was ruled out for the reason that it involved 
the principle of hearsay was put to any person but a survivor of the 
expedition ? — A. Only to survivors. 

Q. Exactly ; those who were present ; now in regard to the steno- 
grapher ; his name is Grant, I believe ^ — A. E. W. Grant. 

Q. He took the evidence as it fell from the lips of witnesses ? — A. He 
did. 

Q And he took down the objections that were made and the ques- 
tions that were put, did he not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he was present at all times except when the court was 
cleared for the purpose of consultation 1 — A. He was present, except 
when the court was cleared for consultation. 

Q. And when the court reconvened after the consultation the an- 
nouncement was made of its decision upon the pending point? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And he as stenographer took it down ? — A. Usually he did ; some- 
times I wrote that down while the court was deliberating. I would 
generally write out the decision of the court while the court was still 
cleared, in order that I might ascertain that that was the decision 
which the court desired to render. Then the doors were opened. 

Q. But it immediately went upon the record through his instrumen- 
tality ? — A. No, sir. Usually, in a matter of much importance to them, 
I put it down myself. 

Q. Do I understand that you put down the decision of the Court of j 
Inquiry upon a pending point before it was announced ? — A. I did. 

Q. How did you know what the decision was"? — A. Because they, 
gave me the decision and I wrote it down. I would say, ^'Now, gentle- 
men, is this your decision ! " and when the court assented that it was 
the doors were reopened and the court would announce that as the de- 
cision of the court. 

Q. If the questions that were objected to by you on the ground that 
the questions called for hearsay evidence had been admitted, it neces- 
sarily would have led to a great number of questions in the same direc- 
tion, would it not? — A. It might or might not. I do not know whatj 
the witnesses would have testified ; I had no way of knowing. 

Q. Assuming that they would have testified as they have testified , 
here, that would have been the result, would it not? — A. Possibly. 

Q. So, then, so far as the number of questions that were put and ex- 
cluded is concerned, in that view of the c^se it is unimportant, is it" 
not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Any one question, if allowed and the answer given, might be the 
opening wedge for the others? — A. It is a matter of principle and not] 
a matter of the number of questions. 

Q. Exactly. Now, lieutenant, in his first interview with you, did not I 
Dr. Collins state to you that the only object he had in getting at the 
truth of these matters was to vindicate the memory of his brother? — A. 
I think he did. I think he stated that. 

Q. And at one interview that you had with him at the Biggs House, i 
was there any other person present? — A. There was. There was aj 
Critic reporter present. 

Q. Do you know his name ? — A. I do not. He was present, as I sup- 
posed, with a purpose, and I so stated at the time, and I was exceed- j 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 559 

inglj careful, and that same Critic reporter I spoke to on the subsequent 
day. 

Q. Now you are giving hearsay. — A. No, I am not giving hearsay. 
I am stating what I said to him, not what he said to me. 

Q. You are a geutleman of legal training? — A. No, sir; I scarcely 
consider myself a gentleman of legal training. 

Q. What you said to the reporter of the Critic would be unimpor- 
tant. — A. Well, I want to give it in this connection, that the commit- 
tee may have it. 

Mr. Curtis. I think that is not evidence. 

Mr. Aenoux. I think it shows the intent of the Judge Advocate, and 
as this is an inquiry into the method in which the investigation was had 
by the Court of Inquiry, he ought to be allowed to state it. 

The Chairman. I do not see the relevancy of what he stated to some- 
body else. It did not come to the knowledge of Dr. Collins. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. As a matter of fact, was there a large number of questions that 
were submitted to you that do not appear in that record 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Were there any questions that were submitted to you that do not 
appear in that record ?— A. There were such questions as I have stated, 
questions which were answered by the previous question ; for instance, 
to ask a man " Do you know anything about this '^. " " No, I know noth- 
ing about it." Then I would not put the question calling for the details, 
he saying he knew nothing about the matter. 

Q. And as matter of fact Dr. Collins was not represented by counsel 
before the Court of Inquiry ? — A. He was not. 

Q. And as matter of fact to many of these questions which you put, 
you, yourself, interposed an objection as being incompetent ? — A. I did 
to a number of them. 

Q. I understand you to deny that you told Dr. Collins that it was the 
wish of the Secretary of the Navy that the Collins-De Long matter 
should not be gone into ! — A. I do ; I deny it most emphatically. Even 
if I thought so or knew it, I would not be so imprudent as to speak for 
the Secretary of the Il^avy, because I was not authorized to do so. 

Q. Did you state to Dr. Collins, as the reason for not desiring to put 
these questions, that you did not want to bring out anything against 
dead men? — ^A. I did not. I did not state to Dr. Collins that that was 
a reason for objecting to those questions. I did state to him repeatedly 
that I thought it was very injudicious to go into this matter, it might 
injure the. dead, and could help no one, and it was a matter, I told him 
distinctly, that I wanted to have nothing to do with. But I never told 
him that I would make that a ground of objection, because it would or 
might reflect upon the dead. 

Q. Was Lieutenant Danenhower, before the Board of Inquiry, allowed 
to state his view in reference to Melville's order to bring him back dead 
or alive? — A. Mr. Danenhower was asked as follows: 

Question by tlie Judge- Advocate. Did you receive an order to return, or was any 
one sent to briug you back? 

The Witness. Mr. Melville told me to return before Kusmali got back in order not 
to delay the party should Kusmah arrive on time. I know of no one being sent to 
bring me back on that occasion. I was told 

He was interrupted, and cautioned by the court to tell what he knew 
and not what he heard. 

Q. He was not permitted to tell what he heard from any member of 
the expedition on that subject ? — A. He was not permitted to give any 
hearsay. 



560 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. From any member of the expedition '? — A. From any one. 

Q. Where did you have the last interview with Dr. Collins ? — A. At 
the Riggs House, I think, was the last interview. 

Q. Do you remember the conversation ? — A. In the main, I do — as I 
have stated it. 

Q. And you have stated it to the best of your recollection ?— A. I 
have. 

Q. Now, that letter Dr. Collins wrote you was after the Investigation 
had begun, was it not ! 

The Witness. Which letter ? 

Mr. Curtis. The letter in which he says he has full confidence in 
you? 

The Witness. Yes ; it was after the investigation had begun. 

Q. And before it had ended ? — A. And before it had ended and after 
he had been here in Washington conferring with me, on his return to 
Minneapolis. 

Q. And did not Collins, not only by that letter, but in his interview 
with you, express full confidence that you would put these questions ? — 
A. He did, and I did put them. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, was not the gentleman who was present at 
the conversation at the Eiggs House, at which you say there was an- 
other party present, named Thomas Carroll! — A. I think not. I do 
not know anybody by that name. 

Q. Are you so positive that you think you can swear to that ?— A. I can 
swear that Thomas Carrow, or no -one known to me as Thomas Carrow, 
was present. I do not know who might have been around. 

Q. Are you aware that it was not a reporter of the Critic who was 
present, but Thomas Carroll? — A. The only person whom I know was 
present was a reporter of the Critic whom I have seen in here to-day, 
or who was then a reporter of the Critic, whom I do not know, but I 
know his name is not Thomas Carrow, and I know no one by the name 
of Thomas Carrow. 

Q. Thomas Carroll is not a reporter of the Critic. He was present. 
You are mistaken about that. — A. I do not know that I am mistaken 
about that. I am positive that a reporter of the Critic was present. 

Q. It is Carroll, not Carrow. — A. I know no one by the name of 
Thomas Carroll being present. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Had you seen Dr. Collins before you received the letter from him 
addressed to Mr. Washburn, and inclosed in Mr. Washburn's letter? — 
A. I had not. 

Q. Now, at the time that you read in evidence, or that the court ad- 
mitted in evidence the statement of Captain De Long in regard to the 
interview with Jerome Collins and the report which he made to the 
Navy Department, had not the statement of Mr. Jerome Collins been 
previously put in evidence? — A. The statement of Mr. Collins, which 
is published just before that, had been previously put in evidence, and 
there is a distinction there which I would like to explain. Those reports, 
as between the two, and according to the principles we use in conduct- 
ing courts of inquiry and courts-martial — these exhibits " S. T." and '-U. 
v.", reports of De Long against Collins — are ofiicial reports to the 
Secretary of the Navy, and may be admitted. This memorandum which 
was admitted before these two reports made by De Long against Col- 
lins had neither date nor signature. It was supposed to be in the hand- 
writing of Mr. Collins. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 561 

Q. I show 3^ou the record of this committee, and catt your attention 
to the fact that it appears to bo signed. Is not that an error and an 
inadvertence; the original had no signature"? — A. The original had no 
signature whatever. 

Q. In addition to that, this has no beginning, and the original is 
marked " Dear sir." — A. "Dear sir"; yes, sir. 

Q. So that those two are errors in this present investigation on pages 
14 and 15 ? — A. That signature is an error, and in the body of the record 
of the Court of Inquiry, where that is introduced, I allude to it as being a 
paper without either date or signature. 

Q. You said, in answer to a question of Judge Curtis, that if the 
questions which had been excluded had been answered they would have 
been Ibllowed by others. Now, is it true that you asked all the ques- 
tions which Dr. Collins had written, except those that you mention were 
made unnecessary by the previous answer given? — A. It is true that I 
asked every other question that was submitted to me by Dr. Collins. 

Q. Now, unless you or some member of the court had followed up the 
subject, there would have been no further questions put than those which 
were excluded I — A. No further questions, unless Dr. Collins had sub- 
mitted other questions. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Then you would not have deemed it your duty, if the question had 
been admitted in spite of your protest, to have followed up the line of 
inquiry opened by the answer, would you *?— A. Not where it involved 
hearsay; certainly not. 

Q. So that he would have been in the same position as before in that 
respect. Now let me ask you: Was any evidence taken before that 
Board of Inquiry in reference to the alleged charges of Captain De Long 
against Mr. Collins 1 — A. Oh, yes ; Danenhower testified in regard to it. 

Q. Danenhower was allowed to testify A. (Interrupting.) Danen- 
hower was allowed to testify. 

Q. Danenhower was allowed to testify before that Board of Inquiry 
in reference to the charges contained in the memorandum at page 320? 
—A. He was. 
. Q. Did you object to that ? — A. I did not, because he was present. 

Q. Who was present ? — A. Danenhower was present, within hearing 
when this difficulty occurred between De Long and Collins, and was 
a witness of it, and therefore he was allowed to testify ; and other 
witnesses were asked in regard to it, but they said they knew nothing 
about it. 

Q. But no evidence whatever was taken in answer to those charges 
upon the ground that the questions involved hearsay evidence ? — A. 
Every witness who was there was given an opportunity to testify with 
regard to that difficulty between De Long and Collins, or any other dif- 
ficulty of which he knew of his own knowledge, at which he was pres- 
ent. Every witness that was before the court was asked questions in 
regard to it. 

Q. And were you aware at this time that Lieutenant Danenhower 
had a written record of the expedition, made by himself? 

The Witness. That he had it at that time f 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. I was aware that he did not have it. I was under the impression 
that he did not have it. 

Q. Were you aware that he had made a record of the trouble between 
Collins and De Long ? — A. I was aware that he had made a record, 
36 J Q* 



562 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Was thair used before tbe court ? — A. It was not. I aui under 
the impression that Danenhower did not have it at that time. That is 
my impression. He would be able to tell. 

Q. Jt was not in his possession at that time! — A. It was not. 

Q. Was it not among the ship's papers?— A. It was not. 

Q. Where was it ? — A. I do not know. It was not among the ship's 
papers. 

Q. Are you aware that he has testified that it is even now in his 
possession ? — A. I do not know about that. It may have been in his 
possession at that time, but I knew nothing of it if it was. It was 
certainly not among the ship's papers that were saved. 

Q. Are you positive that it was not? — A. I overhauled them all, saw 
everything, and made a list of everything that was there, and I do 
not believe that that could have escaped my eye. 

Q. Have you ascertained since that he had made a written record of 
that difficulty between Collins and De Long ? — A. I knew then that he 
had made this written record, this memorandum, and I supposed had 
submitted it to De Long, but I never knew that Danenhower had a 
written memorandum. 

Q. Was Danenhower called on tor that record during the hearing be- 
fore the Board of Inquiry ? — A. No ; he was never called on for it before 
the Board of Inquiry, but he testified in regard to it. I should like to 
find the point at which he testified in regard to making that memoran- 
dum. 

Q. Let me try to refresh your recollection about that. You say you 
examined the ship's papers ? — A. I did. 

Q. Did you not know that among those ship's papers was a record 
of this difficulty between Collins and De Long, written by Danen- 
hower ? — A. I did not. I never saw such a record written by Danen- 
hower, nor do I believe that there was such. 

Q. Did you ever see a record written by Chipp and signed by Da- 
nenhower ? — A. No ; I never saw a record written by Cbipp and signed 
by Danenhower, or by any person, to make it short, than De Long — 
these reports which were said to be official. 

Q. As matter of fact no evidence was introduced to negative these 
charges contained in the memorandum at page 320? — A. No evidence 
was introduced, simply because the witnesses had no evidence to ofter. 
They were asked these questions. 

Q. It was not for the reasons you testified to ? — A. For the reason I 
am testifying to now. The witnesses were asked in regard to this mat- 
ter, and said they knew nothing about it, and therefore no evidence was 
introduced in regard to it. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Did you ask Lieutenant Danenhower if he had that memorandum 
or what his recollection was about that matter ! — A. I do not recollect 
whether I did ask him directly, but the impression left upon mj^ mind 
was that Chipp had made it for him ; that he had signed it, and that it 
had been submitted to De Long. I did not find it among the papers, 
and never knew thai Danenliower had it, if he has it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. It did not strike yon as singular that that was missing? — A. No, 
because not all the paj)ers were saved. A great many things were not 
saved. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 563 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. The object of your inquiry was mostly as to the fitting out of the 
expedition, and as to whether it was in good condition, speaking of it 
generally; whether proper care had been taken as to the ship by her 
officers, and as to the provisions and prei)arations for such a voyage, 
and the like ? — A. No, sir ; I cannot say that most of it was in regard 
to that. I divided it up into six heads : First, the condition of the vessel 
on her departure ; second, as to her management at the time of her 
loss ; third, as to the circumstances of the loss in the Arctic seas of the 
exploring steamer Jeannette; fourth, as to the provisions made and 
plans adopted for the saving of the boats' crews upon being wrecked ; 
fifth, as to the efforts made b}^ the various officers in charge of parties 
under their immediate charge, and for the relief of the other parties ; 
and, sixth, the general conduct and merits of each and all of the mem- 
bers of the expedition. Under those six heads the inquiry was con- 
ducted. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. 0., Wednesday, April 30, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present, and counsel on either side. 

John W, Danenhowee resumed the stand. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Question. On your direct examination by the counsel for Dr. Col- 
lins, a statement was read to you as follows : 

It seems certain that the whale-boat really reached the Lena proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day longer Bulun would have been reached a month or isix 
weeks earlier, and in all probability Noros and Nindemann met and the captain's 
party saved. 

You said that you never made that statement, and made reference to 
your own book which corrected the account which you had given to Mr. 
Jackson. Did you find that that was in your book ?— Answer. I did not 
find it in my book. I looked through it. Although I must say that I 
have stated broadly that I did not recollect what I told Mr. Jackson in 
Siberia in all its details, I am confident I never told him that, although 
I speculated on the subject both ways. 

Q. You said in answer to another question with regard to the part 
that the native had changed his mind and would not go with you and 
you started on your own hook : 

You read the part that that native changed his mind and would not go with us, 
and we started on our own hook. Eead the point why we started on our own hook. 
Q. It is not here. — A. It is in the narrative. 

A. Why we did not start on our own hook? That was at Cape Bor- 
kiah where we first met the natives. They seemed reluctant to go with 
us that morning, in fact refused. I did not hear Mr. Melville's conver- 
sation with them. I was out getting some bearings and getting the time 
of day by the bearing of the sun. When I came back Mr. Melville said, 
" Hurry up, we are going to start." I said, " Where are the natives," and 
he said, '' They won't go with us." Then 1 went up and tried to get the 
young fellow to go, but he positively refused, and seemed very much be- 
wildered. I suppose that Melville thought he could get to the village 
that night. We supposed that Bulun was not very distant at that time, 
and we hoped to get to Bulun that night or the next day. 

Q. Did you receive, on or about the 1st of November, 1881, a docu- 



564 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

meut from Niiidemanu and Noros, which you dispatched by a special 
courier to Mr. Melville! — A. Yes, sir-; and 1 subsequeutly delivered it 
to the Secretary of the Navy. 

Mr. Arnoux. I wish to read this to the conimittee. [Reading:] 

BuLUN, October 29, 1881. 
To the American Minister, St. Petersburg: 

Please iuform the Secretary of the U. S. Navy of the loss of the Jeannette. 

Arctic steamer Jeannette crushed in the ice June 11th, 1881, in lat. 77° 20' N.,long. 
157° 55' E. or thereabouts; saved three boats, also from three to four months' provisions ; 
with sleds traveled SW. to reach the new Siberian Islands; travelled two weeks or 
thereabouts, then sighted an island. The captain determined to reach it, and landed 
in about two weeks on the southern end and planted the American flag, and called 
it Bennet Island ; Lieut. Chipp was sent on the west side to determine the size, with 
a boat's crew ; Ice Pilot Dunbar, with the two natives, on the east side. Returned 
in three days ; remained one week on the island, took to the boats and started south, 
made the new Siberian Islands and encamped on a couple of them; set our course 
from the most southern island to strike the north coast of Siberia, to enter one of the 
small rivers to the Lena ; on our passage a gale of wind set in, a sea running ; lost 
sight of the boats, one in charge of Lieutenant Chipp, the other Engr. Melville ; know 
not what has become of them; our boat almost swamped; carried away the mast^ 
lost the sail ; lay hove to under a drag one night and a day, shipping seas all the 
time ; pumps and bailers going night and day. All hands' feet frost-bitten ; when 
the gale was over the captain had lost the use of his feet and hands; made the coast ; 
struck one of the small rivers, not finding water enough to enter; the ice making; 
beating around for two days, the captain determined to make the land; the boat 
struck two miles otf shore; the captain made everybody that was able to stand 
on his feet to get overboard to lighten the boat and tow her in. We towed her 
one mile ; could not get her any farther ; took out the ship's papers and provisions ; 
the captain then had got the use of his hands and feet a little on evening of the; 25th 
of September. Names of boat's crew : Captain DeLong, Surgeon Ambler, Mr. Collins, 
W. F. C. Nindemann, Louis F. Noros, H. H. Erichsen, H.H. Eaack, G. TV. Boyd, A. Gortz, 
A. Dressier, JV. Lee, N, Lverson, Alexy, Ah Sam, and one dog. Remained a few days on 
the sea-coast on account of some of the men's feet being badly frost-bitten, leaving 
behind the ship's log and other articles, not being able to carry them ; started to 
travel south with five days' provisions; Erichsen walking on crutches; a few days 
after made a sled to drag him ; came to a hut on the 5th of October ; on the morning 
of the 6th the doctor cut oif all his toes ; the captain asked me if I had strength to 
go to one of the settlements with one of the men to get assistance, as he was going 
to stay by Erichsen ; while talking about it Erichsen died; we buried him in the 
river. The captain said we will all go together; name of place, Oiv Tit Ary ; lat. 71° 
55' north, long, not known; Oct. 7 eat our last dog meat; started to travel south with 
about one quart of alcohol and two tin cases of ship's papers, two rifles and little 
ammunition ; travelled until the 9th. Nothing to eat ; drank three ounces of alcohol 
a day per man ; the cai)tain and the rest of them got weak and gave out travelling; 
he then sent me and L. F. Noros, with three ounces of alcohol and one rifle and 
rounds of ammunition, on ahead to a place called Kiimak Surka, distance about 
12 miles, to find natives; if not finding any to travel south until we did; took us 
five days to walk to Knmak Snrka ; found two fish; took one day's rest; started 
south again; nothing to eat; travelled until the 19th; getting weaker everyday; 
gave up in desi^air; sat down, rested, then walked one mile; found two huts and a 
storehouse where there was about fifteen pounds blue mnolded fish; stopped three days 
to regain strength, both being too weak to travel ; on the afternoon of the 23d or there- 
abouts, a native came to the hut; we tried to make him understand that there was eleven 
more men north; could not make him understand; he took us to his camp, where 
there was six more, also a lot of sleighs and reindeer, they traveling at the time south ; 
next nu)rning broke camp, came to a settlement on the 25th called Ajaket; then tried 
again to make the people understand there was more people north ; did not succeed. 
Ayaket, lat. 70° 55' north, long, not know^n, as the chart is a copy ; sent for the governor 
to Fuliin; came 27th; he knew^ the ship's name and knew about Nordonskjold, but 
could not talk English ; we tried to make him understand that the captain was in a 
starving condition, or probably dead, and that w^e wanted natives, reindeer, and food 
get them, as I thought that we could make it in five or six days to save them from sta: 
vation, but the governor made signs that he had to telegraph to St. Petersburg; 
then sent us on to BuIkv; we stand in need of food and clothing ; at present o 
health is in a bad condition. Hoping to be well soon, we remain vourhumble servan 

WILLIAM F. C. NINDEMANN, 
LOUIS P. NORoS, 
Seamen of the U. S. Navp, Steamer Jeannette. 



1 a 

aifll 

I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. ^ 565 

This clocnmcnt was brought to me by the Bulun commaDclant on November 1st, 1881. 
I immediately despatched it by special courier, James H. Bartlett, 1 c. f., to Mr. Mel- 
ville, who was oil his way to Bulun b^^ the dog road and had missed seeing the com- 
mandant, who had travelled by the deer road. The courier travelled by the deer road 
and reached Bulun a few hours after Mr. Melville. 

JNO. W. DANENHOWER, 

Lieutenant, U. S. N. 
Received Nov. 1, 1881, from Comdt. of Bulun. 

The Witness. I should like to state here that my object in sending 
Bartlett to Bulun was not only to deliver that message and document, 
but to inform Mr. Melville that the Cossack commandant had arrived, 
and that we were safe, and I should bring the party to Bulun as soon 
as possible; and that the Cossack indicated to me that he wished to 
send some writing to Bulun, and the man was delayed until evening, 
and until the deer rested, in order to be sent. I never ordered Bart- 
lett to start to Bulun on foot. As soon as I read this document, before 
I said another word of greeting to the commandant, 1 said, " Bartlett, 
get ready to go to Bulun immediately f and the commandant said that 
the deer were used up, and it would be impossible for him to go; and I 
shook my fist at the commandant, and said that he had to go, and that 
if he did not have deer ready for me immediately I would report him to 
General Tchernieff. That was the first time I saw the man. I told the 
commandant if he did not send me the deer 1 would send Bartlett on 
foot. My object was to make the commandant furnish deer, and 1 suc- 
ceeded. Bartlett arrived at Bulun thirty-six hours after Melville, and 
Melville had started two or three days before. I had no intention of 
sending Bartlett on foot to Bulun. I only wanted to overawe the com- 
mandant and force him to have deer, and I succeeded. 

Q. And Melville went with the dog team'? — A. Melville went with the 
dog team, and Bartlett, after the deer had six or eight hours- rest, started 
with deer teams, and. went to Bulun by a shorter route, and he had 
guides and every provision and comfort that we could give him. 

Q. Were there any deer at Geeomovialocke except those that had been 
brought there afterwards'? — A. No, sir. You see, a deer cannot travel 
on smooth ice; their hoofs split. If they go on the smooth ice they 
struggle and slide all about. On the road to Meuse Bykoff you get on a 
small bay, and the deer cannot travel over that, so they have to make 
that journey with dog teams. The commandant arrived at the place 
with dog teams, but he traveled from Bulun to Meuse Bykofi' with deer 
teams. That was the way he passed Melville on the road. 

Q. He going on the deer trail and Melville on the dog trail? — A. 
That is it. 

Q. And they not running in the same places ? — A. ]N"o, sir. 

Q. Do you know of the document which I show you, signed by Mr. 
Melville ? — A. I knew that Melville on arriving at Bulun sent telegrams, 
and that he gave me the gist of them in a note, and when I met him he 
said that he did not telegraph that anybody was lost, as he wanted to 
allay the public feeling until we had the facts about it. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then I read this paper [reading] : 

Ikkutsk. (Received at Wash'n, D. C, Dec. 21, 1881-) 
To the honorable Secretarij of the Navy at Washington, I). C, U. S. of America : 

The steamer Jeannette was crushed in the ice June 11th, 1881, latitude 77 degrees 15 
north, longitude 157 east. With sledges and boats made good to fifty miles northwest 
of the mouth of the Lena River where the three boats were separated in a gale. The 
'whale-boat, in charge of Engineer Melville, entered the east mouth of the Lena River 
on September 17tb ; stopped by ice in the river. Found a native village, and, as soon 
as the river closed, put myself iu communication with commandant at Boloenga. On 



566 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

October 29 heard that the 1st cutter, containing Lieutenant De Long, Dr. Ambler, and 
12 others, landed at the north mouth of the Lena. The commandant at Boloenga 
sent instant relief to whale-boat party, who are all well. Nindemanu and Noros ar- 
rived at Boloenga on October '^9 for relief for the first cutter, all of whom are in a sad 
condition and in danger of starvation, all badly frozen. Commandant at Boloeuga 
has sent native scouts to look for them ; will urge vigorous at d constant search until 
found. The second cutter not yet heard from. List of people in boats : First cutter — 
Lieutenant De Long, Dr. Ambler, Collins, Nindemanu, Noros, Erichsen, Kaack, Dress- 
ier, Gortz, Lee, Iverson, Boyd, Alexy, Ah Sara. Second cutter — Lieutenant Chipp, 
Dunbar, Sweetmau, Warren, Johnson, Star, Sharvell, Kuchne. Whale-boat — En- 
gineer Melville, Lieutenant Dauenhower, Cole, Bartlett, Newcomb, Leach, Lauter- 
bach, Wilson, Manson, Aneguin, Toug Sing. 

GEORGE MELVILLE, 

Engineer. 

Q. Now, in that Mr. Melville states tbat Miidemami and Noros ar- 
rived at Boloenga on October 29 for relief for "the first cutter, all of 
whom are in a sad condition and in danger of starvation ; all badly 
frozen." Did Nindemann and Noros make that statement when they 
came here "? — A. I understood at the time they did, and certainly they 
were in a similar condition on their arrival. 

Q. When your boat had started up the river, and had commenced to 
turn back, Bartlett spoke up and suggested that you should not turn 
back, but should go up the river. Do you know whether that was Bart- 
lett's own idea, or whether it had been suggested to him by somebody 
else ?— A. At the time I understood that it was his idea, but at present 
I know that it was suggested to him by seaman Manson. I wish to 
state what Bartlett said at the time. The first thing he said was, " Mr. 
Melville, I have been in the Mississippi, and there is not as much water 
in the Mississippi as there is in this river, and I believe we are in the 
main branch of the Lena." Well, I saw the situation at once, and turned 
aud said, "Melville, now is the time to decide on this point," because I 
felt sure it would come up later, and we had a little chat over it, and 
concluded to get a landing in that river, and get thoroughly dried out 
and rested before again attempting to get to Barkin or anywhere else. 
As I remember it — and I have a very clear recollection — that was all 
the remark that Bartlett made— that it was a larger river than the Mis- 
sissippi and a greater volume of water. 

Q. While you were on the delta did you see many ptarmigan ? — A. 
No, sir ; I think altogether there were not 25 ptarmigan seen by our 
party, and the most of those were seen at that little village of Arrii, 
where Vassili lived, the second village that we arrived at. They were 
flying about the village to pick up what food they could, and Newcomb 
shot. two or three there. 

Q. Will you state what you remember about fixing the washboard, 
as it is called ! — A. About September 1st, Mr. Chipp in crossing the 
water holes, dropped to the rear as we entered the loose pack. The ice 
was loose. We entered boldly into that while Chii)p was astern and 
he soon lost sight of our boats among the hummocks. We were sep- 
arated from them for two days, which fact, I believe, has not appeared in 
the testimony heretofore. Mr. Chipp then completed the washboards 
on his boat. He put what may be called an extra wash streak around 
the stern of the boat, about six inches higher than the gunwale, and 
after that attached canvas weather-cloths from the forward end of that 
ui) to the bow, and it increased the freeboard of the boat about G inches. 
So Mr. Chipp's boat was the first one fitted, and that was under his di- 
rection. Carpenter Sweetman, of course, performing the work. Now, in 
the ten-day camj), and even previous to that, the wliale boat was under 
the direction of Mr. Melville. The boat cover of the boat which fits 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 567 

closely over the boat and is secured down to the side by the lashing 
was split from the stern of tbe boat up to the foremast. That left what 
might be called a turtle-back from the bow of the boat to the mast to 
keep the water out. That turtle-back was stanchioned and had a 
fore and -aft piece to give it strength. Mr. Cole fitted the mast-hole and 
the mast-cover. That was the most important work done, requiring a 
seaman with a palm and needle. Bartlett assisted in the work. The 
weather-cloths then could hang right along down inside the gunwale. 
Now, when we got to Seminowski Island, the day before we left it was 
suggested to put stanchions along the rail and trice that weather-cloth 
up to them. Bartlett fitted the stanchions. Mr. Melville, as he said 
the other day, wanted to use all tlie knowledge he could get. He never 
hesitated to use the information he could get. I told him those stanchions 
would be swept away by the sea. Nevertheless, they drilled holes with 
a gimlet, and these stanchions were secured by Bartlett and Leach. We 
started out, and in less than two hours the stanchions were swept away 
by the sea and we had to hold up the weather-cloths by working in a 
lanyard, holding it over our shoulders, to keep the water out of the 
boat. That is the important work Bartlett did in the boat. The water 
would stream in through those gimlec holes that were not plugged up. 
These little gimlet holes for the lashings were not plugged up, and they 
were like a sieve. There were forty holes in the boat, probably, through 
which the water came. 

By the Ohaieman : 

Q. Is there any suggestion that you can make that would have bet- 
tered that preparation to guard against the waves or seas that w^as not 
adopted? — A. Well, sir, before any danger occurred, in the fall of 1879, 
I knew Carpenter Sweetman was a thoroughly practical and intelligent 
man, and I knew at some time or other we had to make a retreat. When 
he came down in my room to get some stores one day I said to him, 
'' Sweetman, what are your ideas about the best way of fitting a whale- 
boat for a voyage?" I had thought of various boat voyages that had 
been made. He gave me his ideas in full about decking her over forward 
and increasing the freeboard of the boat; they were very simple and 
good. I had a proposition for decking her over aft, too. I had seen a 
boat from the Saranac that had made a journey of 1,500 miles. But I 
wanted to get his practical ideas, and he gave them to me, and he would 
have fitted out the boats if he could have fitted them from the ship 
thoroughly and well. But you see we had to drag the boats over two 
or three hundred miles of ice before we could make a sea voyage, and it 
would have been impossible to have fitted out the boats when we left 
the ship for a sea voyage, so that w^e had to improvise the best we could. 

Q. You did not have the full amount of material that was requisite 
to put the boats in the proper condition to meet these seas? — A. No, 
sir; not at Seminov Island, because it would have been impossible to 
have carried it to that point. Ou board the ship we did have. 

Q. Do you know anything about these dorys that have crossed the 
Atlantic? — A. I think a dory is the best form of boat, and I stated that 
to the Greely relief expedition. 

Q. Now, how are those dories fitted up to keep out the water? — A. 
They have to use weather-cloths, too. But a fisherman's dory is shown 
by experience to be one of the best and safest boats and to have the 
greatest carrying capacity. They ride out gales on the banks of New- 
foundland and they draw less water and can carry more fish, and they 
are more useful in shallow water than auy boat I knoAV of. 



568 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What is the difference in the build between the whale-boat you 
had, for instance, and these dories that have crossed the Atlantic. There 
is a man going to cross the ocean this summer in one, 1 see ? — A. For 
a sea voyage probably the whale-boat is safest. But you want a boat 
that can be used in shallow water as well as at sea. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Do they ever provide dories as a part of a ship's outfit ? — A. The 
only expedition that I know of is this present one going up on the rec- 
ommendation of various- people. They have them. 

Q. I meant up to the time your vessel sailed? — A. No, sir. 

Q. And dories do not carry so many people as whale-boats ? — A. The 
beauty of the dories is you can stow one right in another, and two dories 
with ten men can carry more than one whale-boat with ten men, and 
they are more easily handled, and when they get into a difficult place 
they can get through. 

Q. But you had no dories to use? — A. No, sir. 

Q. When you asked the captain to put you on duty, and he declined 
to do it on the ground that you could not see, you told him that you 
could see. Did you speak to him in a respectful tone ? — A. I said in a 
very emphatic and forcible way, '^But I can see, sir." 

Q. But did you answer him in a respectful tone? — A. I considered it 
perfectly respectful, and he considered it perfectly respectful. 

Q. When you left San Francisco what did you understand was the 
object of the voyage? — A. The object of the voyage was to explore 
Wrangel Land and as much of the Polar Ocean as possible. Captain 
De Long said, ''We have something more tangible in view than going to 
the North Pole ; we have a land to explore." At that time everybody 
believed it was a land, and he said particularly, "I do not want to say 
what we are going to do 5 we are going up there to try to see what we 
can do, and we want no splurge about it.^' 
By the Chairman : 

Q. That was, that you were going as near to the Pole as you could? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. In this connection I ask leave to read, for I think it is 
necessary for the understanding of the committee, first the act in aid 
of the polar expedition designed by James Gordon Bennett, approved 
March 18, 1878. [Reading :] 

AN ACT in aid of a polar expedition designed by James Gordon Bennett. 

Whereas James Gordon Benuett, a citizen of the United States, has purchased in 
Great Britian, a vessel supposed to be specially adapted to Arctic expeditions, and 
proposes, at his own cost, to fit out and man said vessel, and to devote her to efforts 
to solve the polar problem; and whereas it is deemed desirable that said vessel, while 
80 engaged shall carry the American flag, and be officered by American Naval officers : 
Therefore, 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America 
in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Treasury be authorized to issue an 
American register to said vessel, by the name of Jeannette, and that the President 
ot the United States bo authorized to detail, with their own consent, commissioned, 
warrant and petty officers of the Navy, not to exceed ten in number, to act as offi- 
cers of said vessel during her first voyage to the Arctic seas. Provided, however, That 
such detail shall be made of such officers only as the President is satisfied can be ab- 
sent from their regular duties without detriment to the public service. 

Approved March 18, 1878. 

I read next as follows : 

AN" ACT authoiizing the Secretary of tlie Navy to accept, for the purposes of a voyage of exploration, 
by the waj' of Behring's Straits, the ship Jeannette, tendered by James Gordon Bennett for that pur- 
pose. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and IJonse of Representatives of the United States of America 
in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Navy be, and he is hereby authorized 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. .569 

to accept aud take charoo of lor the use of a North Polar expedition, by way of Beb- 
ring's Straits, tbe ship Jeaimette, owned by James Gordon Bennett; and by biin de- 
voted to this purpose; that be rary use in fitting ber for ber voyage of exploration, 
any materials be may bave on band proper for tbe purposes of an Arctic voyage: and 
tbat be is furtber authorized to enlist tbe necessary crew for tbe said vessel for ''spe- 
cial service," tbeir pay to be temporarily met from tbe pay of tbe Navy, and to be 
paid or refunded by James Gordon Bennett to tbe Navy Department, under tbe order 
of tbe Secretary of tbe Navy, aud as be may require: Tbe vessel to proceed on ber 
voyage of exploration under tbe orders and instructions of tbe Navy Department: 
tbat tbe men so ''specially enlisted" as above, shall be subject in all respects to tbe 
Articles of War, and Navy Regulations and discipline : and tbat all parts of tbe act 
approved Marcb eigbteeutb, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight, inconsistent wnth 
the above, be, and they are hereby repealed; Provided, That the Government of the 
United States shall not be held liable for any expenditures, incurred or to be incurred 
on account of said exploration. 
Approved February 27, 1879. 

Then I wish to follow that with the instructions of the Navy Depart- 
ment. [Reading:] 

Navy Department, 
Washington, 18th June, 1879. 

Sir : Tbe act of Congress in aid of a polar expedition, designed by James Gordon 
Bennett, approved March 18th, 1878, enacts that — 

"Whereas James Gorden Bennett, a citizen of the United States, has purchased in 
Great Britain a vessel supposed to be specially adapted to Arctic expeditions, and pro- 
poses, at his own cost, to fit out and man said vessel, and to devote her to efforts to 
solve tbe polar problem ; and 

" Whereas it is deemed advisable tbat said vessel, while so engaged, shall carry tbe 
American flag, and be officered by American naval officers : Therefore, 

'-Be it enacted, 4^0., That the Secretary of tbe Treasury be authorized to issue an 
American register to said vessel by the name of Joanuette, and tbat the President of 
the United States be authorized to detail, with their own consent, commissioned, war- 
rant, and petty officers of the Navy, not to exceed ten in number, to act as officers of 
said vessel during her first voyage to tbe Arctic seas : Provided, however, Tbat such 
detail shall be made of such officers only as the President is satisfied can be absent 
from tbeir regular duties without detriment to the public service." 

The act authorizing tbe Secretary of the Navy to accept for the purposes of a voyage 
of exploration by tbe way of Behring's Straits the ship Jeannette, tendered by James 
Gordon Bennett for tbe purpose, approved February 27tb, 1879, x^rovides that "the 
Secretary of the Navy be, and be is hereby, authorized to accept aud take charge of, 
for the use of a North Polar expedition, by way of Behring's Straits, the ship Jeannette, 
owned by James Gordon Bennett, and by him devoted to this purpose ; that he may 
use in fitting her for her voyage or exploration any material be may have on hand 
proper for the purposes of an Arctic voyage ; and that be is further authorized to en- 
list the necessary crew for tbe said vessel, for special service, their pay to be tem- 
porarily met from the pay of the Navy, and to be paid or refunded by James Gordon 
Bennett to the Navy Department under the order of the Secretary of the Navy, and 
as be may require ; the vessel to proceed on ber voyage of exploration under the 
orders and instructions of the Navy Department ; that the men so specially enlisted 
as above shall be subject in all respects to tbe Articles of War and Navy Regulations 
and discipline ; andtbat all parts of tbe act approved March tbe eighteenth, eighteen 
hundred and seventy-eight, inconsistent with the above be, and they are hereby, re- 
pealed : Provided, That the Government of tbe United States shall not be held liable 
for any expenditure incurred or to be incurred on account of said exploration.'" 

Under ttie authority conferred by these acts of Congress, the Jeannette has been 
accepted, fitted out, officered, and manned under the orders of this Department, and 
you have been ordered to the command of the voyage of exploration. 

As soon as the Jeannette, under your command, is in all respects ready for sea, you 
will proceed with her to Behring's Straits to execute the important and hazardous 
service entrusted to you. In the execution of this serxdce the Department must leave 
the details to your experience, discretion, and judgment. It has full confidence in your 
ability in all matters connected with the safety and discipline of tbe ship, tbe health 
and comfort of the officers and crew^, and the faithful prosecution of the object of tbe 
voyage. 

On reaching B&hriug's Straits you will make diligent inquiry at such points where 
you deem it likely that information can be obtained concerning the fate of Professor 
Nordenskjold, as the Department has been unable to have positive confirmation of 
the reports of bis safety. If you bave good and sufficient reasons for believing that 
he is safe, you will proceed on your voyage tow^ards the North Pole. If otherwise, 
you will pursue such course as in your judgment is necessary for bis aid and relief. 



570 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Yon will, as opportunity offers, advise the Department of your whereabouts, and of 
such matters of interest connected with the voyage as you may desire to communicate. 
Wishing you a prosperous voyage, and commending you, the officers, and crew, and 
the object of your expedition, to the protecting care of Almighty God, 
I am, very respectfully, yours, 

R. W. THOMPSON, 
Secretary of the Navy. 
Lieutenant George W. De Long, 

United States Navy, commanding voyage of exploration, dy way of Behring^s Straits, 
U. S. S. Jeanneiie, Navy Yard, Mare Island, California. 

To that Captain De Long made this answer : 

Arctic ^teamer Jeannette, 
San Francisco, California, July 8th, 1879. 
Hon. R. W. Thompson, Secretary of the Navy : 

Sir : I have the honor to inform yon that the Jeannette, being in all respects ready 
for sea, will sail at three o'clock this afternoon on her cruise to the Arctic regions. 

Upon the receipt of the Department's telegram of June 27th informing me that no 
naval vessel could be detailed to carry provisions and coal for our use, I chartered the 
Schooner Fanny A. Hyde, Captain Jesperson, loaded her with such of our provisions as 
were not already embarked in the Jeannette, and one hundred tons anthracite coal, re- 
ceived at the Mare Island navy- yard. This schooner will sail to-day for St. Michael's, 
Alaska, with orders to await our arrival there, and in case of our not arriving within 
fifteen days of her reaching that port to deposit the provisions and coal in the store- 
houses of the Alaska Commercial Company, for our possible subsequent use. 

I have also the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your orders of the 18th June in 
relation to the movements of the Arctic expedition under my command ; and while I 
appreciate the grave responsibilities entrusted to my care, I beg leave to assure you 
that I will endeavor to perform this important duty in a manner calculated to reflect 
credit upon the ship, the Navy, and the country at large. 

I beg leave to return thanks for the confidence expressed in my ability to satisfacto- 
rily conduct such a hazardous expedition, and I desire to place upon record my convic- 
tion that nothing has been left unprovided which the enterprise and liberality of Mr. 
James Gorden Bennett and the experiences of our Arctic predecessors could suggest. 

In carrying out that portion of my instructions which pertains to the search for tidings 
of Professor Nordenskjold, I have to state in brief my proposed plan of operations. 

Sailing from San Francisco, I shall proceed with all dispatch to the island of Ouna- 
lashka, whence, after coaling, I shall proceed to the island of St. Paul's, in Behring's 
Sea. From this jioint I shall continue on to St. Michael's, in Alaska. At this point 
some tidings may be had (if intercourse has been maintained during the past winter 
with the tribes of Northeastern Siberia) of Professor Nordenskjold and his party. 
Should nothing, however, be known in that respect, after receiving on board the pro- 
visions and coal carried up by the Fanny A. Hyde, I shall proceed to St. Lawrence 
Bay, in Siberia, in further quest. If Professor Nordenskjold is. as was reported, in 
the neighborhood of East Cape, something must have been heard of him by the na- 
tive tribes, or by the American whalers which cruise in that neighborhood. Should 
nothing be learned, I will proceed through Behring Straits, and, skirting the coast of 
Siberia, continue as far to the westward as the circumstances of navigation will per- 
mit. I will send to the Department at every opportunity detailed accounts of our 
progress and whatever information may be collected. 

I would also acknowledge the receipt of the letters issued by the Imperial Russian 
Ministry of the Interior to the Siberian authorities, and I am confident that they will 
secure us the assistance and co-operation of all subjects of the Russian Government. 
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant United States Navy, Commanding Arctic Steamer Jeannette. 

Q. Now, did you follow those instructions and sail to Behring Straits to 
obtain information respecting Nordenskjold ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What information did you find, and where did you lind it ? — A. We 
touched at several places on the north coast after having made inquiries 
at St. Lawreuce Bay and then we received information- there from the 
natives that a steamer had gone south a short time before. The cap- 
tain was not satisfied with this. He wanted to make sure of it and to 
get to the cam J) or winter quarters of the ship it possible. So we 
stopped at two or three places and kept on the westward, and finally we 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 571 

got to a place called Serdze Kameii. The captain sent Mr. Cliipp, Mr. 
Dunbar, and myself in the whale-boat on shore to make investigation, 
and we went among the natives and got definite information. A native 
took us on a long tramp and pointed out a bay, what we thought at the 
time was Koliutchin Bay. He pointed to the place where the vessel 
had been, and he brought us tin cans marked Stockholm. He brought 
us photographs of actresses in Stockholm. He brought us buttons and 
letters from some of the officers. We thought these photographs were 
of actresses. They may have been friends and acquaintances of the 
officers. As I say they brought us buttons and memoranda of various 
kinds. They also told us there was a woman from King's Island, a 
small island in Behring's Straits who could converse with our two Indians, 
and that woman told the Indians that the vessels had passed east and 
then south, and they described it fully, and we were fully assured of the 
safety of the expedition. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Let me ask you one question ; I have not heard it stated, and if it 
has been it has escaped my attention, about the fate of the Indian. 
There was an Indian there by the name of Aneguin'? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What became of him ? — A. He died in Siberia of small-j^ox, and 
was buried at a place called Kerinsk. He went back for the search of 
Lieutenant Chipp. He was one of the bravest and best men I knew. 

Q. What boat did he belong to ? — A. He belonged to our boat, Mel- 
ville's boat. 

Q. I had learned that there was such a man there and had not learned 
what his fate was ? — A. They would not allow the remains to be brought 
home under the circumstances in which he died. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. ]Sow, after you ascertained the safety of UsTordenskjold, where did 
you go ? — A. The captain told me to shape a course for the southeast 
cape of Wraugel Land. It was marked Cape Hawaii, named after the 
Sandwich Islands, and, as I remember, 1?oughly speaking, it was about 
120 miles to the northwest of us. We started, and at that time there 
was drift ice all along shore, and lots of seals among it. We kept on to 
the northwest for some hours, and met with more ice, and I think it was 
the following night that we had to change the course to the northeast 
and coast along the floe edge, and then the next morning I was called 
about daylight, and we/ it to the crow's nest and kept watch until the 
captain came up, and then I think we entered the lead, and whenever 
we entered the ice, the captain took a position in the crow's nest. Gen- 
erally Mr. Dunbar was on the topsail yard. Finally, on the Oth of Sep- 
tember, we entered the lead from which we never emerged. 

Q. And the leads where you were frozen in ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, in your judgment, would it have been wise to have wintered 
in St. Lawrence Bay? — A. I think St. Lawrence Bay would have been 
too far South. We should rather have come back to San Francisco and 
wintered; we might just as well. 

Q. How long a time were you in sight of Wrangel Land ? — A. Oh, 
we would see it from time to time — many, many times — and on the 28tli 
and 29th and 30th of October it was full moon, and at night we could 
see it so as to identify the peaks from time to time that we had seen be- 
fore, and we took bearings of them, and would find them on similar 
bearings, indicating that we had not drifted much. Of course, if we 
had drifted that would have changed our bearings; we made sketches 
of them ; they are all in the shij^'s papers. 



572 * JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Could you know any better that that was laud or the name of that 
land if you had gone upon it and pressed your feet upon the soil ? — A. 
I thing every one in the ship was fully convinced of its being land. 

Q. You are certain you saw the land with mountains on ? — A. Cer- 
tainly y there is no doubt about it. 

Q. And if you had gone on that land the only way you would have 
known what land it was would have been by the chart ? — A. No, sir ; 
it was in the position of Wrangel Land marked on the charts already. 

Q. So when you saw it you knew it was Wrangel Land because it was 
in the position laid down on the charts as Wrangel Land ? — A. Pre- 
cisely. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. If you had landed on Wrangel Land you had. no mark of identi- 
fication that it was Wrangel Land any more than you had before the 
ship went there 1 — A. No, sir ; we would not have been more certain of 
it unless we had taken observations. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Was the barrier that prevented your reaching Wrangel Land fresh 
ice or pack ice ? — A. Pack ice; sea ice. 

Q. Varyingin thickness to what extent? — A. Well, I should say from 
7 to 10 feet. The winter crop is about 10 feet, and about 2 feet are lost 
in summer by thawing. But then it was thrown up and slabs of it 
turned up on one side. We measured a slab of ice drawing as much as 
30 feet of water, and others would tower up as high as this room above 
the general level. Great blocks of ice would be thrown out and stand 
high and dry. 

By the Chairman : ^ 

Q. Now, what is the difference between slack ice and pack ice ? — A. 
[Illustrating with inkstands, paper-weights, &c.] All these pieces are 
together now, and when the wind comes suppose they open out and 
become thus [illustrating] ? I use the terms close pack and loose pack. 
It seems rather paradoxical to say loose pack, but it is correct by com- 
parison. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Was any of this pack ice that you speak of thrown up on Wrangel 
Land, or was it ashore? — A. Wherever there is shoal water it shoves up 
in immense quantities. In the Lena Delta you will find larger ice than 
you will north of it; and it remains there year after year, and the sum- 
mer heat does not melt it, and there is an accumulation going on there. 

Q. But it does not reach up sufficiently to affect mountains at all ? — 
A. That is according to where you are. 

Q. I mean on Wrangel Land. The mountains you spoke of towering 
up in the sky could not have been affected"? — A. Oh, no. Well, these 
mountains api)ear higher by the effect of the atmosphere. In point of 
fact, 1 think tlie highest mountain is only about 4,000 feet high. It was 
ascended by Lieutenant Berry, and that is not very much of a mount- 
ain, of course. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. There is such a thing as a nip ; that is when the ice closes in on 
the ship "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If the nip is strong enough the vessel has either to go down or go 
up, has it not ? — A. Yes, sir ; that is the idea. 

Q. It IS thrown up or sunk ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. " 573 

Q. And the result with the Jeannette was that it was sunk ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q Was it a nip that caused the sinking of the Jeannette! — A. Yes, 
sir ; she had been nipped many times before, but had been able to with- 
stand the pressure, from some fortunate circumstance ; perhaps the ice 
would crack in the distance, and that would relieve the pressure upon 
her, which was just like a hydraulic ram. 

Mr. Arnoux. In this connection I would like to read a part of the 
letter of Captain De Long to Mr. Bennett. 

(At this point Mr. Arnoux read a long extract from the letter referred 
to, which was subsequently ordered stricken out by the committee.) 

The proceedings in connection therewith were as follows : 

Mr. Curtis. You say an extract. That is not the whole letter. 

Mr. Arnoux. l^o. 

Mr. Curtis. What is the remaining part of the letter ! 

Mr. Arnoux. I think it is part business and part personal to Mr. 
Bennett. 

Mr. Curtis. In connection with the expedition ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

The Chairman (to Mr. Curtis). You are entitled to the whole letter 
if you desire it. 

Mr. Arnoux. I have read all that relates to this part which I have 
read. 

Mr. Curtis. If there is anything in the letter which concerns the ex- 
I)edition I think it should be read. If it concerns personal matters 
simply 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I have never read it before. Mrs. De 
Long pointed this out and said this related to it. What the rest is I 
do not know. 

Mr. Curtis. I think they ought to put in the whole letter because it 
relates to the expedition. 

The Chairman. You are entitled to the whole letter if you desire it. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mrs. De Long says it relates to money matters. 

Mr. Curtis. If it relates to the expedition we ought to have it. 

Mr. Arnoux. You might say the money matters concerned the expe- 
dition, but they do not concern this inquiry. The money matters have 
been kept entirely quiet by Mr. Bennett. 

Mr. Curtis. It is an unusual or harsh rule that Mr. Arnoux or his client 
should be allowed to extract from letters and documents 

The Chairman (interposing). I will say to you Judge Curtis that if 
there is anything in that letter that is relevant to this expedition you 
are entitled to have it in. 

Mr. Curtis. It can be read, and if it is irrelevant it can be expunged. 

Mr. Arnoux. I think it is the rule, and I have had it enforced in 
some of our courts, that the subject-matter can be read and the rest of 
the letter cannot be used. According to what Mrs. De Long says, I 
have read all upon the subject-matter. 

Mr. Curtis. It makes Mrs. De Long the judge of what is relevant 
and pertinent. 

The Chairman (to Mr. Curtis). If there is anything in that letter 
that pertains to this expedition, then you have a right to have it intro- 
duced, and you are entitled to an examination of the letter to ascertain 
as to the fact. 

Mr. Curtis. You see we are in this position : All these letters and 
documents are in the possession of Mrs. De Long. It is a matter of ex- 
treme delicacy to auuoy her in any way about them. I^ToWj I submit 



574 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the proper way is tbis : If they want to read any letter or document or 
anything in that nature they must read it in its entirety. It certainly 
is not contemplated that Mrs. De Long shall be the judge of what is per- 
tinent to the issue. I am willing to go all lengths in order to accommo- 
date the other side in that respect, but I do not think that they should 
be the judges of what is pertinent and material to the issue, and cer- 
tainly they should not be permitted to make capital against us by read- 
ing extracts. 

The Chaieman. Well, I agree with you in all of those statements. 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly I do not suppose Judge Arnoux is reading this 
for popular effect. 

Mr. Arnoux. If we have read all that is pertinent to that subject that 
is all we can be required to read. 

The Chairman. Certainly. I shall allow Judge Curtis to examine 
the letter, or perhaps it may be read without it being taken down in 
any other part, except what has been already read. What is in is per- 
tinent to the expedition. Now, I will allow Judge Arnoux to read the 
rest of the letter without its being taken down at present, and deter- 
mine whether it is proper to be entered on the record or not. 

Mr. Arnoux. With your permission I will withdraw that extract 
from the letter. Mrs. De Long savs that there are private matters in 
that letter which she prefers should not be seen by others. 

Mrs. De Long. It is not that, but I simply think it is just to Mr. 
Bennett. 

Mr. Arnoux. If it is going to take that shape I would rather with- 
draw it. The matters connected with the finauces of this expedition 
Mrs. De Long has treated so sacredly that she has not permitted even 
her own father to know anything about Mr. Bennett's expenditures. 
Mr. Bennett has not chosen to let any person know, and to let even 
Judge Curtis look at that part of the letter she would feel would be a 
breach of that principle which she has laid down for her own govern- 
ment in everything connected with that part of the expedition ; and 
there are things connected with that in the letter that she prefers to 
withdraw what has been read rather than to have the letter read by any 
other person. She has not submitted it to me even. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, let me say a word right here. Of course we have 
the highest respect and esteem for Mrs. DeLong and we shall endeavor 
to treat her, as we have treated her, in the most delicate manner possi- 
ble. But it can hardly be urged before this committee that Mrs. De 
Long will receive or exercise legal privileges that do not belong to other 
persons. Now, during this investigation, certain letters have been read, 
certain extracts have been read from Captain De Long's journal, and I 
do not say that it was for the purpose of appealing to any popular senti- 
ment or producing any dramatic effect, but it is certainly unjust to us, 
it is certainly unprecedented in law that they should be able, for any 
purpose they may have, to introduce extracts from letters, or documents, 
or journals, or log-books, or anything of that nature, and then we not 
to be allowed to introduce the entire subject-matter spoken of in those 
communications. Now I give my learned friend notice that in the future 
if he endeavors to read any such extracts, J shall immediately offer in 
evidence before the committee the entire letter, or the entire journal, or 
the entire book, from which those extracts are sought to be taken ; and 
I will also say to my learned friend here that when the j^roper time 
comes we shall offer in evidence the entire journal of Dr. Ambler, and 
also the entire original journal of Captain De Long. 

Mr. Arnoux. We will not discuss that latter proposition now. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 51 U 

Mr. Curtis. I sim])ly deem it fair to give them uotice. 

The Chairman (to Mr. Curtis). As to the subject-matter now under 
consideration, do .a ou insist on the reading of the entire letter as far as 
pertains to this expedition ? Now, so far as Mrs. De Long's private com- 
munications with her husband are concerned, that is a sealed book. 
That book is sealed so far as any communication with his wife, or so far 
as their personal relations are concerned, not connected with the exije- 
dition, which nothing will induce me to open here on this occasion or on 
any other. 

Mr. Arnoux. That certainly would not be within the province of this 
committee. 

The Chairman. Not in the least. 

Mr. Curtis. I have not asked for that. 

The Chairman. I will do you the credit to say you have not on any 
occasion. 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir; I have endeavored and shall endeavor to treat 
Mrs. De Long with the utmost courtesy and deference. She is entitled 
to it, and she is a lady for whom we all have the highest esteem and re- 
spect. But we object to the other side making use of letters, documents, 
or journals, and suppressing or excluding the letters or journals in their 
entirety, because the matter in connection with that which is read prob- 
ably would throw a new light on it or explain it in some way. If there 
is anything in the interest of this investigation we are entitled to it. 

The Chairman. Certainly, I admit that. 

Mr. Curtis. In fact, I so fully concur with the sentiment of the chair- 
man in that respect, I do not wish at all to interfere with any private 
correspondence or communications between Captain and Mrs. De Long. 
It would not only be unprofessional on my part, but it would be ungen- 
tlemanly, and I trust I have a chivalric sentiment for the sex in that 
regard that would restrain me. But the learned counsel must have 
a purpose in offering extracts from these letters. Probably he had a 
purpose the other day when he offered a letter from General Grant. Of 
course I could not say. I did not have sufficient light ux)on the subject, 
probably. I could not see how that affected this issue. 

The Chairman. That was excluded. 

Mr. Curtis. But the press got it, the public mind received it; and 
this is not a judicial investigation. It is a popular investigation ordered 
by the people, and of course all these matters affect the public mind. Of 
course, they cannot affect the mind of the committee ; but I shall insist 
hereafter that if those extracts are put in from letters and documents 
and journals, they must be accompanied with the other matter in the 
same letter or document or journal, so that we maj^ have the whole. 

Mr. Arnoux. I withdraw the extract that I have read. 

The Chairman. I think that Judge Curtis has the right to retain 
this evidence if he desires it, and then in addition to thatlae has the 
right to have the entire letter introduced if he desires it, so far as is 
l)ertinent to this investigation and no further. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. McAdoo was not here at the time this extract was 
offered, so that he does not understand. I shall ask all the committee 
to hear me in regard to that matter. 

The Chairman. The counsel has the right to withdraw this without 
objection on the part of Judge Curtis. If Judge Curtis ol jects he has 
the right to retain it in evidence, and has the right further to supple- 
ment it with anything in that letter that is pertinent to this investiga- 
tion. 



^7)76 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Aenoux. We have been told, sir, that this was not a strictly 
legal inquiry, and not governed by the rnles of evidence. 

The (Chairman. If Judge Curtis does not object to the withdrawal 
of the letter, then, as a matter of course, the request of Judge Aruoux 
will be granted to withdraw it. But if Judge Curtis desires time to 
investigate it 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). I am in this position, and I respectfully 
ask the judgment of the chairman and Mr. McAdoo, who are both law- 
yers. I have an idea that there is much material matter in that letter 
that concerns this issue. Of course I have no evidence of it until the 
letter is seen or read. Now, if there is matter in that letter which is 
material to this issue, and I should consent to its withdrawal, then I 
would be guilty of an oversight which certainly would not be a \iery 
pleasant reflection for me hereafter. On the other hand, if there is 
nothing in that letter that is material or pertinent to this issue, I will 
have discharged my duty to my client, discharged my own duty, and no 
harm will be done. Therefore I say respectfully to the committee that 
I think the better way is to let the matter lie in abeyance until the full 
committee is present ; then we will pass upon it, if that meets the view 
of the chairman. 

The Chairman. Certainly ; the letter will be stricken from the record 
for the present. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you finish your explanation in regard to the weather-cloths ? 
If not, please complete that. — A. In regard to the weather-cloths of the 
first cutter, I saw Nindemann at work fitting them at Semmowski Island. 
He worked very hard on them. He believes conscientiously that he is 
the inventor of the weather cloth. I believe he is conscientious in that 
belief; but it is fair to say that in 1870 I saw weather-cloths when I was 
a midshipman. I remember one instance in the harboi- of Brest, France, 
in going off iu a rough sea. 1 wish to give him full credit for his work, 
but I merely say it was not original, and I believe almost every ofiicer 
and every seaman in the party knew of it. 

Q. You were asked on your direct examination this question : 

After the ship got fast in the ice -vvas there not a constant fear that the vessel would 
he ahandoned, and did not that fear continue np to and through the period that you 
were in the ice ? 

Will you answer that question more fully, and state if any one on 
board had any fear or expressed any api)rehension ? — A. 1 said in my 
evidence that it was not a fear. I did not regard it so at the time. We 
were ready to take things as they came. I know that Mr. Newcomb, on 
some occasions, slept with his clothes on, and was apprehensive of an ac- 
cident. We all slei)t not knowing at what moment we would be awak- 
ened and called on deck ; it was that way forfully eighteen months. Mr. 
Collins was very nervous on the subject. I do not wish to reflect on Mr. 
Collins' courage in the least, because I believe he had the real Irish 
courage when actual danger came ; but in that case he was an alarm- 
ist. He used to come into the cabin and say, " The ice is in motion ; 
do you hear the ice '?" We would go out o i deck at first and listen; we 
could not hear the ice, a^ul he would claim it was thundering iu the dis- 
tance. Several times a week he would rush in and say, " Do you hear 
the ice ? We are going to have a great commotion ! " So people finally 
began to ridicule him; he was ridiculed on the subject of hearijig the 
ice and seeing hind. He would declare frequently he saw the land, 
iind Mr. Dunbar would go up to the crow's nest and I woiUd go up to 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 577 

the main top -gall ant yard, wliic^i was the highest point of the vessel. 
He used to send ns on these errands until finally he became a subject 
of ridicule. 

Q. You were also asked this question : 

lu your extensive experience, have you ever known or heard of vessels under like 
circumstances being extricated after being frozen into the ice ? 

Now, can you state anythhig of that kind? — A. Yes; there were five 
ships abandoned by Sir Edward Belcher in the Franklin search, and 
one of them remained in the ice until the next season when a whaling 
ship picked her up. Captain Tyson, who is here in Washington, was 
one of the boats' crew, and she was brought into New London, Conn., 
repaired, and sent back to England, and 1 understand that the presen- 
tation of the Alert was to make a return for that. That is an actual 
fact. 

The Chairman. That vessel was carried over by Lieutenant Hart- 
stene. 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Had that vessel been caught in the pack? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did she remain caught in until next season — until the pack 
parted ! — As I understood, the pack must have parted and drifted down 
with her and met the warm current of the ocean as she got further 
south, and the surging of the waves let her out. The wine glasses were 
standing on the table in the ward room. They had had a parting drink 
before they left. There have been frequent cases of whaling ships in 
the Greenland seas of like character. Mr. Dunbar told me of where 
he had been three weeks in the i^ack. He had thrust his ship into the 
pack, and the ice would drift south and break up and free her. She 
would be as much as three weeks in the pack, and would finally get 
liberated. 

Q. Did Captain De Long send a party with dog sleds to try to reach 
Herald Island in September, 1879 ? — A. Yes, sir. I understood it was 
with the object of depositing records on the island. 

Q. Did you know that for their meritorious conduct in trying to stop 
the leak when the fore foot was twisted by the ice, to which reference 
has been made, Captain De Long commended the conduct of Ninde- 
mann and Sweetman,and recommended them to receive gold medals? — 
A. Yes, sir ; I read of it, and knew of it at the time. 1 would like to 
say that the captain also had extra liquor served out at that time to 
stimulate them after working in the cold water, and he did everything 
to help them in that way. 

Q. And did you understand that he had written a letter to the Sec- 
retary of the Navy making that recommendation f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When you were asked, in reference to the conversation between 
Captain De Long and Mr. Collins, about a charge that would not neces- 
sarily involve contradiction — 

He might use stronger language than that : "What business is it of yours," 

Do you mean to be understood that would be proper language for a 
a subordinate to use to his superiors under any circumstances ? — A. Ex- 
cuse me ; I have not a clear idea of what you mean ; I do not remember 
of so testifying. 

Q. I will read the whole; this question was put to you by Judge Cur- 
tis: 

Q. Let me ask you another question. You do not deem it a man's duty, in order to 
prevent a seeming contradiction, to admit an offense? — A. No, sir. 

37 J Q* 



578 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. How Tvonld you answer under like circumstances ? — A. I do not think I would 
answer; if I did I would .say, ''I am very sorry, captain, that you think so." 

Q. That is an answer that a man trained iu the Navy would make ? — A. It is a cour- 
teous answer. 

Q. Is that the answer a man trained under other circumstances would make f — A. 
If a man were a gentleman and received a liberal education he would think that 
proper. 

Q. If a person outside the Navy — a man of the world°— should charge you, " Lieu- 
tenant Dauenhowor, you have violated the hiw, you have committed an offense," and 
if you said to him, "I have not," would you think that would necessarily involve a 
contradiction in the sense you mean? Do you not think it is a man's duty to say 
that? — A. He might use stronger language than that : '' What businessis it of yours?" 
But I know nothing of this, really, except there was a contradiction involvecl. 

]S"ow, having read that to you, I ask you whether you thiuk it would 
be a proper. answer, even among civihans, for any one to make when 
charged with a matter to say " What business is it of yours," if the 
person whoso spoke was a subordinate? — A. I do not catch your mean- 
ing really ; you mean a servant or a menial. 

Q. Or a clerk. If, for instance, an employer said to a clerk he was 
not doing his duty properly, would you think it would be proper for the 
clerk to make answer to his employer, " What business is it of yours?" 
— A. No, indeed. 

Q. You meant where the parties stood in no relation to each other ? — 
A. Exactly; strangers. 

Q. Where an officer knows, or believes he knows, that a certain act 
is a violation of duty and the person who is accused on board of a ves- 
sel of violating an order should unblushingly deny it, would not the 
officer take into consideration the fact that he knew it as a part of the 
feeling that he would entertain toward one who answered him in denial. 

Mr. Curtis. It seems rather far-fetched what the officer would do. 

Mr. Arnoux. I mean what would be tbe custom and what is his opin- 
ion about it *? — A. What I meant to express was that the captain of a ship 
has a perfect right to speak to an officer and tell him he has not obeyed 
his orders properly, or anything of that sort, and if that officer or that 
seaman says, ^' Captain, but I do," I should say it was rather strange. If 
the officer was sitting in the cabin talking with the captain, and the 
captain told him that he had disobeyed such an order, and if the officer 
did not understand it that way, he would naturally say in a courteous 
way, '^ I think you are mistaken in this matter, captain ; if you think 
so, I am sorry." 

Bv Mr. McAdoo: 

Q. You heard this conversation between Captain De Long and Mr. 
Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, put yourself in the place of Captain De Long. Supposing 
you had been Captain De Long, what would you consider the proper 
thing to do under those circumstances "l — A. I am very reluctant to 
pass judgment on dead men. I hate to do it. 

Mr. McAdoo. That is really what the counsel is trying to get. That 
is the more direct way of getting at it, it seems to me. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. On your direct examination this question was put to you : 

Q. Are you aware of the fact that Mr. Collins at different times corrected tbe 
observations of the captain ? — A. I am aware of that statement before the committee 
the other day ; that is all ; and I knew that Mr. Collins had that disposition. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 579 

In making that answer, did you refer to a paper which was put in as 
an exhibit in the handwriting of Mr. Collins, as follows : 

At midnight, Feb. 21st — the reading of the anemometer was 0.4 and not 04., as re- 
recorded. 

Resp'y, 

G. W. DE L. 
The other side is as follows : 

The reading at midnight on the 21st of the anemometer is recorded 0^., as the tenths 
of miles are always put in smaller figures above the miles. The record 04. would not 
mean anything, as there is no such reading. 
Respectfully, 

J. J. COLLINS. 

Q. ll'J'ow, what is the meaning of the figures 0^? — A. Zero with an 
exponent of 4. Zero to the 4tli power, it wQuld be called, mathemati- 
cally. 

Q. That is to say, a number witli the figure 4 beside it in the same 
way is to be multiplied into itself four times "? — A. Yes. But I can 
readily understand w^hat that means here, because the dial of the ane- 
roid has the 10th above the unit. Naturally, he may have written it 
in that way. 

Q. Is that the ordinary way in which you write such observations? — 
A. JSTo, sir; the four- tenths is put in the same line as the zero and the 
dot intervening. 

Q. In regard to the labors of the captain on the ship and afterwards 
on the ice, what have you to say in general ? — A. Up to the time of 
reaching the ice the captain had a general supervision over the ship, of 
course, in every detail. He paid attention to every detail. After we 
left San Francisco he seemed to take a resting spell, as it were. Then 
he wrote a great deal. But as soon as he got into the ice, and after I 
was taken sick, w^hen the meteorological observations commenced, he 
took his share of them, and during my sickness and Mr. OoUins's sus- 
pension he took too much work on his shoulders. People used to speak 
about it. 

Q. Did they consider that he was overworked *? — A. That he was 
overworking himself unnecessarily. They thought Mr. Dunbar should 
do more observation work. The captain did not sleep well at night on 
account of his overwork, and the doctor had to give him bromide or 
something of that sort. On the retreat the captain went out "#ith Mr. 
Dunbar and overlooked the work and took observations, and, if neces- 
sary, kept the records, and he kept his eye on the work, assisted along, 
and I have even seen him go into the harness himself. He wore a harness 
and he and the doctor used to hitch on with the others in tight places 
and help along. He did all that could be expected of the commanding 
officer, the directing officer. 

Q. You have said that in Siberia you complained to Mr. Jackson that 
you had been badly treated? — Yes, sir. 

Q. Was that solely in reference to the fact that Mr. Melville was put 
in command, and not yourself, of the whale-boat party ? — A. It was due 
to the fact that I had been retained in the whale-boat and placed in 
an unprecedented position under the command of a staft- officer, with 
written orders. I have no fault to find with the captain or anybody 
else on account of the treatment I received. He was always kind and 
gentlemanly. 

Q. Except in that one particular? — A. That was a point of judgment. 
At the time I thought it was personal. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. But you are satisfied now that he did it for the best interests of 



580 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the service ?— A. I am not perfectly satisfied now, but I am willing to 
give him all the advantage of a doubt. There are lingering doubts In 
my mind, but I have had a great deal more light, and I feel ditferently 
towards x)eople now. 

By Mr. Aknoux : 
Q. You say that he gave a written order. I now read from the record 
of the OoLurt of Inquiry, page 295 : 

U. S. AitCTic Expedition, Cape Emma, Bennett Island, 

Lat 7(5^-' 38' N., Long. 148^ 20' E., August Sth, 1881. 
P. A. Eng. George W. Melville, U. S. Navy: 

Sir : We shall leave this island to-morrow, steerino; a course (over the ice or through 
the water, as the case may be) south (maguetic). In the event of our embarking at 
any time, in our boats, after (lie start, you are hereby ordered to take command of the 
whale-boat until such lime as I relieve you from that duty or assign you to some other. 
Every person under my command at this time who may be embarked in that boat at 
any time is under your charge and subject to your orders, and you are to exercise all 
care and diligence for their preservation and the safety of the boat. You will under 
all circumstances keep close to the boat in which I shall embark ; but if, unfortu- 
nately, we become separated you will make the best of your way south, until you make 
the coast of Siberia, and follow it along to the westward as far as the Lena River. 
This river is the destination of our party, and without delay you will in case of sepa- 
ration ascend the Lena to a Russian settlemeut, from which you can communicate or 
be forwarded with your party to some place of security and easy access. If the boat 
in which I am embarked is separated from the two other boats, you will at once place 
yourself under the orders of Lieut. C. W. Chipj), and so long as you remain in his com- 
pany obey such orders as he may give you. 
Very respectfully, 

GEO. W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant U. S. N., Com^Wg Arctic Expedition. 

And subsequently Mr. Melville gave you written orders to take charge 
of a i^arty? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will also read that : 

Yakutz, Siberia, January 8, 1882. 
Master J no. W. Danenhower, 

U. S. Navy, Yakutz, Siberia : 
Sir : You are hereby ordered to take charge of a party of eight (8) enlisted men, viz : 
L. P. Noros (sea), John Cole (sea), Herbert Leach (s( a), Chas. Mauson (sea), Henry Wil- 
son (sea), R. L. Newcomb (sea, for special service), John Lauterbach (C. H. ), Chas. Tong 
Sing (s%5ward) ; also Auiguin (Indian), and will proceed to Irkutsk, and thence to the 
Atlantic sea-board. 

You will take especial care of seaman John Cole, who is at present suffering from 
mental aberration. You will from time to time communicate your progress to the Hon. 
Secretary of the Navy as your judgment may <iictate, and on your arrival at an Atlan- 
tic port, or prior to that time, will doubtless receive instructions from him. 

You will take charge of the following-named articles, recovered by me from the etfects 
of the party of Lieutenant George W. De Long, U. S. N., and will deliver them to the 
Hon. Secretary of the Navy on your arrival in the United States, viz : 4 log-books of the 
U. S. Arctic steamer Jeannette ; 4 records of Lieut. De Long's party; 1 Winchester ritie 
(main-spring broken) ; 1 Wincliester rille (stock broken) ; 1 box containing specimens 
from Bennett Island ; 1 box containing sextant ; 1 Nautical Almanac ; 1 table loga- 
rithms; 1 lunar distance; 1 surgical case; 1 binocular; 1 artificial horizon; 1 box 
chronomet er. 

Very respectfully, 

GEO. W. MELVILLE, 
P. A. Engr., U. S. Navy, ComUVg shijnvrecked party U. S. Arctic Steamer Jeannette. 

The Witness. I wish to make a statement. I knew that I was in an 
unprecedented i)osition, that Captain De Long was the highest naval 
authority in that region, and that it was my duty to obey hirii and to 
sui)port Mr. Melville to the utmost of my ability. I do not hesitate to 
say that if Mr. Melville had treated any of the party badly or had 
shown that he was risking the lives of the party that I would have 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 581 

mutinied on the spot and would have taken command. But Mr. Mel- 
ville behaved [uopeiiy and did everything he could for the safety of 
the party, and I felt unjustified in assuming command and raising a 
mutiny. If there had been any cause for it, any justice m it, I would 
have done it. 

Q. That was on account of the way you felt at what you considered 
your treatment? — A. No. If Mr. Melville had given any good reason 
for my raising a mutiny, I would have done it. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. That is, had shown any incompetency ? — A. Yes ; if he had shown 
any incompetency or had maltreated people under him. I felt so at the 
time and I feel so now. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. While you were on the ship was not the watch kept i)ursuant to 
the order of Lieutenant Chipp of the first of October, 1879, which I show 
you? — A. Yes, sir. Naturally the executive officer makes out the 
routine, and it is submitted to the captain for his approval. 

Q. And that was followed? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. I read this: 

Arctic Steamer Jeannettj^, 1st October, 1879. 
Sir : The following has been the rontiue since the 6th September: 
From 6th to 21st September, inclusive, 4 a. m., call ship's cook ; 6 a. m., all hands 
coffee; 6.30 a. m., turn to, clean deck, wash clothes, break ice in fire-hokl, and exe- 
cute morning orders; 7.30 a. m., oi e watch, breakfast; 8 a. m., other watch, break- 
fast ; 8.30 a. m., turn to, all hands on deck when there was any particular work to be 
done; if not, one w^atch only ; 10 a,. m., forecastle reported ready for inspection. Dur- 
ing forenoon the watch provided the ice or snow for making water, and attended to 
work about ship ; 12 m., watch below, dinner ; 12.30 p. m., relieve watches and other 
watch to dinner ; 11.30, soundings, water temperature every 15 fathoms, sea density ; 
11.45, put over dredge; 1 p. m., turn to and go ahead with any work; all hands, if 
necessary, otherwise w^ith watch ; 4 p. m., haul up dredge, relieve watch; 5.30 p. m., 
watch below, supjier; 6 p. m., relieve watches, otlier watch supper. From to 8 p. 
m. watch on deck, peel vegetables, and collect all buckets and ])ut them on quarter- 
deck, near fire-hole. At 8 p. m. galley (ires out, boatswain and carpenter report, set 
anchor watch of one man, watch lasting two hours. At 9 p. m. put out forecastle lamp. 
From 22d to 30th September, inclusive, the routine has been the same, with the 
exceptions that all hands were called at 7 a.m., the ship's cook being called at 5 a. 
m. One watch did the morning work. The galley fires put out at 6.30, or as soon 
as cabin supper was served, and that the boatswain and carpenter reported their 
departments at 7 p. m. Since the 22d two men have been standing deck watch, 
so that the night anchor watches have been divided among nine men. 
Very respectfully, 

CHAS. W. CHIPP, 
Lieut. ^ Exec. Officer. 

Lieut. George W. De Long. U. S. N., 

Commanding Arctic Steamer Jeannette. 

Q. Recurring to the boats, looking back at it now, was it not a wise 
and proper distribution of the navigating ofiicers of the ship to have 
the first ofQ<3er in one boat, the second officer in another, and tlie third 
officer in another f — A. That is according to the I^avy rules and the 
rules of all merchant ships, too. I restrict my remark to those three 
officers. 

Q. Did you ever say that if some oue had gone with the exile Kus- 
mah that some of the party would have been saved ! — A. I said there 
was a chance of saving some of the party, and I v>ish to explain that 
here. If Mr. Melville or some one had gone with Kusmah, sup[)osing 
that he had been delayed thirteen days when he was on tlie return to 
our village, he would have met JSTindemann and Koros. 



582 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. That is, be miglit have done it? — A. He would have done it pos- 
itively if he had been with Kusmah and they had been delayed that 
loiiij^. But su])pose that Melville had met these two men there, and be 
would probably have some llussiau official with him, or assistance. 
The captain was then about GO miles away. Now, there was a chance 
of arriving in at the death between the 28th of October and the 30tb, 
if the weather and other circumstances bad favored it. Now look at 
the other side of the case. Suppose that Melville or some one else bad 
gone Avith Kusmah ; the chances are that bis journey would have been 
expedited, and that he would have returned by way of Ku Mark Surk 
a number of days before these two men arrived at Ku Mark Surk, and 
would have missed them, and we would not have received intelligence 
of the party as soon as we did, so it is speculation on both sides. I 
talked freely about it with Mr. Jaclison. I cannot recollect every de- 
tail I told him. 

Q. Bartlett testified that you advised Mr. Melville not to make the 
attempt to move with the whole party to Bulun before assistance arrived. 
Is that true ? — A. That is true. There we were at Geeomovialocke, the 
party not up to the mark ; the clothing was the same that we bad used 
during the summer ; the cold and stormy weather of October bad set 
in ; we did not know where Bulun was ; we bad no transportation and 
no food ; this man Kusmah was expected back every day, and I told 
Melville I thought it would be unwarrantable in him starting out the 
party in the condition we were in, and that not 25 per cent, of the party 
would reach Bulun in safety. Subsequent experience shows what would 
have been the case, because the very first night we were out one of the 
men broke down and lay in the snow and wanted to die there, and Wil- 
son and I picked him up and put him on the sleigh and got him back 
to the hut. That was Jack Cole. I believe if we bad started out at that 
time most of the party would not have reached Bulun, unless we received 
assistance of which we knew nothing at that time. 

Q. What search did you make for the missing boats ? — A. It has 
been called a wild goose chase, &c., and I would like to explain it. I 
went over to Kusmab's to give him an order to spread the news and 
offer large rewards. I took out the comx)ass, set it up, and he pointed 
to the northeast and said that Barkin was 50 versts away, that is, 33 
miles to the northeast. He told me that we had to go to the southeast 
down a river and then swing around to the northward and come up to 
Barkin. That proved true. We bad to do that in that case. I went 
over it and called out all the Eussian names and said 50 versts, and he 
insisted he was right. We went over the charts. I came back to Mel- 
ville and said, "Melville, I have information that Barkin is only 50 
versts distant and I want to go there." He says, ''Ob, nonsense." He 
walked into the bouse. I followed him into the house and said, "Mel- 
ville, you bad better think over it." And I intended it as a threat, be- 
cause it was a serious business. "You bad better think over it before 
you decide." He was at work over bis sleeping bag and be threw down 
his sleeping bag and said, " I will go." Said I, " How is that, Mel- 
ville." He said, " It will never be said Melville was afraid to go any- 
where." " Well," said I, " Melville, it ought never to be said that Mel- 
ville received information, &c., from Danenhower, and be has taken 
advantage of it to go when Danenhower is the nuin to go." He says, 
" It shall never be said that Melville ever stole Danenhower's thunder." 
I laughed outright, and he said, " You go." I said, "All right." I put 
my gun and sleeping bag on the sled and pointed to the village of Arrii. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. UbO 

We went over there and the natives and I talked over it all the evening, 
and they positively refused to go. They said it would be impossible. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. What cause did they give? — A. They said we would freeze to 
death j that there were no people there ; there was nothing to the north- 
ward. 

Q. Nothing at Barkin*? — A. Yes, sir; I made up my mind to take a 
couple of fish and take my gun on my shoulder and start, and I was 
sure that they would follow me because they would not have allowed 
any white man to have gone by himself. They would either have 
brought me back by force or gone with me ; I knew that. At last they 
agreed to take me to Kahooma. I was not familiar with the place. I 
agreed to go to Kahooma with them next day, and they said it was 
northwest. I went to sleep, got up next morning, was fitted out with 
two dog teams, and Vassili, our first pilot, agreed to take me. We 
started out down the river to the southeast. I was very much sur- 
prised and remonstrated, but he was a very old man, about 70, and I 
knew that he was in our interest and was a kind man. We came right 
back to our village and he pointed over to Kusmah's, and I came back 
and told Melville we were going over to Kusmah's. I felt very much 
annoyed at coming back to the village without results. I said, " We 
are on our way to Kusmah's." We went over to Kusmah's and had a 
long talk, and Vassili agreed to take me to Barkin if I would wait until 
next morning to get another sled. So the other sled came next morn- 
ing. As we started out Kusmah said, ''To the southeast," -and we 
traveled that day until four o'clock over country covered with drift- 
wood, and we arrived at a hut on the Lena River, and he said, " Para- 
hote Lena." Iknew " parahote" meant " steamer," and I understood that 
the steamer Lena had entered there with Kordenskjold or with one of his 
lieuteuants. They pointed to an island and said " Myack." I did not 
quite nnderstand what it was. Here was a high blufi' and we were to 
turn here to go to the northward as Kusmah had told me, but we went 
out to examine the ice and it was really impassable. The next morn- 
ing we made another effort, and I went out with the natives and tried 
to lead them and to be very venturesome, and those two old men ac- 
tually caught me by the arois and pulled me back, thought I was a 
stranger and ignorant of the danger. Then we went back to Kusmah's 
and to Melville, and Melville took no particular interest in it. He simply 
received my report and said, "All right," and expressed no interest 
either way, aud at the time 1 thought it was a little shabby, but it did 
not cause any trouble between us. I said to him, "1 think it is better to 
wait until Kusmah returns, because we cannot carry on a search intel- 
ligently or with any success in this way." We waited a few days longer 
and Kusmah returned. This first search is stated merely to show our 
willingness to search ; that is all. We thought of our comrades and 
we wanted to assist them all we could. This first search was fruitless 
and did not amount to much, but I relate it because it shows our hearts 
were in the right place. 

Q. Had you been sent with the courier, Kusmah, to Bulun, would you 
have sought, by telegrams to the United States, to displace Mellville 
from the command, as intimated by Bartlett? — A. No, sir; and subse- 
quent experience proves that. I was ordered to Jakutsk by Melville to 
await his coming up. V'/hen I got to Jakutsk, the governor, who was 
all-powerful in that region, said he would forward me to the telegraph 
wire immediately. I felt that it was discourteous to Mr. Melville, and 



584 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

it would be uiidermiuing liim if I took a prominent part in tlie affair 
when I ^Yas ordered tliere in that way, and I never sent a word to the 
United States, and I had every opportunity, until I arrived at Irkutsk, 
where tlie Navy Department first communicated with me, and I never , 
had any idea of going back on Mr. Melville. 

Q. What i)ilot took you to Geeomovialocke? — A. The principal pilot 
was Yasilli Koolgiyork, or William- with the-cut-ear, and he had two as- 
sistants. 

Q. Did Fireman Bartlett i)ilotthe boat over '^ — A. No; Fireman Bart- 
lett was on the bow of the boat with a tent pole, and he followed the 
directions of those aft in sounding. I did not regard him as the pilot. 
On one occasion he did valuable piloting. When we got off" from the 
natives tbat time, and I had steered all day until the snow-storm came 
on, and I asked Leach to take my place, the snow wet my glasses, and 
Bartlett piloted us back. He is entitled to credit for that. 

Q. Did you ever hear Captain De Long swear at Collins or any one of 
the par ty ? — A. No. 

Q. Did you ever drink with enlisted men in the cabin? — A. No. 

Q. What work did Lieutenant Chi[)p dooir the retreat*? — A. Lieuten- 
ant Chipp was sick and i)rostrated during the first three weeks of the 
retreat; 1 think it was about the 4th of July that he came on duty, and 
the doctor and everybody else thought he would break down, but to 
satisfy him he was allowed to go to work, aud that man would trudge 
back and forth in nothmg but a beaver suit; he had obeyed the order 
of the captain to the letter; he had nothing but a beaver suit and a 
black hat ; he would keep u]) and down and direct the men, and the 
men were more cheerful and glad to work under him than anybody else; 
their he took charge of his boat, took charge of the Avhole camp, and per- 
formed his duty to the iullest extent until the day .we separated. 

Q. What work did Melville do all through and oir the retreat! — A. 
Melville, from the time we left San Francisco, was a most efiicient 
officer in every respect, not only in his own department, but when he 
was called upon to do other work he proved himself equal to it; he 
weirt to Henrietta Island ; he attempted first to go with Chipp to Herald 
Island; he succeeded in making a journey to Henrietta Island against 
great difficulties and brought the party back iir safety. On the retreat, 
he first went to work Avith the captain in assorting the provisions, and 
he had charge of a tent ; then when we first started he had charge of 
the working i)arty tramping up and down with them ; he had them under 
his immediate direction; he assisted always in going over rough ])laces, 
and I have often heard him say that with his back under the whale- 
boat he M^ould exert his strength so that every bone in his body would 
feel it, and he is a remarkably strong man. 

Q. Did not Melville sing songs and cheer up his men all the time you 
were on the ice ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he do it at all"? — A. I never heard him sing a song on the ice. 
In a regular matter-of-fact way he went at the work to pull out of the 
difliculty. 

Q. How about Dr. Ambler? — A. I have not finished with Melville. 
Excuse me one moment. After Mr. Melville was relieved from charge 
of the working I)art3^ he took charge of the road gang, and rendered 
efficient duty in that way. He had two men under him on the lines and 
a little dinghy. We took axes and shovels and boat-hooks. He would 
raft in pieces of ice, and make a temporary bridge. 

Q. Now, what do you say about Dr. Ambler's work on the retreat? — 
A. Dr. Ambler always did the best he could and to his utmost capac- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIKY. 585 

ity, I believe. He bud charge of the sick, and lie would advance with 
the hospital sled, and then get up the tent and put Mr. Chipp in it, and 
then he worked on the load gang with pick, ax, and shovels, and he 
would put himself in the harness with the captain on occasions. I think 
he did remarkably well in every way on the retreat. 

Q. And Captain iJunbar. — A. (\aptain Dunbar's services were of the 
greatest value, lie was detaikd U) select the road, he being the man 
of the most experience in ice vn^rk. The old man would shoulder a 
number of pikes in the morning, with black flags on them, and take 
his prismatic compass and start out and would range over the ice in the 
country ahead, so as to pick out Ihe best places. Then he would ])ut 
down his compass and get a southerly course, and plant his flags on a 
southerly course, and when the party came up to those stations he had 
laid out a road ahead. 

Q. What did you tell Jackson about Collin s's prediction ? — A. I told 
him in the spring of 1880 that they were iully realized. At that time 
iuMay wehad the wind lioui ihesouiheast, and wedriiied ujj to the north- 
west. Collins predicted that in June and July w^e would have north- 
west winds, and we watched attentively and sure enough the northwest 
winds came and drifted us right back over the track, and his predic 
tions were fully realized in that case. 

Q. Have you ever been on ships before with civilians ^. — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How many ! — A. I was on a surveying and exploring expedition 
to the Pacific. 1 was two years surveying the islands of the Pacific. 
We had a civilian who could not speak the language when he came to 
us. He came on board and went right into the ward-room mess. 

Q. How were Collins and Newcomb treated as compared with this 
gentleman that you speak of by the ward room mess? — A. They were 
not treated as well personally, for this reason. This gentleman came on 
board and affiliated with the officers at once. He commanded their re- 
spect. They treated him with good fellowship. I had another case the 
same way. • 

Q. You only speak of it in respect to the unwillingness of Collins to 
affiliate with the officers ? — A. That disposition was shown by him. 

Q. I^ow were you before the court of inquiry 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you testify fully and freely before that court, without intimi- 
dation I— A. Yes. 

Q. Did you suppress anything that you believed pertinent to that in- 
quiry ? — A. No, sir; 1 answered the questions that were asked of me 
and did not volunteer much because I thought it was not right to do so, 
but here I think it is. 

Q. Did you on that investigation ask to have counsel *? — A. I had 
counsel at that time during my absence, and it was given to me. Lieut. 
Richard Wainwright looked out for my interests while I was away. 

Q. Was that done in accordance with a request which you made and 
which you presented in writing? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will read that request. (Reading:) 

Chadd's Ford, Penna., Nor 4th, 1882. 
Commo. Wm. G. Temple, 

Pres. Jeannette Board of Inquiry, Washington, D. C. : 

Sir: In view of the importance of the subject under investigation I wonlrl respect- 
fully ask to be represented by a counsel before^ the Board of Inquiry of which you are 
the presiding officer. My absence is caused by having made important business en- 
gagements before the resolution of Congress was passed or contemplated. I wish to 
fullill the engagement if possible, and think it is my duty to do so. I therefore respect- 



586 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

fully request that Lieut. Richard Wainwright, U. S. Navy, be permitted to represent 
me before the Board of Inquiry and in case his other duties prevent his being present 
that he be allowed to appoint a deputy. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, 

JNO. W. DANENHOWER, 

Lieut. U. S. N. 

Q. Is there anything else you would like to state? — A. I would like 
to state my object in employing counsel. That court was to pass judg- 
ment on the conduct of the officers and the men ; therefore I was inter- 
ested. I was free to state that during my sickness I was unable to ren- 
der the expedition any service whatever and 1 was a drag upon the ex- 
pedition going over the ice. I was not permitted to work, but I wished 
to have my situation shown and the services I rendered in the boat and 
on the delta and in Siberia that they might meet with such commenda- 
tion as they deserved. I was looking out for my own interests j that 
was all. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you write or sign an account of the difficulties between Col- 
lins and De Long? — A. I did. 

Q. Did you write it ? — A. I signed it. 

Q. Who wrote it ? — A. Lieutenant Chipp. 

Q. Where is that paper ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Where did you last see it? — A. The day it was written I felt it. 
Signed it. I never saw it. 

Q. To whom did you give it ? — A. To Lieutenant Chipp. 

Q. In reference to the interview at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, have you 
had any new light since that interview as to what you said on that oc- 
casion ? — A. ISTo ; it is made more obscure by the statements of others. 

Q. In your judgment, is your memory more correct now as to what 
you said at that interview than it was at the time of the interview? — A. 
i suppose if I had been called upon one hour after the interview I could 
not have related it in detail. 

Q. That is not my question. In your judgment, is your memory more 
correct now in regard to what you said at that interview than it was 
then ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What you said at that interview was true, was it ? — A Yes, sir. 

Q. Whatever your recollection of it may be, whatever you said was 
true ? — A. Was certainly intended to be true. 

Q. While you were sulfering physically from the effects of the voyage, 
and from the immediate ailment of your eyes, you were in full posses- 
sion of your mental faculties? — A. I believe I wns, fully. 

Q. It is true, as matter of fact, that Dr. Collins and his brother, B. A. 
Collins called on you at the Fiftli Avenue Hotel, is it ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. It is true, as matter of fact, that they had an interview with you 
there ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. It is i)erfectly natural that they should have come there to inquire 
about their brother, is it not ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. It is true, as matter of fact, they did inquire about their 
brother ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It is true, as matter of fact, that they si)oke of the charges that 
they had seen in the newspaiiers against their brother? — A. I cannot 
say that it was. 

Q. That they had read in the newspapers? — A. No, sir; I do not 
think it was founded on newspapers. I do not think anything had been 
published at that time. 

Q. Did they say anything to you about any charges that they had 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 587 

heard from any source against tbeir brother 1 — A. They spoke of the 
trouble. 

Q. No matter where they derived their information of any trouble 
that they understood as having existed between Captain De Long and 
their brother, did they speak of it? — A. I suppose the^^ must have 
done so. 

Q. Did they or not? — A. 1 do not know. I think that I spoke to 
them about it first, from this fact : My brother-in-law came in and said 
he met a man 

Q. (Interposing.) Never mind that. Be as brief as you can. I want 
to make your examination as brief as possible. You think you spoke 
to them about the trouble ? — A. I think I said something. 

Q. There is no doubt you did speak to them about the trouble ? — A. 
There is no doubt that we talked on the subject. 

Q. Whether they suggested it or you. Did you or not say that Mr. 
Collins on that ship had led a hell of a life? — A. I believe I did not in 
that way. 

Q. You believe you did not. What is your positive recollection on 
that subject ? — A. I have no positive recollection of ever having said 
that of Collins. 

Q. Will you swear positively that you did not ? — A. I can swear that 
I believe I did not. I cannot swear that I did not. 

Q. But if you did say that you intended to tell the truth, did you 
not ? — A. I intended to tell the truth. 

Q. And if you did say at that time that he had led a hell of a life you 
believed it? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. This new light that you spoke of had not then began to dawn, 
had it?— A. No. 

Q. Did you say in words or substance that Collins had led a hell of 
a life on board the ship, and if you had been in his place you would 
have gone over the ship's side ? — A. I do not believe I did. 

Q. You do not believe you did ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Will you swear that you did not ? — A. I realize the fact that if 
two men can swear that I said it it will be received as a legal truth. 
Now, I do not know what I said at that interview. 1 intended to tell 
the truth. I am ready to stand by what 1 said. 

Q. I concede that you do, and it is because I concede that you do that 
I put these questions to you injustice to you. I now ask you, will you 
swear that you did not say in words or substance that if you had been 
in Collins's place you would have gone over the ship's side? — A. lean- 
not swear that .1 did not say it. 

Q. Wdl you swear ? — A. I believe fully that I did not say it, but I 
cannot swear. 

Q. But if you did say that you would have gone over the ship's side 
you meant it as an illustration of and a comment upon the nature of 
the treatment that Collins had received. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that is not a fair question to be put where 
a witness says that he did not say he said a thing. 

Mr. CuETis. He will not swear that he did not say it. 

Mr. Arnoux. He has sworn to the best of his recollection and belief 
that he did not say it. 

Mr. McAdoo. I think it is fairly within the latitude of cross-exami- 
nation. 

Mr. Arnoux. Very well, then. 

Mr. Curtis. I will withdraw the question and put it in another shape, 
so that there cannot be the shadow of a quibble. 



588 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Will you swear positively that you did not state in the presence 
of Dr. Collins and bis brother at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, at the inter- 
view about whicli you have been asked by your counsel that Collins had 
led a hell of a life on board that ship, and if you had been in his place 
you would have gone over the ship's side! — A. I will swear that I do 
not believe that I ever said it. I cannot swear that I did not say it. 

Q. iS'ow, at this interview as you have stated, you intended to tell the 
truth in whatever you said, did jou not ? — A. 1 did, but I exaggerated 
perhaps like other people — used metaphor. 

Q. You intended to tell the truth !— A. I intended to tell the truth. 

Q. You did not intend to tell a falsehood ; you do not in matters of 
ordinary talk indulge in exaggerations ? — A. 1 do sometimes in ordinary 
conversation. 

Q. That is your habit ? — A. I cannot say it is my habit. It is done 
by me sometimes. 

Q. Now, are you as positiv^e about what you said at that interview as 
you are about anything else that you have stated in the course of this 
examination ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then you are more positive about a great many things that oc- 
curred years before this interview than you are of the conversation that 
occurred at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, which was months later ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. I believe you are stiil in the Navy ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In the line of promotion ! — A. In the line of promotion, 

Q. During the pendency of this investigation have you had any con- 
versation with the Secretary of the Navy ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. During the pendency of this investigation have you and Mr. Mel- 
ville been assisting Mr. Arnoux in the conduct ot his side of the exam- 
ination ? — A. I answered that aflirmatively the other day. 

Q. And you answer it aftirmatively now ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you had a letter here the other day from Dr. Collins? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you it now ? — A. It is on the record. 

Q. (Submitting a paper.) That is the letter, is it '? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I want to confine you to the letter now. Will you be kind enough 
to point out to me anywhere in the letter any denial by Dr. Collins that 
you made the statement at the Fifth Avenue Hotel which you swore 
to ? — A. There is no such statement in the letter. 

I feci very sorry that a simple explanation of mine that I urged an investigation 
from general news received from Siberia 

That is stated there. Before this committee he says he urged the in- 
vestigation on what I told him. There is a conflict of testimony. 

Q. Is what he has said as clear in your mind as any of these other 
facts you have testified about? — A. No, sir j I must say it is not as clear 
as the facts on board the Jeannette. 

Q. That letter is dated long before this investigation began. It was 
dated August 3, 1883, nearly nine months before this investigation be- 
gan and that was before Dr. Collins received the other information that 
he stated in his evidence, was it not? — A. I do not know. 

Q. I am examining you about this in order to do justice to you. Now, 
did you not write to l)r. Collins prior to receiving this note and say 
that you personally had felt aggrieved about something that it was al- 
leged he had stated about a newspaper reporter ? — A. To the best of 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 589 

my recollectiou I iDeiitioiied it in a letter to Bernard Collins. I think 
I iiad no communication with Dr. Collins. 

Q. To the best of your knowledge you mentioned in a letter to Bernard 
Collins that you had felt aggrieved by reason of some matter that had 
appeared in a newsi)aper alleged to have emanated from Dr. Collins "? — 
A. Such may have been the case. 

Q. And Dr. Collins received that letter from his brother? — A. I do 
not know. 

Q. Can you account for the receipt of this letter in any other w^ay? — 
A. No. But Dr. Collins may have the letters right here. I cannot say 
what I wrote to either of them now. 

Q. Now, will you swear positively that you did not write to Dr. Col- 
lins direct 1 — A, No, I will not ; it is impossible. 

Q. Is it not the truth that you did write to him direct '? — A. I do not 
know. 

Q. Is it not the truth that you did write to him direct, and that this 
letter was in response to your direct letter "? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Now, lieutenant, these are matters that have happened compara- 
tively recently and you have given with a great deal of vividness inci- 
dents and details that have happened two or three years ago *? — A. 
Perfectly. They are stereotyped on my mind. 

Q. And this correspondence that affected your position in the expe- 
dition and that reflected upon your [)ersonal conduct in the expedition 
were not stereotyped on your mind "? — A. No, sir. You imagine a 
man coming from desolation right into active life 

Q. (Interposing.) Yes or no. Do not let us get into an argument, 
because time is fleeting. — A. Will you please repeat the question ? 

Q. I say you have stated here with a great deal of distinctness and 
vividness of recollection, as you claim, incidents and details that took 
place in reference to the expedition one and two years before this cor- 
respondence, and you say those were stereotyped upon your memory. 
Now, I ask you, was not a correspondence that involved your position 
in the expedition, and your honor, perhaps, as an officer, or your 
efficiency as an officer, of a much later date, equally stereotyped on 
your memory I — A. I do not regard the transaction in that way. 

Q. Yes; but you regarded the transaction of sufficient importance 
to preserve this letter? — A. I preserved all my letters at that time, and 
I have found another letter from Mr. Collins. I found some from Ber- 
nard (Collins which I do not know whether they have been destroyed or 
not. I keep my letters about two years and then destroy them. 

Q. Now, I ask you to point out in itself one single word or sentence 
in that letter from Dr. Collins to you in which Dr. Collins withdraws 
in any way any statement of his that you told him and his brother at 
the Fifth Avenue Hotel that Collins had led a hell of a life on board 
the ship, and if you had been in his place you would have gone over 
the ship's side; if you can i)oint out any single word do so. — A. I say 
there is no such word in the letter. But my purpose in presenting 
this letter is Mr. Collins states freely and voluntarily in it : 

I feel very sorry that a simple explanation of mine that I urged an investigation 
from general news received from Siberia and what I read in the papers should bo 
manufactured into a sensational story into which your name and that of Dr. Newcomb 
were without warrant drawn. 

There was no warrant for bringing my name in, as he urged. 

Q. That was written in August, 1882. This investigation commenced 
in the month of April, 1884, so that letter is about a year and nine 
months old, and long before Collins received the information on which 



590 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

in liis teslimony Le states be acted. When you got that letter you 
tliought that Dr. Collins had a kindly feeling towards you, did jou 
not^— A. Perfectly. 

Q. You thought that his object in writing that letter was to do you a 
service, did jou nof?— A. One moment. I afterward wrote him and 
asked if I was at liberty to publish that letter, and he said I was at 
perfect liberty to do so. 

Q. How was it a little while ago you did not remember writing at 
all ! — A. That has been recalled to me. 

Q. There is new light on that '?— A. Yes. I wrote him a letter thank- 
ing him for it and asking if I could publish it, and he replied that I 
could publish it or do what I wanted with it, and I considered that a 
news])aper yarn was not sufficiently important to go any further about, 
and the thing dropped out of my mind. 

Q. You considered that a letter from a gentleman who did not desire 
any injustice done to you, did you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. ]&ow, lieutenant, are you a practical photographer? — A. I was an 
amateur, but I have forgotten it. 

Q. My dear lieutenant, that is not the question I have asked you. — 
A. I am not. 

Q. During the greater portion of the time that you were attached to 
this expedition was not your j)rincipal health of such a nature, and was 
not the trouble with your eyes of such a nature, that you were unable 
actively to do duty ? — A. I was confined for eighteen months in a dark 
room. 

Q. Then, while you were confined during that eighteen months in a 
dark room, you were not making many photographs, were you I — A. 
That goes without saying, sir. 

Q. While you were confined for eighteen months in a dark room, you- 
were not making any observations'? — A. That goes without saying;! 
no, sir. ' 

Q. And of course, in making photographs and in making observa- 
tions, it is essential to have correct eyesight, is it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, during the whole of that expedition, and even up to this 
time, your eyesight has not been fully restored in both eyes, has it? — 1 
A. In both eyes, no. f ' 

Q. And do you know, as a medical fact, that what is supposed to be 
a sound eye often suffers in sympathy with the diseased one! — A. Ves, 
sir. 

Q. And do you not know that a i)erson so afflicted may believe that 
he is m.jking correct observations when in point of fact he is not? — A.|j 
I never made any observations when I was so afflicted. - 

Q. You are still afflicted, are you not ? — A. Yes, sir. I never made 
any observations while I was so afflicted. 

Q. For instance, in order to make correct photographic representa- 
tions it requires accuracy of the eye, does it not ? — A. Not particularly. 

Q. Does it in general? — A. Near-sighted and long-sighted men make 
I)hotographs. 

Q. Y^es; but a long-sighted or a near-sighted man necessarily is not 
a man suffering from disease of the eye, is he? — A. Yes ; he is suffering 
from some organic trouble, i)erhaps. Sometimes disease causes it, but 
it is generally organic;. Jll 

Q. Now tell me oa how many occasions, to your personal knowledge^! 
Mr. Collins failed when he attempted to take a photograph ; when was 
the first time? — A. All I know is that Collins could not develop a 
plate. 



I 



JEANNLTTE INQUIRY. 591 

Q. No, no. You are a very intelligent man. I do not want your 
general opinion or your general observation or your general judgment 
or your conclusion. When, as ujatter of fact, was the first time, to 
your own knowledge, that he failed to develop a plate? — A. My exact 
recollection is it was about the bear scene. 

Q. When was that? — A. That was in September or the early days of 
October, 1879. But before that time something had taken place wMcli 
I cannot fix just at present. 

Q. I am speaking of your positive knowledge. Now, from your posi- 
tive knowledge, give me the first time;, do you say it was the bear 
scene? — A. There was a time before that that I cannot fix. 

Q. W^here? — A. Between St. Lawrence Bay and the bear scene. 

• Q. When and where ? — A. I cannot remember. 

Q. Who can testify about it besides yourself? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Is there a living being can do it ? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Have you heard a living being testify to it in this investigation ? — 
A. No, sir; they were not asked. 

Q. You are aware, of course, on that point that Mr. Collins is not here 
to contradict you ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q, Where is your ice journal? — A. At home. 

Q. Did you say you would bring it ? — A. No, sir ; I was not asked to 
bring it. 

Q. Will you bring it to-morrow? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Please state when and where, before the bear scene, to your knowl- 
edge, Mr. Collins failed to effect a i>hotograph ? — A. I cannotstate time 
and place. 

Q. In what way did he fail to take the photograph of the bear scene ? — 
A. He exposed the plate 

Q. (Interposing.) Were you present? — A. Yes; I took the things on 
the sled and carried them out for him. 

Q. Who were present besides yourself ? — A. During that transaction 
Lieutenant Chipp, Captain De Long, Mr. Dunbar, Mr. Melville, and 
probably two-thirds of the men were thereabout. They dragged the 
bears back. 

Q. Thej^ were where they could hear as clearly as you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was the failure to take the photograph at that time the result of 
a defect in the apparatus or a deficiency in the apparatus, or was it the 
result or want of ability in Mr. Collins ? — A. Mr. Collins exposed the 
plate and carried it back to the ship, but did not develop it. That is all 
I know about it. 

Q. Have you ever heard Mr. Melville's evidence on that point? — A. 
I heard something; I do not remember what it was. 

Q. Did you not hear Mr. Melville say that the reason why he failed 
to develop the negative was that he had not the proper apparatus? — 
A. 1 do not think I heard Mr. Melville say that. 

Q. If he did say so are you prepared to say that it was not true ? — 
A. I would not say one way or the other. 

Q. Are you now prepared to say that the reason why the photograph 
was not develox)ed was not on account of a defect or a deficiency in the 
apparatus ? — A. I would not say either way. I know nothing about 
that. 

Q. If it was the result of a defect or a deficiency in the apparatus, 
you would not attribute the failure to develop the negative to want of 
ability on the part of Mr. Collins, would you ? — A. If these conditions 
were true, I should say no. 



592 JEAN^ETTE l^C^JIRY. 

Q. Do you know of any otlier occasion. If so, name the time and place 
and state who were preseot. — A. I have no accurate knowledge. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, all you have to support your statement that 
Mr. Collins was unable to take photographs properly is what you have 
stated in relation to the bear scene, is it not ? — A. No, sir j it is not. 

Q, Well, what else ? — A. Mr. Collins came to me on this previous 
occasion before the bear hunt. He had attempted to take a picture. I 
cannot specify day and date. He had taken i^lates and could not de- 
velop them. He came to me and asked about a developer, and I said, 
" Is there not a developer with the plates ; did they not give you a for- 
mula for mixing a developer^" and I sent him back to look for it. I 
told him, '^Now you look well; open each package and you may find a 
developer there." 1 said to him, ''Did you ask Bradly & Kulofson to 
give you a developer"?" and he did not remember it. I said, " Open 
every box of plates and see if there is a memorandum of a formula 
there," and he came back and told me there was none, and I said, ''The 
best thing we can do is to take the developer for the Beachy plates and 
lor the American emulsion process, and see if we cannot hit on one by 
experimenting," and he and I experimented a long while in mixing ma- 
terial for developing that plate. We did not succeed. 

Q. Then both you and he did not succeed because of tbe absence of a 
developer? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did he not complain to you that the reasons why he did not 
develop the negative was because of the absence of the proper devel- 
oper? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was not that a fact?— A. The fact was he overlooked it in San 
Francisco. 

Q. Did be tell you he overlooked it t — A. I do not know whether he 
said it in those Avords. I asked him if he spoke (o Bradly & Kulofson 
about it, and he did not seem to have any knowledge of the absence of 
the developer. It is fair to him to say that he expected simply to ex- 
pose the plates and bring them back to the United States to have them 
developed. But that was not what the captain wanted. There is no 
use of simi)ly exposing plates. You have to get the proper time in get- 
ting the exposure, and an immense amount of chemicals was i)repared 
so that we could mix the develoi)ers and see what we were doing, how 
w^e were x^rogressing ; but the key-note to the whole thing was gone, so 
to speak. 

Q. Have you any other information or light to throw on that subject 
to justify your statement of the otber day that Mr. Collins was incom- 
petent as a i>botographer ? — A. Mr. Collins showed complete ignorance 
of the subject to me. 

Q. I do not want your general observations ; I do not want your judg- 
ment or conclusion 5 1 do not want your argument. I want facts. Now, 
you have given tbe fact of tbe bear scene. You have given tbe tact of 
the interview tbat took ])l;ice, as you alleged, between Mr. Collins and 
yourself, and tbe failure of both of you to develop tbe negative and the 
reason for it—the absence of tbe developer. 1 do not want any conclu- 
sions of yours. I want any otber fact within your knowledge. — A. The 
fact witbin my knowledge is tbat Collins demonstrated to me fully tbat 
he knew nothing of tbe subject, and ] submit to tbe committee if tbat 
is not the correct answer. 

Mr. Curtis. No, sir ; I want a fact, not what he demonstrared to you ^ 
as your conclusions. ^m 

The Chairman. What is it you want ? ^ 

Mr. Curtis. I asked him to state a time and place when Mr. Collins 






JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 593 

proved himself iDcompetent to take a photograph. He first said that 
there was a time before the bear scene, and he could not name time or 
place. Then he said, in speaking of the bear scene, that he was unable 
to say whether his failure to take the negative was the result of a defect 
of the apparatus, or a deficiency in the apparatus, or a want of ability. 
Now, if he has any other fact, such as the bear scene, let him state it ; 
but I do object to his stating his general judgment and opinion of Mr. 
Collins's ability. That is for the committee. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Did he attempt to take a photograph of anything and fail ; and, if 
so, when and where, and under what circumstances ? — A. He attempted 
to take a photograph on several different occasions. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Were you present on those occasions ? — A. I was present. I can- 
not specify them day and date. 

Q. Was anybody else present who can testify ? — A. I expect there 
were people present ; I do not know, sir; naturally there were people. 
I think that he tried to take pictures at Serdze Kamen, and, I think, 
also at Saint Lawrence Bay, but lam not positive. I know that 1 talked 
with Collins frequently. He came to me for instruction and advice, and 
I was of the firm belief, from the facts that were right before my eyes, 
that Mr. Collins knew nothing of the subject practically, and that is a 
fact. 

Q. And you differed from Collins on some other matters too *? — A. 
No ; not necessarily. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. This was the fact : That you and Mr. Collins joined all the knowl- 
edge you had and failed ? — A. And failed. 

Mr. Curtis. By reason of the absence of the developer ? 

The Witness. But, judge, let me explain. Mr. Collins furnished this 
apparatus at San Francisco, and it was under his direction. I had noth- 
ing whatever to do with it. If I had ordered the plates from San Fran- 
cisco I would have known how to develop them. I would have gone 
right into Bradley & Eulofson's dark room and learned to develop the 
plates that were furnished me. Collins brought me strange plates and 
wanted me to develop them if I could. I could have developed Beachy 
or American emulsion plates. I was totally ignorant of Bradley & 
Eulofson's process. He wanted me to help him out to the best of my 
ability, and I did so, and we both failed. 

Q. You had the Beachy plates, then ? — A. We had a few left of the 
English plates. 

Q. Did you attempt to use them '^ — A. I attempted to use them in 
Saint Lawrence Bay, and I met with success. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, are you aware that the success of photographic experiments 
in those high latitudes depends more or less upon the atmosphere, and 
is more or less affected by the high latitude ? — A. The intensity of light 
there. 

Q. Exactly ; and a negative that is usually developed in a more south- 
ern latitude it is almost impossible to develop in the higher one at times. 
Is not that so ■? — A. Depending on the temperature, sir, 
38 J Q* 



594 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Exactly. Now, are you aware that Captain De Long, in his orig- 
inal journal, said, in speaking of Mr. OoJlins : 

He has a large fund of general information, and will make a name for himself in the 
Arctic, I am sure. 

A. I am not aware of it; no, sir. 

Q. Or that he ever said or wrote anything like that? — A. No, sir; I 
never was aware of it. 

Q. Are you aware that he ever wrote or said : 

He has seemingly mastered photography already. 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, if that was really the opinion of Captain DeLong, and if he 
really expressed that opinion, whether in his original journal or in any 
letter, would you put your judgment against his on that subject? — A. 
Yes, sir ; I knew more about photography than Captain De Long. I 
had had lessons and had made pictures, and the captain never had, to 
the best of my knowledge. I w^ould have been warranted in putting my 
judgment against the captain's in such a case. 

Mr. Arnoux. This happens to be a letter written March 25, 1879, to 
Mr. Bennett. 

The Witness. I cannot corroborate Captain De Long in that. Col- 
lins was a man of general information and very bright. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You are not aware that in a letter to Mr. Bennett he expressed 
that opinion, are you! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, I want to know if there is a single person connected with 
that expedition who is now alive, who has either testified here or not, 
who can in any way corroborate you in your statement as to Mr. Col- 
lins's ability as a photographer ? — A. Mr. Melville can, and Mr. New- 
comb can, I have no doubt. 

Q. Then you are content to rest with the corroboration of Mr. Mel- 
ville, are you ? — A. And Mr. Newcomb, if he is cross-examined on the 
subject. 

Q. Are you aware that Mr. Melville testified that the failure to take the 
photograph was caused by the absence of the developer? — A. No, sir; I 
am not aware of that. 

Q. If he did so testify in words or substance, is that true or not ? — 
A. I cannot say. If the developer had been there, perhaps the man 
would not have been able to have developed the picture. I do not 
know, sir. 

Q. With your knowledge of photography, which you say is superior 
to that of Captain De Long, and which we will assume is perfect for 
the purposes of the question, are you i^repared to swear that those 
plates, in the event of the return of the ship from those high lati- 
tudes to this country, could not have been developed here ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you not know that they could have been ? — A. No ; I do not. 
If they had been exposed thirtj^ seconds too long, they would not have 
been able to develop them. 

Q. I am not asking if they had been exposed thirty seconds or fifteen 
seconds too long. I ask you from your knowledge as an amateur photog- 
rapher, would it not have been possible to have developed those plates 
on the return to the United States in case the ship had come back in 
safety ? — A. I do not know ; I cannot tell. 

Q. In reference to that dispute between you and Mr. Collins as to the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 595 

course, I believe I interrogated you the other day ? — A. There was no 
dispute between Mr. Collins and myself as to the course. 

Q. Did you not charge Mr. Collins with an error? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In what*? — A. In marking the direction of the wind. It was not 
a dispute. 

Q. He took a different view from you, did he not *? — A. I do not know 
about it being a dispute. 

Q. He took a different view from you, did he not ? — A. I do not know 
that he did. 

Q. Have you not so sworn ? — A. In that case I simply said, " Collins, 
I want to call your attention to a marking in the log." 

Q. What I want you to answer me is this: Have you not already 
sworn, in the presence of this committee, in answer to a question that I 
put to you on that subject, that there was a difference of opinion be- 
tween you ? — A. A difference of opinion ; yes, sir, 

Q. Now, in your judgment, is your knowledge of those things so per- 
fect that you are infallible *? — A. In regard to applying the variation of 
the compass in correcting the magnetic direction of the wind I am war- 
ranted in saying that it is infallible. 

Q. Did you hear Mr. Boutelle, one of the committee, make a state- 
ment in regard to that? — A. I did not. 

Q. If his view was different from yours then he is not infallible 1 — A. 
I do not know to what you refer. Specify it. 

Qc This very particular thing. 

Mr. Arnoux. I deny that he said anything of the kind. He has not 
said anything that would conflict with what Mr. Danenhower has said 
was the question between Collins and himself. 

Mr. Curtis. He directly contradicted it. 

Mr. Arnoux. Then the record will show it. 

Mr. Curtis. All I wish to show is, that there was a difference of opin- 
ion between the two. Heave it to the committee to say who was right. 
I cannot spend the time on anything that is not material. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Mr. Collins, you say, was in charge of the observatory ? — A. Yes ; 
for a limited time. 

Q. Did you not state to Mr. Jackson in Siberia that Mr. Collins's pre- 
dictions were verified? — A. I stated that Mr. Collinses predictions in 
the spring of 1880, were fully realized. 

Q. And that is true, is it? — A. That is true. 

Q. What do you mean by the expression demagnetization of the 
needle? — A. Simply depriving the needle of its magnetism by taking a 
strong magnet and rubbing it over the needle and the stronger magnet 
will take up the magnetism of the needle. 

Q. The greater will absorb the less ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Isow do you claim that Mr. Collins was ignorant of the way in 
which to do that ? — A. 'No, sir ; I said that I knew nothing of that sub- 
ject. I was asked if I knew anything about it Tind said no. 

Q. Did you understand that Collins was keeping a large book ? — A. 
I have so stated before the committee. 

Q. Do you know what became of that book?— A. No, sir. 

Q. If you, for a period of eighteen months, were in such a physical 
condition that you were confined in a dark room, and deprived of the 
privilege of mixing generally with the ship's company, how is it that 
you are able to state what took place during that period of time in ref- 
erence to the ship's company? — A. Almost every day some one would 



596 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

come down to see me, and have a chat, and my mind and memory were 
very clear and retentive at that time, and these people would keep me 
fully informed of what was going on. 

Q. Then, your means of knowledge as to what took place during your 
confinement in the dark room was derived from the conversations you 
had with the ship's company? — ^A. With the officers, i)rincipally, and 
what I heard. 

Q. And, of course, as to what you heard, and what it related to, or 
what it concerned, you are now dependent on your recollection"? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Has it occurred to you, during the progress of this examination, 
that your recollection in many respects is faulty ? — A. Things have been 
brought to my notice that I had forgotten entirely — trivial matters. 

Q. And is it not true that in reference to a great many matters about 
which you have been asked, your recollection has been faulty ? — A. Yes, 
sir ; in respect to little difficulties and controversies that have gone out 
of my mind, and I am free to admit that when the Court of Inquiry fin- 
ished the subject, I do not suppose I thought of it for a year. I kept 
it out of my mind as much as possible. I condensed everything of im- 
portance on the subject, and tried to retain that in my mind. Other 
little things have gradually slipped away from me as time has pro- 
gressed. 

Q. I understood you to say the other day that after Captain De Long 
had called the attention of Collins to the matter of the morning saluta- 
tion, Collins was very particular to be polite in his deportment to the 
captain 1 — A. That is true. 

Q. Now, I wish to call your attention, in this connection, to page 304 
of the Court of Inquiry Record, Exhibit N K, a report to the Secretary 
of the Navy from George Melville, which you say, as I understand you, 
is correct. In that report this language occurs : 

Nindemann and Noros arrived at Boloenga on October 29 for relief for the first cut. 
ter, all of whom are in a sad condition and in danger of starvation, all badly frozen. 

Now, if it is true they were not frozen, would you say that report 
was correct ! — A. It would not be correct. But Mr. Melville was re- 
porting to the Department what the men told him, and it was based on 
their report. Asa matter of fact, if it was found that the men were not 
frozen, it would not have been correct. 

Q. How do you know that Nindemann told Melville that he was 
frozen ? — A. I do not know it. 

Q. Then, if he was not frozen^ and did not tell him so, it could not be 
correct, could it? — A. It could not be correct. 

Q. Now, I want to call your attention to the memorandum at page 320, 
of the same record, and ending at the foot of page 323. I would like to 
have you point out any language alleged to have been used by Collins 
to Cai>tain De Long that, in your judgment, is insubordinate or disre- 
spectful !— • A. (Reading :) 

He answered curtly, " Well, perhaps I might have done it quicker, but I did not 
know my minutes were counted for me." 

On board a merchant ship or naval ship, such a remark from a subor- 
ainate to the comn^ audi ng officer would not have been considered proper. 

Q. Why not? You will observe that the word "curtly" is used by 
Captain De Long. — A. I have to take this as it stands. 

Q. Well, as it stands, the word " curtly" is used by Captain De Long, 
is it not! — A. Yes, sir. Well, in the ordinary natural order of things 
it is not expected that a subordinate will speak that way to the command 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY 597 

ing officer when he calls his attention to some infraction of dnty, or some- 
thing of that kind. 

Q. Is it possible that there is any rule or regulation that governs the 
Nav}^ that alters or changes or revolutionizes the construction or mean- 
ing of language? — A. No, sir. But if that language is used to you by 
a clerk in New York you would consider it curt. 

Q. Not if it is true. This is what I want to get at : Is there any rule 
that appertains to the Navy, or governs the Navy, that permits its offi- 
cers to put their own construction upon the language of seamen or in- 
ferior officers"? — A. It is for the commanding officer. 

Q. Then I understand you to say that there is a rule and a regulation 
of the Navy that permits a commanding officer to say what language 
is respectful and what language is disrespectful, no matter what the 
fact may be. Is that so ? — A. There is no rule or regulation on the sub- 
ject. The captain of the ship is the head of the ship, and such matters 
are left to his judgment, to be sustained or to be reported against ad- 
versely, if it is of a serious character, by a court that follows. 

Q. Then I understand you to say that if the captain, in his judgment, 
sees tit to deem language disrespectful, the language is disrespectful, 
irrespective of the words used *? — A. No, sir. He can hold the subordi- 
nate responsible for the language, that is all 5 call him to account for it. 

Q. Now, that is one instance of what you call disrespectful language. 
Show me another? — A. This is a remark of the captain. (Reading :) 

I have seen fit to issue an order that everybody should go on the ice from 11 to 1, 
and your coming in the cabin and remaining uJQtil 12.20 is a violation of my order 
that I will neither submit to nor permit you to continue. I have noticed for several 
days that you were longer than necessary in taking the noon observations, and to-day 
I satisfied myself on the subject. 

He replied: **0h, very well; if you are satisfied, of course I have nothing to say. 
I was not aware (or ''I did not know") it was necessary to follow me up." 

Q. Now, in the first place, take the statement of the captain. Do 
you not consider that an aggressive statement on his part ? — A. It was 
aggressive in the sense of calling him to account. 

Q. Do you not think from that statement that the attitude of the cap- 
tain in making the statement and the charge that it implies that it was 
aggressive towards Mr. Collins ? — A. Well, I do not think it is right to 
use the term aggressive in a case of that sort. 

Q. I ask you yes or no, what you think? — A. No; I do not think, in 
the ordinary sense of the word, it is aggressive. 

Q. In what way do you consider that reply disrespectful! — A. If 1 
had heard it on the deck of any ship, if the parties were total strangers 
to me, I should have said it was disrespectful. 

Q. I do not ask you to say what you would have said. I ask you to 
say now in what way is that disrespectful? — A. He told his command- 
ing officer 

Q. (Interposing.) Read the words? — A. The captain said: 

I have noticed for several days that you were longer than necessary in taking the 
noon observations, and to-day I satisfied myself on the subject. 

He replied: ''Oh, very well; if you are satisfied, of course I have nothing to say. 
I was not aware (or "I did not know") it was necessary to follow me up." 

Q. Exactly. Is there anything disrespectful in that ? — A. I should 
say so. 

Q. You would ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you think your judgment is as accurate in regard to other 
matters where you have been asked your opinion as it is in regard tc 
that? — A. In other matters it is better, in my judgment. 



598 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Then, in a comparative point of view your judgment is not so 
^ood upon this question ? — A. Not so good as it is in some other cases; 
for example, the correction of tlie compass. I know the easterly varia- 
tion goes to the right and the westerly to the left — regular thumb rule. 

Q. Now point out another place. — A. (Reading :) 

I asked, " What do you niean by that ? " 

He said, "I mean that in taking me to task as you do, you are doing me a great in- 
justice." 

Q. Is there anything improper in that ? — A. Well, no ; I do not think 
under the circumstances there was anything improper in that. (Con- 
tinuing to read:) 

I said, '' As this matter has gone so far, it must go further. Be good enough to re- 
move your coat and sit down." When seated I continued, "Mr. Collins, a represen- 
tation to me of injustice has only to be made in proper language to secure you all the 
justice you want. But I do not like your manner or bearing in talking with me. You 
seem to assume that you are to receive no correction, direction, or dictation from me; 
that your view of an occurrence is always to be taken ; and that if I differ from you 
it is my misfortune, but of no importance to the result." 

Q. Now, one minute right there. Do you consider that statement of 
the captain ag^essive or otherwise? — A. JNot aggressive, in the usual 
sense of the word. 

Q. What in the unusual sense ? — A. In the unusual sense it is aggres- 
sive. 

Q. Now go on. — A. (Reading:) 

He commenced, " I came here supposing " 

I interrupted, ''Never mind that part of it. You are here, in fact, and we will deal 
with the fact." 

He resumed, " I do not like the tone or manner in which you speak to me, and the 
way in which I am taken to task." 

Q. Wbo is speaking there f — A. Mr. Collins. 

Q. Is there anything disrespectful in that ? — A. It depends entirely 
upon the manner and style. I said the same thing once to the captain, 
essentially. 

Q. Well, we cannot photograph the manner here, although we might 
desire to. Read that again so that you will have no doubt about the 
answer. — A. (Reading :) 

I do not like the tone or nianner in which you speak to me, and the way in whUh I 
am taken to task. 

Q. Now, would not you, as an inferior officer, if you felt aggrieved by 
the conduct and the tone and the treatment of your superior officer, be 
very apt to answer in language even more strong than that? — A. I 
have done so ; yes, sir. 

Q. Is there anything in the rules or the regulations of the Navy that 
directs that a man shall lose all manly feeling and resolution and re- 
sentment of wrong ? — A. Nothing whatever. 

Q. Mr. Collins was a gentleman of education. He went there on a 
special mission, did he not ? — A. Mr. Collins was a gentleman of good 
education. 

Q. lie went there on a special mission ? — A. That remains to be 
shown. 

Q. Captain De Long says he did ? — A. Well, then, he did. 

Q. Now, would you regard Mr Collins exactly in the same position, 
liable and subject to the same treatment that you say it is jjroper to give 
even to the seamen ? — A. No, sir ; he did not get it. 

Q. Now I ask is there anything in that answer that you have read 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 599 

that is in the slightest degree insubordinate or disrespectful ? — A. In 
the words there is nothing. It would dei)end on the manner. 

Q. Now I ask you another question. In the statements of Captain 
De Long that you have read is there not very much matter that is cal- 
culated to provoke and irritate Mr. OoHins 1 — A. From what I have just 
read I should have supposed that Captain De Long treated the subject 
very mildly and without much excitement. 

Q. I ask you this question, not your opinion of how he treated; I 
am speaking about the matter; let the matter speak for him, not your 
opinion : In the statements of Captain De Long to Mr. Collins con- 
tained in that memorandum have you not read, and do you not see, 
much matter calculated to provoke and irritate any person ? He made 
him take his coat oft", did he not*? — A. That was a matter of comfort to 
him, sir; he had his fur coat on. Tlie captain Avas considerate of his 
feeling. 

Q. That is your construction of that! — A. Ihat is the only construc- 
tion that can be put on it. He did not want to fight. 

Q. Answer my question. — A. I have lost your question. 

Q< In those statements of De Long to Collins was there not very much 
matter that is calculated to irritate and provoke anybody! — A. I think 
there is not very much. I think " have you lost jour senses" was very 
irritating. 

Q. Now, under the circumstances,. do you not think that Collins's an- 
swers were very mild and temperate and moderate! A man is not 
supposed to lose all his feelings of manhood when he goes on board a 
ship, is he! — A. He never does. Lord Nelson was a good man. 

Q. Do you not think those answers of Collins were temperate and 
moderate ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Point out another place. — A. (Reading:) 

When you say I have violated an order I say I have not. 

Q. Do you consider that disrespectful ! — A. I think it is entirely un- 
necessary. 

Q. Do you consider it disrespectful! — A. That is according to the 
way in which it is said. 

Q. As it appears there, do you consider it disrespectful ! — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Then, when Captain De Long charged him with an offense, and 
he said, " I have not committed that offense," the denial of the com- 
mission of the offense, in your judgment, was disrespectful ! — A. In this 
connection. We must give the connection. The captain says : 

When I say that by remaining in the cabin as you did to-day you violated my 
orders you continue to contradict me. 

The captain did not speak much louder than I do at present 
Q. Does that appear from what you are reading ! — A. No, sir; but I 
was witness to and heard it. 

Q. Be kind enough to confine yourself to that record ! — A. (Bead- 
ing :) 

When I say that by remaining in the cabin as you did to-day you violated my 
orders you continue to contradict me. 

Q. In that did not the captain assume that, he had contradicted 
him ! — A. No, sir ; it was obvious ; it was a matter of fact right under 
the captain's eye. 

Q. That is your opinion ! — A. No, sir. 



600 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Give his answer to that after the word contradict. — A. (Read- 
ing:) 

lie answered, when you say I have violated an order I say I have not. 

Emphasizing the not. 

Q. Read on. — A. (Reading:) 

I then rose, saying, "That is quite enough. Circumstanced as we are, the matter 
cannot be conveniently dealt with here; but upon the return of the vessel to the 
United States, or her reaching some point of communication, I shall report you to the 
Secretary of the Navy. Meanwhile you will perform no duty in the ship beyond com- 
pleting the work called for in my written order of September first." 

Q. Now the answer to that ? — A. There it ended. (Reading:) 

Throughout the whole interview 

Q. (Interposing). No, no. You need not read that. Now, point out 
another place in that memorandum on any of the pages, that I have 
called your attention to where, in your opinion, the language of Collins 
was disrespectful or insubordinate. — A. I see no other j^lace. 

Q. And you have pointed out the instances, that in your judgment 
Mr. Collins was disrespectful to Captain De Long ? — A. I have to the 
best of my ability. 

Q. And it does not occur to you from reading that memorandum that 
the language of Captain De Long toward Mr. Collins was most aggres- 
sive and uncalled for, does it ? — A. It appears to me, on the contrary, 
that it was called for. As for its being aggressive, I do not consider 
it aggressive in the ordinary sense of the word. 

Q. Now, you say that you overheard this conversation ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where were you? — A. When the conversation commenced I 
was 

Q. (Interposing.) Were you still confined in this darkened room ? — A. 
I was confined there most of the day. When the lights were out in the 
cabin I was allowed to come up blindfolded. 

Q. At that particular time where were you ? — A. At the time when 
the conversation commenced I was sitting on a barrel of lime juice in 
the cabin. 

Q. Below •? — A. No, sir } in the same apartment. 

Q. With Captain De Long and Mr. Collins? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you there during the whole interview ? — A. As soon as the 
conversation commenced I got up and went down to my room, and drew 
my curtain. Everything was open. There were auger holes in the 
deck, lots of them in regular places. The hatchway was right near the 
cabin. I could hear the entire conversation, and I listened. 

Q. Through these auger holes ? — A. No, sir j through the open hatch. 

Q. I suppose your hearing was peculiarly acute ? — A. It was, yes, sir. 

Q. Now you gave your recollection of that conversation, and it took 
I)lace when ? — A. On the 2d of December, 1880. 

Q. And you have no doubt you gave the correct statement of that 
conversation f — A. In writing I did, and I have forgotten the conver- 
sation 1 gave. 

Q. And to-day you can swear positively what you said in the Fifth 
Avenue Hotel to Dr. Collins and his brother when you returned from 
the expedition '?^A. I cannot. 

Q. it does not strike you as remarkable that such should be the case, 
does it ? — A. No, sir ; not ordinary conversation. 

Q. Dr. Collins and Mr. B. A. CoUir^, his brother, are living?— A. 
Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. GOl 

Q. Jerome is not? lu relation to your general recollection, do you 
think you remember better things that took place two or three years 
ago than things that took place within a year'? — A. Yes; I have every 
reason for doing so. 

Q. Does it occur to you that that is a remarkable condition of 
mind? — A. Kot at all, sir; depending on circumstances. I wish 
to explain that, if it please the committee. When I was in the ship 
lying there doing nothing and thinking about everything that was tak- 
ing i)lace, those things made greater impression on my mind. When 
I arrived in New York, I was surrounded by scores of friends and ac- 
quaintances. One thing was said here, another thing there, and it was 
really out of sympathy with the Collins brothers that I told them this. 
My brother-in-law came in that morning and said, ''John, how is it? 
I was coming in from Orange and somebody met me and said Jerome 
Collins must have been guilty of something criminal to have been un- 
der suspension for eighteen months ; " well, that called my attention to 
it. When these two gentlemen came to see me they had very long faces 
and were feeling very badly; and, as I said before, there was a long pause 
before we commenced conversation ; both parties were affected ; they 
commenced, and I told them they could feel assured that their brother 
was not a criminal, and he had done nothing of a criminal character. I 
told them that; I frankly talked with them. 

Q. When you talked with Jackson in Siberia you knew as much 
about this conversation that yon are testifying about now as you do at 
the present time ?— A. Probably more. 

Q. And what you told him in reference to that or any other subject 
was true, was it not 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And if it was different from what you have stated to-day, you must 
be mistaken to-day. — A. I am mistaken at times. 

Q. Now, as matter of fact, lieutenant, were not your physical disabili- 
ties of such a nature that you were unable during a great portion of the 
retreat to do any active duty ? — A. I have every reason to believe and 
to honestly think that during the entire retreat I could have done some 
duty, such as pushing the boats, during a portion of the time I could 
have cooked for No. 3 tent, and during a large portion of the time I 
could have worked in the harness. 

Q. But as matter of fact you were carried along by the other men, 
were you not ? — A. I was never carried an inch ; no, sir. 

Q. You did no work ? — A. I did no work and I never was carried an 
inch, and I made up my mind if it came to that, I would step over- 
board, and I believe I would have done it. 

Q. Overboard ? — A. Through the ice. 

Q. Not over the ship's side ? — A. No ; not over the ship's side. 

Q. Is not that a favorite metaphor of yours?— A. It is with every 
seafarfug man. I wish to say right here that in my conversation with 
Dr. Collins at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, I told him that his brother's 
trouble originated in not asking permission to go over the ship's side. 
Now, it is very natural that Dr. Collins and his brother if they did not 
take my words down verbatim should have made some mistake. I do 
not think those gentlemen wish to do me any injustice. I told them that 
Mr. Collins refused to ask permission to go over the ship's side, and to- 
day 1 assert that that is the only way in which I used the word ship's 
side. I had no idea of committing suicide on board of the ship. I had 
a hell of a life, if you will permit the expression. I had a perfect hell on 
earth, owing to the suffering I endured, but I never had the slightest 
intention of stepping over the ship's side there. 



602 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Of committing suicide? — A. Of committing suicide, and I am ver5 
sure I never said that of Mr. Collins. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did I ask you such a question as about committing suicide? — A. 
I have made this statement to the committee. I do not wish to reflect 
on you in the least. 

Q. I ask you to answer my questions'? — A. I consider that I am 
nagged here to-day. 

Q. In what way I — A. When I tell you I do not recollect a thing you 
try to push me in all sorts of ways and try to make me recollect. 

Mr. Curtis. I have simply asked you questions that any honest man 
could answer. 

The Witness. I take exception to that, sir. 

The Chairman (to Mr. Curtis). Go on and ask your question. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Kow, I ask you if you have, in the course of this investigation, 
either the other day or to day, made the explanation that you have just 
now made? — A. No, sir; I have not. I have not had a chance, sir. I 
would have been glad to have done it. 

Q. Is there any time, or was there any time, during this investiga- 
tion that you were prevented or prohibited by the committee from 
making any explanation? — A. No, sir; by the learned counsel only. 

Q. By me? — A. By you, sir. 

Q. When ? — A. The other day when you asked me a question that 
left the same in an obscure condition and put a different color on it, I 
insisted on making a statement to put it right. 

Q. Were you prevented, the other day, from making any statement 
in regard to anything within your knowledge ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Not as a matter of argument, but within your knowledge, and if 
so please make it now. — A. I do not recollect. I was constantl^^ inter- 
rupted and told to answer yes or no. Only yes or no would not have 
been just or fair to have answered. 

Q. I say to you now if you are conscious of having been interrupted 
the other day in any explanation that you desired to make upon any 
subject whatever please make it now. — A. I do not recall any at 
present. 

Q. Have you not just stated that you were interrupted the other day 
and prevented from making an explanation ? — A. I was. 

Q. Make that explanation now. — A. I was interrupted the other day 
by you, and told to answer yes or no to questions, and, as this is not a 
judicial court, I claimed the privilege of saying what I wished on the 
subject to make it clear. In various cases I was allowed to d(\so; in 
other cases I was not permitted to do so, but was shut off*. That is all 
I can say, sir. 

Q. Now, I say to you if there is anything that you were prevented 
from saying the other day that you now desire to state, please do so ; 
it is my wish. — A. Thank you, sir. I do not remember anything at 
this moment. 

Q. Now, in speaking of the shotgun, did you say that the shotguna 
were rendered useless by the nature of the cartridges? — A. I said they 
were in a degree rendered useless. 

Q. By the nature of the cartridges ? — A. Yes ; absorbing moisture. 

Q. Were they at all useful ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQtllRY. 603 

Q. Id what way 1 — A. They were used on board ship, but iu many 
cases they would have to turn down the cartridges. They were so 
swollen that they would not fit the chamber of the gun. They were 
then turned over to Melville, and he would have Bartlett or somebody 
turn them down. They used to grease them also, and it was considered 
a mistake, having taken paper shells for the shotgun cartridges. 

Q. Were those shotguns used at all on the retreat with those car- 
tridges ? — A. JSTo, sir ; it is my impression that those cartridges were left 
in the first camp. 

Q. How came those shotguns with those cartridges to be selected ? — 
A. I understood that an Arctic expert had advised Captain De Long not 
to take metallic shells for the shotguns ; that they would contract with 
cold, and would be too small for the chambers of the guns, and I think 
something is said on the subject in the History of the Austro-Hunga- 
riau Expedition, and Captain De Long, after studying the subject, con- 
cluded that these pasteboard shells were the best for our work. He or- 
dered them from Hartford, Conn., I think, and they proved to be not 
only poor material but they absorbed moisture, and were rendered com- 
paratively useless. 

Q. Now, where the ship was entombed in the ice it was northeast 
from Wrangel Land, was it not? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What was the course ? — A. We steered west-northwest in enter- 
ing the ice. 

Q. You were west-northwest of Wrangel Land ? — A. No, sir ; Wran- 
gel Land was west-northwest of us. That would put us east-southeast 
of Wrangel Land, a difference of six points from northeast. 

Q. Does that appear upon the chart? — A. I think it will, sir. I speak 
of Wrangel Land as the body of the land. If you wish to speak of it in 
a general way take the center of the island or of the land as reported 
on the chart at that time. 

Q. (Submitting the polar chart exhibit.) Is this correct? — A. I looked 
over it, sir. I think it is not correct in some details. This chart is essen- 
tially correct. 

Q. On that chart, in what direction from Wrangel Land was the ship 
when it became embodied in the ice ? — A. Wrangel Land was repre- 
sented on the chart at that time. We have no Wrangel Land on the 
charts now. There is no Wrangel Land now ; it is an insignificant 
island. I will speak of Wrangel Island. The ship bore from Wrangel 
Island about east-northeast, as the farthest, north ; probably we were to 
the eastward and two points to the northward ; probably east-north- 
east ; but at that time Wrangel Land extended to the northward, and 
thej'^ had mountains marked on the top to the northwest of us, and we 
were striving to get to the northwest. 

Q. My question was, on that chart, in what direction was the ship 
from Wrangel Island when it was embodied in the ice? — A. East- 
northeast. 

Q. Not east-southeast? — A. No, sir; from Wrangel Island not east- 
southeast. 

Q. It was east-northeast, was it not, from Wrangel Island ? — A. Yes. 
sir. 

Q. How many miles ? — A. Probably sixty miles ; within a hundred 
miles. 

Q. You were stating when you were examined to-day that you were 
positive that the land you saw was Wrangel Island, as positive as you 
could be unless you took observations ? — A. Yes, sir. 



604 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you take auy observatioDS? — A. Plenty of them, any numbei 
of them. 

Q. What did yon mean then by that remark'? — A. I said unless I 
had taken observations on the land and located it. 

Q. In point of fact, you were never nearer than 60 or 70 miles to this 
island, were 3'ou ? — A. Yes, sir ; we were. 

Q. What is the nearest point ? — A. By measurement on the chart 55 
miles. 

Q. That is the nearest point ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, up to the time of the sailing of this expedition all that you 
knew of the existence of Wrangel Island or Wrangel Land was de- 
rived from what source ? — A. Captain Long, of the bark Nile, who has 
sailed just to the south of Wrangel Land, so called, had been within 15 
miles of it; had attempted to reach the cape; had made full sketches ot 
it, and by seuding to tbe Hydrograpic Office you can get those papers. 
His track was away to the south-southwestward of Wrangel Island. Cap- 
tain Kellet, of H. M. shij) Herald, discovered Wrangel Land in 1849, 
and called it Kellet Land. There was a whaleman called Bliven who 
saw the mountains there, and they were called Bliven Mountains. All 
the whalemen who had ever been up there gave more or less testimony 
on this subject. 

Q. What charts did you have "? — A. We had a full set of charts, and 
the latest on the subject. Admiral Rodgers, of the Vincennes, had been 
there and he had sailed within a few miles of Wrangel Land when it was 
shut out by a fog. We had all the information that could have been 
obtained at that time. 

Q. Is it your present opinion that the charts that existed at that time 
were erroneous ? — A. They were erroneous in some respects. 

Q. In what respects ? — A. As portrayed on the chart at that time the 
so-called south end of Wrangel Land turns out to be Wrangel Island 
in fact. Pretty nearly its location. Captain Long, of the bark Nile, 
was right in his statement and in the location that he gave for the south 
end ot Wrangel Land. Why even the capes were named. There was 
Cape Thomas, and Cape Harvey, and even the mountains had been 
named. 

Q. Before they had even landed on the place ! — A. That is a liberty 
that geographers take. We determined its insularity by drifting to 
the northward of it. 

Q. Now, when you sighted Bennett Island, what was the necessity of 
losing all the valuable time you did in getting there? — A. There was 
no necessity as I thought. 

Q. How much time was lost ? — A. From the 12th of July, the day we 
shaped the course to it, until the day we left it. 

Q. Could you or not have got the latitude and longitude of the island 
l>retty near without going there at all ? — A. For all practical uses, yes, 
sir. 

Q. Did it or not take you a couple of weeks of the hardest labor to 
reach Bennett Island ? — A. Yes ; it took the partj^ that. I was not work- 
ing at the time. 

Q. In i)oint of fact, did, or did not, Nindemann keep the deep sea- 
sounding cups clean while on board the ship? — A. I believe he did. 
Nindemann was a sort of jack of all trades. He acted as signal quarter- 
master, and after I was taken sick I think he had charge of the naviga- 
tor's store room, keeping everything in order there. He was also a 
carpenter and a sail maker, and handy at everything they gave him to 
do. He was a man of great value. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 605 

Q. He was an able and efficient seaman, was he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Melville, to your knowledge, send any news to Bulun by 
Kusmah 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, in speaking of Geeomovialocke, as matter of fact, were there 
not plenty of dog teams at Geeomovialocke ^. — A. No, sir ; as matter of 
fact there were probably not exceeding four teams. 

Q. Where did you get your dogs from ! — A. From the surrounding 
country. The commandant sent out his assistants and went out him- 
self, and it took him twenty-four hours to drum up dog teams to draw 
us. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Four dogs or four teams *? — A. Four teams. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. As matter of fact, were not all the dogs that were procured to go 
to Buluu obtained from the villages of Geeomovialocke, Arrii, and To- 
moose? — A. I know that many of them were as a matter of fact. I 
think they were not all procured, because I saw strange natives there 
and strange dog teams. 

Q. As matter of fact, were not all the dogs that you obtained procured 
within a very few miles of Geeomovialocke 1 — A. I think they must have 
been. 

Q. Is there any doubt in your mind about that? — A. There is some 
doubt, for this reason : That there were two starostii, or head men, as 
they are called — I do not know exactly what the term means myself — 
who came with the commandant, and I believe that the commandant 
or they brought their dogs from the neighborhood of Bulun, because 
this man told me that he lived at Bulun -, and I think that some came 
from Ku Mark Surk, about CO miles from Geeomovialocke. 

Q. Were they not all collected within the space of twenty-four hours ? — 
A. Some he brought with him, you know. And those that he did not 
bring with him were collected within the space of twenty-four hours. 

Q. In your judgment, could you have gone to Bulun sooner 1 — A. Not 
without assistance. We were in complete ignorance of our location and 
of the direction of Bulun. 

Q. In point of facf, could you not have left Geeomovialocke on Octo- 
ber 16 •? — A. We could have left Geeomovialocke, but where to go was 
the question. I think Mr. Melville was perfectly justified in keeping the 
party there. 

Q. Did you not know that Bulun was down the river, and were you 
not told so by the natives ? — A. No, sir; it was up the river. 

Q. Or up the river rather"? — A. Yes, sir; we knew it was up the river. 
Some said it was fifteen days' journey. The natives said the telegraph 
wire was at Bulun. When we got there we heard it was at Jakutsk. 
When we got to Jakutsk we found it was 2,000 miles south of Jakutsk. 
We could not depend on what we heard. 

Q. Did Melville or not issue an order to bring you back, dead or 
alive? — A. I do not know. 

Q. Have you ever made that statement? — A. No, sir; I do not think 
I have. 

Q. Were you informed of that fact by any member of the expedi- 
tion? — A. Yes; I-wastoldso. 

Q. By whom ? — A. I was told that somebody else said that Melville 
had said — hears;jy evidence of second or third power, and as Mr. Mel 
ville is not here 1 do not want to testify about him. 



606 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Were you told by Bartlett? — A. No, sir; I was told by Bartlett 
to the coDtrary. 

Q. By whom then ? — A. Leach was the first man who came to me 
about it, after we arrived at Irkutsk. Leach came to me and said, ''■ Mr. 
Danenhower, I think I ought to tell j^ou something." I said, '^ All right, 
Leach, go ahead." He said, " When we were coming down from Jakutsk 
we were talking one night after we came to a halt, and Noros said that 
Bartlett had said that Mr. Melville had given him an order that if Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower started out in search of Captain De Long to bring 
him back, dead or alive, that he was insane and that he had a certificate 
from the captain sayiug that he was insane." I thought over the cir- 
cumstances, &c., and I put them together and I gave some credit to the 
story. The next morning, or perhaps the same day, I am not sure which, 
I sent for Noros, and I said, "Noros, tell me about this." He at first 
tried to back and fill and get out of it. I said, " I know all about, it and 
I wish to get at the truth." Then Noros said that just after Mr. Mel- 
ville went north Bartlett announced to Nindemann and Noros, who were 
present at that time, "that if Mr. Danenhower," «&c. — words to the same 
effect. I felt very bitterly about it, of course, and there were some at- 
tendant circumstances which i thought corroborated the story. I asked 
Bartlett about it a short time ago to make sure about it. I asked him 
about it out there on the portico [pointing], after he had given his 
evidence. Said I, " You have given your evidence here; I want to talk 
to you on this subject," and he gave me to understand, although it was 
not a direct answer fully, that there was no truth in it. 

Q. What were the words he used? — A. I do not recall them. They 
were uttered on the portico here [pointing]. I do not recall them. 

Q. You cannot give us any idea of the words used. What did you 
say to him? — A. It seems that before this investigation commenced, 
and while I was away, Bartlett called at my father's office here in the 
city, and my father taxed him with it and wanted an explanation. 

Mr. Curtis. I think we will not go into that. 

The Witness. It is perfectly pertinent to the subject- 
Mr. Curtis. Your father is living? 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. And he can be subpoenaed? 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

The Chairman. Let him state it. 

A. (Eesuming.) My father asked Bartlett, "What is the real essence 
of that story ? Is there any truth in it ?" And Bartlett told him some- 
thing that was said whicli gave rise to Ihat story, and my father under- 
stood Bartlett to deny it, so I say it is mere hearsay. But I am very 
sorry it has come up. 

By Mr. Curtis ; 

Q. You cannot give me the words you used to Bartlett, nor the words 
Bartlett used to you? — A. No, sir. We had a half an hour's talk there 
on the portico. 

Q. Can you give me the words used by Bartlett to your father, or 
the words used by your iather to Bartlett?— A. No, sir; I cannot. 

Q. It leaves it very indefinite.— A. The whole thing is very indefi- 
nite — hearsay evidence from three parties. I am willing to let it drop. 
I am not insane ; everybody knows that. I am willing to let it drop. 

Q. Now, in reference to this allegation whether it is hearsay or di- 
rect, or whether it is true or false, were you inquired of about it before 
the Board of Inquiry ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 607 

Q. And did you make the same statement there that you have made 
here^—A. I was not allowed to, because it was hearsay evidence of an 
indirect character. 

Q. It was exchided? — A Excluded. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. How high up do the floods throw the driftwood on the Lena 
delta "F — A. 1 have seen large trunks of trees stranded probably 15 feet 
above the level of the water at the time I was there. Evidently the 
water had been high in the spring, and had left those trunks of trees 
stranded there. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. What is your idea as to whether it would have been better for 
Captain De Long's party to have separated about the time that Ninde- 
mann and Noros left them, or even before that! Would there have 
been a probability of more of the lives being saved than there were by 
remaining together ? — A. Yes, sir; but there were sick people there. 

Q. It seems to have been Captain De Long's oi)inion, from what Dr. 
Ambler says in his journal, that he was in favor of the party separat- 
ing f — A. Yes, sir; doubtless some would have come through, but they 
were looking for relief from the south, and most of the i3arty were sick 
and they thought it manly and honorable to stand by the sick as long 
as possible, and take their chances with them. I felt very bitterly to- 
ward Captain De Long for that reason, but I have learned here before 
this committee that the captain was willing for them to start, and that 
Dr. Ambler, in his report said, " Every man shall stand by you," which 
was perfectly honorable and good in him. 

Q. If Collins wanted to leav^e at the time Mndemann and Noros left, 
what do you think about its being the duty of the captain to allow him 
to exercise his own choice ? — A. If Collins had stepped up to the cap- 
tain and frankly said he wanted to strike out to the south in his own 
behalf, I doubt very much if the captain would have prevented him, and 
if he had not given him the order he should have struck out without it. 
That is what 1 should have done. 

Q. Now, let me ask you another question. On the retreat, from the 
time the vessel went down until you left your boat on the Siberian coast, 
did you see any officer exercise or inflict physical violence toward or 
on any of the crew 1 — A. No one except myself. I did it. 

Q. Did you see any officer chastise any of the crew with a club? — A. 
Never. 

Q. Did you see any officer beat any of the crew because they said 
they could not go any farther at the time ? — A. Never, sir. I have seen 
the dogs beaten in the most horrible and really brutal way by the men 
and by the officers, but never saw a man struck. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Did you ever know of any member of the expedition being put in 
irons, or food being withheld from him! — A. No, sir; not in the whole 
course of the expedition. 

Q. Did Captain De Long offer to make a confident of any one mem- 
ber of the expedition more than another! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who !— A. Dr. Ambler and Mr. Melville, and Mr. Chipp at times. 
But Mr. Chipp and the captain seemed to be alienated for some reason 
or other, and coldness had sprung up between them. 

Q. After the loss of the ship with whom did the captain mostly con- 



608 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

sort ?^A. With the doctor and Mr. Melville. The doctor was his boon 
companion, I thought — I mean after the loss of the ship. I do not 
know about it after the separation of the party. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. If you had believed that Mr. Collins could not get 5 miles at the 
time that Noros and Nindemaun applied to Captain De Long and you 
had been in Captain De Long's place would you have consented to his 
going ? — A. Yes, sir. 1 would have given him the chance for his life. 

Q. You would do so even if you thought he would break down within 
5 miles of the camp *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you would do that as a matter of friendship ? — A. As a mat- 
ter of justice to him. I do not think Collins could have pulled through 
with those two men. I do not think he had the physique. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. When did you last see Collins ? — A. The last time I saw him was 
on a cake of ice on the 12th of September. 

Q. Then you do not know of your own knowledge of his condition at 
the time Mndemann and Noros left 1 — A. No, sir ; I could judge of his 
condition as I judge of your condition. I think you could have pulled 
through. You look like a cast-iron man. 

Q. Thank you. In point of fact you were not, of your own knowl- 
edge, aware of the exact physical condition of Collins at the time Noros 
and Nindemann left De Long's party ? — A. No, sir ; but I saw Mr. 
Collins did not have the wind, to use a common expression. The record 
shows that Mr. Collins waded to the shore once and stopped. He did 
not go back again like the other men did. He stopped right there. So 
it was during the retreat. Mr. Collins was permitted to work a little 
when he felt like it, but you would see Collins winded when other men 
had to plug right along. Collins would complain of a stitch in his 
side and that his breast hurt him. and from those things I judge Collins 
was not as rugged as the seafaring men, and it was natural that it 
should be so. He was brought up in a different way. I do not sup- 
pose Collins could have pulled through if the captain had given him 
permission. 

Q. Do you not know, as matter of fact, that there is no record of the 
illness of Collins from the beginuiug to the end of Dr. Ambler's jour- 
nal ? — A. Yes ; I believe that is so. 

Mr. Arnoux. Hold on ; that is not so. There is a record of that. 

The Witness. Mr. Collins used to complain of pain. Now, I am 
friendly to Collins, and always w as friendly to him, and things have been 
dragged out of me about this expedition which I never would have said 
if they had not been dragged out. I liked Collins and appreciated him 
as a gentleman and an officer and as an educated man. 

Daniel F. Collins recalled and examined as follows : 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question (submitting a paper). I show you a letter written to you by 
Lieutenant j^anenhower. Will you explain the circumstances under 
which that was written ? First give the date to the committee. — Answ^er. 
This is a letter of mine, dated August 3, 1882, in answer to a letter re- 
ceived by me from Lieutenant Danenhower in which he complained 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). If you have that letter you had better 
produce it. 

The Witness. 1 haven't the letter here ; it is in Washington, probably. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 609 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You can state generally its contents. — A. Mr. Danenbower stated 
in his letter that a statement made by me, or an interview with me, le- 
ported in the Eastern papers, placed him in a bad situation in saying 
that he was ready for the investigation, and that Mr. Newcomb was the 
same. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that the witness ought not to give the sub- 
stance of the letter. 

Mr. Mc Adoo. I think the substance is improper unless he cannot find 
the letter. 

Mr. Curtis. You will certainly hear this. 

Mr. McAdoo. It is certainly secondary. 

Mr. Curtis. If I may trespass upon the committee's time, if I do 
not demonstrate to you mathematically that it is admissible, I will 
not say another word. Here was a letter that was introduced by the 
other side, the object undoubtedly being to throw discredit on Dr. Col- 
lins's statement in reference to the interview that took place at the 
Fifth Avenue Hotel. Eecognizing that that was the object, I put some 
questions to Lieutenant Danenhower about it which you may remem- 
ber, because you were here, I think ; at least Judge Buchanan was. 
Lest any suspicion even should dwell in the minds of the committee, I 
desire to show the circumstances under which this letter was written. 
In the first place there is nothing in the letter itself that, by a fair con- 
struction, can be used as against Dr. Collins 5 but I believe in an in- 
vestigation of this character it is well to cover the case at all points. I 
wish to show that when he wrote this letter it was in response to a com- 
munication from Lieutenant Danenhower, who had felt aggrieved on 
reading the alleged interview of Dr. Collins with some newspaper re- 
porter, l^ou will mark the date of the letter. It is August 3d, 1882; 
long, long before this investigation that is now pending was commenced ; 
and long, long before (if you run your minds back to the testimouy-in- 
chief of Dr. Collins) he had received this evidence which he deemed of 
such a character as made this investigation necessary. Now they have 
put in the letter. Can we not be permitted to show the circumstances 
under which it was written ? 

Mr. Arnoux. I have not questioned that point at all. 

Mr. Curtis. What principle of law prevents that? 

Mr. McAdoo. Certainly none at all. 

Mr. Curtis. The immediate objection is that Dr. Collins cannot state 
the contents of a communication that he received from Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower which led to this reply. Now he says it is not among his 
papers. I believe, within the strict rule of law, if a witness states he 
has lost a paper or mislaid it, or cannot find it, he is at liberty to give 
its contents. That is all we ask here. 

The Chairman. He is a competent witness to state the surroundings. 

Mr. Arnoux. My objection is that he shall not state the contents of 
a letter, but that he shall produce the letter. 

Mr. McAdoo. If it is proved that he cannot find it, of course he can 
state what is in it. 

The Chairman. The rule is that the letter must be produced if it is 
in existence. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, I will lay the foundation. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Do you know where the letter of which you have sp jken is? — A. 
^Oj sir ; I do not, 
39 J cf 



610 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Have you looked for it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you searched for it ? — A. I searched for it to-day two or three 
times ; searched through all my papers. 

Q. And have you among your papers, so far as you have been able to 
discover, the letter written to you by Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. No, 
sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. When did you see it last ? — A. I had it among my papers here in 
Washington; that is, one letter, but it is not the special letter that I am 
asked about now. 

Q. Where did you last see this special letter which the counsel asks 
you about *? — A. The last time I saw it was probably a year ago in Minne- 
apolis, Minn. But I had a letter here from Lieutenant Danenhower, 
asking might he use 

Q. (Interposing.) Which would throw light upon this question! — A. 
Yes j but that is not the letter in question. 

By the Chairman: 

Q. And you think that letter is not in your possession ! — A. Yes ; I 
am positive it is not in my possession. 

Q. Or within your control ? — A. Or within my control. 

Q. You are not able to get it, or produce it before the committee ? — 
A. I tried very hard to get it, because it would explain the matter 
fully. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit his looking for it here to-day is not suffi- 
cient. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. You brought from your home, when you came here, all the letters 
you had on this subject under consideration? — A. Nearly all. I went 
through my safe and brought all I could find. I suppose there are sev- 
eral letters and memoranda and other things which I left behind me. 

Q. Do you think this letter is behind there in the safe ! — A. To the 
best of my belief I do not think it is there. I am very anxious to get 
the letter, because it explains fully my reasons for writing that. It is 
to my interest to produce that letter. 

Mr. McAdoo. I understood that you had that letter in Washington. 

The Witness. It was another letter. 

Mr. McAdoo. Proceed with tfie examination. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. (Submitting a paper to the witness). Now, be kind enough to 
state, as fully as you can, the contents of the letter from Lieutenant 
Danenhower to which that is a reply. — A. It was a letter sent to me by 
Lieutenant Danenhower, in which he stated that in a reported inter- 
view held with him and published in the papers he was placed in a very 
bad light, because I was basing my application for this investigation upon 
some general statements that he was going to make, or that he was 
willing to make, when the investigation commenced ; that he wanted an 
investigation and that he would have strong evidence to present and 
that he was ready for it and that Mr. Newcomb was ready for it. Now 
this [exhibiting a small slip of newspaper] is the interview. 

Q. Eelerred to in that letter ! — A. Referred to in tbat letter. I think 
that Lieutenant Danenhower will recognize it if he looks it over. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 611 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Will you state, if you please, as near as you recollect, the date of 
that letter of Lieutenant Danenhower *? — A. It was some time in the latter 
I)art of July. 

(The slip of newspaper exhibited by the witness was submitted to Mr. 
Danenhower.) 

Mr. Curtis (to Mr. Danenhower). Is that the Interview ? 

Mr. Danenhower. No, sir; it is not. 

The Witness. It was upon that interview that I based my letter. 

Mrs. De LoNGr (after examining the newspaper slip referred to). This 
is not the report referred to. 

The Witness. That is a condensed report of the interview referred to. 

Mrs. De LoNa. This is a condensed Associated Press report. 

Mr. Curtis (to Mr. Arnoux). Produce the report, if you have it. 

The Witness. I think it is the condensed Associated Press report of 
the interview published at Minneapolis. 

Mr. Arnoux. We will look it up and see if we can find it, and if we 
can find it it will be at your disposal. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. This is the Associated Press article. Go on and state the general 
character of the article that was called to your attention. — A. It would 
be impossible for me at this time to recall it all. 

Q. Give us the geueral character and nature of .the article, and what 
was alleged in the article. — A. The principal part of the article was that 
Chief Engineer Melville had not done his duty in remaining at Gee- 
omovialocke from the 26th day of September until the 1st day of No- 
vember without making any effort for De Long's relief. 

Q. Permit me to inquire right here, was it alleged that this was an 
interview with you "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Well. — A. And I stated that, it being based on the statements 
made in the New York Herald, and published by Mr. Jackson on in- 
formation received from Lieutenant Danenhower. 

Q. This article alleged that you stated this, or did you state it ? — A. I 
did state it. Now, the paper got it mixed up, and stated that I said that 
Lieutenant Danenhower told me that Mr. Melville had not done his 
duty. Now, I never made any such statement. I did state that he told 
Mr. Jackson so, and it is published in the New York Herald that the 
delay was unnecessary. That was the information that I, had that I 
made these statements on. 

Q. But you did not state that Lieutenant Danenhower told you? — A. 
I did not state it. Lieutenant Danenhower wrote to me about it, and I 
immediately wrote him this letter of August 3, 1882, stating that I 
never made such a statement, and I wrote a letter to the New York 
Herald denying that I had stated in any interview that Lieutenant 
Danenhower had told me these things personally, and I so state in 
this letter. Lieutenant Danenhower then wrote me. I have not the 
letter, and I do not know where it is, but Lieutenant Danenhower can 
correct me if I do not state it correctly. In it he said that it placed him 
in a peouliar position, and that Secretary Chandler had spoken to him 
about the matter, and it would be of service to him if I would give him 
permission to publish that letter of August 3 in the Army and Navy 
Journal to set the matter straight, and I wrote to Lieutenant Danen- 
hower giving him permission to make any use of it he saw fit, 

Q. You did it in justice to that gentleman ?— A. In justice to Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower, 



612 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. It was charged by you that he had said that it was owing to Mel- 
ville's failure that this delay w^as occasioned ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, let me ask you, right here, have you ever said or written 
anj^thing in antagonism to the statement you made on the siaud as to 
the interview between you and Lieutenant Daneuhower at the Fifth 
Avenue Hotel! — A. No, sir. In this interview published in the eastern 
papers it was also stated that I had stated that Mr. Newcomb was ready 
and anxious for an investigation. At that time I had never met Mr. 
Newcomb, consequently he could not have told me he was ready for it j 
and he wrote me on the subject a letter which is here, and wrote a let- 
ter to me on the subject contradicting it. This is a letter addressed to 
my brother in Kew York, and I read as follows : 

Juniper, Salem, Mass., July 28. 
My Dear Collins : My attention is often called to newspaper articles aboot the 
Jeannette business. I inclose one clipped from the Boston Journal of July 27, 1882. 
Can you give me any information about, it? I never met your brother. In this clip- 
ping I find the words, " Dr. Newcomb is also ready for it." 

Which is also in this newspaper article [exhibiting samej : 

Can you tell me anything of this ? What little I have said to you was and is con- 
fidential. Believe me I write in the best of feeling. 
Faithfully, your friend, 

R. L. NEWCOMB. 

Q. That is the naturalist ? — A. The naturalist. 

Q. Now leave that matter, if you please. Were you present yester- 
day when Lieutenant Lemly, judge -advocate of the Board of Inquiry, 
testified? — A. At the latter part of his testimony I was herej not in 
the beginning. 

Q. Did you have an interview with him at the Kiggs House ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that has all been gone over, and Lieu- 
tenant Lemly was only called in contradiction of this gentleman. 

Mr. Curtis. That was new matter brought out by the other side in 
this, that there was an interview at the Riggs House in which some 
reporter of the Critic was present. I desire to show by Dr. Collins that 
Lieutenant Lemly, in regard to that, was mistaken. 

The Chairman. That is entirely new. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. Now I want you to confine your mind to that interview. Who 
was present at that interview besides you and Lieutenant Lemly ! — A. 
There was no one present but a Mr. Thomas Carroll. 

Q. Where does he live? — A. That 1 could not tell you now. He 
liv.ed in Washington at that time. Where he lives now I do not know. 

Q. Was he at that time a reporter of the Critic? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you conscious, or have you any recollection that any news- 
paper gentleman was present at that interview ? — A. I never heard it 
until yesterday, when Mr. Lemly so stated. 

Q. There is one other thing to which I wish to call your attention. 
Lieutenant Lemly stated that his statement in reference to the investi- 
gation being carried on from a naval stand-point, in words or substance, 
was made by him to you, but in a certain connection which he stated. 
Do you remember the connection which he stated? — A I cannot exactly 
call it to mind now. 

Q. Then give all that was said in reference to that one particular 
matter. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit he has been examined as to that. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 613 

Mr. CiTBTis. No ; because you brought out new matter. 

Mr. Aknoux. No, sir 5 you asked him in regard to that, and he made 
a statement of what Lieutenant Lemly had said about the investigation 
being conducted and looked at through naval spectacles, and he gave 
his recollection of the conversation in full. Lieutenant Lemly gave 
his, and it is for the committee, if it is matter of any importance at all, 
to say which one has given a correct version. I submit that it is not 
right, after the second witness has gone to call the first witness on the 
stand and ask him to cgain go over his view of the conversation. 

Mr. Curtis. Lieutenant Lemly admitted that he had made that state- 
ment, but that he had made it in a certain connection, and gave a loose 
statement of his own. 

The Chairman. Yes -, that is true. You can ask him the question. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. I put the question to you ; give all that was said in reference to 
that one point — that the investigation was to be conducted from a naval 
stand-point. — A. Mr. Lemly stated to me that no matter what my evi- 
dence was I should remember that it was a naval Court of Inquiry and 
that the matter would be looked at or examined through naval spec- 
tacles. 

Q. Kow, was that all that was said on tha;t subject ■?— A. There was 
nothing, to my knowledge or remembrance, in any other way connected 
with it. 

Q. Nothing whatever? — A. Nothing whatever. I was very careful, 
after these interviews, to make memoranda. 

Q. When you had these interviews did you, after you had them, make 
memoranda of what was said ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. In reference to all three interviews f — A. In reference to every 
interview I have had in relation to the matter. 

Q. And was it on the basis of this memorandum that you gave your 
evidence in that regard? — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. That is all. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will reserve my cross-examination for the present, as 
I have not yet examined the transcript of Mr. Lemly's testimony, and I 
have some other questions to ask him besides. 

Henry Wilson sworn and examined. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. What is your full name, if you please? — Answer. Henry 
Wilson. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to give me your age 1 — A. I am now 
thirty years of age. 

Q. And what countryman are you, if you please ? — A. I was born a 
Swede. 

Q. You were attached to the Jeannette expedition, were you not? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. What has been your occupation for the last ten years ; a sea-far- 
ing man ? — A. A sea-faring man ; exclusively going to sea. 

Q. Were you ever on an Arctic exploring expedition before? — A. Not 
before I went with the Jeannette. 

Q. Where did you ship? — A. I shipped in the Brooklyn navy-yard 
and I was transferred to San Francisco to join the ship. 

Q. Do you remember when the retreat began ? — A. Yes, sir. 



614 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. About when was that ; about how long after you had started ! — 
A. About the 18th or 19th of June, 1881, the retreat began. 

Q. That was after the ship had sunk! — A. After the ship had sunk; 
yes, sir. 

Q. Now, in reference to the retreat and the work done on the re- 
treat, what part did the officers take in the work? — A. For the first 
couple of days after we started on the retreat the officers worked along 
with the sleds and boats, but afterward they did practically no manual 
labor. 

Q. Then the work was done by the men, was it ? — A. Done exclu- 
sively by the men ; that is, the manual work. 

Q. What share of the manual work did Mr. Melville do? — A. He 
superintended the working of the whole party during Mr. Ghipp^s ill- 
ness. 

Q. Did he himself do manual work? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How, with reference to Lieutenant Danenhower ; did he do any 
manual work ? — A. Ko, sir ; he was on the sick list at the time. 

Q. And with reference to Captain De Long ; did he assist in the man- 
ual labor ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, do you remember when you arrived at Geeomovialocke ? — 
A. Yes 5 but I cannot state the exact dates. As I did not keep a journal 
or diary of any kind I do not remember on what date we did arrive 
there. 

Q. As nearly as you can approximate to it, about how long after you 
had left the ship and begun the retreat was it before you arrived at 
Geeomovialocke 1 — A. I should say it was about two months from the 
time we began the retreat. 

Q. Now, when you were at Geeomovialocke in what party were you ? — 
A. I was in Mr. Melville's party. That was the only party there. 

Q. Now, what was the condition of the party after you arrived at Geeo- 
movialocke as to health and ability to work ? — A. Well, for the first 
ten days the whole of us were very much disabled with the exception of 
Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Newcomb. They were able to stand on their 
feet. The rest of us were very much disabled. Our limbs were so 
frozen that some of us were unable to stand on our feet. 

Q. How long did that continue ? — A. That continued about ten days 
before we were able to do any work. 

Q. Now, at the end of the ten days what was the condition of the 
party ? — A. Of course it was a little better than when we first arrived 
there, but we were not by any means well. 

Q. How soon after you got to Geeomovialocke was it that the party 
recovered their health* so as to be able to work ? — A. Well, speaking of 
health, of course we did not recover our health during the time we were 
there. 

Q. Well, your ability to work ? — A. As to our ability to work I should 
think if we had been put to the test, that is to say, if we had been re- 
quested to work we would have done so ; at least I, for my part, would 
have done my utmost if they had requested me to do any work. 

Q. What was your ability to travel ; were you able to travel ? — A. I 
would have made an effort to travel. I do not suppose that I should 
liave been as good as I am now, for example, but I would have made 
an effort, and 1 think I could have traveled after ten days of recruiting 
in the hut. 

Q. Was that true of the rest of the party ?— A. Well, no, not all. 
Leach was very much disabled. 

Q. What others of the party were able to travel after the ten days? — 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 615 

A. Mr. D^iioiil)OTvor, Mr. Melville, Mr. Bartlett, and Lauterbach, Man- 
son, and the Indian, and the Chinaman, even — all, with the exception of 
Leach ; he was not able to travel. 

Q. Then, in point of fact, after the ten days at Geeomovialocke, all 
of the part^^ were physicially able to travel with the exception of Mr. 
Leach? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he continued ill, I believe, until he got to Irkutsk, did he 
not f — A. Yes ; I think that was the place. 

Q. Now, in your judgment, could Mr. Melville have left Geeomovial- 
ocke before he did I — A. Yes, sir; he could have done so. 

Q. In your judgment, how many days before he actually left could he 
have left Geeomovialocke? — A. Well, I should think he would have 
been able to have left on the twelfth day after we arrived there. 

Q. Do you know whether there was any talk or complaint among the 
men about not going on at that time ? — A. There were some who ex- 
pressed an opinion that they could travel, that they could even start on 
foot to go on to this Bulun that the natives spoke of. 

Q. How many of the party expressed that belief, if you remember? — 
A. Bartlett expressed the opinion that he thought we could start on 
foot and go on to Bulun, and that we could ng a sled, and even if the 
natives would not supply us with dogs to drag this sled, the party would 
do to drag Leach along on the sled, because Leach was not able to 
walk. 

Q. Now, do you know how far Bulun is from Geeomovialocke ? — A. 
No, sir ; I have not the slightest idea. 

Q. How many days' journey ? — A. It took us about three days to get 
there. 

Q. It would take about three days, would it not?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, if you had left Geeomovialocke sixteen days after you reached 
there and gone on to Bulun and a party had started north to meet De 
Long, what, in your judgment, would have been the chances of saving 
De Long's party, or any part of them ? — A. Well, I think the chances 
would have been very scanty. 

Q. Now, you say, after ten days, the party could have gone on ? — A. 
Yes, sir ; that is, if it had been absolutely necessary to do so. 

Q. After ten days, that would bring it up to the 8th of October, would 
It not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, supposing you started from Geeomovialocke on the 12th of 
October — that would have been four days after the ten days of rest — 
would you not have reached Bulun in three days, probably ? — A. Well, 
I do not know. I have traveled over that country only once, and I do 
not know what the probabilities would have been at that time, because 
the river was just between being opened and freezing up, so that there 
was a doubt as to whether the river would be strong enough for us to 
travel over at that time. 

Q. But you did not try, did you ?— A. We did not try ; no, sir ; but 
we took the information from the natives. They said the ice was not 
strong enough. 

Q. Kusmah came over, did he not ? — A. He did ; yes, sir. 

Q. Where did Kusmah come from ?— A. He came from across the bay 
there. 

Q. Did he come from Bulun ? — A. I do not know the place he came 
from ; it is about 10 versts from the place where we lived. 

Q. The first time he came from Tomoose, did he not ? — A. I do not 
know, sir. I have not got the run of the names of those villages. 



CAG JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. He had no trouble in coming over the bay, did he ? — A. That I 
cannot tell you. 

Q. Do you know whether he had any trouble in returning *? — A. That 
I do not know. 

Q. Now, supposing you had left on the 12th of October, and had 
reached Buhin on the 15th of October ; then if you had started a party 
north to look for DeLong, in your judgment, would not tbe probabdities 
have been strong that he would have been discovered? — A. I beg your 
pardon. What question was that you asked me before ; did you not 
ask me if we got to Bulun about sixteen days after we arrived at Geeo- 
movialocke ? 

Q. Yes } that is the question I did ask you, but now I am making it 
a little more simple. Supposing you had left Geeomovialocke on the 
12th, and you had arrived at Bulun on the 15th, and then you had 
started a party north to search for De Long ; would, or would not, in 
your opinion, the chance have been a good one to have discovered 
him? — A. No, sir; the chances would have been very slight, for this 
reason: We did not know anything about where those people were ; 
we did not know how far they were. 

Q. Did you not have a retreat arranged along the Lena Eiver before 
the boats separated ? Was it not understood that the retreat was to 
be conducted along the Lena Eiver ? — A. I believe it was so understood. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. You know that Captain De Long's party were found in the vicin- 
ity of the Lena "? — A. I heard so ; I do not know personally. 

Q. Now, I ask you do you know the distance in days' travel between 
Bulun and the spot where De Long was found! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Suppose in a direct course the journey between Bulun and the 
spot where Captain De Long and his companions were found could be 
made in two and a half or three days ! Do you understand me ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, then see if you understand this question. Suppose you had 
left Bulun, say, on the 15th, and the spot where Captain De Long and 
his companions were found was only three days' journey off, and they 
kept signal tires burning, and it was understood that the retreat should 
be arranged along the Lena Eiver when you separated, then if you had 
started a i)arty prompt!}^ north do you not think that your chances would 
have been fair to have found him? — A. No, sir; because we did not 
know where the Lena Eiver was at that time. We did not know whether 
he had come up in the Lena Eiver or any branch of it. 

Q. How could you arrange a retreat along the Lena Eiver unless you 
had some knowledge of where it was ? Do you understand the ques- 
tion ? — A. No, sir; I do not understand the question. 

Q. How could you fix on the Lena when you arranged for the retreat 
at the time of the separation, unless you had some idea where the Lena 
Eiver was ? — A. Captain De Long arranged that retreat and gave the 
directions to the officers. 

Q. Then Captain De Long knew wdiere the Lena Eiver was? — A. He 
knew where it was, certainly. 

Q. And Mr. Melville knew where it was? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Mr. Melville was in command of your party ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenhower knew where it was ? — A. I should sup- 
pose he did, sir. 

Q. And Mr. Bartlett knew where it was? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, then, supposing they had started from Bulun on the 16th of 
October, knowing where the Lena was, and having arranged at the time 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 617 

of the separation that the Lena should be the line of the retreat- 



A. (Interrupting.) But the Lena extends far away along the coast in 
branches, and we did not know in what branch we were at the time. 

Q. Are you speaking now of the Lena River or the Lena delta ^ — A. 
The Lena delta. 

Q. Exactly. You are not speaking of the Lena River ? — A. Not the 
river ; no, sir. 

Q. You are speaking of the Lena delta ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. The river is separated in your mind from the delta, is it not ; the 
delta and the Lena River are two different things, are they not ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Well, when you said the Lena River was interspersed with streams, 
&c., you meant the Lena delta "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, be kind enough to keep your mind on the Lena River and 
not on the delta ; that is where the confusion exists. Now, we will 
start again. Supposing you had left Bulan on the 16th (Captain De 
Long knew, Mr. Melville knew, Mr. Danenhower knew, and Mr. Bart- 
lett knew), and you had followed the Lena River as arranged at the 
time of the separation, and the place where Captain De Long and his 
companions were found was only about three days' journey from Bulun, 
and supposing he had kept signal fires burning that lighted up the 
country around about, then do you not think the chance would have 
been fair for discovering him *? — A. As I understand, Mr. Melville did 
not know at that time in what direction to go in search of Captain De 
Long. 

Q. But that is the very point. Now, if he had gone down the Lena 
River, and the journey between Bulun and the place where Captain De 
Long and his party were found was only three days, and Captain De 
Long's party kept signal fires burning, lighting up the country round 
about, then do you not think he must have found him ? — A. Well, it is 
hard to give an opinion on this, because I do not think in my mind it 
was possible. 

Q. Now, in reference to the village of Geeomovialocke. Were there 
not plenty of dog teams there ? — A. Not plenty, sir, but there were 
some. 

Q. How many ? — A. Well, I should judge there were four teams of 
dogs around the village there. 

Q. And how many dogs altogether"? — A. There are small teams and 
large teams. They use seven, nine, eleven, and thirteen. 

Q. There were enough dogs there to have carried your party, were 
there not? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Would not four teams carry your party ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How many were in your party ? — A. There were eleven of us, sir. 

Q. How many could be carried in a team 1 — A. When we started up 
from there they carried only one man on each team. 

Q. Could not more than one be carried on each team *? — A. Not with 
the provisions for the dogs; there was fish for the dogs that they had 
loaded into a sled and the driver and the man that rode with him. It 
would be quite a load to the dogs, especially when there were not more 
than eight or nine dogs to a team. 

Q. How long were you there before you had plenty of dogs"? — A. We 
did not get sufficient dogs to carry us to Bulun until we got the incel- 
ligence from Nindemann and Noros. 

Q. From whom did you get the dogs then ? — A. The commandant, 
the Russian official at Bulun came down, and he mustered dogs from all 
around the villages there. 



618 JEANTETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. How soon after you got the intelligence from Nindemann and 
Noros did you get a sufficient number of dogs'? — A. My memory is very 
dull on that; two or three days, I think. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenhower, I think, stated twenty-four hours, do you 
agree with him there? 

The Chairman. After the official came 1 — A. Twenty-four hours after 
the official came ; yes, sir ; that is correct. 

Q. So, how late was it when you had a sufficient number of dogs, as 
you say ? 

The Witness. How late from when, do you mean'? 

Mr. Curtis. How late, in point of time, was it when you had sufficient 
dogs to travel with *? 

The Chairman. The month and the day of the month, as near as you 
can ? — A. A month from the time that we arrived at that village. 

Q. You have no means of fixing the exact date, I suppose? — A. I 
have not. 

Q. Now, supposing that you did not have any dog-teams, with the 
exception of Leach, the party were able to travel, were they not? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Aud even without dog-teams you could have traveled, with the 
exception of Leach ? — A. Yes ; we could have walked. 

Q. And it was possible to draw him on a sled ? — A. It was ; yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know where the dogs came from that you got ? — A. I 
haven't any opinion on that i^oint, but I think that they came from all 
around the villages where we were. 

Q. Where you were there were three villages within a short distance 
of each other — Geeomovialocke, Arrii, and Tomoose ? — A. Yes ; I heard 
that it was so. 

Q. Those were settlements, were they not — little towns, little ham- 
lets ? — A. Little villages. 

Q. And these dogs that you had came from those little villages, did 
they not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And within twenty-four hours of the order of the commandant 
you had all these dogs 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. But still you could have moved before f — A. We could have moved 
before. 

Q. You had sleds ? — A. There were sleds in the village that we could 
have taken. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Were there two roads going from Geeomovialocke to Bulun, one 
the dog road aud the other the reindeer road ? — A . I heard that there 
were ; yes, sir. 

Q. Now, which one of those two roads crosses the mountain? — A. 
That must be the reindeer road, because we came the dog road, and 
there was no mountain that we crossed that I remember. 

Q. You went along the foot of the mountain, between the mountain 
and the river ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, did all the dogs that you got come from the three villages 
that the counsel named, or did they come from around the country? — 
A. That I cannot give you a definite answer about, sir. My opinion is 
that they came from around the diflerent villages. 

Q. From all around ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, from what you know of these men and their condition, if 
they had started out to walk from Geeomovialocke to Bulun and to 
drag Leach, how long a time would it have taken you to have gone 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 619 

from Geeomovialocke to Buliin ?— A. Well, it would probably have 
taken us a week or ten days. 

Q. So that, in point of fact, you left tbe earliest opportunity when 
you could get any teams to take you, did you not *? — A. Yes, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. How can you estimate how long it would have taken you to have 
gone from Geeomovialocke to Bulun if you did not know the distance ? — 
A. I can estimate now, since I have gone over the road, how long it 
would have taken us to go up there. 

Q. How far was it "?— A. I believe some one said it was 80 versts. A 
verst is three-quarters of a mile, but I have no personal knowledge 
of it. - 

Q. In the condition of your party at Geeomovialocke, after you had 
recovered, could you not have traveled over 10 miles a day ?— A. I sup- 
pose if we had known the roadj but we did not know the road, and we 
would have had to pick our road the best way we knew how if we had 
started off. 

Q. Before you left Geeomovialocke Kusmah had been there, had he 
not 1—A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And before you left Geeomovialocke Kusmah had been to Bulun 
and returned, had he not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not think that your party would have had the same chance 
and facility for getting to Bulun as Kusmah did ; could you not have 
gone there as well as he 1—A. We could have gone as well as he, but 
we did not know the road as well as he. 

Q. Well, but supposing you had gone with him?— A. But then we 
did not have the teams and dogs to go there with as he did. 

Q. How many teams did Kusmah have ? — A. I think he had two 
teams ; himself and this starosti of the village, Mcolai Shagra. 

Q. He had two teams? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did any one go with Kusmah when he left ?— A. Yes j the sta- 
rosti went with him. 

Q. No; any one of your party?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Was any attempt made to go with Kusmah ?— A. Yes ; I believe 
Mr. Danenhower suggested that he should go with him. 

Q. And why did not Mr. Danenhower go with him? — A. I do not 
know. I think there was some objection raised on the part of Mr. Mel- 
ville. 

Q. You knew at the time Kusmah was there that Bulun was a village 
with people living in it, did you not ?— A. We were informed so by the 
natives. 

Q. Were you not told so by Kusmah ?— A. We were told so, of course. 

Q. Were you not told that there were dogs in Bulun ?— A. I do not 
remember, sir. 

Q. There were dogs in Bulun ?— A. I believe so. 

Q. You got dogs from Bulun ?— A. That I do not know. 

Q. Now if any one of the party had gone with Kusmah to Belun it 
would have been easy to have got teams there to have come back for 
the party would it not? — A. Probably ; yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. If you had started out ten days after you got to Geeomovialocke 
to go to Bulun would you have had Kusmah with you to have shown 
you the way; did he get back from Bulun in ten days after he started?— 
A. No, sir. 



620 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you understand that question? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How did you understand that question ? — A. I understood it to 
be that if Kusmah had come back from Bulun in time before we left 
there he would have gone with us. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Then you did not understand it. I will put the question over 
again. Did Kusmah get back in ten days? — A. No, sir ; he did not. 
Mr. Arnoux. That is all. 

By Mr. Curtis: 
Q. Do you think you have understood all the questions that have 
been put to you ? — A. I think so, sir. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. Did you see any of the officers beat or whip any of the men ? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. Or strike them with a club? — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. How were you treated ? — A. As well as the rest of the seamen. 

Q. And how was that ?— A. Pretty well. 

Q. Have you any cause of complaint at all against the officers or men 
of that expedition, and if so, state what your grounds of complaint 
are ? — A. Well, personally, I have no special complaint to make. Gen- 
erally I have some complaint to make. 

Q. State it. — A. I thought it was an injustice to us for Captain De 
Long to suspend able-bodied men, who were willing and able to give us 
a hand to get along. 

Q. To whom do you refer as being suspended ? — A. Mr. Collins, Mr. 
Newcomb, and Seaman Star, one of the strongest men in the party. 

Q. Have you any other cause of complaint as to your own treatment, 
or the treatment of any member of the expedition ? — A. No, sir ; I 
have not any i^articular personal ill treatment in any way to complain 
of, except that I was spoken to pretty roughly at times, and probably 
we would have got along better if we had not been so spoken to. 

Q. By whom were you spoken to roughly ? — A. Mr. Melville used to 
speak roughly when he worked us. Some of the men were very indig- 
nant. Of course, for myself I am a good deal used to naval regulations, 
and I do not think so much about it, because I know that Jack has very 
little to say in the Navy ; in fact he has nothing to say. 

Q. Have you been in the regular Navy of the United States ? — A. 
Yes ; I have been in the regular naval service. For three years I was 
out in the United States ship Franklin, in 1863, 1864, and 1865, on the 
European station. 

Q. You were never in the Arctic region before on any other expedi- 
tion ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Do you know anything of the quarrels on board between the of- 
ficers and men, or between the officers themselves or the men ? — A. No, 
sir. I knew that there was a difficulty between Captain De Long and 
Mr. Collins, but I do not know anything personally that I can relate 
about the matter. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. You knew that Collins was suspended, did you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 621 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. You bave no personal knowledge as to the causes that led to these 
difficulties? — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How long was Newcomb suspended ? — A. I think he was never 
released from the time he was suspended from duty. I do not remem- 
ber the date. 

Q. Now, if he says that he was returned to duty in two days 

A. (Interrupting.) He was not. He was told by Captain De Long to 
attend to some specimens that were gatbered on Bennett Island, and he 
worked them out, but he was never returned to duty again. 

Q. That is what you think ? — A. Yes ; that is what I think. 

Q. Was Newcomb of any great value in the way of work on the ice? — 
A. Well, I do not think tbat be was of so much value as one of the sea- 
men, of course. 

Q. But was he not rather a weak man, and did he not give out 
])retty quickly ? — A. Well, he did not give out ; that is, he did not say 
he did, but he was by no means as good as any other seaman on the 
exi)edition. 

Q, Now, how long was Star suspended ? — A. I do not remember the 
exact date of the occasion when he was suspended, but he was sus 
pended from that time on the ice until we got on Bennett Island. 
When we left Bennett Island and started south he was put on duty 
again. 

Q. So that from the time you left Bennett Island the suspension of 
Star was ended and he worked just as before ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, is not that the gentlest kind of punishment that a captain can 
put on a man ? — A. Well, I do not know what was Captain De Long's 
intention at the time. He put Seaman Star on duty, but he may still 
have been a prisoner at large. 

Q. I am not asking you about that, but is not suspension, when it is 
(lone as a punishment, ^he slightest punishment that can be put upon a 
man ? — A. It was very slight, sir, but I thought it was very serious to 
suspend these strong men and keep them from giving us a helping 
hand. 

Q. It would have been better than putting them in irons'? — A. Of 
course, you could not put anybody in irons under the circumstances in 
which we were. 

Q. Collins was always in the cabin mess? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. If he had been suspended he would not have worked as a common 
seaman; in other words, had he at any time done a seaman's duty on 
the ship ? — A. No, sir ; not on the ship. 

By Mr. CuRTiS : 

Q. Mr. Collins was a strong, vigorous man when he was suspended, 
was he not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he always showed a disposition to aid the men in the retreat, 
did he not? — A. Always, sir. 

Q. And, in your judgment, if he had been restored to duty and al- 
lowed to work as the others did he would have been of very valuable 
aid to you, would he not ? — A. He would have been of aid to us ; yes, 
sir. 

Adjourned. 



622 J.E ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Washington, D. C, Thursday, May 1, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m. All the members being present 
and counsel on either side. 

The Chairman. Mr. Wilson informs me he has not stated all he 
wanted to in connection with the expedition, and that he desires to make 
a further statement. 

Mr. Curtis. Will you examine him, Mr. Chairman ? 

Henry Wilson resumed the stand. 
By the Chairman : 

Question. What have you to say about Captain De Long^s manage- 
ment of the retreat? — Answer. During the time that we traveled over 
the ice Captain De Long would very often come around and would give 
an order that would in some way be unreasonable. For example, to 
jump over a large lead, a very wide lead, with a sled, and the conse- 
quence would be that either the sled would tumble in the water or some 
of the men, or else break a sleigh runner, or something of that kind. 
When Captain De Long came around there was a general feeling among 
the men that there would be some trouble. It would be our expression 
when we saw Captain De Long coming, ^'l^ow, boys, look out for 
squalls, the old man is coming." It would always be the case that there 
would be some trouble, and we all had a strong wish that Captain De 
Long would keep away from us, because we could work better when 
somebody else instructed us about the work than when he did. 

Q. Now, indicate some facts. — A. On one occasion we came to a lead 
that was about 25 yards wide. Of course we had to ferry across those 
leads, to get a smaller piece of ice and drag the sled on top and then 
ferry across to the ice on the other side of this lead. Captain De Long 
came along and said, "There is a piece of ice, take that." And Mr. 
Melville said, " Captain, I do not think that that piece of ice is large 
enough." Captain De Long did not pay any attention to that except 
to repeat the order , " Take that piece of ice that I told you to take." 
Of course his orders were law to us. We obeyed. We brought the i)iece 
of ice there and got the sled on top of it and all the men and shoved off. 
The consequence was that the piece of ice turned right over and dumped 
the sled and all the men in the water. It was not very pleasant to hav^e 
an ice-water bath up there, and it made it very uncomfortable to us. 

Q. All of you got wet, did you "? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. How was the weather; was it freezing? — A. No, sir; but there 
was ice in the water, and the water was naturally cold. At that time 
it was not freezing ; it was in June I think. 

Q. That is one instance. Now, have you others? — A. Not any other 
instance that I can recall. What I say is that there was a general im- 
pression or thought among tlve men that we could do work better when 
Captain De Long did not instruct us to do it than when somebody else 
did— either Mr. Melville or Mr. Chi pp. 

Q. Have you any knowledge of delays on the expedition, and, if so, 
what is your oi)inion as to whether those delays were necessary or un- 
necessary, and give the facts on which you predicate that opinion ? — A. 
My opinion is that there were some unnecessary delays during the re- 
treat. The first that I can recall was at Bennett Island. We delayed 
there I think one week, more or less ; but in my opinion two days would 
have been sufticient to Iiave enabled us to repair those boats and make 
the necessary preparation for leaving this island again. 

Q. What, in your opinion, would have been the result as to reaching 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 623 

the Siberian coast earlier or later provided you had only spent two days 
at Bennett Island instead of the number of days you did spend, would 
you have reached the Siberian coast earlier or later? — A. That is diffi- 
cult to say. I do not know what our chances would have been to get 
through, because we were working through the ice at this time. We 
did not have much open water. We had to find our way in the leads 
between the ice, and I do not know what the chances might have been 
if we had started earlier. Probably they would have been bad, and 
probably they would have been better; I cannot tell about that; but 
the delay, in my opinion, was unnecessary. The second occasion was 
at Kotelnoi Island. We delayed there for some time ; I do not know how 
long, and I did not see any possible reason why we should delay there, 
because we had open water and could have got away sooner than we 
did. 

Q. How long did you remain at that island ? — A. Four or five days I 
guess. 

Q. What were you doing while you were there ? — A. We did actually 
nothiug. We went around hunting, looking for game, that is all I know 
of that we did there on that island. 

Q. Now, I will ask your opinion whether it was necessary or unneces- 
sary to increase your store of provisions if by hunting you could in- 
crease your store of provisions ? — A. I think it would have been a much 
better plan to go on with what provisions we had than to lay there and 
consume the provisions; because we were unable to secure game enough 
to save any provisions. 

Q. What game did you find on that island ? — A. Kothing, sir. 

Q. You did not find anything 1—A. No, sir ; with the exception of a 
few ducks. There was general talk among the men during the time 
we were at Kotelnoi Island that they wished if Captain De Long per- 
sisted in these delays that some of the other officers would take charge 
of the expedition. 

Q. Who was that officer ? — A. It was not an officer. They said this. 

Q. I mean who was the officer whom they desired to take charge ? — 
A. Either Mr. Chij^iJ or Mr. Melville. This was only conversation I 
heard. 

Q. Conversation among the men ? — A. Conversation among the men ; 
yes, sir. 

Q. That never was cgmmunicated to any of the officers'? — A. No, sir; 
not that I know of. 

Q. It was never communicated to Captain De Long, Lieutenant 
Chipp, Lieutenant Danenhower, or Engineer Melville, that the men 
were dissatisfied with the management of Captain De Long ? — A. It 
was not that I know of, but they might have overheard the conversa- 
tion. Probably some of the officers may have overheard the conversa- 
tion because it was talked of very freely. 

Q. And in the presence of the officers 1 — A. Not in the presence of 
the officers, but then it might have been heard by them during the time 
we talked about it in the camp around the tents. 

Q. Was it or was it not talked of in the presence of Captain De 
Long ? — A. Not that I know of, sir. 

Q. Or where he had an opportunity of hearing it ? — A. Not that I 
know of, sir. 

Q. Do you or do you not know thatany officer of the expedition — thatis, 
any of the four^ — Captain De Long, Lieutenant Chipp, Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower, or Engineer Melville — ever heard that talk among the crew? — 
A. Noj sir ; I do not know that they did. 



624 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, I will get you to state whether the party — that is, the crew, 
the seamen — desired or did not desire a change of leader on the re- 
treat. — A. The substance of the conversation was that if Captain De 
Long persisted in these delays at every point where we stopped, they 
thought that some one else should take charge of the expedition and 
bring us through. 

Q. I will get you to state now whether or not in those conversations 
the men expressed the belief that the delays on these islands were un- 
necessary. — A. Yes, sir j I heard such expression, and that is also my 
opinion. 

Q. Was that expression general ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Among all the crew ? — A. Among the men that I had conversa- 
tion with. We were always discontented about these delays. Captain 
De Long said that the men needed rest, and I am sure that I, for my 
part, was more satisfied when we went ahead than when we stopped. 
It is very possible that we needed rest, but then I think there were a 
number of the party who would rather go on than to stop. 

Q. But suppose now, that you had gone on, and the fact was that you 
actually needed rest. Now, determine on that. You know how you 
felt; you know the condition of yourself and the condition of your com- 
rades. Would it or would it not, in your opinion, have been dangerous 
to success in the retreat if Captain De Long, instead of delaying where 
you could take rest, had forced the party ou ? 

Mr. Curtis. Will you ask him if he understands the question, or 
will you put it in simpler language "? 

The Chairman. I will put it in as simple language as I can. 

Q. In your opinion, from your condition and the condition of your 
comrades, was it or was it not necessary to make these delays to rest 
the crew, the workingmen ? — A. In my opinion, I think it was unneces- 
sary, because there was nobody who was actually sick, and they all ex- 
pressed themselves as strong and hearty and able enough to go on. 

Q. Now, have you anything more to say relative to the management 
of the retreat by Captain De Long ? — A. No, sir ; that is all. Captain 
De Long treated me personally very well during the expedition. He 
never had a cross word to say to me from the time I shipped with him 
from San Francisco, except upon one occasion, when I was reprimanded 
by him for using profane language. 

Q. Under the rules of the service that was right, was it not ? — A. 
He had a perfect right to do that ; yes, sir. 

Q. And you had no complaint against him for that? — A. No, sir; 
but what I say is he never said a cross word in any way to me except 
this one time. 

Q. What have you to say about Engineer Melv^ille's treatment of the 
crew ? — A. During the time he had charge of the working party, dur- 
ing Mr. Chipp's illness, when we first left the wreck, I think that he 
could have got along better by speaking more civilly to the men than 
he did. On occasions he spoke very roughly, and the men were very 
sensitive about it. It is probably a fact that the desolation we were in 
up there all this time made us naturally more sensitive than we would 
have been if this thing had taken place in a ship in the regular service 
here. We were very sensitive, and we did not like it, of course. He 
spoke very roughly. 

Q. State some of the words he said. — A. On several occasions, when 
we weie dragging the sled along and got stuck in the soft snow, and 
we could not move the sled on a bit, he would break out, "Haul, damn 
you; haul, boys, haul away, God damn you; every man pull his pound; 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 625 

there is nothing in it if you only pull." And, on another occasion, he 
declared we were all like so many damned mules ; that it was no use 
to speak to us; that we never would pay any attention, &c., and we 
were all like so many damned mules. I am sure that the very reason 
why Seaman Star was suspended from duty was because he .turned 
around and answered Mr. Melville. He was put under arrest. Not for 
that, but in the evening after that when we came into the camp, Mr. 
Melville had picked up some soles that we had tied under our mocca- 
sins to work on and put them in the second cutter on Star's sleeping- 
bag. The soles were wet, and when Star saw them on his sleeping-bag 
he picked them up and threw them off. Melville said, " Here, you can 
pick those up again ; they belong to me ; now you go and pick them up." 
Star said, "I don't want them on my sleeping-bag." ''Well, you go 
and pick them up." Then Captain De Long came along, and he said, 
"That will do for you, Star; don't say another word." Star said they 
were on his sleeping-bag, and he did not want them there, as his sleep- 
ing-bag was wet enough anyhow. " Shut up your mouth," said the 
captain. Star started again to say something. "Star," said the cap- 
tain, "fall out from the rest of the people." And he was suspended 
from duty, and the captain told him that the first opportunity he would 
get he would try him by a court-martial for disobedience of orders. 

Q. Now, how did the suspension of Star from active duty affect your 
progress *? — A. We were one good man short in our work ; that was the 
effect of it. 

Q. Is there any other profane language that you desire to state 
about ? — A. Further on I have more to tell. 

Q. What else have you to say about the conduct of Mr. Melville ? — 
A. That is all I have to say about Mr. Melville. 

Q. As to the suspension of Star, I want to know whether his suspen- 
sion retarded the progress of the expedition. Did you or did you not 
necessarily go slower than you otherwise would have gone had he not been 
suspended ? — A. We did not go slower. I do not suppose it affected 
the progress of the expedition any, but it was so much the more work 
for us to do by having one strong man short. He was physically the 
strongest man among the seamen. 

Q. What do you mean by that ; that it was or was not harder labor 
upon the rest of the crew ? — A. It was harder labor by being short one 
man. * 

Q. Now, what have you to say about Lieutenant Danenhower's conduct 
toward the crew on the retreat? — A. I think that Mr. Danenhower could 
have got along better with the crew after he got charge, or after he was 
put in temporary' charge of the whale-boat, by not enforcing his au- 
thority so strongly at times. 

Q. Give the facts. — A. I think that with eleven men situated as we 
were in a little open boat working for dear life to get ashore^ he could 
have dispensed with some of the Navy discipline, and acted a little more 
leniently towards us, and there would have been better feelings between 
the men and towards him. 

Q. Now, state what he said or did on that occasion when he was in 
temporary command of the whale-boat. — A. All I have got to state is 
simply that he enforced his authority too much. I haven't got any par- 
ticular thing to state about it. I thought he enforced his authority more 
than was necessary. 

Q. I will ask you this question : Whether or not you were ready to 
obey every request of the officer in comm;ind of the boat, and do your 
best for the safety of yourself and the others of your party 1 — A. I am 
40 J Q* 



626 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

ready to claim that I have done so. I obeyed all orders given to me, 
and did my best to carry them out to the best of my ability. 

Q. Now, 1 will get you to state whether you would have done so upon 
a simple request without any addition of harsh language (whether in 
your opinion it was harsh or otherwise) as well as with it; whether you 
would have done it freely and voluntarily upon a mere request without 
an urgent order ? — A. Yes, sir ; I would have done it. An order given 
by a naval officer, when I am subject to his orders, I know I have got 
to obey, no matter whether it is given harshly or given leniently. It is 
my duty to obey it, and if I do not do it I will have to take the conse- 
quences. 

Q. I would like it better now if you could state some of the language 
used by Lieutenant Danenhower to the crew — to yourself or any mem- 
ber of it — while he was in temporary command of it. — A. Mr. Danen- 
hower did not use any rough language in any way, but the way he spoke 
to us, and the way that he enforced his authority irritated us. On one 
occasion when we were in the Lena River, at a time when we were going 
to shove the whale-boat off, we were going to get some logs to stand on 
so as to prevent us from gt tting our feet wet. I went to look around 
for a log, and all at once I heard Mr. Danenhower shouting at me say- 
ing, "Come, Wilson, don't be so slow about this." I said, "I am look- 
ing for a log, sir, and I am coming as soon as T find one." He said, 
" You are not looking for it very hard, I can see that." And I will 
swear before this committee that I did my very best to obey the order 
that he gave me. 

Q. I will ask you this question, for I want to do justice to everybody 
in this matter : Did you not, as one of that crew, after the ship sank 
and you started upon the retreat, consider that the officers were not en- 
titled to or justifiable in exercising the same amount of authority on the 
retreat that they were on board the ship before it sank 1 — A. They had 
a perfect right as far as naval discipline goes, but we considered this 
expedition not regularly under the strict regulations of the Navy. We 
did not consider it to be the regular service. We considered that it was 
a special service, and we expected not to have the discipline so strictly 
enforced as it would be in the regular service. 

Q. Well, now, after the ship went down, did not your feelings get 
stronger that they did not have the right to execute such discipline as 
they did while the ship was afloat or locked in the ice? — A. No, sir; I 
did not think so at that time. 

Q. Did you or did you not think that the officers were entitled to ex- 
ercise the same amount of authority on the retreat that they did on ship- 
board ? — A. I did think that they were entitled to do so as far as the 
regulations of the Navy were concerned. 

Q. Well, in any other particular, outside of the regulations of the 
Navy ? — A. I thought that, situated as we were, away out in the Arctic 
Ocean working for our dear lives to get through, that they should be 
more lenient in exercising naval discipline. 

Q. That is, that the crew ought to be treated with more consideration 
than on shipboard? — A. Yes, sir; that was the general feeling. 

Q. In other words, did you not feel this way about it : That the con- 
duct of the men in the preservation of theniselves and their officers, was 
of much more consequence on the retreat than it was on shipboard? — 
A. I must ask 3"ou to repeat the question. 

Q. Did you or did you not think on the retreat that the men in their 
conduct for the preservation of themselves and their officers were entitled 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 627 

to more consideration than they were on shipboard ?— A. My opinion 
is that they were entitled to more consideration ; yes, sir. 

Q. Yon felt that your action was as important to the safety of the 
party as the action of the officers themselves "^ — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And therefore that you ought to be on equal footing with them? — 
A. Not on an equal footing. I never claimed that I should be on an 
equal footing with my superior officer. 

Q. But that, while you were willing for the officers to direct the men, 
the men were entitled to full consideration by the officers ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Is there anything more, now, that you want to say about the con- 
duct of Lieutenant Danenhower and his treatment of the crew ? — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. Or any part of the expedition ? — A. Ko, sir 5 not about Mr. Danen- 
hower. 

Q. Now, so far as Leach's testimony is concerned before the Court of 
Inquiry, what have you to say ? — A.. Leach, in his testimony, I believe, 
gives a recommendation to Mr. Danenhower. He says that if it had not 
been for Lieutenant Danenhower we would not have been here to-day. 
That is the statement that he makes in the proceedings before the Court 
of Inquiry, or words to that effect. 

Q. What have you to say relative to the testimony of Leach as to its 
being correct or incorrect in that respect '? — A. Simply, sir, that I flatly 
contradict Leach's statement. 

Q. Now, give the facts on which you base that contradiction. — A. I 
claim that during the night of that gale any man in the boat — when I 
say "any man" I mean any sea-faring man — could and would have 
done the same thing under the same circumstances that Mr. Danen- 
hower did, and that I never felt, and do not feel now, and never will 
feel that I am indebted for my life to Mr. Danenhower. I claim that I 
could have done and would have done the same thing if I had been 
put in charge of that boat that night, and so would any sea-faring man 
in that boat. 

Q. How long have you been following the sea? — A. Since I was ten 
years of age. If a man is not a seaman when he has been going to sea 
over tAventy years I think he never will be one. 

Q. And you claim that you could have managed that boat as success- 
fully aS' Lieutenant Danenhower! — A. I do, sir. 

Q. Have you or have you not any information of anything; and, if 
you have, state how you came in possession of that information, and 
what that information is, having any tendency to control the evidence 
of Mr. Leach before the Court of Inquiry. — A. All the information I 
can give you is that when I met Leach in New York, upon his return 
to America, he told me that Mr. Danenhower was going to recommend 
him for the charge of a signal station or light-house or something of 
that kind ; I do not remember just which ; but he did not say to me 
that he would get this position if he testified as Mr. Danenhower wished ; 
he did not say that by any means. He simply said that Mr. Danen- 
hower was going to recommend him to some station or other; I do not 
know what it was now. 

Q. That is, that he was to get employment under the Government on 
Mr. Danenhower's recommendation ? — A. Yes, sir ; I got that from 
Leach himself. 

Q. Was that before he testified before the Board of Inquiry? — A. It 
was before he got to Washington, upon his return to the United States ; 
I believe the same day that he came off the steamer from Europe. 



628 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. . 

Q. Have you anything further to state in reference to the testimony 
of Mr. Leach before the Court of Inquiry? — A. No, sir. 

Q. How long have you served on board aman of-war ? — A. I served in 
the United States ship Franklin in 1874, 1875, and 1876, on the European 
station. She was then flagship there. I was three years in that ship. 

Q. And you are well acquainted with the naval service and how sea- 
men are treated as far as the officers commanding the Franklin were 
coDcerned ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You may state what you desire in reference to those rules and reg- 
ulations, and the treatment of seamen in the Navy ? — A. When a man 
enlists in the Navy as a seaman he sells himself body and soul as it 
were for such and such a period of time. When he is subject to naval 
rules an enlisted man has nothing to say whatever. The superior offi- 
cers have all to say and Jack has nothing. That is my experience in the 
Navy. The superior officers can inflict punishment upon a man for an 
offense without giving the man a chance to defend himself, and a sea- 
man can do nothing against it. 

Q. The question now is whether they do it or not ! — A. I have gone 
through it myself. I was punished unjustly on board the United States 
ship Franklin, and I can state the instance now. 

Q. Give the instance. — A. When I first went into the Navy of course 
I was green, as you call It. I did not know anything about the Navy. 
I was told that I belonged to a boat called the working launch. Every 
boat has a certain tune that is played by the bugler when the boat is 
called away. This tune I did not know anything about. My boat was 
called. I think its tune was " Marching through Georgia." The bugler 
played this tune in the morning and I did not understand what it meant. 
I did not think it had any reference to me, because I did not know any- 
thing about it. I did not repair to the boat when it was called, and con- 
sequently 1 was put in double irons for twenty-four hours. I remon- 
strated, and told the officers that I did not know anything about it ; 
that did not help me ; I had to go to the " brig " in double irons. I remon- 
strated with the master-at-arms when he was going to put the irons on 
me ; I thought at the time it was an indignity. He put my arms behind 
me this way [illustrating], and pinioned them, so I had to stand in an 
upright i^osition for twenty -four hours, just simply because I was igno- 
rant of the tune that my boat was called away with. 

Q. Was this punishment with or without the recommendation of a 
court-martial ? — A. That was not the sentence of a court-martial. It 
was only just a punishment by confinement for twenty-four hours. 

Q. You were not tried by court-martial at all 1 — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Who ordered you punished ? — A. The executive officer. 

By the Chairman : ■ 

Q. The executive officer is the officer next in command to the captain, 
or the second oflicer on the ship, is he not ! — A. Yes, sir; and I know 
of different other occasions. I knew a man who was put in the ** brig'' 
in confinement because he came on the quarter-deck oneraorniTjg with- 
out touching his cap. 

Q. What was the difierence between the discipline and crew of the 
Jeannette and the treatment and discipline of the crew of the Frank- 
lin ? — A. There was, of course, a great deal of difierence in the treat- 
ment received on the Jeannette from that which is received in the 
regular service. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 629 

Q. State, if you can, what that difference was. — A. The difference 
was that in the Jeannette we were not put in solitary confinement, on 
bread and water, &c., the punishment that they generally inflict upon 
offenders in the Navy. 

Q. No one was put in irons ? — A. No, sir ; and I do not know of any 
man who was put on extra duty, except on one occasion Fireman Boyd 
was put on extra duty, I believe, for a few days for using profane lan- 
guage. 1 do not know of any other occasion that any body was punished 
with extra duty or put in double irons, or anything in that way, that 
they do in the Navy. 

Q. Was any member of the crew of the Jeannette put in irons during 
any part of the expedition ? — A. No, sir ; there was not, because I do 
not see that it was practicable. 

Q. Have you any reason to state why they were not ? — A. Because 
I do not think it was practicable. I wish to state about the United 
States Navy to show that Mr. Melville is not the only man in the service 
who uses profane language ; that I have heard many expressions in the 
Navy that were just as bad as those Mr. Melville made use of, and 
worse. I could repeat those expressions, but I do not think it is neces- 
sary. 

Q. I do not know that you have repeated his expressions. You may 
state the expressions of Mr. Melville on any and every occasion. — A. 
Well, I have stated them. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Have you ever been in any other navy ? — A. No, sir; the Ameri- 
can Navy is all I have been in. 

Q. In the ships of what nation did you sail before you came into the 
American Navy ? — A. I sailed in Swedish ships. 

Q. Merchant vessels? — A. Merchant vessels. 

Q. What is the treatment of sailors in Sweden as compared with 
their treatment on board our vessels in the United States 1 — A. I think 
we were treated pretty much in the same way. 

Q. Is not a man much better off in the American Navy than aboard 
the merchant marine of Sweden as to wages, treatment, food, clothing, 
and the like? — A. No, sir; I mean to say that I would rather go into 
the merchant service than into the Navy. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. What pay did you get on the Jeannette expedition ? — A. Twenty- 
five dollars a month. 

Q. What was your pay on the Franklin? — A. Twenty-one dollars 
and fifty cents. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Why would you rather go in the merchant service of Sweden 
than in the Navy ? — A. Did I say that ? If I did I retract that. I meant 
to say that I would rather go in the merchant vessels of America than 
I would to go in the Navy. I prefer the American vessels to those of 
my own country of course, because they pay more and I think the liv- 
ing is a good deal better than it is in my own country. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. And how is it on board the American man-of-war compared with 
the American merchant marine ? — A. The rations in the Navy are not 
sufficient for a man to live on. That I know. A man has got to put 
some money in his own mess every month if he is going to live in a way 
that he will not be in want. 



630 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you get better rations and more of them on board the Jean- 
nette than you did on board the Franklin? — A. Yes, sir j I must say 
that the living on the Jeannette was good. There was plenty to eat 
there. 

Q. Until the ship sank and you were on the retreat ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. It was a matter of necessity that the rations should be limited 
while you were on the retreat, was it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have no complaint to make on that score? — ^.A. No, sir; not 
at all on that score. 

Q. Now, as to Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb. They were enrolled as 
seamen, were they not! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What position did Mr. Collins hold on board the vessel? — A. I 
understood that he came on board as the meteorologist. That was what 
we called him. I do not know what his official position was. 

Q. And Mr. Newcomb came on board in what capacity ? — A. As nat- 
uralist, as I understood it; ^'bug hunter," we used to call him. 

Q. That was a nickname you had for him, was it ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I want you to state whether Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb 
were put under the same rules and regulations that you were as a sea- 
man ? — A. No, sir ; they were seamen on special service, as they called 
it — seamen on special duty. They were entered on the articles as sea- 
men, but they had other duties to perform on the ship than that of a 
seaman. 

Q. Now, was or was not this special duty on their part recognized, 
and were they ever required to perform other duties than those of me- 
teorologist and naturalist? — A. No, sir. But I think that the greatest 
mistake that Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb made was to submit their 
names to be entered on the ship's articles as seamen, because that sub- 
jected them to naval rules, and if it came to the pinch they would 
have to submit to the rules the same as seamen. 

Mr. Curtis. That is your opinion ? 
. The Witness. That is my opinion ; yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. These are all his opinions. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. You formed that opinion from what you saw on the ship ? — A. 
From what I know of the Navy. 

Q. From what you know of naval rules ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you anything further to state in connection with this expe- 
dition, or any part of it, while on shipboard or while on the retreat or 
while in Siberia ? Have you any complaint to make against any of the 
officers of the expedition anywhere, either while you were on board the 
ship or on the retreat or while you were in Siberia ? — A. No, sir ; 1 
cannot recollect anything else now. 

Q. Or any good reason for any other of the crew having a com- 
plaint ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. State if you appeared before the Board of Inquiry as a witness. — 
A. I did appear before the Court of Inquiry as a witness. 

Q. Now, state whether you had or did not have a full opportunity of 
stating anything that you desired to state before the court. — A. Yes ; 
in this way : When I came on the stand the judge-advocate, Mr. Lemly, 
a witness under examination here the day before yesterday, told me 
that he would give me the opportunity to make any complaints that 1 
desired to make before the examination began, and after that I was 
l^articularly instructed to confine u)yselt' to questions asked me and to 
answer them as briefly and shortly as possible. This opportunity was 



JEANNETIE INQUIRY. 631 

given to me. Having no personal complaint to make I thought it was 
not my business to enter into that of others. 

Q. If you have any complaint now that was not made before the 
Court of Inquiry, or has not been made before this committee, you will 
please state it. — A. I haven't any, sir. I wish to state also that there 
was a general feeling among all hands that there were a good many un- 
pleasant things that happened on that expedition that had better be 
hushed up, and that there were witnesses on the stand before me that 
did not say anything about those matters related to this committee, and 
I thought I would not do so either. 

Q. Is there anything now that you have kept back ! — A. Ko, sir ; not 
now. And another thing was the general feeling among all of us as sea- 
men, belonging to the Navy. There is a spirit of dread among seamen 
for the authorities of the Navy, and we felt a kind of drawback in tell- 
ing things probably, that I have told now. I am only speaking for my- 
self. 

Q. Have you or have you not any dread before this committee of stat- 
ing anything that you know or desire to state ! — A. No, sir 3 not the 
slightest. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you before the Court of Inquiry truthfully answer all the ques- 
tions that were put to you ? — A. All the questions that were put to me, 
yes, sir. 

Q. You say that you cannot agree with Mr. Leach in his opinion about 
what Lieutenant Danenhower did in the boat ? — A. No, sir j I cannot 
agree with you. 

Q. Leaving out of view the fact that somebody else might have done 
as well as he did, or even might have done better than he did, as mat- 
ter of fact, did he not carry the boat skilfully through that storm ? — A. 
He did carry the boat through, because it was his profession and he was 
expected to do so. He did not do any more than his profession required 
him to do. 

Q. I understand that j but in doing what his profession required him 
to do he did bring the boat safely through, did he not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, was there any other of&cer in that boat who was a naviga- 
tor ? — A. I do not know whether Mr. Melville knew about navigation or 
not. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville request Lieutenant Danenhower to take charge 
of the boat at the time Danenhower did take charge of it ? — A. Mr. Dan- 
enhower asked Mr. Melville to let him heave the boat to. 

Q. And Melville agreed to if? — A. He agreed to it 5 yes, sir. 

Q. Now, do you know any seaman or any other man in the boat be- 
sides yourself and Lieutenant Danenhower who could have done that 
thing; do you know of your own knowledge? 

The Witness. That could have done the same thing that Mr. Danen- 
hower did ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Do you know of any other man in the boat besides 
Lieutenant Danenhower and yourself? 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know of any other man who could have done it any better 
than you could ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Before the Court of Inquiry was not this question put to you, and 
did you not give this answer : 

Question by the Court, What experience have you had in handling boats, and do 
yon consider yourself capable of managing a boat in bad weather ? 
The Witness. I have not had any experience in handling boats. 



632 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

A. That was my answer ; yes, sir. 

Q. When was it that Fireman Boyd was put on extra duty ?— A. It 
was while we were on board the ship. I think it was the last summer 
we were in the ice. 

Q. For how long a time was he required to do extra duty ? — A. I 
think three days. 

Q. For what was that extra duty imposed upon him "? — A. For quar- 
reling with one of the seamen and using profane language in the pres- 
ence of the captain. 

Q. Had not the use of profane language been expressly forbidden by 
the captain i)revious to that time ? — A. Not that 1 know of, sir. 

Q. Did you not know of such an order ? — A. l^o, sir; I never heard 
of such an order as long as I was in the ship. 

Q. Did you know it was contrary to the regulations of the Navy ? — A. 
No, sir ; it is not contrary to the regulations of the Navy. 

Q. I did not ask you that ; I only asked you if you knew. You said 
that you understood from Leach that Lieutenant Danenhower had prom- 
ised to help him get a situation. Am I correct ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did Mr. Leach say that that had anything to do with his testimony, 
or that Danenhower did that as a bribe to him in any way ? — A. No, 
sir ; he did not say that by any means. 

Q. Now, when you were at Kotelnoi Island, did not Danenhower 
promise or offer to assist you in getting a situation if you should get 
back. 

The Witness. At what time did you say? 

Mr. Arnoux. At Kotelnoi Island, or at any other time ? — A. I do not 
remember, sir. 

Q. You will not say that he did not? — A. I will not say that he did 
not. We had many conversations on these points, and it is very proba- 
ble that he did, but I do not remember. 

Q. In your opinion, did not the men receive more consideration on 
the retreat than they did on shipboard ? 

The Witness. From the officers, you mean ? 

Mr. Arnoux. From the officers. 

The Witness. I think I have not fully got your question. 

Mr. Arnoux. Were not the men treated better and more kindly on 
the whole while they were on the retreat by the officers than they were 
on shipboard? — A. No, sir; we were treated more harshly, I think, after 
leaving the ship than we were while we were on board the ship. 

Q. Was that so in regard to Captain De Long ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. As well as the other officers ?^A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was not the delay at Kotelnoi Island because the captain had so 
much consideration for the men that he wanted them to rest? — A. He 
said that we wanted rest, yes. 

Q. Did you not think that he was in earnest about that ? — A. I have 
no doubt but he was. But at the same time we would rather have gone. 

Q. I am not asking what your judgment was, I am only getting at 
his. Did not some of the men at that time have blue blisters on their 
feet by reason of the work they had been doing? — A. I do not know 
that any one had those blisters that you speak about, but I think I 
heard that such was the case with some of those in Captain De Long's 
boat. 

Q. In your opinion, how long should he have rested at Kotelnoi 
Island ? — A. I do not think he should have rested there at all. 

Q. Suppose you had pushed right on without stoi)ping at Kotelnoi 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 633 

Island, how mucli sooner would you bave reached the open water ? — A. 
That depends entirely upon circumstances. 

Q. I ask your judgment on that question. — A. Yes, 1 think we could 
have got to the coast sooner. 

Q. How much sooner would you have got to the open water ? — A. We 
were in the open water then, sir. 

Q. Were you not still in the ice ^. — A. Ko, sir. 

Q. Did you go direct from Kotelnoi Island to Siberia ? — A. The next 
island we landed on after we left Kotelnoi was Seminowski. 

Q. Very well. Now, after you left Seminowski Island you went on 
the ice, too, did you not 1 — A. No, sir ; we had no ice there. 

Q. What day was it when you left Kotelnoi Island ^ — A. I do not know 
the date. 

Q. As near as you recollect *? — A. I cannot recall the date, the month, 
or anything. 

Q. You did not go from Kotelnoi Island direct to Siberia, did you ? — 
A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you not go from Kotelnoi to Seminowski Island ? — A. Yes ; 
but we had open water between those islands. 

Q. In the leads? — A. No, clear, open water between those two islands. 

Q. In your opinion, how much sooner would you have got to Semi- 
nowski Island if you had not stopped at Koltenoi Island ? — A. I should 
judge that we would have got to Seminowski Island about two days 
earlier. 

Q. Now, if you had got to Seminowski Island two days earlier, you 
would have been on the sea two days sooner, would you not *? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Was there not a very severe storm two days before you started 
for Siberia ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you sure of that ? — A. I am sure of that. 

Q. What day of the week was it you started for Siberia, when you 
divided up into the three boats and set sail "? — A. I do not remember 
that, sir. 

Q. Do you recollect the day of the month ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Nor the month ? — A. No, sir. I wish to state here about the de- 
lay on Seminowski Island, I do not believe I gave that evidence j I did 
not state about the delay on Seminowski Island. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. You may state that now. — A. We landed on Seminowski Island 
in the middle of the day when we came past there just, about the middle 
of the island or a little to the southward probably. We went there to 
have dinner. When we went ashore we found that there were some 
reindeer there, and we formed a chain right across the island. It was 
only a narrow island. We formed a chain, each man with a rifle, to 
hunt these reindeer down, and we were successful. We killed one of 
the reindeer, the largest one, there were only two, a doe and a young 
one. We killed the old one, and we stopped there two days, and, in my 
opinion we should not have done so. 

By Mr. Aknoux : 

Q. Now, then, you think you lost two days at Kotelnoi Island, and 
two days at Seminowski Island 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And would the four days gained, in your opinion, have been the 
means of preserving the life of any man that was lost"^ — A. I think if 
we had started from Seminowski Island the same day we got this rein- 



6P>4 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

deer, instead of stopping there two days we should have got to the 
coast before this gale came on us. 

Q. Did you know at that time that there was any gale coming? — A. 
No ; we did not. There was a fresh breeze when we started from Semi- 
nowski. 

Q. Did you think that the captain staid there for the purpose of get- 
ting the boats caught in the gale *? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then no human being in the party had any anticipation of the 
gale coming that swamped the boat of Lieutenant Ohipp ? — A. Why, 
certainly not. 

Q. Where were you when Star was suspended ? — A. I was there. 

Q. I mean where was the party? — A. On the ice. 

Q. Where were you at the time? — A. I do not believe Captain De 
Long knew at the time where we were. 

Q. Was it before you reached Bennett Island ?— A. It was before we 
had sighted Bennett Island ; yes, sir. 

Q. Were you then on the ice or in the leads ? — A. We were on the 
ice ; traveling over the ice. 

Q. And you are not able to say that the suspension of Star for the 
two days A. (Interrupting.) No, sir; not two days. 

Q. How long was he suspended? — A. He was suspended from that 
time until the time we arrived at Bennett Island, during the time we 
were there, and he was put on duty at the time we left Bennett Island. 

Q. Now, in your opinion, would you have left Bennett Island any 
earlier than you did if Star had not been suspended? — A. No, sir. 

Q. When did you write out the questions which you submitted to the 
chairman of this committee? — A. This morning. I just wrote them off 
for my own benefit, in order that none of those statements should es- 
cape my memory. 

Q. When were you subpoenaed before this committee? — A. On the 
9th of April. 

Q. From to 9th of April up to yesterday, when you testified, had you 
taken the pains to write out anything that you wanted to testify to? — 
A. Not the slightest, sir. 

Q. After you were examined yesterday did you meet any person con- 
nected with this inquiry? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who ? — A. I met Dr. Collins and Judge Curtis. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What was the feeling of the men on the expedition towards the 
officers? Were the officers popular with the men of the exxjedition or 
otherwise? — A. The feeling of the men towards some of tlie officers 
during the time of the retreat was a sort of a hard feeling. We thought 
we were treated rather harshly by some of them. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Can you state any fact on which you based your opinion that 
Lieutenant Danenhower enforced his authority with too much harsh- 
ness while in command of the whale-boat ? — A. I think he did at all 
times. 

Q. No, no, can you state any fact on which you base that opinion? — A. 
I cannot recall any fact. 

Q. Can you state any fact in regard to Mr. Melville to warrant the 
opinion that you have expressed in • regard to his harshness, besides 
those you have given? — A. No; not besides those I have given. 

Q. Can you state any fact on which you base your opinion in regard 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 635 

to Captain De Long? — A. ISTo, sir; only generally this : T wish to state 
that during the time we were in the ship there was always a good feel- 
ing between the men and the officers, so far as I know. I speak only 
for myself. I did not have a hard feeling against any of the officers. 
During that time I thought they were very kind and considerate. Cap- 
tain De Long, in particular, was very gentle and very considerate of the 
crew while in the ship, but after getting on the ice he changed, and I 
did not recognize Captain De Long by his character when on the ice 
compared with that on board the ship. 

Q. Can you state any fact that shows that there was any change 
whatever in his character, except that one where he made you jump the 
lead? — A. Only his general manner towards everybody, sir. He was 
reserved, never spoke to anybody unless it was absolutel^^ necessary to 
do so; whereas on the ship he always had a pleasant word for every 
seaman and everybody he met. 

Q. That is the only difference you noticed? — A. That is the only dif- 
ference; that he was very strict about having his orders obeyed, and 
if they were not instantly obeyed he would let them know that he was 
boss. 

Q. Did you not judge that the captain, under the circumstances in 
which you were placed, had a great feeling of anxiety which prevented 
his talking much with anybody? — A. i^o, sir; I thought that the anx- 
iety should not hinder him from being as pleasant on the retreat as he 
was on the ship. 

Q. I am not speaking about what you call pleasant; I am speak- 
ing about what you call talk. Do you not think that a man who is 
very anxious is not as likely to talk as freely as one who has no special 
anxiety ? — A. I do not understand your question. 

Q. Do you not think that when a man is very anxious he is not so 
likely to speak as when he has nothing to give him any anxiety ? — A. 
I do not see what there is to hinder him. 

Q. You do not think that when a man is thinking very much about 
a thing it would affect his speaking ?— A. No, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What nautical instruments did you have with which to navigate 
this boat? 

The Witness. The whale-boat ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

The Witness. None, sir, except the prismatic compass. 

Q. Was that of any use ? — A. I believe I heard Mr. Danenhower say 
It did Dot work very well. 

Q. So, absolutely, outside the prismatic compass, which was useless, 
you had no nautical instruments with which to navigate the boat ?— A. 
None whatever, as I know of. 

Q. The counsel asked you whom you met after the recess yesterday, 
and you told him Dr. Collins and Judge Curtis. Did you say to Judge 
Curtis that you had matter to state to the committee that you had not 
stiated ? — A. I believe I did ; yes, sir. 

Q. What did he advise you to do ? — A. He advised me, if I had any 
more statements to make, to go and state them. 

Q. To whom ? — A. He referred me to the chairman. 

Q. Of this committee? — A. Of this committee ; which I did this morn- 
ing. 

Q. You took his advice ? — A. Yes, sir. 



636 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Frank A. Manson sworn and examined. 
By Mr. OURTIS : 

Question. What is your full name, if you please, sir ? — Answer. Frank 
A. Manson. 

Q. Where do you reside at the present time ! — A. In the State of 
Michigan. 

Q. What is your present occupation ? — A. I am a farmer there, sir. 

Q. You have become a landsman ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You were attached to the Jeanne tte expedition, were you? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. As a seaman, I believe ? — A. Yes, as a seaman. 

Q. In what country were you born ? — A. I was born in Sweden, sir. 

Q. What is your age *? — A. I am thirty-three. 

Q. Are you a gentleman of family 1 — A. I have my mother and sister 
to take care of. 

Q. And they live with you ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I want to be as brief with you as I can j you remember Mr. 
Collins, do you? — A. Yes, sir; I do. 

Q. Do you remember or not that Mr. Collins told you that he had 
on his person when on the Siberian Islands, in the presence of Bartlett, 
a history of the expedition ? — A. Yes, sir ; I remember he was telling 
about it; he said he had a copy from his log that he had on board the 
ship. He used to copy the log-book, and he said he had the whole copy 
from it. 

Q. Can you state whether or not Mr. Collins told you these papers 
would show Captain De Long's and Mr. Melville's conduct and treat- 
ment of the sailors ! 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that does not follow the rule. 

The Chairman. He puts it in the alternative. Still, perhaps, it is 
strictly a leading question. You can go on. 

Mr. Curtis. I will put it in another way. 

Q. What did he tell you those papers were? — A. I will give you the 
whole statement he made. Bartlett and I were out hunting ; I think it 
was at Kotelnoi Island ; I am not sure ; but going home to the camp 
we came up with Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins was always good friends 
with the crew, and he commenced talking. He said he thought it would 
lead to a second Franklin expedition, and he commenced talking about 
Captain De Long's delay. He spoke about his ill-treatment on board. 
He said he liked all the officers very well except Melville and Captain 
De Long. I said I liked Captain De Long first-rate, and he said he 
thought Captain De Long would have been all right if it had not been 
for Mr. Melville ; that both Melville and Captain De Long were good 
friends, and Captain De Long took Melville's part. Then he said, " If 
I reach home. New York, I have got what will fix Captain De Long and 
Mr. Melville in New York." That is the statement that Mr. Collins 
made, and Bartlett was along with me at the time he made it. 

Q. Now, Mr. Manson, if you please, I want you to tell what, if any- 
thing, he said that these papers that he had would do ? — A. He said 
he would have Captain De Long and Mr. Melville in a bad fix. 

Q. With these papers? — A. Yes; that he had that which would fix 
Captain De Long and Mr. Melville. He told me before that he had the 
copy from his log-book. 

Q. What did Mr. Collins tell you, if anything, about the way in which 
he was induced to ship as a seaman ? — A. Well, he said that if he had 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 637 

ranked with an officer it would have been all right on board the ship, 
but that when he shipped as a seaman he was sold. 

Q. Did he say anything about what he woukl have done if he had 
known about it at the time ! — A. Yes, sir ; he did. 

Q. What did he say about that? — A. He said, " If I had known as 
much then as I do now, I would not have done it." 

Q. He would not have done what ? — A. He would not have shipped 
as a seaman. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Danenhower say anything to you in reference to 
Captain De Long, and what he intended to do when he returned to the 
United States ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did he tell you! — A. He told me he did not think Captain 
De Long treated him right. He said if he lived to come to New York 
he would have him court-martialed. 

Q. Now, Mr. Manson, in reference to the retreat. How did the officers 
work on the retreat ; did they do the same work as the men ! — A. No, 
sir ; they didn't work the same as we did. Captain De Long used to 
haul once in awhile, but very seldom. Mr. Chipp worked sometimes, 
but very seldom. I never saw Melville work. Melville always walked 
behind the sleigh and shouted out to us and told us to work faster, and 
so on. 

Q. You were harnessed to a sleigh in a team ? — A. Yes, sir ; the same 
as a team of horses or mules. 

Q. That is, you were like a team of horses or miiles ! — A. We had a 
kind of strap to our shoulders, and a rope running from that attached 
to the sleigh. 

Q. And Mr. Melville marched behind and told you how to go ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, was there any delay at Seminowski Island ? — A. Yes, sir ; 
there was. 

Q. How much delay was there ? — A. There were three days' delay, I 
think. 

Q. In your judgment, was that delay necessary 1 — A. No -, I don't be- 
lieve it was. I was in Melville's party there. We all complained that 
we didn't like to stay there and Melville didn't like to stay there, and 
he went to the captain and asked the captain how long he was going 
to stay. The captain said he would stay until Monday, and Mr. Mel- 
ville said that we had better go on as we had good weather and good 
wind now, and Captain De Long said the men needed rest. Mr. Mel- 
ville said, ^' Well, my men don't want any rest. I would like to go on." 
Captain De Long said, ''Well, my men do. My men have a heavier 
boat to pull than your men." Then we staid three days on Seminowski 
Island. We wfere sent out hunting and working. We were sent 16 or 
18 miles away hunting on the island. I didn't call that rest. 

Q. Then you were delayed there altogether three days ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, were you delayed at Bennett Island ! — A. Yes ; we were 
there eight days. 

Q. Was that delay necessary ! — A. No } I don't think it was. 

Q. Why! — A. Because we didn't do anything there except survey- 
ing. We took three days surveying around the coast. 

Q. What have you to say, if anything, about Captain De Long order- 
ing the men to pick roads that were not proper roads to pick ! — A. I 
know there was complaint of taking the poorest roads when we could 
get better roads. I know many times that there would be a good road 
near us and the captain would not take it, but he would take another 
road that would take us much longer to go. 



638 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Do you remember Tong Sing, the Chinaman ? — A. Yes, I do. 

Q. Do you remember any difficulty between Melville and him ? — A. 
Yen, I do. 

Q. What was that ? — A. At Geeomovialocke, I know, one day, he was 
down at the river trying to haul the boat and Melville struck him. 

Q. He was trying to draw the boat up ? — A. I don't know just what 
he was doing, but he was standing down there by the boat somewhere. 
We were trying to haul the boat up and secure it during the winter. 

Q. What did Melville do to him ? — A. He struck him with his fist. 

Q. How many times ? — A. Well, I don't remember ; once or twice, I 
think twice. 

Q. Did Melville ever take hold of you *? — A. Yes ; he gave me a shove 
once. Crossing a lead on the ice once there was a whole team of 
us. The lead was about 12 or 13 feet wide, and I was going across. I 
was the head man to go over. But it was open water. I did not like 
to jump in the water, and, of course, I could not jump that far across. 
There was a big sleigh running across, and I tried to step on that, and 
I did not go quite quick enough, and he came to me and shoved me 
right in the back with his hand, and says, " Get over there." 

Q. Do you know of any trouble between Danenhower and Melville ? — 
A. Yes, sir ; I do. 

Q. Where was it ? — A. It was at Geeomovialocke. 

Q. What was it ? — A. It was something about going to Bulun. I be- 
lieve it was about searching for Mr. Chipp. I don't remember just what. 
At first Melville thought he was going. Mr. Danenhower said, " No, I 
think I ought to go." He said, " Melville, I don't think you treat me 
right to go." Mr. Melville got kind of hot then, and says, " I can go 
to hell and out of it again, right in this minute." 

Q. Is that all that you remember in reference to Danenhower and 
Melville ? — A. It was two years ago and I don't remember much. There 
are some details that I don't think it is necessary to mention. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Was it the log-book that Mr. Collins spoke about ! — A. Yes j he 
mentioned that. He said his log-book. 

Q. Now, did he not have a meteorological log-book? — A. He had a big 
book. I saw it down in his room very often. It was about a foot wide 
and about a foot and a half long. 

Q. Now, you never saw that book on the ice ? — A. It never came on 
the ice. 

Q. When he said to you that he had the book A. (Interrupting.) 

He said that he had the copy. 

Q. It was a copy of the meteorological log-book ? — A. Well, he said 
he had the copy. 

Q. Now, did he point to his pocket at the time he said he was copying 
it? — A. He put his hand this way [illustrating]. 

Q. Put his hand on his side pocket? — A. No; he put his hand right 
here on his breast [indicating]. 

Q. On his side? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, it was not the log-book that he had there in his pocket? — A. 
No ; he did not have his log-book, but he had his copy. 

Q. You know that all he had was this little book which he had in his 
pocket? — A. He told us he had the copy. I know he had the papers. 

Q. Did you ever see his papers? — A. No; I believed his word. 

Q. We are not questioning that. We want to know what you know. 
Did you see the pnpers ? — A. No, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 639 

Q. Did you ever see him writing in a little journal ; he had a little 
book about 4 inches long ? — A . I have seen him write on paper, too, after 
we left the ship, small short thin paper, something like that [indicating 
paper on the table] is what he used to write on. 

Q. How many pieces *? — A. Well, I couldn't tell how many pieces. 

Q. And then did you ever see his little note-book besides "^ — A. I saw 
his note-book ; yes, sir. 

Q. When was it that he told you he had this meteorological log- 
book ? — A. I can't name the island, because there were so many, and I 
don't remember those names ; I think it was 

Q. [Interposing.] Thadeowski Island ? — A. I wouldn't say the name; 
I don't remember that. 

Q. Did you ever afterwards see that ? — A. No ; I never saw it after- 
wards. I never had any talk with Mr. Collins since I was on that island. 

Q. Did you not stay on Seminowski Island only from Saturday till 
Monday*? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. That was all ?— A. That was all. 

Q. What time on Saturday did you reach there *? — A. I think the first 
time it was in the forenoon. 

Q. And did you not leave there Monday morning ? — A. Yes ; we left 
there Monday morning, but we did not land on the island until the af- 
ternoon. We landed twice on the island. 

Q. On Seminowski Island f — A. Yes ; it was afternoon when we 
landed the last time when we commenced the camp. 

Q. Were you there three days when you werethere the last time ? — 
A. It was three days. We landed on Saturday and left Monday morn- 
ing. 

Q. You say it was three days, and you say in fact you got there 
Saturday and left Monday ? — A. Of course, I know it would not take 
three days from Saturday to Monday, but I say at first I thought we 
staid there three days. 

Q. Were you one of the seamen of the shii) *? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And were Leach and Wilson both seamen of the ship ? — A. Both 
seamen of the ship. 

Q. Kow, Mr. Wilson has just testified, and he says that he did not 
think that Lieutenant Danenhower's charge of the boat conduced to 
your safety when you were going to the Siberian coast. Do you agree 
with him in that opinion *? — A. I give Mr. Danenhower credit for taking 
the boat ashore. 

Q. You do ? — A. I do, for navigating the boat ashore. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. It was his professional duty to do it, was it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And could you have done the same thing ? — A. I could if he had 
not been there. 

Q. And could not Wilson have done the same ? — A. I guess he could. 

Q. And could not any able seaman have done the same thing ? — A. 
There were three men, I think, who could do it. 

Q. That was Wilson, you, and who ? — A. Leach and Bartlett were 
the other two. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Was not Cole the best seaman of the lot ^ — A. Cole was not right 
then. He had commenced to get kind of sick then. 

Q. I thought that was after he got in Siberia ? — A. No ; we noticed 
it at sea. When a big sea would strike the boat Mr. Cole would sit 
down and laugh at it. 



640 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Have you any complaint to make against your treatment or the 
treatment of anybody else by any officer of the expedition *? — A. No, 
sir, except in the case of Mr. Melville. Captain De Long always treated 
me kindly and spoke to me kindly, and so did all the rest of the officers 
except Mr. Melville. 

Q. Now, state what Mr. Melville said to you that was unkind or that 
you considered unkind. — A. I think the time he shoved me across the 
lead when the lead was too wide for me to jump it, and I did not get 
over quick enough, it was not right to shove me over. We had one of 
those big sleighs, and I tried to step on the sleigh so I could jump over 
and not get in the water. I did not get over quick enough, and Mel- 
ville was standing right behind me, and just shoved me with his hand 
and said '' get over there." If he used any cursing I don't remember it. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What was the general feeling of the men towards the officers on 
the expedition ? — A. They liked it when the captain was behind ; they 
worked better ; they did not want the captain to interfere with them. 

Q. In what way did the captain interfere with them? — A. There was 
too much of what we call humbug on the retreat. We called it humbug 
because they did not work the right way. Mr. Chipp always took the 
best road he could see. Captain De Long would not do that ; he took 
the road he thought was best. If there would be a good road here, and 
a man came and told him " here is a better road," he would not go 
there; he took the other road, no matter if it took three days longer. 

Q. Was Mr. Chipp the best liked officer on the expedition ! — A. Yes, 
sir ; Mr. Chipp was the best liked of all the men. 

Q. That is, of the officers ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Had you ever been at sea prior to going on this expedition ? — A. 
Yes ; I had been to sea since 1871. 

Q. On what vessels ? — A. Merchant ships, sir. 

Q. You had never been in the Navy ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. What merchant marine? — A. All kinds — Swedish, Nova Scotian, 
and American. 

Q. Had you ever been in the Arctic before this ? — A. No, sir ; I had 
never been on any except long trips, around Cape Horn and the Cape 
of Good Hope. 

Q. After you took to the ice was there any feeling amongst the men 
that they should be allowed more liberty than on shipboard ? — A. They 
used to read the Articles of War. 

Q. Where did they read the Articles of War ; after you got on the 
ice"? — A. Yes, sir; I think the first Sunday in every month they were 
read. 

Q. Was any complaint made to the officers by the men about strict 
naval discipline being maintained on the ice? — A. No, sir; 1 do not 
think so. It did not seem to me that it was right to say anything that 
would hurt the feelings of the officers. 

Q. Then how did you come to know that there was any feeling 
amongst the men? — A. I heard those expressions amongst them, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. You did not think those of any special moment to mention them 
before the Court of Inquiry ? — A. I didn't think of it, because I was 
not asked about it. 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 641 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Were you asked about it before the Court of Inquiry ? — A. No, sir j 
I was not asked those questions, I don't believe. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. Let me refresh your recollection. Was not this question put to 
you, and did you not give this answer [reading] : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Have you any charge to lay or special com- 
mendation to offer concerning any of the officers or men connected with the Jeannette 
expedition : first, as to the condition of the vessel on her departure from San Fran- 
cisco ; second, her management up to the time of her loss ; third, her loss; fourth, the 
provisions made and plans adopted for the several boats' crews on their leaving the 
wreck; fifth, the efforts made by the various officers to insure the safety of the par- 
ties under their charge and for the relief of the other parties ; sixth, the general con- 
duct and merits of each and all of the officers and men of the expedition ? 

Answer. No, sir ; except Mr. Danenhowor, that he brought us safe to shore ; that 
his judgment in making a drag on the night of the gale. 

A. Oh, I got to understand at that time that the less we said the 
better. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. If I were to ask you a question like that, would you understand 
the full meaning of it? — A. Well, I understand that. I understood 
that the less we said the better, and I was told so by some of the men. 

Q. Did any of the officers tell you so ? — A. No, sir; I don't think so. 
Mr. Wilson told me so. And another thing, I was not asked any ques- 
tions concerning Mr. Collins at that time. I never had any hard feel- 
ings towards anybody on board the ship, and I came here to tell the 
truth so far as I know. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Have you been in consultation with Dr. Collins or his counsel 
since you have been here now ? — A. Yes, I have spoken to them. 

Q. Did they prepare questions in regard to you ? — A. No, sir ; I never 
spoke to any man about any questions. 

Q. Did you not tell them what you knew about the matter *? — A. Yes, 
I did. I told Mr. Collins what I knew about this matter. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You had no conversation with me about the subject ? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. Did Leach say anything to you about any promise being made to 
him if he would testify before the Board of Inquiry 1—A. He told me 
once when he was up in Siberia that Mr. Danenhower promised to give 
him a good billet. 

Q. And he is one who testified for Mr. Danenhower before the Board 
of Inquiry, did he not "? — A. He was one who came home at the same 
time. 

Q. You were made to understand the less you said the better before 
the Board of Inquiry ? — A. Yes ; that was the understanding I had the 
first time I came here at the investigation. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Wilson gave you to understand that ? — A. He said he was not 
allowed to, and Nindemann told me so in New York, 

Q. When was it Nindemann told you that he was not "?— A. He told 
me a good many times in New York. 

Q. Before you came on ? — A. Yes, before I came on, and afterwards, 
too. 

41 J Q* 



642 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Daneuliower ever offer to assist you when you 
came home? — A. No, not that I remember. Since we came home he 
got me once in the custom-house in New York. 

Q. Was that before or after you testified ! — A. But he never promised 
me before he came home that he was going to do it. 

Q. Was that before or after you testified ? — A. It was afterwards. 

Q. So you had no promise from Lieutenant Danenhower that influenced 
you in making that statement in regard to him before a court of inquiry? — 
A. No, sir; I didn't have any promise from anybody. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. When did you get this appointment; before or after the Court of 
Inquiry ? — A. Afterwards. 

Mr. Arnoux. Now I propose to read this from Captain De Long's 
Journal : 

Watching them carefully I saw they had no lack of water and I took in my boat 
the seven belonging to the whale-boat and drifted down toward them; I say drifting, 
for we were so deep we dared not pull and still less did I dare to sail. Soon I met the 
whale-boat coming back and Melville reported plenty of water right up to the point; 
gave him his people and went on. The second cutter had rounded the point and come 
to against the beach and I ran in alongside her, and at 6.30 we all landed on the beach 
or sand bank, whatever it is, pitched camp, unloaded, and hauled np our boats. Now 
where are we? Snow squals, fog, and thick weather generally prevented my seeing 
anything except that we landed on a sandy spot with lots of drift wood, but whether 
an island or a low beach extending from Kotelnoi Island I knew not. Dimly through 
the snow the loom of mountnins could be seen to the westward, but whether 5 miles 
or 50 I could not say. Everybody was wet and cold, running before the sea with 
loaded boats, and I was only too thankful to get a place for my people where we 
were at least secure to care much for its geographical peculiarities. I had on my 
wet clothes since falling overboard, unpleasantly to me, chilling me to the bone in 
spite of the ration of brandy which the doctor had given me when I was hauled out, 
and I was as anxious as anybody to get a fire made to stand in front of to dry by. 
Chipp said he saw thousands of ducks fly around a point as he came in, but though 
I at once sent Mr. Newcomb away with his shot gun, he at the end of an hour brought 
back only one gull and a miserable little sand piper about the size of a fly. While 
on the way he had shot and secured two ducks and I was anxious for more. The 
announcement was made that deer droppings were here, and in anticipation of what 
this barren spot might give us to-morrow we sat down to our pint of beef tea, 6 
ounces of pemmican, and pint of tea without sugar. By this time we had a roaring 
fire, however, and though choked by smoke and scorched by sparks we stood around 
it and steamed ourselves into partial dryness. Some of the wood was marked with 
ax cuts and one piece was cut for a log house. The southeast gale blew harder than 
ever and dark night shut in at 9 o'clock. Standing by the fire, with my congregation 
holding wet stockings and other gear to dry meanwhile, I read Divine service at 8.30. 
Though it was the first Sunday, and the Articles of War were in order, I postponed them 
to a more favorable occasion. When everybody liked it he crawled into bed. 

Monday, jSeptemher 5. — Called all hands at 6 a. m. ; breakfast at 7 ; seemingly more 
of a gale than ever, with blinding snow-storm; wind east-southeast. Barometer 
29.36 at 32, temperature, 28.35. No chance to send out anybody in quest of game, so 
we must ear* our pemmican and wait for something else. I am more and more thank- 
ful that I have even a sand spit to live on, though I don't know where I am. Noth- 
ing can be seen through the thick snow but a dim outline of land to NW. and W., 
but near or far is a doubtful point yet. Mr. Collins evidently had a bedfellow last 
night — a learning — for when he went out of the tent this morning one of those little 
creatures jumped out of the hood of his fur coat and burrowed his way into the sand 
like a flash. Johnson says he saw a moccasin track in the sand, which was made 
where none of us had yet been, and it was quite fresh, and some wood around us 
bears fresh marks of axes. Can this place have been visited lately ? A fossil bone 
was picked up by the doctor last night. Finding numerous ponds along the sand 
spit we, for a moment, sujiposed that we might find good water, but investigation 
proved that it was all very salt. The snow-fall this morning gives us a special sup- 
ply, though in drifting over the sand before massing in banks it collected an appreci- 
able amount rf salt. Mr. Dunbar looks quite ill. I am afraid he has suffered more in 
the second cutter than he will admit. When we parted company with them they had 
their hands full in bailing their boat, and when they ran alongside an ice-floe and 
prepared to haul out, Chipp had to be passed out by hand, he was so cramped from 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 643 

sitting in the cold water. Cliipp at once served out two ounces of brandy to each 
one, and Dunbar immediately threw his up and fainted. I have noticed that all the 
second cutter's people look tired and strained, and some of them had swollen faces. 
When I get Chipp's account in detail I can set all these things down. 

That is ag far as I wish to read in connection with that delay as show- 
ing what his reason was for not starting on. 

Henry Wilson recalled and examined. 
By the Chairman : 

Question. In your testimony before the Court of Inquiry did you com- 
mend Lieutenant Danenhower's conduct on the boat or elsewhere ? — 
Answer. I do not remember, sir, but I think I did not. The testimony 
will show. 

Q. After you testified before the Court of Inquiry did or did not 
Lieutenant Danenhower get you a positi(m in the custom-house *? — A. 
After the Court of Inquiry ; yes, sir. 

Q. How long did you retain that position ? — A. I retained that posi- 
tion for about two months or two months and a half, I don^t remember. 

Q. Did you resign or were you discharged *? — A. I resigned for a bet- 
ter position, as I considered it. 

Q. Do you think that your evidence made any difference in Lieuten- 
ant Danenhower's treatment of you after you had testified ? Do you 
think that had any infi^uence on Lieutenant Danenhower ?— A. l^o, sir; 
Mr. Danenhower and I have always been friendly, and I do not think 
that the testimony that I have given now will bear upon Mr. Danen- 
hower. 

Q. And you do not think that he got this position for you as a re- 
ward for any part of your testimony ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Or what you did not testify to ? — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Getting the position had no influence upon you, as I understand ? — 
A. No, sir. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In point of fact, how many of the seamen got positions after the 
Board of Inquiry ? There was you, Manson, and who else 1 — A. Mr. 
Danenhower got Manson and myself this work in the custom-house. 

Q. What others got positions, do you know ? — A. Nindemann got a 
position, too, but not through Mr. Danenhower. 

Q. But he got one ; it does not make any difference through whom he 
got it. What others got one ? — A. I don't know of any others. Leach 
told me that Mr. Danenhower had promised him a position. I do not 
believe he got that position. I have communicated with Leach, and he 
tells me he has not got that position yet. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. You were not only sworn before the Court of Inquiry, but you 
were asked if you had any charge to ]ay, or commendation to offer, re- 
specting any of the officers or men connected with the Jeannette expe- 
dition, and did you not give this answer : 

All I can say is, the ship was well fitted out, and a strong and seaworthy ship. I 
think she was managed very well. 

A. That was my answer. 

Q. And you think so still? — A. Yes, sir; I think so still. 



644 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You are Dot conscious of having made any difference in your evi- 
dence before this investigating committee and your testimony before the 
Board of Inquiry "? — A. I am not. 

Q. But the questions that you have answered to-day were not put 
before the Court of Inquiry, — A. i^o, sir. 

Q. And if they had been put you would have answered them as you 
have to-day — truthfully "? — A. I have stated what my feelings were at 
the time, but if the questions had been put direct to me I should cer- 
tainly have answered them. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What do you mean by your feelings at the time 1 — A. My feel- 
ings that the less said the better. 

Q. Did you feel as much freedom before that Court of Inquiry as you 
do now 1 — A. No 5 I did not, sir. I was a man belonging to the Navy 
at that time, and, as I stated before, I had a sort of dread of naval 
authorities, and I said nothing that reflected on the Navy officers. 

Mr. Curtis. I desire to offer a number of complimentary notices, &c., 
of Mr. Collins from learned societies and associations in different coun- 
tries as well as in his own, showing the estimation in which he was held 
by the learned in different countries. And I offer them with this view: 
While no serious result has ensued from the attempt to assail Mr. Col- 
lins as a scientific gentleman, at the same time, as this is a record that 
will be made up, as it were, for all time, and his scientific character and 
services have been conspicuous objects of inquiry in this proceeding, I 
think it is no more than just to him that these testimonials of learned 
men and learned societies as to his capabilities and as to his character 
should be a part of this record. 

The Chairman. Do you desire the whole printed ? 

Mr. Curtis. I will say I have no objection to any similar testimony 
offered by the other side upon the expedition, and will heartily join in 
the offer to put them upon the record. 

Mr. Arnoux. One moment. I would like to know by what possible 
authority a written or printed paper of the character he offers can be 
put in evidence before this committee. It is the most preposterous 
proposition ever made. 

Mr. Curtis. I will say in reference to that that the gentleman will 
find quite a number of similar testimonials in reference to Mr. Collins 
have been put in without objection. 

Mr. Arnoux. One single paper has been put in, and I thought it was 
the most preposterous thing. 

The Chairman. Tliis evidence will go in if admitted. 

Mr. Curtis. I will state my views on the subject at the proper time. 

The Chairman. The question as to its admission will be postponed 
for the present. 

William H. Soheutze sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. What is j^our rank, present duty, and station! — Answer. 
I am lieutenant of the junior grade, and my present station is in Wash- 
ington. 

Q. Have you at any time, and, if so, when, been in Siberia? — A. 
Yes, sir f I was in Siberia from the latter part of February, 1882, until 
the middle of January, 1884. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 645 

Q. In what part of Siberia have you been ■? — A. I have been through 
the southern part of Siberia, I have been in East Siberia, and along part 
of the coast in the Arctic, at the mouth of the Lena River. 

Q. Will you state in general terms your service in Siberia, and on 
what duty you went there ^ 

Mr. Curtis. I desire here to impose a preliminary objection. 1 would 
like to know the object of this evidence. 

Mr. Arnoux. I propose to show that the fine-spun theories that we 
have had in regard to the delta of another river and the population there 
are entirely false, and that De Long would have ])rocured a worse chance 
for his life if he had taken the course that has been suggested. I sup- . 
pose we have a right to show that he acted with the best judgment pos- 
sible in going to the Lena delta instead of going to the delta of another 
river. 

The Chairman. He is not brought here to testify to an opinion 
merely, he comes here to testify to facts of which he has personal 
knowledge, and I think it is j^erfectly competent by any one who has 
knowledge of facts pertinent to this investigation to show those facts. 

A. Lieutenant Harber and myself were ordered in February, 1882, to 
assist in the search for the lost members of the Jeannette expedition. 
I left New York on the 2d of February, 1882, 1 think, and reached Ir- 
kutsk, in Southern Siberia, in March or the beginning of April, I have 
forgotten which. After taking along the men under Lieutenaot Danen- 
hower,of whom there were five with whom we wished to make the search 
at the mouth of the Lena Eiver, there was a schooner built at a distance 
of about 6 miles from Irkutsk, and in the schooner we went down the 
river in June and July. During the summer we searched part of the 
delta and the coast east as far as the Yana Eiver and west as far as 
the mouth of the Olenek River for the second cutter under the command 
of Lieutenant Chipp. We heard at Viteen in May that Chief Engineer 
Melville and the men under his command had found the bodies of De 
Long and his companioos at the mouth of the Lena River and buried 
them. On their homeward journey near Jakutsk they passed us in the 
night. They were on a steamer and we were in tow of a steamer and 
they passed us and we did not see them until they returned. Lieuten- 
ant Hunt, of the Rogers, had joined us by order of Captain Barry, of 
that ship,near Jakutsk, and Chief Engineer Melville sent backFireman 
Bartlett to assist us in the search, as he had been with him the previous 
winter. In September we returned with the schooner from the delta 
to a small village called Bulun, near the mouth of the river. The 
schooner was there laid up and Lieutenant Hunt was sent home in 
charge of the men, and Lieutenant Harber and a Cossack and my- 
self returned in the boat of a native down to the mouth of the river, 
north branch, and in October made a search of the north delta and 
east and southeast. Then we returned on November 5th to Bulun 
and thence we proceeded to Jakutsk. At Jakutsk we received an or- 
der to bring home the bodies of De Long and bis comj^anions. Lieu- 
tenant Hunt had previously, by order of Lieutenant Harber, taken the 
body of Mr. Collins from the tomb and taken it to Jakutsk. When it 
arrived there the governor informed us that the permission of the 
minister of the interior was necessary to trans[)ort bodies through 
Russian territory. The body of Collins was ])laced in the hospital, 
and we waited there two months for the requisite permission, and then 
Lieutenant Harber and the Cossack and myself returned to Mat Vai, a 
small hut, where the tomb of De Long was placed, took the bodies out 
of the tomb and returned with them to Jakutsk. We were then in- 



646 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

formed that lead would be necessary as a lining for the caskets in 
which to bring the bodies home, and Lieutenant Harber proceeded to 
Irkutsk with the intention, if necessary, to go to Eussia to get the 
materials if they could not be obtained in Irkutsk. At the same time 
he received an order from the Secretary of the Navy to bring the bodies 
home in a frozen condition; so as summer came on late in 1883, we 
buried the bodies about 12 feet under the ground. The ground is 
frozen continually. During the midsummer it only thaws as low as 6 
feet. I remained to take care of the grave. Lieutenant Harber re- 
turned hi August from Irkutsk, having received permission from the 
governor-general who lives there, to use tin as a lining for the caskets. 
Lieutenant Harber brought the tin with him and we had the caskets 
built in Yakutsk, and in November, after they were built, the bodies 
were placed in them and we started home with them and reached New 
York the 20th of February. 

Q. Hid you become familiar with the delta of the Lena, and particu- 
larly with the localities where He Long landed and where his body was 
found, and where Melville and Danenhower had their experience 'I — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Ho you know what condition the whale-boat party was in when 
Geeomovialocke was reached on or about the 26th of September ? — A. 
Simply from hearsay. 

Q. From the members of the party? — A. From the members of the 
party. 

Q. What did they tell you ? — A. One of the members of the party, 
Leach, had his feet frozen ; Mr. Melville, I think, was in an exhausted 
condition, also Lauterbach, and I believe Bartlett also ; that is, Bart- 
lett towards the latter end of their journey from Borkiah, where they 
were found, to Geeomovialocke, suffered from something, I do not know 
what ; it must have been the cold. 

Q. Who was it told you that ? — A. The different members of that 
whale-boat party. 

Q. Have you given all that you recollect of the condition of the dif- 
ferent ones ? — A. Yes, sir ; as far as I can think just now. 

Q. What is the state of the ice in the Lena about September? — A. 
The ice is just forming in the river at that season of the^year. The ice 
is running the latter part of September and the beginning of October, 
before the river closes, and the natives cannot travel, cannot cross the 
rivers, especially the east mouths of the river near Geeomovialocke 
where the large branches of the Lena make out. The ice for days after 
the other branches close in is in an impassable condition. 

Q. From what you know of your own knowledge, and from what you 
learned from the members of the party, do you tbink that Melville or 
Hanenhower could have made an effective search for He Long's party 
during their stay at Geeomovialocke ? — A. No. 

Q. From what you know of the country there do you think Bartlett 
could have found his way from Geeomovialocke to Bulun in October, 
1881, without the assistance of the natives'? — A. No. 

Q. Hid you learn from the members of the party the resources they 
had at their command when they were at Geeomovialocke ? — A. I did. 

Q. Ho you think from what you learned that it would have been pos- 
sible for Melville with such resources to have conducted the party to 
Bulun without assistance from the natives? — A. No; he could not. 

Q. Are the natives under the control of the Eussian authorities at 
Bulun ? — A. Perfectly. 

Q. Could one obtain the same facilities for traveling without the as- 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 647 

sistance of the officials or without their authority that he could with 
it?— A. No, sir. 

Q. Before assisting the whale-boat party to reach Bulim did not the 
natives require the assent of the commandant of Balun? — A. I do not 
know about that. You see the natives in the delta are completely or- 
ganized under the Eussian Government, and, naturally, if the command- 
ant had been at Geeomovialocke they would have moved as soon as it 
was possible to do so, because he would simply have given them orders 
and it would have given them all the facilities at their command. 

Q. Which they would not have had without that? — A. Without 
that. 

Q. Did you determine the place at which the whale-boat entered the 
delta?— A. I did. 

Q. Did you also determine the place where Captain De Long's boat 
entered the delta? — A. The natives told me that. I was not at the ex- 
act spot, but I was within 10 miles of it on the same river which he en- 
tered and I think it was the first hut he stopped in. 

Q. Have yon made a drawing of the delta and the shore line to the 
east of the delta of the Lena ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Will you please produce that ? [The witness produced the same.] 
Is this the drawing you made ? — A. It is. 

Q. What do the red lines upon it represent ? — A. The red lines rep- 
resent the search-parties in the summer and fall of 1882. 

Q. Under your command ? — A. Part of the search was made by Lieu- 
tenant Harber and part by myself. 

Q. W^hen you were searching for Ghipp's party ? — A. For Chipp's 
party; and there is also shown on there our route to the tomb of De 
Long at the mouth of the river, the second journey that we made to the 
mouth of the river. 

Q. What does the blue line on this drawing indicate ? — A. The con- 
tinuous blue line indicates the general direction of the first cutter's party, 
under command of Lieutenant-Commander De Long, from the point 
where they landed until they reached the point where they died. 

Q. This is a general sketch, as you understood from the natives and 
from your own experience ? — A. Yes, sir. 

(The drawing referred to was marked for identification, Exhibit No. 
23.) 

Q. Where the whale-boat entered the delta, was it the coast branch 
of the. main river or was it a swamp river ? — A. Well, I would not call 
any of them swamp rivers. The whole delta is really a swamp in the 
summer time, and these are large rivers, especially the eastern branches 
[indicating]. The whale-boat party entered the mouth of a large river 
here to the eastward [indicating on drawing], and it is a mass of shallows 
and low moss-covered islands, with occasionally high land, as in that spot, 
Borkiah [indicating], the name Borkiah meaning in native language a 
mud-hill. The branch which you refer to here [indicating] is the south- 
east branch, and I think the southeast branch of the Lena is the branch 
which the steamer Lena entered with the Nordenskjold expedition. 

Q. Is all this land near where the whale-boat party entered of that 
swamp character that you speak of in the summer ? — A. All of it, sum- 
mer and fall. 

Q. Did you attempt to put in this map all of the different branches 
that .you met with ? — A. No, sir; it was an impossibility to do it with- 
out spending at least a year or two of continuous work in accurate sur- 
veying. 

Q. Did you go east to the Yana delta ? — A. Lieutenant Harber went. 



648 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Yoa did not '? — A. No, sir j but the Yana delta is very much like 
the Lena delta, only smaller. 

Q. From what you learned at the time from the members of the party 
and what you learned from the natives and what you saw of the country, 
do you think that the surviving members or any of the officers were 
guilty of any negligence in making the search for Captain De Long I 

Mr. Curtis. I think that question is a little too broad and compre- 
hensive. The witness is asked substantially from all the information 
that he derived while in that country, from the natives and otherwise, 
if he believed, or if, in his opinion, any negligence was committed by the 
officers of the expedition. Well, now, that is asking the question that 
the committee is trying in one respect. The committee are to decide 
upon all these questions upon the facts presented. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit, Mr. Chairman, that a gentleman who has been 
upon the spot in a search for Lieutenant Chipp or for any of his party, 
who has seen the country, who conversed with the members of the ex- 
pedition at the time that he went out there, having charge of them as 
he has already described, seeing the natives, is competent as an expert 
to express an opinion to you upon this subject and it is for you to re- 
ceive it for what it may be worth. 

The Chairman. I think that a witness who gives an opinion and ac- 
companies it with the facts is competent to give the opinion and the 
opinion will be worth more or less according as he is sustained by the 
facts. 

A. No, sir ; I think not. . 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Were you ever in that country before ? — A. No j I have been there 
twice though. 

Q. Have you ever made an Arctic voyage ? — A. Never. 

Q. Have you ever had occasion particularly before this time to study 
that country ? — A. No. 

Q. You are a gentleman of about 30 years of age ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you in command of this relief party ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Who was the commanding officer ? — A. Lieutenant Harber. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, were you at Geeomovialocke ? — A. I was. 

Q. Were you at Bulun? — A. I was. 

Q. Were you at Tomoose "? — A. I was. 

Q. Were you at Ustjansk "? — A. I was not. 

Q. Do you know where it is ? — A. I do. 

Q. Where is if? — A. It is marked on the chart. 

Q. On the Yana Eiver ? — A. Near the mouth of the Yana River. 

Q. As I understand you, you had not the time requisite to make a 
perfect chart up there? — A. No. 

Q. It would have required you a year or more of time, would it not ? — 
A. Oh, yes ; a great deal more probably. 

Q. So, in point of fact, all of those charts we have of that country are 
more or less imperfect:? — A. All of them. 

Q. And in your judgment is it not true that a great many of the mis- 
takes of the Arctic navigators are made by reason of defective charts 
that have been published in regard to that country? — A. Well, I won^t 
express an opinion on that subject. I do not know. 

Q. You have no opinion on that subject? — A. That depends upon 
tJie Arctic charts. I do not know whether they are perfect or not. I 
know that this chart of the north coast of Siberia is not. 

Q. And after all, this opinion that you have expressed to Judge Ar- 



JEANNETTE INQTimY. 649 

noux is simply an individual judgment of your own ? — A. Certainly, 
my opinion, and my opinion formed at the mouth of the Lena Eiver. 

Q. Formed upon the basis that you have described, from the infor- 
mation you gathered and your observation and travel in the country? — 
A. Yes; my travel and conversation with the Cossacks, the natives, &c. 

Q. Did 1 understand you to say that a person could not travel after 
the 26th of September, owing to the condition of the ice ?^— A. Well, 
that depends. 

Q. What did you state on that point ? — A. I say that the probability 
is that he cannot, judging from my experience there. I think that be- 
tween, say, the 25th of September and late in October the travel in some 
part of the delta can be performed ; that is, the latter part of the time, 
and other parts of the time it cannot be performed in that interval and 
the natives did not try to travel in that part of the year. 

Q. If you were to be informed in spite of the opinion you entertain on 
that subject as matter of fact that persons have traveled and do travel 
during that time, would that affect your opinion ? — A. Well, that de- 
pends altogether on what the opinion was worth. 

Q. In other words, you would consider an accomplished fact stronger 
than an individual opinion, would you not ? — A. I would if I had the 
evidence of the fact that this travel had been performed ; 1 would prob- 
ably acknowledge that it had been performed, but I would not take it 
as a rule. 

Q. Yes, but suppose you had the knowledge that it had been performed, 
that it was an accomplished fact ; would that in any way affect your 
general opinion upon the subject ? — A. I suppose it would ; yes, sir. 

Q. Kow, what time were you at Geeomovialocke *? — A. Oh, I have 
been there at various times. 

Q. The first time ?— A. The middle of July, 1882. 

Q. What members of the party did you see there f— A. I did not see 
any members of the party there ; there wasn't anybody there except 
our party. 

Q. Where did you see the members of the party with whom you say 
you conversed '? — A. They were with us. 

Q. I mean where did you first see them ? — A. In Mjniodinsk, in 
Southern Siberia. 

Q. About what time was that ?— A. That was in March, 1882. 

Q. Can you give us from recollection the names of those with whom 
you talked ? — A. Lieutenant Danenhower, Mr. Newcomb — well, I talked 
to all the members that were there. I want to correct that. We met 
the advance party at a placed called Krasnearsk, where the seamen, 
Leach, Wilson, Mansou, Nindemann, and Lauterbach, were. They came 
there in the afternoon sometime I think, about 2 o'clock. We spoke to 
them generally of the expedition. We did not have much time. They 
waited there. And afterward I met Lieutenant Danenhower, Mr. New- 
comb, Cole, the boatswain, and the Chinaman cook or steward. 

Q. I presume you have based your opinion upon the actual condition 
of the men when they were at Geeomovialocke, have you not *? — A. 
Partly only. 

Q. To some extent; and your knowledge of their actual condition is 
one that you have derived in the way that you have stated-r-from con- 
versation with the men f — A. Yes ; and also from seeing their wounds, 
that is, seeing the condition of their feet. 

Q. Are you quite sure that you were told that Bartlett was disabled 
at Geeomovialocke ? — A. No ; I do not know where I got that informa- 
tion. I think I got that from Lieutenant Danenhower. 



650 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. But you did not get it from Mr. Bartlett ? — A. I did not. 

Q. You saw Mr. Bartlett, did you not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was he not in lusty, vigorous health when you saw him ? — A. Yesj 
I met Bartlett in the summer — in July. 

Q. Was he not, at the time you met him, in a state of most vigorous 
health ? — A. I think he was. 

Q. Now, where is Ustjansk'? — A. On the Yana liiver. 

Q. Where is Jakutsk? — A. Jakutsk is 2,813 versts from Irkutsk, 
north, on the Lena Kiver. 

Q. How many versts from Ustjansk ? — A. Jakutsk is on the Lena and 
Utsjansk is on the Yana. 

Q. There is ready communication between Ustjansk and Jakutsk, is 
there not •? — A. Yes; there is communication. 

Q. Means of travel ^ — A. Means of travel. 

Q. And there are means of subsistence and maintenance in a journey 
from Ustjansk to eJakutsk for a person if he has the means to pay for 
food?— A. Yes. 

Q. And there are the means of subsistence for fifty people, we will 
say, between LTstjansk and Jakutsk, if they have the means to pay for 
it? — A. No; not always. 

Q. Say fifty people? — A. Well, sometimes along the route there they 
have not enough for anybody to live on. 

Q. Did you ever travel from Ustjansk to Jakutsk? — A. No. 

Q. Do you not know that there is no difficulty whatever in traveling 
from one place to the other if you have the means to employ teams? — 
A. Usually, yes, sir. 

Q. Do you not know there is no difficulty whatever in traveling be- 
tween Jakutsk and Irkutsk if you have the means to employ teams ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And pay for your board and subsistence on the way ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. And Irkutsk is a city of some importance? — A. Oh, yesj a place 
of 40,000 inhabitants. 

Q. And it is a city of comparatively ancient origin, is it not ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. So the communication between Ustjansk and Jakutsk and Irkutsk 
is, for the purpose of traveling, uninterrupted and can be prosecuted by 
any man who has the means to emi)loy teams ? — A. That depends. 

Q. Depends on what? — A. Sometimes there are no natives there to 
transport you. 

Q. Do you know of any difficulty that any of this party had in travel- 
ing after they were relieved; after they got on the route toward Irkutsk 
do you know of any difficulty they experienced ? — A. I suppose they 
experienced considerable difficulty getting from Geeomovialocke to 
Bulun. 

Q. But from Bulun? — A. No; I don't know of any particular diffi- 
culty. 

Q. Do you not know, as matter of fact, that they had an uninter- 
rupted journey to Irkutsk ? — A. I do. 

Q. And they not only lived, but lived plentifully, and they had no 
difficulty in getting means of transportation. Do you not know that as 
a fact ? — A. No ; 1 do not. 

Q. Do you know the distance from Geeomovialocke to Bulun ? — A. 
Yes, air. 

Q. How far is it ? — A. To be exact I would rather measure it on the 
chart. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY, 651 

Q. I do not wish you to be exact in miles ? — A. I think it is about 150 
versts from Tomoose to Ku Mark Surk, or a place near there, and from 
Ku Mark Surk to Bulun it is 110 versts ; that is 260 versts. 

Q. Did you observe this peculiarity of the delta, or in any part of 
Siberia where you were, jjarticularly in the delta, the existence of, say, 
two or three little towns or villages within a very few miles of each 
other "i — A. In the delta ; yes. Well, that depends upon what you call 
a village. 

Q. We have had so much criticism about that that I want to be very 
careful about it. —A. I just want to mention that there is a village there 
at the mouth of the river known as Korth Bulun. There are six or seven 
or eight huts there, and I think one or two of them are inhabited. So 
that it depends upon what you call a village. 

Q. Well, we will call them settlements. You were at Bulun*?— A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And Geeomovialocke 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you at a place called Arrii ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. All those three places are within easy striking distance of each 
other, are they not ? — A. Not Bulun. 

Q. With the exception of Bulun 1 — A. From Geeomovialocke to Arrii j 
yes ; those are within striking distance. There are several rivers be- 
tween them. 

Q. Now, so far as Geeomovialocke and Tonjoose are concerned they 
are near together ? — A. Yes. It is called 10 versts between them ; a 
river branch separates them. 

Q. Do you know the population of Ustjansk ? — A. I do not. 

Q. Do you know that in point of fact the population varies from 400 
to 800 at different seasons of the year"? — A. No; I do not think it 
does. I do not think there are ever a hundred there. 

Q. Do you know it is a large trading settlement *? — A. No. 

Q. Do you know anything about it ? — A. Yes ; I know considerable 
about it. 

Q. Have you ever been there ? — A. No. 

Q. Do you know that it has a large deer supply *? — A. No. 

Q. And do you know that it is on the road to Irkutsk ? — A. No, I do 
not think it is. It is on the Arctic Sea. If you got there you might 
start on the road. 

Q. What I mean is, if you left Ustjansk there is a jjracticable road as 
far as the city of Irkutsk, is there not ? — A. Yes, sir, for the natives 
travel it. 

Q. And for certain portions of the way there are way stations ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. What they call post stations ? — A. No, not post stations ; more 
properly speaking, reindeer stations, not always kept up, though. 

Q. Did you state in day^s journey the distance from Geeomovialocke 
to Bulun 1—A. No ; not in day's journey. 

Q. Is it not about two and a half to three days'? — A. About that; 
two days' journey, I should say, rapid traveling, with all the facilities. 

Q. What is the distance to Bulun from where De Long died, and 
what is the time it takes to travel that distance ; were you on the spot 
where De Long died ? — A. Yes, sir ; it is 110 versts from Ku Mark Surk 
to Bulun. From Ku Mark Surk to an island called Tas Arrii it is any- 
where from 40 to 45 versts, and from Tas Arrii to where De Long died 
I have forgotten the distance. I will look at the chart. 

Q. Never mind. It has been proved before. I only wanted to get 
your view about it. 



652 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. A verst is about two-tliirds of a mile, is it not ? — A. Yes, sir. 
[Referring to chart and answering the question of Mr. Curtis.] In a 
straight line, as a bird flies, I should say it would be about 90 miles, to 
estimate it at a rough guess. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you know that Danenhower crossed the Lena on the 8th or 9th 
of October with Kusmah ? — A. No, sir ; I have heard that he crossed a 
river branch there, but I do not know at what time. 

Q. Are not the terms "bay" and "river" confounded together; is not 
what is called the Great Bay really the river '^ — A. Yes ; they are all 
rivers at the mouth of the river, and it is very large. 

Q. Suppose that they crossed at that time, what is your theory ; how 
could they have crossed if there was no ice at that time ? — A. Oh, there 
must have been ice. 

Q. Sufficient to bear them ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Then do I understand you to say that it is impossible to travel on 
ice'^ — A. I did not say so ; no. 

Q. Then in making your estimate that it is impossible to travel after 
a certain date in the fall in that region, you do not mean to say that it 
is impossible to travel on ice ? — A. No ; I do not say it is impossible to 
travel on ice. It depends upon how much ice there is, though. 

Q. Does it not follow if Danenhower and Kusmah crossed that others 
might have done the same thing ? — A. That depends. 

Q. Upon what *? — A. It depends upon whether the natives will take 
you or not. 

Q. Suppose you went afoot '? — A. If any one went with them afoot 
it would be rather a dangerous operation. 

Q. More dangerous than if they went by teams ? — A. Than if they 
went alone instead of going with a guide. 

Q. How early did you say the ice formed "? — A. When I was there I 
think it commenced to form about the middle of September. 

Q. How long is it before its formation is perfect ? — A. Well, I can- 
not answer that directly. 

Q. For the purpose of traveling, I mean ? — A. That depends. There 
are many river branches up there ; if they are a hundred yards wide 
they naturally freeze up before the large rivers where there are strong 
currents. 

Q. In ijoint of fact were you in Geeomovialocke in the month of Sep- 
tember or Cctober at all f — A. I think I was there on the 28th of Octo- 
ber. 

Q. You had some talk with those natives ; you heard about a man 
named Kusmah 1 — A. Ob, yes ; I knew him. 

Q. Do you know when he reached (xeeomovialocke 1 — A. No. 

Q. Now, in reference to the political government of that region. Have 
not the Russian authorities control of the natives and their reindeer 
and dogs, and all their subsistence for the use of the Government when 
they require it? — A. No. They have to a certain extent, because they 
take them by force. There is no moral right. 

Q. I am not speaking of moral right. Is it not a law of the empire, 
so to speak 'i — A. No. 

Q. Is it not a right that is claimed by the Russian authorities, and do 
they not exercise it ! — A. Well, that depends. In fact the Russian Gov- 
ernment makes contracts with these people to do work for them. 

Q. But in extreme cases they force them to do as they desire in the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 653 

way of work, if they want them to do anything?— A. Well, I suppose 
they do. The natives are very weak, they cannot resist. I know of a 
priest forcing a reindeer owner to give him deer to travel with ; but the 
natives stood in fear of the priest. 

Q. For instance, in reference to a Eussian official, a commandant, 
how would it be "? — A. I suppose he could obtain deer or dogs to travel 
with at any time. 

Q. In point of fact as far as you observed do the natives themselves 
own the reindeer and dogs 1 — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. They are not in any way owned or controlled by the Govern- 
ment ? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. Did you notice any reluctance or objection on the part of the na- 
tives to take money 1 — A. ISTo. 

Q. They were always willing when it was tendered to receive it, were 
they not ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did it strike you that they were people who could be easily 
induced to work or labor for money *? — A. Oh, it struck me they could 
not be easily induced to labor for money. They took the money if you 
gave it to them. 

Q. But did not want to labor for it *? — A. No. 

Q. Do you know whether the commandant in Bulun has his own 
deer or not 1 — A. I think he has some deer, yes ; I think he told me he 
had some at that time. 

Q. Kusmah was a guide, was he not? — A. No; he was an exile. 

Q. Was he not used as a guide in that region ? — A. No, indeed ; he 
was an exiled robber. I think he stole an ox or something of that kind. 

Q. Was he not often used as a guide by exploring parties ? — A. No ; 
not that I know of. 

Q. Do you know where Kusmah crossed the river 1 

The Witness. When? 

Mr. Curtis. When he came to Geeomovialocke ? 

A. He must have crossed it between Geeomovialocke and Borkiah. 

Q. Is not that a large place ? — A. Very. 

Q. Some of the witnesses said it is as wide as the Mississippi ? — A. 
It is a great deal wider than any part of the Mississippi I ever saw ; it 
has small islands in between ; in fact there are shoals in a good many 
of the rivers. 

Q. How long after De Long was found did you arrive in this country 1 — 
A. He was found in March, as I remember, and we arrived at the mouth 
of the Lena July 9 or 10 — somewhere along there. 

Q. In point of fact did you not derive a great deal of valuable infor- 
mation and assistance from Bartlett ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you take him with you ? — A. No ; I did not have him with 
me ; he was in the schooner with me, but he was never with me in any 
searches. 

Q. He was not under your command ? — A. He was under my com- 
mand. 

Q. But he was not in active service with you ? — A. No. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Is Irkutsk nearer to Ustjansk or to Bulun? — A. Just about the 
same distance from either. You see Ustjansk is at the mouth of the 
Yana, and coming over you have to come from Bulun until you get to 
Verkeransk. It is simply one leg of the triangle. I do not think there 
is much difference. There are two legs of the triangle. 



654 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did the men at any time tell you about Dauenhower^s service in 
the gale? — A. Oli, yes. 

Q. What did they say about that ? — A. They said that he had charge 
of the boat and brought the boat through the gale. 

Q. Did they speak in commendation of him ? — A. Yes, sir. Not all 
of them; someof them spoke tome about it; I do not remember exactly 
who they were. 

Q. Did any of them speak in commendation of the other officers ? — A. 
I do not remember. I never had much conversation upon any subject 
with them. . 

Giles B. Harbee, sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. What is your rank, present duty, and station! — Answer. 
Lieutenant in the Navy; I am on temporary duty in the Bureau of Navi- 
gation at Washington. 

Q. Hav^e you at any time, and, if so, when, been in Siberia? — A. I 
have. I was in Siberia from the beginning of March, 1882, when I 
crossed the frontier, until January, 1884, when I returned to this coun- 
try. 

Q. Upon what service were you there? State, in general terms, the 
service you performed. — A. I was first on duty in connection with the 
missing people, and also in bringing home the remains of Lieutenant- 
Commander De Long and others who were found with him. 

Q. Then, if I understand you right, your duties were to find Lieuten- 
ant De Long's party, as well as Lieutenant Chipp ? — A. That was the 
object with which I started. 

Q. Now, please to state, in a general way, what you did in conduct- 
ing that search. — A. I might as well commence with the search at 
Irkutsk. At that time I had heard nothing of the missing people. 
At Irkutsk I endeavored to get a steamer, which I thought necessary 
to conduct the search outside the Lena. I failed to get it, and pro- 
ceeded to Viska, near Viteen. Near Viska a steamer was lying which 
I had chartered, subject to my inspection. I atterward failed to get 
her; but, while waiting for the rivers to break up, I had two dories 
built, and had repairs made to a large boat, about 50 feet long, to such 
an extent that she was converted into a two-masted schooner. I had 
with me at this time five of the Jeannette men, who had returned to 
assist me in the search, and Lieutenant Scheutze, who had traveled 
with me to the United States. After I concluded not to take the steamer 
I proceeded to Jakutsk with the schooner and two dories. While lying 
in Viska I learned through my agent in Irkutsk that dispatches had 
been forwarded to the United States announcing the finding of Lieu- 
tenant-Commander De Long and his comi)anions. On arriving in Ja- 
kutsk I consulted with Mr. Melville, who had been to the north in search 
of the party with his companions, Nindemaun and Bartlett and also with 
Mr. Jackson, the Herald correspondent, and Noros and others. They 
had gone to the southward in a steamer we had passed during the night 
on our way north. I engaged a boat, and was traveling again to the 
southward to overtake the steamer, and in two or three days I met 
Ensign H. J. Hunt and Fireman Barlett, the former sent back by his com- 
manding oflicer, Lieutenant Barry, to report to me, and Bartlett sent 
back by Engineer Melville. Bartlett had instructions to report to me, 
but he bore a letter from Chief Engineer Melville, saying that he had 
been with him, Melville, during the search in the north, knew what had 



i 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 655 

been done, knew the conntiy, and would be of as much service as he, 
Melville, himself could be. On returning to Jakutsk, within three days 
I completed the purchase of and sailed in the schooner for Bulun, arriv- 
ing there in the early part of July. After spending a portion of the 
day taking in stores I continued to Ku Mark Surk, where I was told 
that I could obtain guides for any portion of the delta. Arriving at Ku 
Mark Surk, however, I found the head men of the different portions of 
the village, and learned that no guides could be obtained at Mat Vai or 
Cass Carta, the places where I had expected to find natives. I was obliged, 
therefore, to go to Geeomovialocke and take a native, an officer of low 
rank, from Ku Mark Surk, as guide to Geeomovialocke. After consider- 
able difficulty I obtained one guide which was given to Mr. Scheutze to 
conduct his search from Geeomovialocke to the northward through 
channels a short distance from the sea-coast, who was instructed to re- 
turn by the, sea- coast if it could be done. I went with a party in the same 
whale-boatin which the Melville party had been, and conducted a search 
along the coast line from Geeomovialocke to a point just north of and 
about the central part of the Yana delta, following the coast closely all 
the way around. I then returned to Geeomovialocke, arriving back on 
the 12th of August. I found that Mr. Scheutze and his party had re- 
turned from the north, and w^e all proceeded with all possible dispatch 
in the schooner to Mat Vai, a hut in the southern central portion of the 
delta ; that is to say, south of the central portion of the delta. Search 
parties were sent out, one under Lieutenant Scheutze in charge of a boat 
to search the branches of the Lena to the westward and the sea-coast out- 
side as far as the Olenek Eiver, and I in a small boat went to the Island 
of Sagastyr and outside in the sea. I endeavored to go to the eastward, 
and finding the water so shallow that I could not continue within a dis- 
tance sufficiently near shore to observe anything thereon, gave it up. 

Q. How much was the draft of your boat ? — A. Eight inches ; and I 
returned to Sagastyr. Through conversation with the principal men of 
the village I believed it would be possible to conduct a satisfactory 
search in the early part of the winter by sleds, particularly along the 
coast, which I was desirous of doing. I found it necessary to take the 
schooner with the men from its position at Mat Yai to Bulun, the only 
place of comparative comfort that could be obtained. Mr. Scheutze and 
I then returned to near Sagastyr, to a settlement called Kit arch, where 
we remained until by reports of natives, who came in at times, we learned 
that the larger rivers which we would have to cross were sufficiently 
frozen to permit travel. I left as soon as that was known, which was 
October 24th ; made a diagonal course to Geeomovialocke, then to Bulun, 
and Mr. Scheutze starting one day after, followed me to the sea coast to 
Barkin, to Geeomovialocke, and then to Bulun. From that point we 
both returned to Jakutsk, where I received orders to bring home the 
remains of Lieutenant-Commander De Long and his companions. 

Q. Did you thus become familiar with the delta of the Lena, and par- 
ticularly with the localities where Captain De Long landed, and where 
his body was found, and where Melville and Danenhower had their ex- 
perience'? — A. I became familiar with many portions of it. I visited 
the portion of Geeomovialocke, where Melville and Danenhower remained 
during their enforced stay in the delta. I also visited the spot where 
De Long was found. I crossed over the country in a diagonal direction, 
crossing his path near the Usturda Hut, and also made a journey over 
the western part of the delta, so that I am, you might say, compara- 
tively familiar with the delta. 

Q. Did you have conversation with the officers and men of the whale- 



656 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

boat party in respect to their coDdition when tliey reached Geeomovia- 
locke? — A. I certainly heard of their condition. I had no conversation 
especially for tbat purpose, but I became familiar with it. 

Q. What did you learn was their condition at the time they reached 
Geeomovialocke on or about the 26th of September ? — A. That their 
condition was wretched. Some of them were frostbitten ; that they had 
poor clothing, and that but one man was fit for physical exercise. That, 
if I remember correctly, was Lieutenant Danenhower. 

Q. What is the state of the ice in the Lena at that time of the year — 
the latter part of September ? — A. I can only judge from my own ex- 
perience while lying at Kitarch, at the north mouth. Ice commenced to 
float in the river on the 26th day of September, and the river was frozen 
over on the 29th, and on the 1st of October people crossed. 

Q. Then did the water fall and the ice break away and run out ! — A. 
Not at that point. It remains comparatively calm weather and the ice 
remains the same. 

Q. Does it farther up the river do so ? — A. Farther up on another 
branch of the river, as the natives came in and told us, the larger rivers 
were not yet frozen over, particularly the large branch called Dara- 
jjhem. 

Q. And what are the facilities for traveling at that time of the year? — 
A. I believe, as a rule, that there is very little traveling from perhaps 
the middle of September until the ice is i:)erfectly formed, which would 
occur the last of October. 

Q. Before that, in the summer, what is the general character of that 
delta ', is it swamj) or what ! — A. Well, it is called tundra ; it is swamp 
and lake along the banks of the river. Of course, many of these banks 
have been cut away, causing the lakes to discharge, and the beds are 
then dry and you can walk with comparative freedom. Going across 
the island on toot in summer time 1 think would be almost impossible. 
It was very fatiguing to walk across the land. 

Q. Judging from the line of march, as you found it from point to point, 
did Captain De Long follow the bank of the river or did he cross the 
ice ? — A. I only crossed his line of march at one point. 1 could not 
say, sir. 

Q. Where was it ? — A. Near Usturda. I crossed to the south and 
the Usturda hut was pointed out at a point of land formed by a bank 
in the river, and when he got to that river he had to cross some river in 
order to get to the south at all. He crossed over and went to the east- 
ward. The man who was with me told me, however, that his track was 
along the bank of the river. He showed me the point where he had 
continued to the southward. 

Q. From what you know of the country and from what you heard 
from the natives and from the statements of the members of the whale- 
boat party, do you think that an effective search for Captain De Long 
could have been made by the whale-boat or by any of its members dur- 
ing their stay at Geeomovialocke 1 — A. I do not. 

Q. Do you think that Bartlett could have found his way from Geeomo- 
vialocke to Bulun in October, 1881, without the assistance of the natives ? — 
A. No, sir 5 I do not. I may qualify that by saying if he had a correct 
chart and plenty of provisions by going on the main-land next to the 
mountain and following it around he might have reached it, but it would 
have taken a long time ; it would have taken a 200-mile walk. 

Q. And from your knowledge of the character of the country, how 
long a time would that walk have occupied "? — A. I do not know. It 
depends altogether upon a man's physical condition. If he is an excel- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 657 

lent walker I suppose he might makej say, 25 miles a day. I do not 
know. I could not make it myself. A man might do it if he knew just 
where to go. 

Q. Is there any intermediate place where he could get provisions ? — 
A. It was for him to take the bank and walk. He would follow the 
right bank going down the stream. There is not even a hut on that 
bank of the river where people are living. The settlements of Ku Mark, 
Surk and Bulun are on the left bank. There is a deer station further 
back which he would not be apt to see on the right bank. 

Q. Would the walking be easy? — A. Yery difficult. 

Q. So that he would have to carry all the provisions for his walk with 
him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you think it would have been possible for Melville and Danen- 
hower with the limited information and resources at their command to 
have conducted a party to Bulun from Geeomovialocke without assist- 
ance from the natives at the time they were there ? — A. In good weather. 
Without good weather they could not have done it at all. In good 
weather they might have followed the coast. 

Q. I say in going from Geeomovialocke to Bulun having no boat 1 

The Witness. What time of the year, sir ? 

Mr. Arnoux. In September. 

The Witness. They arrived there on the 16th of September, I think, 
did they not? 

Mr. Aknoux. I think it was about the 26th they arrived there. 

A. I do not think they could without assistance from the natives. 
Certainly it is not probable that they could. 

Q. Did you help to determine the place at which the whale-boat en- 
tered the delta ? — A. I did not, sir. 

Q. How extensive an examination did you make of the Yana delta? — 
A. I entered one branch of the Yana delta when I first arrived. The 
evening I first arrived in the delta I camped there over night. The next 
day I continued the search and sent Bartlett and Hunt to walk along 
the sea-coast. They returned in about three hours. I think they had 
gone 4 or 5 or 6 miles and returned, saying they could get no farther; 
that they got to one branch of the river which they could not ford. The 
next day I started with the whale-boat drawing 16 inches of water, 
keeping as close to the shore as possible. I started at 10 o'clock in the 
morning and continued until 5 o'clock in the afternoon. 

Q. How close were you to the shore"? — A. From a half a mile to a 
mile. As a rule you could barely see the course by standing up on the 
bow occasionally. You could see a little* branch, but certainly not suf- 
ficient to give any idea of what was on shore. 

Q. Did you find any natives in the delta? — A. Not in the delta. I 
saw one in this hut, which was deserted. 

Q. Which, in your judgment, was more populous, the Lena delta or 
the Yana delta? — A. I never heard anything about people being in the 
Yana delta except during the summer. 

Q. Which was more accessible to the sea, the Yana or the Lena 
delta? — A. I was not outside the Lena delta except in the channel 
which I went out in myself both at Geeomovialocke and at Sagastyr. 
How it would be beyond for any continued number of miles I do not 
know, but I did follow along for two or three miles at Sagastyr, and I 
found it very much the same character of water; very shallow, clear 
outside of land, and drift-logs and shoals extending in the river. 

Q. In your judgment was there any lack of seamanship on the part 
of De Long in steering for the Lena delta ? — A. That is something I 
42 J Q* 



658 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

would uot care to decide upon. I do not know his source of informa- 
tion, and I do not know his judgment, and not being placed in the same 
situation I do not think I Avould like to decide upon it. 

Q. From your knowledge of the place and from the information you 
derived from the natives and from the survivors of the expedition do 
you think that Melville or Danenhower or any of the whale-boat party 
were guilty of negligence in the search they made for their lost com- 
rades? — A. No, sir. I state that on the probabilities of the season. I 
do not know ; I was not there that year. 

Q. Did you hear any of the seamen say anything about the conduct 
of Danenhower during the gale? — A. I did, but to i:)articularize it I can- 
not. 

Q. Do you recall the substance of what they said*? — A. The impression 
left on me was that he had charge of the boat during the gale, and that 
he had carried her through. 

By Mr. OuilTiS: 

Q. I suppose it was his duty to have taken charge of the boat during 
the gale, was it not? — A. Not as I understood it, sir. 

Q. He being the commanding officer in the boat? — A. That is the 
great question I believe that ought to be raised. 

Q. We will not spend time on that. Now, let me understand you. 
You do not mean to tell us that from Geeomovialocke it is 200 miles'? — 
A. I say, walking along the bed of the river he would have to walk 
that. 

Q. Did you ever go the journey yourself? — A. I have gone over the 
river, but not on foot. 

Q. And did you ever have occasion to estimate or measure the dis- 
tance? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Your opinion that has been asked of you, and which you have 
given, is based, as you say, on the information you have derived from 
the survivors, and what you learned from the natives and from general 
observations while in the country? Now, permit me to ask you do you 
speak Eussian or any of those dialects? — A. I was obliged to get along 
with Russians in 1882 without an interpreter except on a very few impor- 
tant occasions in Jakutsk on official business, and also twice when I was 
at Kitarch in the winter- time. On both occasions in Kitarch Lieutenant 
Yewell, of the meteorological station, interpreted for me into Russian. 

Q. Did you not at all times find it most difficult to understand those 
people? — A. Very. 

Q. And is it not quite probable that much of the information that 
you thought you received from them was imperfect and imperfectly con- 
veyed to you, and that your impression in regard to it might have been 
wrong ? — A. No ; it did not ai)pear so to me at all. 

Q. That is possible, is it not ? — A. Oh, yes ; what information I did 
get I was as careful about as I could be. 

Q, Now in reference to the survivors. Who did you talk with of the 
survivors of the party that were at Geeomovialocke? — A. Leach, Man- 
son, Wilson, Lauterbach, Bartlett, Aneguin, and Danenhower. 

Q. Did you talk with them all? — A. At difterent times; yes, sir. 

Q. And you say that they were unanimous in their opinion? — A. No, 
sir; I have said nothing of the kind. I have an impression as to the 
general result of my conversation that they were. 

Q. But your impression is not of that strong character that you can 
give any particular reason for it except it is a general impression on 
your mind ? — A. I could not certify that any one man told me any one 
thing. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 659 

Q. And it is so indefinite in your mind t.hat it is almost impossible to 
cross-examine you about it. Now, you have been in Geeomovialocke ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you have been in Bulun ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Were you ever in Tomoose 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have been in Ustjansk 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, at what time does the river freeze at Geeomovialocke *? — A. 
That is a matter of deduction. I only know the time it froze at Kitarch, 
which is a little farther north. 

Q. Do you know of your own observation what time the river freezes 
over at Geeomovialocke! — A. I do not. 

Q. Then all your information in regard to that is derived from the 
statements of others ! — A. All the positive information. I was not 
there. 

Q. Are those the statements of intelligent navigators or the state- 
ments of natives ? — A. The statements of natives. 

Q. And of course those statements you received in the imperfect man- 
ner that you have described. You were never at Geeomovialocke on 
the 26th of September !— A. No ; not the 26th of September. 

Q. How late in the fall were you at Geeomovialocke ! — A. I left in Au- 
gust, and the next time I was there was in October after the river was 
frozen over. 

Q. There was no difficulty when you got back ! — A. I remained at 
Kitarch in order that I might get back. 

Q. Did you hear about Kusmah, the robber, who has been talked 
about ! — A. I met him. 

Q. He had no difiQculty in coming across there on the 26th of Sep- 
tember ! — A. I never talked with him about it. 

Q. But if he had no difficulty going and coming why should any- 
body else have 1 — A. I have nothing to say about it. I was not there. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. I want to ask you if the Eussians have not placed there an ob- 
servatorj^ a station for meteorological observations ; and, if so, at what 
point ? — A. An expedition for that purpose went out, and arrived there 
in the month of August, 1882, and established the station on the south- 
ern end of the island of Sagastyr. 

Q. Which is one of the islands of the delta ! — A. It is at the extreme 
north of the delta. 

Q. Is that the place you understood Captain De Long intended to 
land? — A. Yes; that I got, however, from subsequent information. 

Q. Did you know anything about the Eussians intending to place 
that station there in 1881? — A. I knew nothing about it at that time. 

Q. Did you at any time learn so from the authorities or anybody con- 
nected with it ? — A. I learned from this North Polar Expedition. I 
knew nothing about it. 

Q. When you got there you ascertained it was their intention in 
1881 ? — A. Oh, no ; their intention at the time I met the expedition 
going to Bulun was to establish it at Geeomovialocke instead of Sagas- 
tyr. 

Q. It was on the Lena delta ? — A. On the Lena delta. 

Q. I understand that Mr. Bartlett made some statement to you about 
which there was afterward some question. Do I make myself clear to 
you 1 — A. You make it clear, because I have an idea of what you are 
referring to. 

Q. Will you state the circumstances ? — A. I will state the one inci- 



660 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

dent tliat I remember in which the matter of the personal conduct of 
the officers was under discussion. Bartlett then made a statement that 
in Jakutsk Mr. Jackson, the Herald correspondent, had told him that 
he, Jackson, had read from Captain De Long's journal an extract in 
which the commanding officer as much as said that Lieutenant Danen- 
hower was a son of a bitch. 

Q. What was said further in regard to that ? — A. I told him that I 
did uot believe it was trucj that it was a matter of veracity between 
himself and Mr. Jackson ; that I did not think, in other words, that 
the journal ever contained any such words. 

By Mr. OURTis : 
Q. To whom was that epithet applied ? — A. Lieutenant Danenhower. 
Q. By whom ? — A. Alleged to have been by Lieutenant- Commander 
De Long, in his journal. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. That is what the statement was ? — A. The statement was that the 
Herald correspondent had told Bartlett that he Jackson had read this 
in Lieutenant De Long's journal 

Q. You say that was a statement made to you by Bartlett ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

William H. Scheutze recalled. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Was the log or tree at the point where Captain De Long 
was found a part of the drift- wood ? — Answer. 1 did not go near the 
log. I saw a log there. It was pointed out to me. It must have been 
drift-wood. That was the only way for any wood to get there. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Did you see it ? — A. I saw a log that was pointed out to me as 
being that log. 
Q. You do not know that it was the log, do you ? — A. No, sir. 

Giles B. Harber recalled and examined. v 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Did you see the tree or log at the point where the bodies of 
De Long and his party were found ? — Answer. I did. ». 

Q. Was that drift-wood? — A. It was drift-wood. I 

By Mr. CuRTIS : 

Q. What was its size? — A. It must have been 8 or 10 inches in diam- 
eter. 

Q. How much farther north were either of you gentlemen from the 
point of ground where Lieutenant De Long died? — A. We were up the 
near coast as far as we coujd getj almost due north. 

William H. Soheutze recalled. f i 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. Do you agree with Mr. Melville as to the existence of Arctic 
willows up in the delta? — Answer. Oh, yes; there are Arctic willows 
there — bushes ; south of there they are larger. 

Q. But in the delta they dwindle down to a bush ? — A. A small bush. 

Mr. Curtis (to Mr. Harber). The Arctic willow is a species of tree ? 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 661 

Mr. Harber. It is a bush in appearance. 

Mr. Curtis. Have you ever seen the Arctic willow ? 

Mr. ScHEUTZE. It has not the small stem and smaller branches of a 
tree. It comes up with broad shoots, like the currant bush, on a small 
scale. You will find pines there of 2 or 3 feet high that have the same 
appearance. 

Mr. Curtis. You do not agree with Mr. Melville that the Arctic wil- 
lows is in that region a tree of considerable size. 

Mr. Harber. I do not know what Melville says about it, but in the 
delta I saw none of that kind. I saw none which I think would exceed 
12 or 15 inches in height. 

Mr. Curtis. You are speaking of pine trees ? 

Mr. ScHEUTZE. I spoke of pine trees farther south. There are none 
in the delta. 

Mr. Curtis. Mr. Melville states that in the delta there is a species of 
tree called the Arctic willow which he had seen. 

Mr. Harber. I did not see any. 

Mr. Curtis. But from the fact that you did not see any you do not 
contend that none are there ? 

Mr. Harber. I contend that I believe there are none. 

Mr. Arnoux. The only thing Mr. Melville said was that the Arctic 
willow was'botanically a species of tree. 

Mr. Harber. That may be. 

Mr. Curtis. You never saw the Arctic willow in its largest propor- 
tions ? 

Mr. Harber. I think I saw what they called an Arctic willow 4 or 5 
feet high, but that was farther to the south. 

EiCHARD Wainwright sworn and examined. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Question. What is your rank*? — Answer. Lieutenant in the United 
States Navy, on special duty at the Bureau of Navigation, Navy De- 
partment, Washington. 

Q. Did you at any time, and if so, when, act as judge-advocate in the 
Court of Inquiry on the loss of the Jeannette ? — A. I relieved Lieutenant 
Lemly and acted until the close of the Court of Inquiry. 

Q. I read the following and ask you if you acted as judge-advocate 
to the end of the court from the time of your appointment under the 
following authority: 

Navy Department, 
Washington, March 27, 1883. 
Sir : You are hereby appointed judge-advocate of the Court of Inquiry of which 
Commodore Wm. G. Temple is president, and you will report to him at the Navy De- 
partment on Thursday, the 29th instant, for that duty. 

This employment on shore duty is required by the public interests, and such service 
will continue until May 15th, 1883, unless it is otherwise ordered. 
Very respectfully, 

WM. E. CHANDLER, 

Secretary of the Navy. 
Lieutenant Richard Wainwright, U. S. N., 

Bureau of Navigation, Navy Department 



Forwarded. 

Reported March 29th, 1883. 

Received Thursday, March 29, 1883 



J. G. WALKER, 

Chief of Bureati. 

WM. G. TEMPLE, 

Commodore, U. S. N. , and President of the Court. 



662 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

A. That was my authority. 

Q. Did you, as judge- advocate of the Court of luquiry, put all the 
questions that were suggested or written out by Dr. Collins! — A. I 
read all the questions, but some were objected to and some were not 
put. 

Q. Will you please to state what questions you read that were not 
put, and the ground of the objection that you made? — A. (Eeading:) 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. Did Mr. Collins speak to you on the matter 
and what did he say ? 
(To this question the judge-advocate objects, as calling for hearsay evidence. The 

objection was sustained by the court, and the question was not put.) 

^ # # ^ * # )f 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. How did Melville speak of Collins to you ? 
(To this question the judge-advocate objects as calling for hearsay testimony. The 
objection was sustained and the question was not put.) 

* ****** 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. From your conversations with Mr. Collins have 
you any reason to suppose that Mr. Collins had papers other than a small note-book 
on his person ? 

(To this question the judge-advocate objects as calling for hearsay testimony. The 
objection was sustained and the question was not put.) 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Did he (Mr. Collins) tell you of his having letters 
addressed to persons in New York ? State all he said. 

(To this question the judge-advocate makes the same objection as to a former ques- 
tion. The objection was sustained and the question was not jiut. ) 

* ***** * 

Question by the Judge- Advocate. State as fully as possible the different conver- 
sations you had with Mr. Collins relative to his treatment, the loss of his note-books, 
and all other matters ? 

(To this question the judge-advocate objects as calling for hearsay testimony. The 
objection was sustained and the question was not put.) 

Q. Did you put every question which Dr. Collins had forwarded you 
to put 1 — A. Except the questions named. 

Q. But you put those questions and objected to them, and they were 
not answered. But I ask did you put every question ! — A. I offered 
the questions to the court, but those five questions were not put to the 
witness. 

Q. Did you receive a letter from Dr. Collins of the date of April 2, 
1883, containing, or did you subsequently receive a list of questions for 
Bartlett ? —A. I did. I am not positive of the date. 

Mr. Arnoux. I read the letter : 

Minneapolis, Minn., April 2, 1883. 
Judge-Advocate, Jeannette Court, 

Navy Bept., Washington^ D. C: 
Have received no notification of Bartlett's coming examination. Have mailed a 
list of questions. Please adjourn examination until received. We insist on a full op- 
portunity to examine witness. Answer. 

D. F. COLLINS, M. D. 
RicuAitD Wainwright, 

Lieutenant, U. S. Navy, and Judge- Advocate. 

Q. Did you receive any other than that list of questions from Dr. 
Collins f — A. None. 

Q. And all the questions that you received you read before the court, 
did you not ^ — A. I did. 

Q. Did you at any time or under any circumstances intimate to any 
witness that they were to suppress any evidence ? — A. 1 did not. 

Q. Did you intend by the questions that you put to elicit the entire 
truth in respect to the investigation ! — A. The whole truth and nothing 
but the truth. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 663 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Of course as to tliose questions that you say you put aud then ob- 
jected to it was as though you had never put them, so far as the fact 
was concerned'? — A. .The court had the right to judge as to whether my 
objection was correct or not. I objected to them as rank liearsay, and 
that objection was sustained. 

Q. Are you a gentleman of legal training? — A. I have studied law 
some, but I am not a lawyer. 

Q. But, in point of fact, although you put the question, immediately 
upon putting it you addressed the court and urged that it was an im- 
proper question, did you not !— A. I did, sir. 

Q. Now, you have no reason to believe that the court, constituted as 
that was, did not have a respect for and deference to your legal judg- 
ment ! — A. They had respect ; I would hardly say deference. 

Q. Constituted as this Board of Inquiry was, was there a single law- 
yer upon it "? — A. There was no person answering to the term lawyer ; 
no, sir. 

Q. They were all commissioned officers in the United States ]S"aval 
Corps'? — A. Correct. 

Q. And, naturally, courts-martial and boards of inquiry, constituted 
as they are, pay a great deal of attention and deference to the opinion 
of the judge-advocate, v. ho is selected presumably for his knowledge of 
the law *? — A. The gentleman has better experience in that matter than 
I have. I should say no. 

Q. We will be content with the fact. The fact is that you put the 
question and then objected to it. ]l^ow, was there anybody there on the 
part of Dr. Collins to argue to the court that it should be put '? — A. E'o, 
sir ; and there was no chance for an argument. * 

Q. Do they not permit arguments in those courts'? — A. They permit 
arguments on ordinary occasions, but such a plain question as that the 
court would hardly listen to argument upon. It was too evidently hear- 
say and contrary to the rules of the court. 

Q. We understand your opinion about that, and it has been expressed 
before, so we are in no doubt about it. But the peculiarity of minds in 
this world is that they sometimes differ. Now, did you furnish the 
court with a list of the questions that were sent to you by Dr. Collins % — 
A. I read the list to the court. 

Q. The entire list? — A. The entire list. 

By Mr. Arnoux 
Q. Did you not object to questions propounded in addition to those 
that you have mentioned, and did not the court overrule your objection 
and i)ermit the questions to be answered*? — A. Several of my objections 
were overruled by the court. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. In point of fact, the record itself is the best evidence of what oc- 
curred there, is it not? — A. Yes; it is the best evidence. 

Q. You, as a lawyer, agree with me in that % — A. I believe the record 
is the best evidence of what occurred in the court. 

Emil Bessels sworn and examined. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Question. What is your occupation % — Answer. Scientist. 
Q. Have you had any personal knowledge or experience in Arctic ex- 
ploration, and, if so, what? — A. Yes \ I have seen the whole Arctic sea 



664 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

between East Greenland and Nova Zembla, and then I have seen Davis 
Strait, Smith's Sound, and Eobeson Channel, &c., up to latitude 82.26, 
according to our reckoning. 

Q. Upon what expeditions have you been in which you have seen the 
Arctic seas? — A. I have been on German expeditions to East Green- 
land and to West Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla. At that time we tried 
to reach GilPs Land, but we were prevented from doing so because the 
equatorial limit of the ice was too much to the southward. 

Q. What was that expedition commonly called? — A. The Albert ex- 
pedition. Then I was chief of the scientific department of the Polaris 
expedition under Captain Hall. 

Q. Are you also familiar with Arctic literature 1 — A. Yes ; to some 
extent. I think I know most all Arctic publications, at least ii they are 
of any account. 

Q. And are you acquainted with Arctic explorers ? — A. Yes ; I know 
quite a number of them. 

Q. Have you had any experience in shipwrecks ? — A. Yes ; I have 
been shipwrecked three times and a half. 

Q. Is there, so far as your knowledge and study goes, a part of the 
Arctic sea which is more or less entirely covered with ice ? — A. As a 
rule you find the eastern part of the Arctic, that is, that part between 
East Greenland and West Spitzbergen much freer from ice than any 
other part. 

Q. Now, does that ice extend from the pole southward in every direc- 
tion ? — A. Yes J but it is not a solid mass. There are lines of open water 
separating the ice floes, fields, or hummocks, whatever they may be. 
The ice cover represents a floating mass. 

^ Q. And is that floating mass constantly changing its position and 
character ? — A. It is changing its position and it is changing its char- 
acter. It depends on the direction and velocity of the wind and on the 
direction of the current, that is, the constant current and the tidal cur- 
rents, which, of course, are modified by the character of the bottom of 
the sea and the depth of the sea. 

Q. Now, what is the maximum thickness of the new sea-ice north of 
Point Barrow 1 — A. It probably does not exceed 9 feet ; that is, the 
formation of one year's growth. 

Q. And how much will it melt in a summer ? — A. That depends on 
the cloudiness and the mean temperature of the air and the latitude. 

Q. But where it freezes a maximum of 9 feet, what will be the aver- 
age melting of the ice? — A. There are insufficient observations and 
records to enable me to give a definite statement of that. 

Q. Well, it would be only a fraction of the thickness ? — A. Yes ; the 
ice formed during one season would jjrobably not be apt to melt during 
the following season unless the conditions would be very favorable, but 
at the same time you have to consider that the ice forming at a certain 
place will not stay at that place, but will drift to the southward ; that 
the light ice will be carried away, while the ice of several years' growth, 
perhaps, that has been formed either by hummocks pushing under it or 
riding over it, will probably remain, while the rest will come out. 

Q. How thick will these hummocks become by the influence of gales 
and currents north of Point Barrow ? — A. Lieutenant Ray found from 
100 to perhaps 130 feet of thickness, and there was a report published 
in one of the latest numbers of '' Science " (I think it is last week's num- 
ber) that the sea seems to be almost tideless and that the ice probably 
never drifted out, and was entirely impassable. 

Q. I would like to ask you whether there have been any expeditions 



i 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 665 

searcliiDg for tlie Northwest passage through Beriug Strait, coming 
to the eastward ?— A. Take McOlure's and Collin son's, for instance. 

Q. What was their experience after passing from Behring Strait, sail- 
ing eastward "? — A. They found large masses of ice of similar character 
to the ice found by the English expedition of 1875 and 1876 north of 
Eobeson Channel -, that is, ice that had actually been formed at sea ; I 
mean salt-water ice, but it assumes the character of icebergs. 

Q. How far north of the coast of Korth America were they able to get j 
did not their lines of journey eastward run very close to the coast line'? — 
A. (Indicating on a chart.) That red track is Collinson's track and that 
goes a little beyond 73°. The ice seems to be hemmed in between Point 
Barrow and Wrangel Land, evidently produced by land northward of 
the limit of ice, land that is not known yet. 

Q. Did not one of those navigators after going to the eastward try to 
pass between Banks Land and Prince Albert Land and fail to make 
the passage through? — A. Yes, the northwest passage was never made 
by vessel. McClure and his party had to walk over the Bay of Mercy. 
That is, they sleded it. 

Q. Which expedition was it that attempted to force its way between 
Banks Land and Prince Albert Land? — A. It was McClure's and CoUin- 
son's. 

Q. Did both of them try? — A. Yes, both of them tried, and Sir Allen 
Young tried to make the i^assage, but w^as stopped by the same ice. 

Q. Now, after the failure to get between Banks Land and Prince 
Albert Land, did either of those two navigators try to get to the north 
of Banks Land, and if so which one and what was the result! — A. Mc- 
Clure went around. 

Q. And how far did he get and what was the result? — A. He had to 
abandon his ship at the Bay of Mercy. 

Q. After he abandoned his ship did McClure have to cross the ice 
across banks straight to the land on the other side? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. From what you know of Arctic exploration, and from what you know 
of Arctic literature, in your judgment was it or was it not wiser for Cap- 
tain De Long to endeavor to make to the westward and to reach Wrangel 
Land? — A. I had many a conversation with him before he left. The 
last time I saw him we both considered it best to follow the west coast 
of Wrangel Land in order to proceed to the northward, for as a rule the 
current is setting to the south, consequently the west coast of any island 
or continent in the Arctic region will be more free from ice than aif ^ 
eastern exposure, because the bodies floating on a southerly current will 
invariably be deflected to the left of the direction of the current, but as 
a rule it is scarcely possible to insure success in the Arctic unless you 
have a basis of land to fall back upon. 

Q. Have you seen or learned by the testimony in this investigation 
that Captain De Long was endeavoring at the time he got caught in the 
ice pack to reach Wrangel Land? — A. No, I have not. 

Q. Well, it has been testified by the witnesses that he was endeavor- 
ing to reach Wrangel Land to winter ? — A. I wish you would be kind 
enough to tell me the particulars and I will answer any question you 
choose to ask me. 

Q. According to the testimony of the witnesses he entered the pack 
in or about September, 1879 ? — A. I am familiar with the history of the 
exi)edition, but I have not followed the testimony. 

Q. And he endeavored to get to Wrangel Land, the lower cape of 
which was then near or actually in sight ? — A. At that time it was not 
known how far Wrangel Land actually extended. It was supposed that 



6S6 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

it was connected with Greenland even at that time, and Captain Hooper 
in the Oorwin did not see any land from the place where he lauded, and 
Lieutenant Barry actually determined its northern limit. But Mr. De 
Long could not know at the time how far it extended, and I think it was 
very important to follow that coast although I do not exactly agree with 
his having taken to the ice under the conditions then existing. I would 
not say that he ought to have gone to the eastward, that he might have 
turned back and waited for a more favorable chance, because according 
to all accounts the ice towards the coast, seems to have been closely 
packed, but of course that depends upon the judgment of the command- 
ing officer and the person in the crow's nest, &c. 

Q. Are there not October gales which often separate the hummocks 
of ice and allow ships to pass on ? — A. Decidedly. I do not know what 
the direction of the wind was at the time, but if the wind was going 
from the land, then he would have been fully justified in taking to the 
ice, because that would have opened a passage. 

Q. Now, so far as is known, can one reach the north pole without 
putting the ship into the ice ? — A. You might just as well try to wash 
yourself without using water. 

Q. Do you know the direction of the current at that part of the Arctic 
Sea ? — A. The current in Behring Sea is somewhat confused at present 
since Mr. Dahl published his paper asserting that there is no current 
setting in. It was supposed at the time that there was a warm current 
that came from Japan and entered Behring Strait and melted off the 
ice, and if I am not mistaken Captain Silas Bent advocated attempting 
to reach the pole by means of thermometers. 

Q. Did not Captain De Long first determine that there was no equa- 
torial current in the Behring Sea ? — A. The current as far as can be as- 
certained is very well determined by the drift of the Jeannette itself, 
because the Jeannette was beset in the ice. But there are some objec- 
tions to current observations made by a vessel that is beset in the pack, 
because if the ice projects above the water it will act under the influ- 
ence of the wind on the whole mass like a sail, and, vice versa, if hum- 
mocks are pressed under the ice-fields the mass under it may be influ- 
enced by an undercurrent and indicate a different direction, perhaps, 
from the actual direction which the drift would be under other circum- 
stances. 

Q. Now, going back to the other explorers, there is one thing I wanted 
to ask you : whether one of the explorers did not pass through a lead 
that was so narrow, and where the ice was so high — between the land 
and the ice — that he had to shift his yard-arms or something of that 
sort f — A. Colliuson did in rounding the north coast of America, and 
Beachy, besides, in sending a boat around the coast experienced a great 
deal of trouble. 

Q.'Now, tell us about Collinson; what was the circumstance with Col- 
linson ; what did he have to do ; how did he find the ice f — A. He found 
the ice extremely high and crowded against the coast, and that the pas- 
sage was extremely difiicult to make. 

Q. And what did he have to do with his yard-arms to get through ? — 
A. He had to unship some. 

Q. And what was it that l^eachy had to do ? — A. Beachy merely sent 
a boat around the coast. Of course, that does not count as much as 
the vessel, because a boat will easily pass where a vessel never will. 

Q. Now, do these lanes close up in the winter, and does the mass be- 
come one solid immovable mass through the winter? — A. No; it never 
did. It was supposed up until the time Parry, in 1827, undertook his 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 667 

last expedition towards the nortli pole, that the Polar Sea was covered 
by ice almost as immovable as the ice covering one of our common 
lakes. But even at that time he found that the ice was driftiiig so fast 
that he and his men with their boats could not undertake to march 
against the current that was setting southward during the whole time, 
and he actually lost instead of gained. 

Q. That is he lost by longitude and latitude 1 — A. Merely by latitude. 
He intended to travel south, and the set of the current was southward, 
and consequently he drifted south at a greater rate than he could travel. 
It was on the Tegethoff expedition that Franz Joseph Land was merely 
discovered by accident. The vessel was beset by ice. The vessel was 
expected to drift southeastward and actually drifted in the opposite di- 
rection and brought up near Franz Joseph Land. 

Q. Have you heard anything stated about the petty arguments and 
troubles that occurred on board the Jeannette during the time she was 
in the ice f — A. I have never heard of an Arctic expedition yet that there 
was not more or less trouble on board from beginning to end. 

By Mr. OuKTis : 

Q. When you talked with Captain De Long in reference to this ex- 
pedition, in speaking of Wrangel Land you supposed it was part of 
Greenland, did you ? — A. Yes, sir ; at that time there were theories that 
Wrangel Land was actually connected with Greenland. 

Q. Was there not^ also a theory that Wrangel Land was a continuous 
continent to the Pole, so to speak f — A. Oh, yes. If it had been con- 
nected with Greenland it would necessarily have extended across the 
Pole. 

Q. There was a theory that it was connected with Greenland, and that 
it was part of a continuous continent to the Pole 1 — A. Yes ; but it was 
not proven. 

Q. There is no doubt in your mind that that is not true, is there ? — 
A. No ; it cannot be true, because Lieutenant Barry and Mr. De Long 
I)roved that it actually is an island, and Barry sailed around it. 

Q. In your direct examination, speaking of his attempt to reach 
Wrangel Land, you said, I believe — perhaps I did not understand you 
perfectly — that in your judgment perhaps it should have gone farther 
to the eastward f — A. I am not familiar with the condition of the wind 
at the time he took to the ice. 

Q. Yes ; but what did you mean when you said that ? — A. I meant 
that it would depend entirely on the judgment of the commanding 
officer at the time he took to the ice. 

Q. What did you mean when you said perhaps it would have been 
better for him to have gone farther to the eastward ? — A. If it was calm 
at the time, or if the wind was from the eastward, and the lead he saw 
did not exactly stretch over to the land, and the ice was closely packed, 
then it might have been better not to have taken to the ice at that 
time. 

Q. JSTow, speaking of Collinson's expedition, how far north did he go f — 
A. The highest point he reached was a little beyond 73°; about 13^15'. 

Q. What was the highest point reached by the Jeannette*? — A. I could 
not give it to you in degrees and minutes, but it can easily be 

Q. [Interposing.] I say how far was it 1 — A. The Jeannette was en- 
tirely to the westward, and she went farther north. 

Q. How far had the Jeannette gone northward at the time she became 
locked in the ice? — A. I do not remember. I can tell you by referring 
to the chart. 



668 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Never miud. These expeditions that you have spoken of, together 
with the Albert and the Polaris, took place before the Jeannette, did 
they not 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And Oollinson returned in safety, did he not ? — A. Yes j Collinson 
returned. 

Q. Beachy returned in safety, did he not ? — A. Beachy returned, and 
McGlure had to abandon his vessel. 

Q. Yes; but the men returned in safety ? — A. There were some losses 
of life, of course. 

Q. But as a body they returned, 1 mean? — -A. Yes, they were all 
taken aboard one of the vessels of the English and came out through 
Davis Straits. 

Q. Those that were lost were lost by the incidental changes of the 
climate and exposure and disease ? — A. Yes, sir ; partly by disease and 
partly by other causes. 

Q. Now, the experience of the Albert and the Polaris and all these 
other expeditions that have gone before was well known at the time ot 
the sailing of the Jeannette, was it not ? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Now, you said something about the unshipping of yards. I may 
have misunderstood you. Did you mean to say the yards were unshipped 
for the purpose of getting out of the ice ? — A. Of getting through the 
ice. The ice was overhanging. 

Q. You are not a practical navigator, are you ? — A. I think I know 
something about navigation. 

Q. You are quite sure the yards were unshipped *? — A. They may have 
been swung. 

Q. Which were they ? — A. Oh, I do not like to lecture. I am not an 
encyclopedia of Arctic matters. You might send over to Mr. SpofiPord 
and he will produce all the books we want with the greatest pleasure, 
and then we can compare notes and look it ui) together. 

Q. Who was this man that wanted to go to the Pole in a thermome- 
ter "? — A. Oh, he did not want to go in a thermometer. 

Q. With a thermometer ! — A. Yes. 

Q. Who was he "l — A . Silas Bent. He used to belong to the United 
States Navy, and if I am not mistaken he was a graduate of An- 
napolis. 

Q. In i)oint of fact, so far as the real route to the Pole is concerned, you 
are now as much in the dark as ever ? — A. It depends entirelj^ upon 
which route you want to take. You can reach a higher latitude at any 
time on the west coast of Spitzbergen than you can in Behring Sea, 
but Behring Sea had to be tried because we did not know anything about 
it, and it will x)robably be tried again before long. 

Q. In your judgment which is the best route to go to the North Pole ? — 
A. I think I would take Franz Joseph Land. 

Q. Do you think it is possible to get there ? — A. At least you would 
be apt to reach a pretty high latitude in following the coast of Franz 
Joseph Land, and it would be perfectly reasonable to run the risk al- 
though you would be probably apt to have to break through a barrier 
of ice not less than two degrees of latitude wide. 

Q. What was this you said about the equatorial current ? — A. That 
it is a current moving from west to south. 

Q. Whose theory is thaf? — A. That is nobody^s theory. God made it, 
I suppose. 

Q. That is God's theory ? — A. I don't know. We will hold him re- 
sponsible for it, anyway. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 669 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. How many vessels were there in the Arctic seas when McOhire. 
and Collinson were there *? — A. I think about seven. 

Q. How many were abandoned ? — A. The Eesolute was ?ibandoned 
and was picked up afterwards, and was — well, I reallj^ could not tell 
you. 

Q. Were there not four or five of them abandoned*? — A. Yes, sir; 
several were abandoned, but I would not like to commit myself to state 
the names. 

Q. Do you know Dr. Peterman ? — A. Well, I was very well acquaint- 
ed with him. 

Q. Was he considered an authority on Arctic exploration ? — A. Well, 
he had never had any practical Arctic experience. 

Q. No ; but as a geographer ? — A. Yes ; he was one of our foremost 
geographers. 

Q. (Submitting a chart.) Can you tell what time, or about what time, 
this chart of Peterman's was published ! — A. The chart you refer to 
was published in 1879, as shown by the type. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You do not have so high an opinion of Dr. Peterman now, do 
you ? — A. I have had no occasion to change my opinion in regard to 
him. 

Q. Do you consider his chart correct ? — A. He was not responsible 
for that chart, because he did not make the survey himself. He merely 
went by the data given to him by different explorers and navigators, 
and he platted them like the Chief of the Hydrographic Of&ce, for in- 
stance, would get some of his draftsmen to plat the surveys of any 
vessels sent out to examine the coast or do anything else. 

Q. In point of fact, it is not a correct chart, is it ? — A. Of course not, 
and we have not a correct chart up to this time. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Are you employed by the United States Government ? — A. I am 
not. 

Q. Before Captain De Long started on this expedition, you had full 
conversations with him ? — A. Yes ; quite frequent. 

Q. About Arctic matters in general, and the conduct of this expedi- 
tion, so far as its course was concerned, in particular ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you have read the testimony taken before the Court of Inquiry, 
have you 1 — A. I have not read the whole of it. I have been absent 
repeatedly, and I only returned to this city the day before yesterday, 
so I did not follow it. 

Q. Have you seen the evidence as to the course which Captain De 
Long took ? — A. Yes ; I am familiar with the charts, as published by 
the Hydrographic OfQce, and as published in the narrative. 

Q. Are you familiar with the facts relative to the expedition — as to 
what took place ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you any criticism to make as an Arctic explorer and one 
conversant with those matters on Captain De Long's conduct as a com- 
mander ^ — A. Well, that is a pretty difi&cult question to answer, inas- 
much as I was not present myself. 

Q. You have been in the Arctic regions, have you ^. — A. I have. 

Q. What do you think of his conduct as to the course he took after 
the Jeannette was crushed *? — A. May be it would have been better if 
the party had not stopped so long on Bennett Island. 



670 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What do you thiok of the geographical course he took after the 
Jeannette was crushed *? — A. Well, it could only be knowu after a cer- 
tain time whether they^ were actually being set to the northward or not. 
That depended entirely upon the condition as given by the dead reckon- 
ing ; I mean the distance estimated to have been made and as to astro- 
nomical observations made during the time. 

Q. It has been contended here, as I understand, that Captain De 
Long, from the point where the Jeannette was crushed, should have 
taken a southerly course towards the main coast of Siberia instead of 
going towards those islands. What do you think of that matter from 
your experience and from your reading of Arctic literature ? — A. That 
depends entirely upon the character of the ice. It would certainly have 
been more safe to go from island to island. 

Q. What do you mean by the qualifying clause depending on the 
ice ? — A. The ice might have been closely packed to the southward of 
him, and besides, before Wrangel Land had actually been discovered the 
Tungus had noticed reindeer coming across the ice, so he may have in- 
tended to kill some game on his way because he might reasonably have 
expected to have found deer. 

Q. So the two reasons that would actuate him would be the pack of 
ice towards the south and the hope of getting game on the islands ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you know anything about the settlements upon the coast of 
Siberia ? — A. I have never been there. 

Q. What is the general agreement of books as to settlements upon 
the coast of Siberia'? — A. That the Siberian coast is comparatively 
thinly settled ; that there are comparatively few persons there. The chart 
that Mr. De Long had was certainly faulty. 

Q. What sort did he have "/—A. I do not know what sort he did have, 
but he expected to find a light-house, and the light house was marked 
on the chart where it did not exist. 

Q. How do you know that ? — A. I know it from the report. 

Q. Did you know what chart he sailed under; did you seethe chart! — 
A. No, I did not. 

Q. By reading you gained that ? — A. By reading, sir. 

By Mr. OURTis : 

Q. iou never were in Ustjansk, were you? — A. No, I was not. 

Q. You do not know the number of people who live in that settle- 
ment, do you? — A. No; but then in referring to a geographical diction- 
ary he might be able to find out. 

Q. Now, you know, I suppose, from your extensive reading that the 
facilities of travel with reindeer are positive between Ustjansk and Ja- 
kutsk ; that a person who has the means can travel with reindeer and 
also find means of subsistence both for team and man ? — A. Yes, if you 
have means and find persons to sell you food, and so on. 

Q. Are there not any stations on the road ? — A. Not that I know of. 

Q. You do not know anything about it? — A. I know something 
about it, but I do not want to commit myself in answering a direct 
question ; you might as well ask me the distance between Washington 
and Relay station. 

Q. You do not know that distance ? — A. No; at least I would not 
rely on my memory. I would just take it easy, and if I wanted to know 
it I would refer to a book. 

Q. Did you hear Lieutenant Scheutze testify that the facilities for 
going from Ustjansk to Jakutsk were ample both for the maintenance of 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 671 

the teams aod of the men ? — A. No, I did not ; I was talking to Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower at the time. 

Q. And did you hear him testify that facilities for traveling between 
Jakutsk and Irkutsk were also ample, and that Irkutsk was a city of 
some 40,000 people? — A. No ; if some one w^ill read the minutes to me 
I will probably know it. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. What was your position on the Polaris expedition '^ — A. I was 
chief of the scientific department of the expedition. 

Q. Did you have any trouble on that expedition among the officers 
and men *? — A. No; at least no more trouble than there is apt to be on 
any Arctic expedition going out to stay a year or tw^o. 

Q. What causes the trouble on Arctic expeditions'? — A. You get so 
terribly tired of your situation after an absence of, perhaps, six months. 

Q. Caused by jealousy as to what might be the amount of fame ac- 
quired by each individual member ; is that one of the causes, do you 
think f — A. It may be caused by indigestion. The food is entirely dif- 
ferent from what you get in more southerly climates. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Friday , May 2, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 11 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

The Chairman. I have a letter from Mr. Melville, in which he desires 
to make a correction. It is as follows : 

Philadelphia, April 30, 1884. 
Hon. Hugh Buchanan and Gentlemen of Suh committee of House of Representatives : 

Gentlemen : I desire to correct that part of my testimony given on the afternoon 
of the 29th instant in this: That I did recommend the course to the mouth of the 
Jana River while in the ten days' camp to the north of the New Siberian Islands. 
But I took no decided stand in the matter, as I considered it not very material to 
which delta we retreated. And as both Captain De Long and Lieutenant Chipp pre- 
ferred the course to the Lena delta, by way of the islands, I made no objection, but 
agreed with them. 

I am, gentlemen, very respectfully, 

GEO. W. MELVILLE, 
Chief Engineer United States Navy. 

Mr. Curtis. I will offer in evidence Dr. Ambler's ice journal. It is 
as follows. [Eeading : ] 

PASSED ASS'T SURGEON J. M. AMBLER'S JOURNAL AND DIARY. 

(On the front fly-leaf:) J. M. Ambler, M. D., P. A. Surgeon U. S. N., 
Arctic str. Jeannette. Wrecked June 11, 1881. 

Camp on ice floe ; lat. 77^ 14^ ¥., long. E. ISS^-fj June 12, 1881 
{Monday). — The sick are no worse for their experience on the ice. Mr. 
Chipp got very little sleep, but his stomach is quiet. I have used whisky, 
§ij, three times daily ; his bowels will move naturally. Mndemann and 
the steward are about attending to work. Mr. Danenhower's eye stands 
fairly well 5 he is attending to such duty for his sled party as is neces- 
sary, being cautious as possible about exposure. Mr. Newcomb's eyes 
are greatly swollen. 

June 13, 1881. — In camp. Alexae and Kinhne both have gastralgia 
to-day, Mr, Chipp is improving j have continued the whisky. 



672 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

June 14, 1881. — In camp. Mr. Chipp improving. Kinhne better; 
contiDue. Alexae. Steward rather better. Busy all day arranging 
medicines, &c. 

June 15, 1881. — In camp on floe. Mr. Chipp improving. Kinhne 
rather better. Alexae. Steward improving. Busy packing our hunt- 
ing knapsacks ; stowing everything away. Weather good. Sun very 
warm. The thermometer marked only 23^ P. 

June 10, 1881. — Mr. Chipp imiiroving ; Kihne better; Alexae better; 
steward, pain this a. m.; felt better to night ; pain due to imprudent eat- 
ing; saw provision list and ration for sled journey; no suggestions. 
Temp., 210 F. 

Cam]) iVo. 2, June 18, 1881, 10 p. m. — Started at 6 p. m. of 17th; worked 
until G a. m. of 18th ; turned m. Melville, Danenhower, and I worked with 
the cutter, and our party of men carried her along well. We advanced her 
to the farthest flag and returned to bring up a sled. On my way back 
some one came up to me from the cutter saying that Lauterback had fallen 
with the cramps. I went back to him, sending Mr. Newcomb to meet the 
hospital sled and bring up my traveling case, which he did quickly. I 
found the man suffering a great deal ; laid my coat on the snow for him to 
lie on. Kneaded his belly vigorously : made him jump on his legs, and 
when the case arrived gave brandy and opium. I got him easier ; left 
Mr. N. with him. On my way back met the hospital sled and found the 
sick party, Mr. Chipp at their head, drawing it, they were nearly ex- 
hausted ; the dog would not work, and they had upset several times. 
I gave them all a drink of whiskey and made them rest ; advised Mr. 0. 
to hold on at the place Lauterback was left, where there was some provis- 
ions. He, however, managed to pack onto the cutter and pitched a tent. 
They had to come back to this point when the whole party camped down 
and were very much exhaused when they arrived. The steward lost his 
pot tod, all that I had. After leaving the H sled I proceeded on to 
camp No. 1 ; found a general smash-up of sleds ; the captain had ad- 
vanced the whale-boat, 2d cutter, and four sleds; two of the latter had 
broken down. Sled No. 5 was still in camp. On our way back to it, 
from not seeing well through my glasses, I slipped on some pack ice in 
an open lead and went in up to my hips. My sled, when we commenced 
to haul it, also broke down. To- night Mr. Chipp is pretty tired-looking; 
says he feels quite well, can't eat, but looks worn and weak. I give 
quinine and whiskey ter die. Kinhne, Alexae, and steward are on the 
the mend. Lauterback is better. 

Sunday IWi, 10 p. m. — Camp No. 3; hospital tent at 1st cutter. 
Brought forward the sick, Mr. Chipp, Mr. Danenhower, Lauterback, 
and Alexae, with hospital stores on dog sled and a tent. Mr. Chipp is 
rather faint after exertion, but will lend a hand. Sent Kinhne and the 
steward to duty. Mr. Melville came up with 2d cutter, and Mr. Collins 
came to this tent complaining of his chest and said he could not go 
back. Melville did not want him. I had a little water melted and 
made some beef tea. 

Monday, 20th, 12 p. m. — Sick improv'ing; in camp; rain and sleet; set- 
ting uj) No. 5 sled again ; Lauterback not in so much pain ; gave cod- 
liver oil. 

Tuesday, 21, {) p. m. — In camp at cutter; all sieds started forward. 
Boats, hospital stores with all the sick remaining here for present. Will 
advance in afternoon. Mr. Danenhower's eye has so far stood exposure 
very well; fortunately there has been very little sun — quinine and 
counter irritation. Mr. Chipp had some pain last night, and this morn- 
ing vomited his breakfast ; pain not of same character as before ; takes 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 673 

2 grs. quinine daily and spt. as usual. Lauterback had cramps again 
yesterday p. m. ; passed a good night tho', and feels easier this a. m. Lee 
has cramps in legs after exertion. I have myself passed blood freely 
from bowels on one occasion, and slightly this a. m. 

Wednesday, 8.30 a. m. — Had work ever since started. Carried sick 
forward; found our lead by Mr. Melville's party ; got on small floe with 
boats. I pitched hospital tent with Mr. Dannenhower's assistance ; all 
hands had dinner ; boats moved forward ; ordered to remain until the 
last; left on the floe with the sick and one well man attending; line to 
bridge piece got adrift ; captain came back ; floes came together ; he 
sent me forward with the sick and brought up tent and sled. I crossed 
to boat with sick on old floe ; went back to edge and lent a hand in get- 
ting things over. 

Wednesday, 8.30 j). m., June 22d. — In camp with sick, at the boats. 
Melville advancing sleds. Mr. Chipp has had return of pains ; passed 
a bad night ; due probably to the bad time we had yesterday ; wet, cold, 
&c. Mr. Danenhower's eye holds its own. Lauterback better this a. 
m. Alexac still complains to me about every trifle. Mr. Dunbar has 
diarrhoea. 

Thursday, 10 p. m., 23^7. — At advance with the sick and hospital stores. 
Mr. Ohipp somewhat better; no pain in bowels. Was quite tired out 
when we reached this spot ; legs cramped. I shampooned them and 
they are easier. Mr. Danenhower's eye in same condition ; so far the 
cloudy weather has been in his favor. Alexae still constipated, but 
does not complain so much; he is much depressed and cried last when 
I talked to him ; his leg Is improving. Lauterback went to duty to-day. 
Lee's leg gave out after one or two trips, and the glands in his groin are 
painful and swollen. Dressier had some pain from piles. 

In camp on old floe, Friday, 24th, 6.10 a. m. — Made the best distance 
to-day (night) than ever before. Mr. Chipp a good deal exhausted ; 
is very weak ; Alexae is better, but his morale is gone. Every one else 
keeps up well. Traveling looks promising for to-morrow. 

Friday, 2Uh, 6.45 jp. m. — All hands called at 6 o'clock ; find that Chipp 
has had a bad time of it; great deal of pain and cramps, and very rest- 
less ; his pulse is 90 ; rapid for him. He is very thin and very weak. 

Saturday morning, 25th, 8. 30 a. m. — Alexae is much brighter and feels 
better. Mr. Danenhower's eye was somewhat inflamed when we made 
our start, 6.45 p. m., Friday, but he staid in the hospital tent a good deal 
to-day, and this a. m. (bed-time) it looks better. When we started from 
our noon (midnight) stop Mr. Chipp was so much exhausted that he had 
to be assisted to dress himself, and I brought him to camp on the hospital - 
sled. I had to give him small quantities of brandy at short intervals, 
two ounces ter die.; he does not like the beef tea and takes but little of 
it; we have nothing else now but pemmican, bread, and cheese; the cir- 
cumstances are all against him, and unless he can eat more his case will 
be serious. I gave him lime-juice in his brandy to-day, before it has 
atfected his stomach. 

Saturday, 10 AO p.m., 25th, 1881. — Mr. Chipp had quite a good sleep 
since turning in and feels better ; gave brandy, 2 oz., before breakfast ; 
he took beef tea and coffee, one hard-tack. Mr. Danenhower's eye looks 
fairly well to-day. We will not move until after our dinner to-day, 12 
midnight; the captain got an observation in last 21 hours, lat. 77o 41', 
long. 1520 Iq/ ^^ ^Q iiave gone 24 miles to the northwest from where 
the ship went down. Our course will be altered to the SW. to-day, so 
as to stand across the floe to the most northern land. 

Sunday morning, 9 a. m., hed-time, 26th, 1881. — In camp ; f miles advance 
43 J Q* 



674 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

since dinner ; road better than usual. Ohipp stood it very well ; has 
eaten more to-day and was not very tired when he reached camp. Had 
one bad place to cross on floating piece, but had assistance and got over 
without trouble. 

Sunday^ 8.4:5 p. m., June 26, 1881. — Up at 6 p. m. ; issued alcohol for 
brWst ; was called off and did not carry Chipp his spirit. Ohipp 
passed a very good night, eat his breakfast, and he feels quite well. 
He was feeling so well that he did not think he would send for his 
brandy, as he knew I was busy. Danenhower's eye holds its own, some- 
times flushes up, but quiets down when he can get inside the tent. 
Alexae is doing well ; his leg is improving. Last night found it so warm 
that I could not sleep in my bag and crawled out and slept on top of 
it, covering my feet and legs with my coat ; outside temperature 28° F. 
We are still on about a S. course ; the wind to-day is a little to S. and W. 
The captain and Melville are worried a good deal with their hands 
burnt and swollen by the sun ; some of the men have their noses and 
lips burnt. Lee gets on fairly well at bridge-making ; his legs still 
give him trouble. I use a liniment on them every night. 

Monday^ June 27thj 1881, 9.40 a. m. — Made about a mile ; work terri- 
ble in getting over leads. Chipp got along very well. Danenhower's 
eye inflamed to-night. 

Monday J 9 p. m., June 21 ^ 1881. — Breakfasted and sleds advancing. 
Chipp a good deal better, and this a. m. feels stonger. Danenhower's 
eye rather clearer than when we turned in ; directed him to keep in tent 
as much as possible. Alexae, dressed sore with lint and sealed up with 
collodion and bandaged. 

Thursday J 7.30 a. m., June 2Sth. — Made about f mile, good to-day. 
Chipp came through very well ; his appetite keeps and his strength is 
improving ; has had no pains or cramps for the last two days. Danen- 
hower's eye a little engorged this a. m. ; not so much as last bed-time; 
so far the rest in sleep has restored it by the time we get on the march. 
The road to-day was easier ; had two bad leads, one very troublesome, 
and delayed us some time; the other we got everything on a small cake 
and ferried over together. I then got ahead with the hospital sled and 
pitched the tent before the boats came up. The men appeared to stand 
it very well, but the work is very difiicult and they have to go over the 
ground very often. Lee complains of not being able to eat and some 
uneasiness about the stomach ; gave him some pills ; his legs are some- 
what better ; he works at road-making, and does not pull on the sled. 

In camp, Thursday, 9 p, m., June 28, 1881. — Chipp doing well. Dan- 
enhower same. Alexae improving. Cold this p. m.; did not sleep 
well. Wind SE. ; we are probably making more northing by the shift 
than we are southing by hauling ; going west, however, all the time. 

Wed7iesday, June 29, 1881, 9.20 a. m. — About turning in. Much an- 
noyed to-day by ray two sick friends ; both seem to think I should make 
such a recommendation as they would like, and that I should be guided 
by their wishes. I do not think a man was ever cursed with two such 
patients before, and under such circumstances. 

Wednesday, 8.20 p. m- — Thursday, 30th, 9 a.m. — Chipp doing well; 
strength improving. Danenhower's eye looks rather worse to-night. 
Alexae doing well. Was put in charge of road party and worked hard 
all day with pick, and, notwithstanding the captain's conclusion this 
morning, I was sent back at dinner-time to bring up the sick and the 
sled. I had told him that I thought they did not require any attention 
the whole day — so I was over the whole road three times, once pulling 
and hauling a sled, and over a great part of it Ave times, working with 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 675 

pick, digging a road, and wlien I got to camp at night went back to 
bring up sick and sled, to receive the sneers of our blessed invalids — 
they had some pretty plain talk. 

Friday^ July 1, 1881, 9 a. m. — Ohipp improving. Danenhower same. 
Alexae at work to-day, but dress leg and bandage. Worked hard all 
day cutting hummocks and bridging. Got knocked overboard by the 
^' Walrus," and had to swim around from one lump of ice to another 5 got 
out all right. Went to whale-boat for my knapsack 5 found it at the 
bottom, of course, and then had to strip and dress in a wind with rain 
and sleet. 

Friday, SAO p. m., July 1, I881.--Chipp doing tolerably well. Dan- 
enhower's eye looks better to-day. Alexae, leg about same. Slept 
rather better, but as I slept on two pairs of wet drawers and a wet vest, 
with wet sleeves to my shirt, and with only half a blanket over me, it 
was not the most cheerful bed I ever had 5 but '' comme je trouve,^^ 
and I feel pretty well this morning and ready for work. Eain and wind 
prevailing. 

Sunday, 8.30 a. w., July 3, 1881. — Ohipp doing well. Tr. Ferri gtt. v. 
Danenhower's eye quiet. Alexae's leg has not been injured by work 
so far. I myself, Mr. Melville, Star, and one or two others, had slight 
diarrhoea, due, I think, to the grease (tallow) in the pemmican. Made 
a good leg to-day — 2 miles at least — and not very bad road. I did not 
get overboard to-day, and except for the soreness of my muscles am 
pretty well. I worked hard all day yesterday with a pick, and very 
tough work it was. I suppose I cut more than a ton from one cake 
that was in the way, and by the time the boats came up the ice had 
shifted and I had to come back and cut as much more; making bridges 
and cutting roadways on the face of a lump, freezing, «&c. — bevelling 
a face into a road, and all that, gives a pretty lively time. This sleep- 
ing in wet clothes in a wet bag on wet ice makes every bone and sepa- 
rate muscle ache in the morning. To-day I have not been able to draw 
a breath without pain. I feel better to-night, and, '^ comyne je trouve^^^ 
1 hope to get in training by and by. 

Monday, July Uh, 1881, 7 a. m. — Have made about two miles to-day 
on our cruise. Ohipp when we started considered himself all right 
and wanted to go to duty. I stopped his whiskey and let him keep on 
without it in easy stages. Tonight he does not feel well and has some 
pain. Danenhower's eye is in the same condition. He takes his qui- 
nine and I use counter-irritation over the brow. Alexae-s leg improv- 
ing altho' he does a great deal of running all day. Not much road, 
cutting to-day. Lee told me how to prepare clams. I find the thoughts 
of a good many are running on eating. We could eat more bread and 
sugar if we had it. 

Tuesday, July 5, 1881, 8 a. m. — Ohipp — renewed whiskey to-day, and 
to-night he is in better condition than last night; he is pale and his 
pulse is weak ; he does not sleep well. Danenhower — eye rather more 
inflamed than usual; probably due to the fall of snow to-day giving 
more glare. Alexae's leg is doing well; he has had a return of pain to 
his stomach. I am myself in a good deal of pain in my right lung, 
lower lobe, of a pleuritic character. I lose my wind very quickly when 
I work with the pick, and I have a very severe pain. 

Wednesday, July 6, 1881, 7.30 p. m. — Made, I suppose, about two miles 
yesterday (Tuesday p. m. and Wednesday a. m.) ; crossed several leads 
by ferrying. I think a good deal of time is lost uselessly. I did a good 
deal of work that proved to be unnecessary or was rendered useless by 
changes in the ice before the train could come up. If I had four good 



676 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

men and allowed to manage the business I could make a mucli better 
road and be of more use, and tbe men would save by levelling with a 
few blows of tbe pick more lifting than they can possibly do. As it is 
I have one man who can hardly get over the ground on account of his 
legs; he cannot trust to them, and in a ticklish i^lace he is of no account 
at all. On solid ground he can pick well. He cannot get over a crack 
3 ft. wide. The other is the smallest and possibly the weakest man in 
the party. He has not the force to work, nor has he much idea of work- 
ing beyond piddling. This latter is the naturalist, so called, and has 
lived in the officers' mess. He has not yet learned to obey without 
speaking. Mr. Ohipp stood the tramp yesterday very well and slept 
well last night. Treatment continued. Mr. Danenhower's eye did very 
well yesterday and looked rather better last night. Alexae's stomach 
is very irritaljle; he cannot eat anything we have without vomiting. 
His leg is doing well and I have ceased to bandage it. It is rather de- 
pressing to our two friends of the " Line" that they are in the vocative, 
and they have probably plenty of food for reflection. I should think 
that both of them would feel great mortification by their own willful 
acts. One man came from home knowing that he was liable to be 
laid up ; the other when warned and advised by me of his condition set 
himself in opposition and showed so much obstinacy and want of sense 
that nothing could be done for him, as he refused to obey my direction 
when on the sick-list and acted directly contrary to it. 

Thursday, July 1th, 7 a. m. — Staid in camp all day; rain, sleet, and 
snow. Putting 1st cutter on sled to be ready for start in morning. Men 
have had a chance to fix their foot gear. Going to bed in a few min- 
utes. 

Friday, July 8, 1881, a. m. — Bad luck to-day ; lost at least 2 hrs. ferry- 
ing, when we could have made the distance in twenty minutes by going 
around. The worst road has never delayed us so much as a short ferry. 
I am convinced that the captain cannot see with the glasses he uses ; 
to-day a long line was passed by a boat just before dinner and fas- 
tened to the side we stopped ; later on we had occasion for line, and 
these were only short pieces in the dingy which were in use ; the cap- 
tain asked for more line. I asked if he had had the long line brought 
up; he said " no." I then asked if I should have the word passed for 
some one to get it; he again said "no;" we would leave it; that to get it 
we would have to send the dingy back. I reminded him that it was on 
the same side as we were ; he said he knew it, but that it could not be 
got at without the dingy, as it was fast to torn pieces. Now, 1 was 
sure that this was not the case, and as one of my men, whom I knew to 
be very thoughtful, had passed the line, I still had hopes of seeing it, 
and accordingly later in the evening I found it in the dingy. Manson 
had gone back after dinner, and after the sleds had been advanced, and 
got the line, so we still have it, and it is like to prove very useful in 
many ways, either in lashing or for ferrying, some of it being walrus 
hide! Mr. Chipp is improving ; Mr. Danenhower cont. same. Alexae 
complains and does not eat, I believe, yet well ; to-day he says he feels 
better. 

Saturday, July dth, 1881, 8.15 a. m. — Chipp, condition same. Danen- 
hower, no change. Alexae doing well. Struck an old floe piece to-day, 
and think we have made 3 miles good, which means 21 traveled. Very 
much aggravated this a. m. by Mr. N. ; he will get himself hurt if he 
don't desist. I have been a mile beyond this camp working the road 
for to-morrow ; had some heavy picking. A large block that I was 
moving struck my right knee and caused intense pain for a time ; it 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 677 

was my lame knee, of course. My lung does not trouble me so muck 
now, but I feel some pain all the time from it. We have a W. NW. 
wind, and I hope it may give us some southing. 

Sunday, July 10, 1881, 8 a. m. — Chipp improving slowly ; does not gain 
strength very fast, tho' he has gained a good deal in the last 30 days. I 
do not consider him tit to do the duty to which he would be ordered. 
Mr. Danenhower's eye holds its own as well as I expected j it flashes up, 
but a little rest in the tent at night generally restores it. 

Monday, July 11, 1881, 7 p. m. — Ghipp did very well yesterday j improv- 
ing. Danenhower's condition the same. Was very tired this morning, 
and turned in in a good deal of pain from my chest. I have the poorest 
help I ever saw j miserable sled and boat; broken-down dogs -, one man 
who can't walk, and the other who cannot pick of any account, and 
some useless oars rigged in chisels. Both men slow, one from nature, 
the other because he does not intend to do anything, and pretends not 
to understand. 

Wednesday, July 13, 1881, 7.5 a. m. — Ohipp doing pretty well; got 
another can of tongue for him this (our) morning. Danenhower, no 
change. Had some rough leads to cross to-day ; could work hauling 
line, and one is sure to get wet. When the 2d cutter came on I was 
standing near, when she stopped, looking after my medical stores. My 
attention was attracted by Mr. Melville giving an order to Star to jHck 
up some covers for the soles of boots. Instead of obeying the order,Star 
said something about their (the covers) being in a sledging-bag. Mr.Mel- 
ville again ordered him to pick them up, saying that they were his. 
Star did not obey, but went on talking in rather a grumbling tone. I 
do not remember the words. The captain Avas standing near, who then 
ordered Star to pick up the covers. The man still continued to speak, 
and the captain repeated his order. He (Star) then started towards 
the covers, still talking, when the captain again repeated the order for 
him to stop talking and to do as he was bid. 

Thursday, July 14, 1881, 8.30 a. m. — Ohipp improving. Danenhower 
holding his own. Had some tough picking to-day, cutting causeways 
and making roads over hummocks, bridging leads, &c. Two men were 
overboard to-day. I do not work as much with the pick as I did. Day 
before yesterday I dismisst d Mr. Newcomb by the captain's order and 
got Johnston in his place, a very happy exchange for me in every re- 
spect. The best of the two remaining picks was lost on the same day. 
Mr. N. had a line fast on solid ice with the pick as an anchor, and he 
had properly secured it, but it was dragged overboard and the line by 
which it was tied on parted, and it disappeared, much to my regret. 
The general health of the party is good as could be expected under the 
circumstances. There is some complaint about the rations being short 
in some of the messes, but so far in- my tent everybody is satisfied. I 
think I have the best set of men in every respect — no grumbling, and 
no talkers. My side gives me less trouble now, but at night I And it 
pretty painful, and I have a good deal of trouble turning over. I drive 
the dingy on the tumble cart with a broken down lot of dogs, and I 
find it as disagreeable work as 1 ever did. The knot and tangles they 
can get in are surprising, and to pass the day at the end of a line thro' 
the bight of knot, is about as soul provoking and a cause for profound 
and deep swearing as a man could wish. I generally get every day 
and more or less of the skin taken off from some part of me, my hands 
are cut and skinned and corns on all the fingers, and besides they 
sometimes get the cramps and are powerless. 

Friday, July 15, 1881, 7.42 a, m.— Ohipp doing well. Danenhower 



678 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

cont. same. Seal shot this afternoon by Mr. Collins at our dinner 
camp. We ate him to-night for supper, made a stew, put a little beef 
tea and a little pemmicau with it, and some water; it tasted very well 
for a change. I ate a good allowance, but at the last did not fancy it 
as much as when I started. 

SQtIi day, Sat., July 16th. — Chipp doing well ; Danenhower no change. 
6 cans of pemmican lost overboard to-day by Erickson ; a little sense 

would have saved them ; not 15 feet away was a perfectly safe passage. 

2 
j^ came up and I pointed it out, a>nd said I thought the other sleds 

had better go that way; but '^ No, this was the way." In a few minutes 
the man sled came up to it, and one man was effectually landed over- 

2 
board ; no necessity for it at all. A little later ^^-^ himself got over- 

board up to his neck, for which visitation of Providence I was thor- 
oughly resigned. 

Sunday, July 17, 1881, 1 a.m. — Chipp returned to duty ; treatment will 
be cont. for the present. Danenhower con. same. Mr. Chipp relieves Mr. 
M. in charge of boats and sleds, and Mr. M. relieves me in road making. 
I fall back to my legitimate duty as medical officer, and do nothing 
special in any other way, but look out for serving alcohol. 8.40 a. m. : 
Short dutj^j the time long in passing; lounged along from one place to the 
other. Island much plainer, and open water visible. Chipp seemed to 
stand the work all right to day. (18th, really laud time,) is the little 
lady's birthday 5 she must be twenty-one to-day, if I remember cor- 
rectly; we had a pleasant time 3 years ago to-day ; I drank her health 
in the best I had, a tin cup of tea at supper. I have taken a rifle and 
will keep ahead hereafter, in hopes of a shot at a seal. I cannot stand 
around doing nothing when the people are at work, and although there 
is nothing for me to do now, unless I hitch on the drag-rope. I do not 
think the time has come yet, tho' I am ready for it at any time. 

Monday, July 18, 1881, 8 a. m. — Danenhower's eye remains in same 
condition. Have just turned in ; had a tramp of 5 h'rs this p. m. Started 
as soon as I had eaten dinner with Mr. Dunbar to proceed as far as 
possible towards the island and supposed open water to the west ; we 
went about four (4) miles. I think the water faded, and what at noon 
looked like open water close at hand looked at our furthest point like 
land a long way off, the ice extending to the horizon; and we had a 
good glass, and Mr. D. agreed that there was no water, altho' he had 
been positive when we started, and I also. 

Tuesday, July 19th, 1881, 8.30 a. m. — Have just stopped for supper 
at the furthest point reached by Mr. Dunbar and myself yesterday. It 
is various estimated from our camp of last night is from 3-5 miles. I 
think it more than three. The island is plainly visible to-day, and every 
one agrees we were right in our report of last night : the captain thinks 
he can see open water, but I am not sure of it ; he wishes to cross the 
lead to-night, so we will not camp here. It will be a rough passage, 
and I will be glad to see everything over safely; old rotten ice with 
pools of water on every side. I have been over, but had some lively 
jumping. 

Wednesday, July 20, 1881, 9 a. m. — Worked our passage until 3 a. m. 
of Tuesday ; very rough and hard work ; got to a large piece at last and 
camped until 1 a. m. to-day, then got through to this place on edge of 
solid ice. Foxie found drowned this a. m. Killed a walrus ; my first; 
Collins got the 1st shot into him as we were crossing the lead. I fol- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 679 

lowed him up, found him, and shot him five times ; every time in the 
skull ; the last bullet shot him through the spinal marrow where it' 
joins the brain, shattering the condyle. Mr. Danenhower very active; 
got a line through his flipper before he was dead. 

Thursday^ Jidy 21, 1881, 4.30 a. m. — Mr. Danenhower cond. same. 
Eat walrus stew lor supper and for br'kf'st; not bad; advanced about 
a mile this p. m. ; came to moving ice in extensive lead — cold, rain, and 
fog. Wind strong from northwest and loose ice moving quite rapidly. 
We have camped for the night. Mr. N. has got himself salted at last ; 
he richly deserves it. 

Friday, July 22, 9 a. m., 1881. — M^^. Danenhower, no change; mile 
and a half made to-day toward the island ; we drifted quite rapidly last 
night, 1 think ; fog lifted a little this morning and we could see it 
plainly ; since 12 p. m. have not been able to see it. 

Saturday, July 23, 1881, 8.30 a. m. — Mr. Danenhower cond. same; 
mile and half made good to-day; we have neared the island much; 
when the fog lifted, as we camped, we looked right on it ; black precip- 
itous cliffs of a dark, almost blue, color, with a table-land running back 
to a high whale-back covered with snow ; the island is deeply indented 
on this face ; quite a large, deep bay and several smaller ones ; water is 
20 fathoms where we are ; distance from the island variously estimated 
from 3 to 12 miles. 

Sunday, July 24, 1881, 7.30 a. m. — Danenhower's eye same. Made 
about two miles and half; island seems to recede as we approach; 
the last i mile over flying bridges ; very tedious ; Mr. Collins shot a 
seal and he was secured; too late for supper to-night, but we will eat 
him to-morrow. 

Monday, July 25tJi (3.30 j?. m.), later. — Danenhower continue same. It 
is now 24 h'rs since we commenced work this or rather yesterday night ; 
the island has again eluded us ; ice moving, breaking, opening, closing, 
heaving up and again depressed ; such work by men could never have 
been done before, and I hope may never be done again. Provisions, 
sleds with all our grub carried over breaking cakes of ice ; too light to 
float them ; the men going like the rush of a whirlwind, and in some 
cases actually jumping the sled several feet from block to block of roll- 
ing and sinking ice. I have seen something of men in trying times, 
but I have yet to see men who will equal these ; for 40 days we have 
been under way, with all kinds of what are considered by the world as 
hardships ; but not a murmur, and to-night, after 19 hours of work, 
many of the men having been overboard, they are cheerful and come 
up smiling. We have had damnable luck to-day. Mr. Dunbar and 
myself got within J of a mile of the shore ; saw excellent sledding the 
rest of the way ; went back to report; found the last lead all adrift and 
the devil to pay generally, and so it has been the whole 24 h'rs ; mist, 
rain, and fog coming down and shutting out every thing ; fog lifts and 
you have been cart-wheeled into some other position. I have myself 
done no work but moving on my feet and jumping from block to block, 
and if the other men's legs are as much done up in proportion as mine 
I am sorry for them. By the way I find my old boyhood's habit of tak- 
ing long jumps stands me in good stead these days. I find I can go 
where Mr. Dunbar does without the aid of a pick, and jump, too, with a 
Eemington rifle on my back and a weight of clothing that is rather 
unusual. 

Tuesday, July 25th, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower cond. same. On ice floe 
reached last night ; island impractible to day. Cold, fog, rain, and high 



680 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

. wind; we are spinning round and round, slowly drifting down the land; 
high precipitous cliffs ; glacier just off us. 

Wednesday, July 27, 1881, 12 m. — Mr. Danenhower cond. same ; still 
on floe piece; island not visible on account of fog, we are drifting 
before the wind in movable pack, as wind held in same quarter, blow- 
ing on the tent. 

Thursday, July 28, 1881, 9^. m. — Keached island this p. m. between 5 
and 6 o'clock; had to jump for it, as there was a lively motion on the 
pack; we bad souie very bad leads to cross; at one time we were all to- 
gether with all of our stuff on a small cake of ice ; when the fog lifted 
and showed the cliff, just above us apparently, we made a larger piece, 
then another, and then a lively work over many small pieces to the land 
ice; it was quick work, done successfully; two or three men overboard. 
After supper crew mustered, marched ashore, and the capt. took posses- 
sion of it ; named it Bennet Island and American soil. 

Saturday, July SOtJh 1881^ 5.30 j;. m. — Date changed today to proper 
time for eastern longitude. Mr. Danenhower c. s. Found good deal 
of trap rock; injected jjieces, tufa, &c. ; the cliff formed of igneous rock; 
strata of the fan almost horizontal between the strata of trap, and ex- 
tending at intervals, or rather between six definite strata of this face, 
is a looser mass of various thickness, made up of smaller pieces of rather 
a feldspathic look; numerous pieces of lava found, and trap with silica 
stuck in like plum-pudding. The last is of various colors — some yellow- 
ish green, other pieces red. A peculiar white stone, presenting to me 
ver}^ much the appearance of gypsum, is found. Mr. Melville says it is 
cryolite, and Iver.son, who worked in the Greenland mines, also says so. 
I hardly think it is. I am inclined to think it carbolate of lime in some 
form. It effervesces when touched with No. 5. I found imbedded in a 
piece of trap a regular stalactitic formation. I also found an amethyst 
of a decided purple tinge, but not deep at all ; red and white clay, almost 
stone, but leaving a red mark when drawn on the surface of a dark 
rock ; easily cut. The so-called cryolite can be cut or scraped with a 
knife. A piece of petrified wood was also found by Johnson, who found 
likewise an antler of a reindeer high up on the mountain ; various mosses 
with red and white flower, scurfy grass, two species of grass, and a yel- 
low flower with peculiar ovary found. Coal has been found in large 
quantities in side of cliff* below here. Nine dozen birds killed, and drift- 
wood found to cook at least two meals ; birds killed with stones. There 
are rookeries in the cliffs above us ; a continuous noise going on ever 
since we have been here. I found two nests in the rock and had my 
hand on a bird, but he got out of another hole and escaped. Found my 
bottle of turpentine broken and all the turpentine wasted. On Wednes- 
day, 27th, one bottle of brandy was also broken and the entire contents 
lost. 

Sunday, July 31, 1881, 8 p. m. — Mr. Danenhower c. s. No sun since 
we have been here ; fog nearly all the time ; occasional rain. Bird-stew ; 
old birds tough ; young, tender. Coal burns fairly well. The cliff's would 
be no end of richness to a geologist. I found some very peculiar stone. 
Broke down about J ton of trap rock; found it studded with chrystals, 
white and red quartz, with some j^ellow topaz, I think. In the seams, 
where the cliff' has separated in places, I worked out sheets of lime J 
inch thick. Breaking into the mass of trap, white, red, and yellow quartz, 
sometimes in perfect chrystals, and groups of sau)e, are found ; they can 
be easily enucleated, leaving a smooth mould. The white stone speci- 
men of yesterday is j)robably a carbonate of lime. The masses of chrys- 
tals enucleate generally very easily, due probably to frost. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 681 

August 1, ISSl, 1 p. 7)1.— Mr. Danenliower doing well. I had very 
severe diarrlicea last night and this morning ; good deal of pain ; took 
some opium tr. and brandy. Found in the cliffs to-day some white and 
yellow chrystals stuck in basalt ; stone very soft ; breaks down easily, 
leaving sand between fingers; in some places around the chrystals saw 
a fine grained, bright red clay ; not much of it. I found also in some 
of the lower trap in the country, between masses of small yellow and 
white chrystals, some very fine, beautiful, glassy speculae; they are, I 
think, a silicate of lime; looked at by a glass they showed jjerfectly 
clear and transparent ; they had some elasticity and would hend from 
line when gently touched. 

August 3, 1881, 8 p. m. — Have been very sick and in my bag for last 
twenty-four hoars ; yesterday had a very painful day. Mr. Danenhower 
doing well. Mr. Ohipp returned this a. m. 

August 4, 1881, 8 p. m. — Mr. Danenhower's eye little inflamed. Stop- 
ped Mr. Ghipp's whisky to-day. I am all right again. No start made 
to-day on account of had weather. 

August 5, 1881, 9 p, m. — Mr. Dauehower's cond. same. Shot 10 of dogs 
to-day. I am billited in 1st cutter, a change from the whale-boat. 
Weather continues bad. 

Saturday, August 6, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye inflamed; removed 
an eye-lash from lower lid, which had caused the trouble. Left the 
island in boats this a. m. ; made rather more than two miles over the 
water to large floe piece. Boats made two trips each ; dinner at 3 p. m. 
Afternoon sled drawn across the floe and boats carried around in a lead. 
Helped to work 1st cutter. Young ice making in hard to-night; bad 
show for us. 

Sunday, August 7, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's cond. same. Boating 
again ; my tent broken up and men sent to mess with their boats. 1 
am in the captain's tent. Had a good lead this morning, probably 
more than three miles ; boating and sledding we have made at least 
four. 

Monday, August 8, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye inflamed to-day. 
Had bad day of it; loading boats; crossing leads; hauling out loaded 
sleds ; carrying over ice ; sometimes portaging; wet work and not much 
made. My boots gave out at dinner-time and 1 had to take a pair I had 
laid up in ordinary in my knapsack ; feet are wet all the time and the 
comforts of my own tent is missed. 

Tuesday, August 9, 1881, 10 p. m. — Mr. Danenhower's eye not so 
much inflamed. Treat, cont. Made at least 8 miles to-day ; struck a 
rich lead, and had comparatively an easy time, only a little cold and wet; 
only two dogs left ; the rest lost except Prince and Pill Garlic shot. 

Wednesday, August 10, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye still congested 
this a. m., but not so much. Wilson had a cramp in stomach. Made 
about 12 miles to-day to SW. Ice much stacked ; only hauled out once ; 
promises well for open water. Snow storm ; cramped in boats ; wet and 
toes very cold ; however, one gets used to it and it is not so bad as one 
would have thought. Will go on after supper. 

Thursday, August 11, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye not so much con- 
gested. Made 17 miles yesterday and 20 to-day ; at 10 p. m. find leads 
all the morning; a little devious this p. m. 

Friday, August 12, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye clearing up. Fell 
overboard while trusting to his own sight to find a road. Bad leads to- 
day. Small distance made. 

Saturday, August 13, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eyes a little congested, 
he thinks he can see better and that his sight is improving, but I am 



682 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

not sure of it. Made about 4 miles this a. m. aud hauled up ; working 
a packed lead ; sun came out and we dried clothing 5 worked to-night 
about a mile to the westward ; wind increasing and may help us. 

Sunday J August 14, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower, congestion of lower lid, 
flared up ; the eye so far has done very well 5 we have had little or no 
sun, and it has not been exposed to light to any great extent. He is 
very anxious to go to duty, and from his very peculiar mind he has, I 
think, gotten the idea in his head that he is being unjustly treated. It 
is true that he is able to get along quite well, and thus he has not hrolcen 
down ; before we started he thought his chances were nil, though I had 
toldhim I though the would pull through all right, and was always anxious 
for me to take the eye out. Il^Tow that it has turned out as I predicted, 
he takes the other tack, considers himself a sound man, and has given 
any amount of annoyance in his repeated attempts to get himself placed 
on duty. I do not consider any man whom I know to be liable to break 
down at any time that his eye is exposed to a strong light is a fit man 
to be put in charge of a boat and party of men, under any circumstances, 
and that it would be wholly unwarrantable in our condition. This I 
believe he has so far failed to see, and has, I have no doubt, a fixed idea 
that there is a combination to keep him out of what he conceives to be 
his right. I am led to this conclusion by my knowledge of the man 
after 2 year's experience, and after having had frequent opportunities of 
witnessing the idiosyncrasies of his mind in matters connected with 
himself. Did not make much headway to-day 5 leads jammed and 
connected with young ice. 

Monday^ August 15, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye looks quite well this 
p. m. ; treat, continued. Had hard time this forenoon, hauled over an 
old icefloe more than a mile to make a J, then got into a lead full of 
young ice and snow, extremely tough; stopped for dinner; the sun came 
out and we have found river, open leads ; our course has been very de- 
vious, but I think we have made five miles southing. Mr. Danenhower 
shot a seal at dinner-time and we will eat him now for supper, cooked 
by and in his own blubber. I got a fall to-day, but caught myself be- 
fore I got more than one leg in. 

Tuesday, August 16, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's condition same. Bad 
day to-day, very little made, hard work, packed lead, and a snow storm; 
hauled out at 4 p. m., and will camp down ice further to-night. A north- 
wester would help us, but the fates seem to be against UvS. 

Wednesday, August 17, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's cond. same, removed 
lash from eye. fcStruck good leads to-day and made some progress, 
probably ten miles. Plenty of seal and several lijjuk seen ; 31 shots fired 
but nothing obtained, tho' several hit. 

Thursday, August 18, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye a good deal in- 
flamed to-night; had a cold tramp during most of the afternoon which 
probably caused it. Had bad luck with the leads this a. m., worked 
to the NW., and had to haul up at 10 a. m., got dinner by 12 m. — had 
a seal — then got through into open water and had a lively wind from 
the NW. that we had to run into for awhile, but made about 6 miles 
on our course to the SW. for the day's work, and have hauled out for 
the night; the wind still continues and the ice is now quite fast. The 
sleds are a great nuisance towing astern, hold us back and interfere 
with the steering, will dismast the Walrus to-night. 

Friday, August 19, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye doing better to-day 
Struck it fat to-day; rich leads and running right; the 2d cutter met 
with an accident — stove a hole in her bow, and delayed us for three h'rs. 
We have made about 16 miles southing, and have probably struck the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 683 

open pack. Erickson excused from duty to-day.; very uncomfortable 
from a bad cold; cbilly and shivering the whole time; gave brandy dur- 
ing the day, and a Dover's powder to-night. 

Saturday, August 20, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye doing quite well 
to-day. Island of E^ew Siberia lying to southwest of us, about 12 miles 
off. Long, by assumed latitude put us 148° 50' E,, drifting to the west- 
ward. Erickson and Dressier both under the weather with colds ; faces 
swollen; they are rather better to-night. Bread given out to-day. 
l^tb of pemmican per diem. 

Sunday, August 21, 1881, 8 a. m. — Mr. Danenhower's eyelid red and 
congested; vessels showing in the sclerotic. I had to report him this 
morning to the cajitain for causing unnecessary delay, and using disre- 
vSpectful and unbecoming language to me as a medical officer in the pres- 
ence of an enlisted man. Mr. D. has made some difficulty about com- 
ing to the tent; does not like to, in fact, and I have tried to make it as 
disagreeable to him little as possible, until recently going to him, until 
one occasion, about 3 days ago, I went to him, and he made objection 
to my examining his ej^e at the time, saying that he was busy. Since 
then the hour of sick call was changed at my request, and I have made a 
point of waiting for him at the tent. This morning he was out, and I 
saw him standing around; he also saw me, I think (I had told him I 
would always be readj^ to see him as soon as I was dressed, and as soon 
thereafter as he might be so). After some time he spoke, remarking 
there was a good lea where he was. I told him there was an excellent 
one in the tent; he came in, and remarked that his breakfast was wait- 
ing for him; I then said I had also been waiting some time for him, and 
reminded him that yesterday, after I had notified him that I was ready, 
I had to wait some time, and when he did come he said that he was 
busy at the time tying up something (his bag, probably), and had waited 
until he finished (he had made no answer to the message I had sent him 
by the steward). He then said that hedid not wish his eye to be ex- 
amined, and had asked to be taken off the list 6 weeks ago. I told him 
that he was not fit to be taken off the list (meaning that his eye was not 
in a fit condition for him to do duty). He remarked, with some asper- 
ity, that he was fit to do duty; thus flatly contradicting me, and imply- 
ing that I was keeping him on the list improperly. His manner at the 
time, and during the whole conversation, was exasperated in tone, and, 
underthe circumstances, being in presence of others, I considered dis- 
respectful and unbecoming. Erickson and Dressier are improving. Mr. 
Kewcomb has taken a cold, and this morning is very uncomfortable and 
feverish. 

Monday, August 22, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye doing quite well ; 
secretes mucus rather freely from the lids. Dressier and Ericksen re- 
turned to duty this a. m. Mr. Kewcomb has not been out to-day but 
is very much better. 

Tuesday, August 23, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower doing tolerably well; 
pinkish under lower part of cornea. Mr. Newcomb well; still in camp ; 
no water; ice jammed by wind on the island. 

Wednesday, August 25, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye and lid inflamed 
rather more than usual, tho' there is no pain or uneasy feeling. Treat, 
cont'd. Still in camp, ice jammed on us. D. loquitus to M. — his policy 
was not to make war on any one unless he was attacked, but that he 
had some "■ political influence;" and, if necessary, would rake over some- 
thing or other; probably his idea of a defense of himself. Seal, bkfst. 
and supper. 

Thursday, August 25, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye looked quite well 



684 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

this a. m.; to-niglit it is flushed up again. Still ou the floe; ice tighter 
than hell all day ; opening a little to-night, but I believe will jam in again 
unless we have a wind. 

Friday, August 2G, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's ej^e less congested to- 
night; i. t. c. Ice still jammed on us; wind light, drifting to SE. 

Saturday, August 27, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye doing quite well 
to-day. Still no opening ; have been without sugar for two days, and 
have had my last smoke to-night. 

Sunday, August 28, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's eye a little inflamed 
to-day. Fresh fall of snow. Wilson excused from duty to-day, pemmi- 
can gives him the belly-ache had some diarrahcea. Land seen bearing 
E. by x^. this a. m., supposed to be water at first, but was land, beyond 
a doubt when I saw it; probably New Siberia, and the first we picked up 
Fadde Jeaskor. 

Monday, August 29, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower's whole eye muddy and 
congested. It has been quite cold in boat. Left the camp about 1 p. m. 
and have made about 10 miles southing; I think we are well through 
the gut between the two islands, having drifted last night rapidly. 

Tuesday, August 30th, 1881. — (Turn back.) Mr. Danenhower, left eye 
muddy and congested; noticed him using r. eye a good deal writing to- 
day, apparently. Landed on Thaddeus Island this evening ; took a walk ; 
fresh tracks of deers ; horns which I think recent are in the (! ). Track 
made since melting (!) found in summer water-courses. 

Wednesday, August 31, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye congested and 
muddy this morning. Eight eye also a little ; complained of some pain 
in shin bones. Left Fadde this a. m.; sailed around a cape, and are on 
our way for small island. All-night job; hope to reach it by morning, 
and may make Kotelor to-morrow night ; could not land on SW. end 
of Fadde ; water too shoal ; 16 inches 500 yards from shore. Saw winter 
huts, i&c. 

Sepfr 1, 1881, Thursday. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye same. For last 36 
h'rs under way ; up all last night; miserable time in the boat; struck 
the shoal, and pounded around for h'rs ; finally got away about 3 a. m., 
and again this morning fell in with it ; got the boat pretty full of water ; 
after we got under way made good running, i)robably more than five 
knots per hour, but very wet and cold, taking in water continuously; 
boat crowded ; temperature somewhere about 20° F. for the last two 
days ; to-night I am wet from my w^aist down ; all my underclothing 
and my top coat is frozen. I have been so stifl' from numb, cramps, and 
cold that at times except for my brain working I should not know of ray 
own existence. Last night was very trying on every one, and every- 
body is, probably, in as bad a condition as myself if not worse, but they 
all stand it without complaint. The 2d cutter is behind again. 

Friday, SepCr 2,1881. — Mr. Danenhower. Eight eye clearing; left 
eye still congested ; no pains in shins. Still on the floe piece of last 
night ; land sighted about 4 p. m. to-day; S. end of Koltenor, probably. 
We have been a]l turned in almost the whole day since b'kf'st; took 
dinner in bag, and went to sleep again. Ice pack around us again, 
and nothing seen of the 2d cutter up to this time; a signal flag 
hoisted about 5.6 p. m. Wind still continues, but is in puffs ; suow- 
stotm ; everything wet and everj^ one more or less uncomfortable. Be- 
fore leaving our camp on August 29th I divided the whisky and brandy 
between the boats; 2 qts. to the 2d cutter and whale-boat each; 3 qts. 
and some ounces I kept with myself in the 1st cutter. 

Saturday, Seyth' 3, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye looks rather better; 
treatment continued. 2d cutter came down the edge of the pack of the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 685 

north'ard of us; she had laid up a little before us on account of heavy 
weather she was making ; Ohipp and Kurhne came over to our camp about 
supper time; they hauled over floe this a. m. At 10 got into lead along 
the said spit, and had beautiful running all day. We are still jammed 
in the ice and the wind continues. 

Sunday, Sepfr 4, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye does quite well, still an 
angry look to the lower half. We moved over to the edge of the pack 
by Mr. Chipp and got under way by two p. m. Ran until between 5 
and 6, and made a sand spit on eastern side of Koltenor; not laid down 
on the chart. I got three seas plump into my lap, wetting me from 
the hips down ; very uncomfortable. In crossing the floe yesterday I 
noticed Mr. Danenhower especial!}^, and I did not think that he got over 
the ice as well as he supposes and had occasion to call Mr. Melville's 
attention to him. The water used to-night is from a pool in the sand- 
bank and is salty from surf breaking, but not any more so than the 
snow we have been using lately; this a. m. I recommended that the 
snow freshly fallen duriug the night should be used. Our '-''executive'''' 
imagined probably that he was the only man of sufficient acumen to 
discover it, I sui)pose, for he felt it necessary to inform the capt. of the 
fact and to recommend the use of snow. 

SepVr 5th, 1881, Monday. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye remains quiet. Mr. 
Chipp and myself took a walk of five miles or so over the spit and 
around the beach to the main land ; found entrance of river; came back 
about 4J p. m. Found Lee in front of the tent, and from his manner 
and utterance was convinced that he had been at the alcohol or medical 
stores; he was a little more unsteady on his legs than usual. 

SepPrQ, 1881, Tuesday. — Mr. Danenhower. Eyeiuflamed,c.t. Started 
walking till 10 p. m. ; disgusted. Mr. Dunbar to-day had to be excused 
from all heavy work; he had an attack of giddiness, want of breath and 
felt great weakness; he has, I find, had one fainting si)ell once before; 
his appetite is fair, but he cannot eat his whole ration of pemmican ; he 
has some heart trouble, and has had some uneasiness from it on the ship; 
palpitation. 

Sepfr 8tJi, 1881, Thursday. — Mr. Danenhower. Have not seen his eye 
since yesterday; to-day, 12.1 p. m., pressed in with a bandage the corner; 
says that it feels all right. Left Koltenor, s. end 9 a. m. ; ran all night; 
boat very wet and quite a heavy sea for the boats. We all become 
thoroughly wet; took in water everywhere, bow, beam, stern. I was as 
usual in a particularly favored spot, sea after sea taking me from the 
shoulders down. I am now wet and cold and have been so for 12 hr's, 
and will be so until we reach the Lena. 

Sepfr 9, Friday, 5 a. m. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye last night congested, 
but not so much as the day before. He thinks that he can see better 
than before, and I think it is probable, as the cornea is clearing up rather 
nice. I shall only examine his eye once a day hereafter. No iodide, 
and very little ammonia left. We hauled up on a small cake of ice at 
4 p. m. yesterday and camped. Most every member nearly done up. 
I think that 1 really am, tho' without being very sick, at any rate. 

Saturday, 10th Sepfr. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye yesterday same. Mr. 
Dunbar still continues to feel weak and has attacks of faintness. I have 
supplied him with a phial of brandy ; directed him to ask Mr. Ohipp for 
more when that is gone from the bottle given his boat. P. m., Mr. 
Danenhower's eye was a good deal inflamed to day. Landed on Semin- 
isky for dinner ; party walked down towards the end of island and 
found two reindeer ; shot the doe. We came into a bay on the west 



686 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

side of the island and camped ; cut up the doe and had a meal at once, 
although we had just finished dinner about 2 miles above, it was excel- 
lent. I went up the island after the lunch to our dinner camp, but did 
not see the fawn 5 he had evidently gone up to the other end of the 
island. The island is a mere strip of earth varying in places from an 
hundred feet high to the level of high water. When it has been breached 
by the sea in places the breadth runs from a very narrow strip wide 
enough for a roadway to at least a ^ of a mile. It will probably dis- 
appear in course of a few years and be only a chain of islets. I found 
the portion of the tooth of a mastodon in one of the tumuli and a tusk 
was also found. Ptarmigan in small flocks. 

Sunday, Sepfr 11, 1881. — Mr. Danenhower. Eye looks rather clear 
today, but still congested. 

Ostrotva, Sepfr 18th, Sunday, 1881. — Left Seminisky on Monday morn- 
ing last ; had good wind, and by 6 o'clock had probably 40 miles on our 
course. Wind increased to a gale shortly after and the whale-boat passed 
us on our port side, then apparently making tolerably good weather, 
keeping ahead of the seas ; the 2d cutter on our port quarter doing as 
well as ourselves. We were double reefed at the time and commenced to 
take in seas over our stern and quarters, two right after each other, nearly 
swamping the boat. We got her partially bailed out before she caught 
another 5 part of our reef was shaken out, attempting to run ahead ; it 
did no good J seas caught us all the timej blowing a gale; whale-boat out 
of sight on port bow ; 2d cutter lost astern ; this about 8 p. m.; from that 
time gale increased; carried away oar mast at the foot, and we became a 
wreck; taking in water ; wallowing in the trough of the sea the whole 
night, next day, and until eveningof Tuesday ; sail and mast secured and 
sea anchor made of sail and alcohol breaker; did no good ; boat would not 
steer, and we lay in trough of sea, taking water ; baling very lively all 
the time; sail and boat-cover were bagged aod both lost. Mast and 
oars with pick-axe were then used and did a little better ; at night wind 
went down and we rigged jury-sail. God knows where we went during 
the night. There was no sleep for 3G h'rs ; 2d night baling continually. 
On Wednesday it was calm and we drifted along. Sometime in the 
afternoon of W^ednesday the capt. complained of dold feet and hands, 
and had a nervous chuckle in his throat. I gave him 2 drinks of brandy 
during the p. m. ; he got into his bag and staid there until we got with- 
in half a mile of the shore. On Saturday evening, the 17th, his feet were 
a little swollen and his hands quite sore. The cold at times was intense, 
and we had a hard time of it generally with the wet and snow. On 
Friday morning we found ourselves in 6 ft. of water, and young ice near 
at hand ; shortly after we made land to the southward and tried to get 
to it ; boat grounded a couple of miles oil' in foot and half of water. On 
Saturday we pulled in as close as possible ; the men all, with exception 
of the capt., myself, Ericksen, and Boyd, got out of the boat and tried to 
pull her in ; by wading ashore several times they lightened her so as to 
get her in, when we all came ashore wading and conveying all we could. 
Ericksen, Sam, and Boyd are suffering a good deal. Ericksen's feet 
swollen and blistered, cedematous, and toes blue, legs swollen and hard; 
Sam's not so bad. 

Sepfr. 19, 1881, Monday. — Ericksen's legs and feet are improving ; 
under surface of left foot blistered ; opened it and let out watery serum, 
bloody ; renewed dressing of vaseline, cotton batting, and bandage. 
Boyd improving. Sam improving ; one foot still painful. 

Tuesday, 20th SepVr,, 1881. — Ericksen, Boyd, and Sam are in about the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 687 

same condition this morning, not improved by the short walk of yester- 
day p. m., when we made a start. We have been under way this a. 
m. for an hour. Ericksen and Boyd are making slow progress and are 
suffering a good deal of pain. Our outlook at this rate is a poor one. 
We must move on and get to the river. 5 p. m. In camp on river. 
Had hard time getting Ericksen along, he laid down on the road side 
and asked to be left, that he could not go on ; this was in 200 y'ds of 
dinner camp. Capt. and I went back and got him up and brought him 
up to the rest of the party. Whilst we were gone a herd of deer were 
seen and Mndemann and Alexae went in pursuit; we waited their re- 
turn 5 they had followed them to this point. We then got under way, 
capt. and I bringing up the rear with Ericksen ; the latter did pretty 
well 'j made an effort and made the mile to this place better than I ex- 
pected. Mndemann, Collins, and Alexae are out hunting. God grant 
that they may kill a deer -, we are sadly in need, tho' not yet in abso- 
lute want. 

Thursday, SepVr 22^, 1881, Indian Lodge. — We made about 4 miles 
yesterday and have come to the river, as expected ; found two huts in 
tolerable repair. Capt. determined to halt, and on consulting, 1 found 
he had determined to remain here and send two men ahead to get 
through if they could, and get assistance if possible. Mndemann was 
to go with me. I thought it the only chance and was willing to try 
it. I had compunction about leaving, as I thought the chances of sur- 
viving the winter here was as good as making a hundred miles over un- 
known country without sufficient food for the journey, or shelter at this 
season of the year. I think there was a chance and thought it should 
be done if possible. Last night Alexae, who had gone out in the p. m., 
came back and brought the haunch of a deer ; he had shot two, thank 
God. We had turned in for the night after our frugal , but it did 
not take us long to start afire and fry -pan. We ate heartily and slept 
tolerably well afterwards. To-day Ericksen's legs are in a better con- 
dition, he has feeling in his toes and the swelling has gone out of his 
legs to some extent ; no more bullse form ; the feet look red, except the 
toes, which are still purplish white ; he will probably lose the skin from 
the front of both feet, but a rest here of a couple of days may improve 
him so we can work the whole party out of the delta, where the chances 
of living through will be better. Boyd is doing well, and I hope will 
be all right. Sam has improved, but just now is in pain. 

Friday, Sepfr 23, 1881. — Ericksen has improved; he has less pain, 
the swelling and hardness have diminished, the leg is still a little baggy 
above the ankle (both), sensation is restored to the feet under the old 
dead skin ; skin from forward part under surface both feet ; loose and 
serum beneath, that drains away on upper surface; skin dead back to 
metatous phalangal joint. Punctured upper surface and let out bloody 
serum ; toes feel warmer and more natural, he is more cheerful, and tho' 
ordinarily a man in his condition should lay up, yet if he can move, our 
circumstances are such that we must go on and. he with us. Boyd's 
feet are very much improved and I think that he can keep up. Sam 
also. The rest of the party have more or less of aches and pains, but 
that is to be expected. 

Saturday, Sepfr 24, 1881. — All of the sick are improved; we start to 
the south at once. 

Sunday, Sepfr 25, 1881. — Sick doing as well as could be expected. 
Kept up well yesterday. Ericksen improving. Made only about 5 miles 
yesterday, as more than J of the day was lost in an attempt to construct 



688 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

a raft, tbat I did not tbiuk would carry tlie party if it could have been 
properly made. I broke through the ice just in crossiog a creek, and 
got wet up to my thighs; froze as soon as came out of water. Camp 
made late, and a miserable night passed by all hands. 

Monday, Sepfr 2G, 1881. — Made 12 miles yesterday, about ; hard work ; 
very hard ; had a Godsend in the way of a hut at night; held us all 
quite handy. Cur meat gone; short dinner yesterday ; short supper 
and b'kf'st of pemmican to day. Pemmican will eke out until to-mor- 
row noon. Sick, except Ericksen, are nearly well ; found the skin gone 
from pulmar surface of right foot, inner side, about size of silver $ ; he 
walked better and feels no pain ; the ulcer looks healthy ; the feet and 
legs generally have improved. This a. m. examined foot; find muscu- 
lar sheath exposed, and parts running serum quite freely ; there is no 
bad smell, and the sore looks healthy and gives no pain when he stands 
upon it. I have dressed it with carbolized muslin, applied lint and cot- 
ton batting and a bandage. I think he can move to-day better than 
he will be able to later. We are on a promontory, and God knows 
w4i ether the raft about to be built will carry us, or whether we have a 
long march around ahead of us. 

Tuesday, Sejyfr 27, 1881. — Crossed on the raft yesterday; answered 
the purpose quite well, but it took us until 3.30 p. m. ; we made 3-4 
miles up the river. Camped on the bank and slept by a fire. Erick- 
sen's feet look very bad ; they have sloughed more than I thought, and 
are certainly in poor condition ; but we must move on, as every mile 
brings us nearer striking distance of a settlement. We cannot att'ord 
to carry him, as all the men are loaded to their full strength ; as long 
as he can walk he will have to do so. We have but one ration of pem- 
mican left, between J-^ of a pound, and we have been living on that 
for a day and a half. Temj). 22 F. 10 a. m. ; as were about to start deer 
were seen, and Nindemann and Alexae started. Alex, killed a deer 
(buck), thank God. 

Wednesday^ Sepfr 28, 1881, 3.30 p. m. — The buck was a God-send ; a 
large fellow, and gave us a grand feed and about 90 lbs. to carry. We 
made about 4 miles, and slept on the bank of the river again by a fire. 
Had a bad time of it myself; the half- raw meat disagreed with me. 
Ericksen-s foot is very bad ; the skin has sloughed extensively from 
plantar surface under metatarsal bones, and also some of the muscular 
tissues of right foot. I am afraid that the same thing will occur on left 
foot. We are obliged to move on, and so far he has been able to keep 
up, but God knows how long this will continue, and the man nnist 
finally break down. If we can find a settlement soon I am in hopes of 
saving his feet, but if not, his feet, and possibly his life, and that of 
the whole party, may be sacrificed, for no man will be left alone. Boyd 
and Sam are nearly as well as the rest of us. All of us are more or less 
used up. Iverson has chilblain on his toes that are very painful, and 
I do not think any of us have our strength. It was very heavy walk- 
ing yesterday and today. We have come to, at an old hut on promon- 
tory, which we have repaired, and will spend the rest of the day and 
night ; the branch of river making to the east'd is very large, and the 
capt. thinks that we have come to the main river, where it breaks up. I 
hope it is so, and that we may find some means of crossing. Yesterday 
we found the track of a man on the beach, and this a. m. two were seen. 
God grant that our smoke or fire may be seen by some party who can 
give us assistance. 

Thursday, Septr. 29, 1881.— Still in old hut, living on deer, IJ lbs. per 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 689 

diem; Sam and Boyd off the list. Erickson is in a bad way, both feet 
sloughing badly, exposing tendons and muscles ; he has complained of 
stiffness in his jaw and loss of power in right side. I keep him free from 
pain at night and give him sleep; dress feet with lint and carbolic acid; 
the result will probably be death from lock-jaw. Alexae killed a gull 
and we are trying to catch fish. 

Friday, Septr. 30, 1881. — Eemoved four toes from right foot and one 
from left foot, passing near the tarso-metatarsal joint. 

(From this point the wiitiug is almost entirely obliterated.) 

Tuesday, Octr. 4, 1881. — Had a terrible night on the river bank with- 
out shelter ; our food all gone except the dog killed ; we ate his viscera- 
and blood as a soup ; we have two meals left. We made a hut this 
morning and got Erickson — (From this point the writing is obliterated.) 

Thursday, Octr. 6, 1881. — Erickson died at 2.45 a. m. Peace to his 
soul. 

Friday, Octr. 7, 1881. — (Two lines obliterated) — for dinner, with water 
boiled in tea leaves. We have struck the main river, I think ; the mount- 
ains are visible. We stopped here, 3 p. m., to build a fire, several of 
our people having fallen in the river attempting to cross. Alexae is out 
hunting ; God in his mercy grant that he may succeed in getting some 
game. Later — he shot one grouse. 

Sunday, 9th Octr., 1881.— Yesterday without food, except the alcohol; 
the capt. spoke of giving the men option to day of making their way as 
best they could ; that he could not keep up ; this occurred in the morn- 
ing when we had made two miles that we had to retrace. I told him 
if he gave up I took command, and that no one should leave him as long 
as I was alive. I then suggested that we send two men ahead to try and 
make the settlement, and that we make the best of our way with the 
rest of our party. This was done ; Mndemann and Noros are ahead ; 
God give them aid and we are getting along. The captain gave me the 
option of going ahead myself, but I thought my duty required me with 
him and the main body for the present. Lee is about broken down. 
Alexae has shot 3 grouse by God's aid, and we will have something to 
eat. 

Wednesday, Octr. 12, 1881. — We have been without food since Sunday 
except one oz. of alcohol ; 3i. of glycerine yesterday and to-day ; we have 
made no progress since Monday up to 3 o'clock ; wind and snow against 
us ; we have been lying in hollow in the river bank. 

October ISth, 1881. — Alexae died last night of exhaustion from hunger 
and exposure. 

On the Lena, Thursday, Octr. 20, 1881. 
To Edward Ambler, Esq., 

MarJcham P. 0., Fauquier Co., Ya. : 
My Dear Brother : I write these lines in the faint hope that by 
God's merciful providence they may reach you all at home. I have my- 
self now very little hope of surviving. We have been without food for 
very nearly 2 weeks, with the exception of 4 ptarmigans amongst 11 of 
us. We are growing weaker, and for more than a week have had no 
food. We can barely manage to get wood enough now to keep warm, 
and in a day or two that will be passed. I write to you all, my mother, 
sister, brother Gary and his wife, and family, to assure you of the deep 
love 1 now and have always borne you. If it had been God's will for 
me to have seen you all again I had hoped to have enjoyed the peace of 
home-living once more. My mother knows how my heart has been 
44 J q* 



690 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

bound to her's since my earliest years. God bless her on earth and 
prolong her life in peace and comfort. May His blessing rest upon you 
all. As for myself I am resigned, and bow my head in submission to 
the Divine will. My love to my sister and brother Gary ; God's bless- 
ing on them and you. To all my friends and relatives a long farewell. 
Let the Howards know I thought of them to the last, and let Mrs. 
Pegram also know that she and her nieces were continually^ in my 
thought. 

God in His infinite mercy grant that these lines may reach you. I 
write them in full faith and confidence in help of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

Your loving brother, 

J. M. AMBLER. 

Diet while on the ice» 

BREAKFAST. 

4 oz. pemmican 24 oz. 

1" ham.... 6" 

Mb. bread 1 " 

2oz. coffee 12" 

g " sugar 4 " 

DINNER. 

8 oz. pemmican 3 lbs. 

1 " Liebig's ext 6 oz. 

J" tea 3 oz. 

I" sugar 4 oz. 

^ lb. bread . - 1 lb. 

SUPPER. 

4 oz. pemmican 24 oz. 

1 " tongue 8 '^ 

^ " tea 3 " 

I " sugar 4 " 

1. lb. bread 1 lb. 

FIRST cutter's CREW — LANDED ON THE LENA DELTA. 

Geo. W. Be Long U. S. N., lieut. 

J. M. Ambler U. S. K., p. a. surgeon. 

J. J. Collins reporter. 

Nindemann seaman. 

Dressier seaman. 

A Ericksen , seaman. 

Boyd 2d c. fireman. 

Iverson coal heaver. 

Lee machinest. 

Goortz seaman. 

Kaack - - seaman. 

Noros seaman. 

Ah Sam cook. 

B. D. Alexae Indian hunter, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



691 



Scale 1)6 size of original 




Stucco layers are chiefly 
of coarse sand stone with 
noduldes of white and red 
silica and yellow and 
White lime. 



(On the back fly-leaf:) Zevc; dGorrjp xai viurf. Ship lost 12th June, 
770 15^ N., 1550 E. Bennett Island, 76° 38' K, 150^ 30' E. 



692 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I offer also some testimonials to Mr. Gollius, consisting of letters and 
other i^apers which Judge Arnoux has examined. I offer them with this 
view : To show the estimation in which Mr. Collins was held as a scien- 
tific man by various learned scientific associations not only in France but 
in other countries. Of course I am very well aware that if we were strictly 
in a court of law these testimonials might not be competent as proof, but 
in the light of the fact that the committee are endeavoring to get all the 
truth in regard to this expedition and the men who composed it, and in 
the light of the fact that this record will be printed for the inspection 
of Congress and of the people, it seems eminently proper that they 
should form a part of it in justice to Mr. Collins. I shall not object to 
any evidence of like character being offered by Judge Arnoux in refer- 
ence to any other member of the expedition. So far as the mere expense 
of printing is concerned, I presume they will not cover more than half 
a dozen printed pages ; but it is strongly the desire of Mr. Collins's 
friends that, as there have been some intimations as to his capacity in 
the proof that has been presented here, that his real standing as a 
scientific man be known to the committee and the world, and it is with 
that view that I offer them. 

Mr. Arnoux. I think that there is no principle of law upon which 
these can be admitted. I know that this committee has not felt bound 
to observe strictly all rules of law, but when I offered a letter from a 
very respectable authority explaining a fact connected with this expe- 
dition it was objected to by the other side and excluded. It seems to 
me, in view of such a ruling as that, that it is my duty to oppose the 
admission of these letters. 

Mr. Curtis. In regard to the letter the gentleman speaks of it was 
offered for the purpose of establishing what was in concession, that is, 
the proposed route of the expedition. There was no doubt and there 
has been no doubt about the fact that Captain De Long had orders to 
go through Behring Strait, and it was upon the concession made by 
both sides at the time the letter was offered that the letter was ex- 
cluded. But I am perfectly willing to do this : Allow that letter which 
was excluded to go upon the record and let these testimonials go with 
it. I feel as though I had a sacred duty to perform to this dead man, 
and as his conduct on the expedition had been criticized to a very little 
extent, it is true, in the evidence, and as some intimations have been 
made by Lieutenant Danenhower and Mr. Melville as to his capacity 
as a scientific man, I deem it a sacred trust I have to discharge to offer 
these, at least, to take the ruling of the committee. I am perfectly 
well aware, as I said before, that in a court of law governed by strict 
rules of evidence these would not be admissible, but when we consider 
that this is an investigation ordered by the representatives of the people, 
in connection with a matter that is of great national interest certainly 
it is within the power of the committee to receive them, and it is only a 
matter of discretion. I am not putting it on any legal ground. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit, of course, to anything that the committee 
shall decide, or the chairman, who rei)resents the committee, but I sub- 
mit that the ruling which has been made was a great deal closer to any 
rule of law than that which I now ask should be made, for that was not 
covered by the concession. It is true that the expedition was to go 
through Behring Strait, but there it was shown the course they were to 
take after passing into the Behring Sea. Now the gentleman is willing 
that I should put them in. Of course, if you should rule that these are 
admissible, I shall claim that as a fair right on my part and not as a 
concession from him. If you rule, as chairman of this committee, that 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 693 

these letters are admissible, it must be witli tlie distinct understanding 
that you admit that the former ruling was not one to which you intend 
to adhere at this or any future time. 

The Chairman. I have been satisfied with the ruling in the first place 
and I think it covers this case. The question now is as to introducing 
sayings or writings of commendations of Mr. Collins, and there may be 
difterence of degrees of that, and this may be considered evidence of 
the very highest degree as coming from associations. But nevertheless 
while they may differ in degree they are all of the same character. 
Everything that may have been said in commendation of Mr. Collins's 
scientific nttaiuments by any person would be entitled to go in just as 
well as this, and I do not see that, although these are scientific associ- 
ations, men who have probably rendered their name celebrated through- 
out the world as scieutists, I think it would be an infraction of the rules 
of evidence to introduce these papers. I must decline to accede to the 
motion of the counsel. 

Mr. Curtis. I have no doubt the ruling is correct as matter of law, 
and I have no doubt it is in entire harmony with the views you have 
expressed on similar matters that have arisen during the investigation, 
but I felt it my duty to make this offer. 

Mr. Arnoux. I shall do this, then, on reflection : I shall withdraw any 
objection and let the committee act on these letters as the committee 
feel should be right. 1 have not come here with the desire, nor do those 
whom I represent desire, that anything that would tend to show exalted 
character, scientific attainments, or proficiency in any department of 
science, should be denied to Mr. Collins. We have no such purpose. 
The only question that we have come to consider is what Mr. Collins 
did upon the expedition in his relation to theof&cers, and what was the 
conduct of the officers on the expedition as we understand this investi- 
tion is made. If therefore it is any gratification to Mr. Collins or to his 
friends to have these things put in, if the committee feel that they are 
admissible, I shall withdraw any objection. 1 yesterday put in evidence 
the map which he had drawn of this circum-polar region, and I doubt if 
anything that they can put in will show more capacity or knowledge 
than that map shows, and having it, I have produced it, for I have no 
attack to make upon Mr. Collins individually. 

Mr. Curtis. And I can say in the same spirit we have no attack to 
make individually upon any member connected with this expedition. 
We have come here simply to get at the truth, and it has been foreign 
to our thoughts from the beginning to do anything but get at the truth. 

The Chairman. Well, I feel constrained to make the ruling which I 
have made, and now it is left to the sense of the committee to allow it 
to go in as a matter, I suppose, of courtesy. I will submit the question 
to the other members of the committee, the objection being witlVlrawn, 
and take the view of the entire committee on it. As a matter of course 
I have no desire or purpose to exclude those papers at all, individually. 

Mr. Curtis. Now there is another matter, if the committee please, 
and that is the journal of Lieutenant Danenhower. I understand that 
Judge Arnoux desires to keep the journal in his possession for the pur- 
pose of examination between now and the adjourned day. Certainly 
we have no objection to that but I would like, at the adjourned day, 
that he permit us to have it for a day or so, so that if there is anything 
in the journal we desire to offer we can do so. It is not our purpose to 
offer it in its entirety, but I am informed there are some portions of it — 
we have not been able to see it yet — that we will desire to offer. 

Mr. Arnoux. I have no doubt but you shall have it just the same as 



694 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

you have had all the others. You have had the others right straight 
through at the time you asked for them. 

Mr. Curtis. Theo it is understood that we shall have the opportunity 
of examining the journal at the adjourned day. There are three log- 
books on file at the Navy Department together with Mr. Jerome Col- 
linses scientific records that we would like to have produced at the next 
meeting. 

Mr. Arnoux. I offer in evidence the record of the officers of the ex- 
pedition. 

The Chairman. On these papers there are two questions. On one 
there can be no controversy at all, whatever, and that is as to these be- 
ing admissible in the shape in which they stand provided they are rel- 
evant. That is the question. It is a question of relevancy. They are 
entitled to admission if the originals would be entitled, and the question 
is of relevancy. The committee is inclined to think that the question 
of professional ability is to some extent involved in this investigation, 
and this record which is offered here shows the professional ability of 
each one of these officers as recognized by the head of the service. 
These are tlie records in the Navy Department; in fact, it is the only 
way that the Navy Department could have knowledge of the professional 
ability and capacity of the officers. And that being to some extent in- 
volved in this investigation, I think, these are admissible. The com- 
mittee so rules. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will now read them. [Reading:] 

Abstract of service from the record, — Jno. W. Hogg, C. C. 

George W. De Long entered the Navy as an acting midshipman at 
the Naval Academy, October 1st, 1801. Graduated in September, 1865, 
and was assigned to duty on board the Canandaigua, European squad- 
ron. 

Promoted to ensign, December 1, 1866. 

Promoted to master, March 12, 1868. 

Promoted to lieutenant, March 26, 1869. 

June, 1869, ordered to the Lancaster, the flag-ship of the South At- 
lantic squadron ; also served on the Nantasket, North Atlantic squad- 
ron ; Frolic, the flagship of the port admiral at New York j Juniata, on 
special duty in Arctic regions ; Brooklyn, South Atlantic squadron ; 
Nautical School Shij) St. Marys, as executive officer of that vessel, and 
as executive and commanding officer of the U. S. Iron-Clad Lehigh, 
North Atlantic squadron, and commanded the Arctic steamer Jeanuette. 
He was also employed on shore duty at the navy-yard. New York. 

His record and standing as an officer at the Navy Department dur- 
ing the entire period above mentioned has been excellent. 

Enclosed herewith are copies of testimonial letters from officers un- 
der whom Lieut. Commander De Long served, taken from the files of the 
Navy Department. 

Total sea service 10 yrs. 11 mos. 

Total shore duty 6 '<• 11 " 

United States of America: 

Navy Department, 
Washington, D, C, 2 May, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Eevised Statutes, I hereby certify that 
the annexed are true copies of testimonial letters taken from the files 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 695 

of the Kav^y Department in behalf of the late Lieutenant Commander 
George W. De Long. 

In testimotjy whereof I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the 
seal of the Kavy Department of the United States to be afflxed at the 
city of Washington, this second day of May, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty -four, and of the Independence 
of the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[SEAL.] ED. T. NICHOLS, 

Acting Secretary of the Navy, 

U. S. S. Bkooklyn (2d rate), 

Norfolk, Va., Bee. 1st, 1874. 
Sir: During my temporary absence Lieutenant George W. De Long 
was relieved from duty on board this vessel. I was, therefore, unable to 
express to him in person my tirm conviction that the vacancy caused by 
his detachment cannot be filled by a more competent or worthy officer. 
I have every confidence in Lieutenant De Long as an officer and as 
an honorable gentleman. 
1 would select him to represent the Navy at home or abroad. 
Very respectfully, &c., 

W. T. TKUXTUN, 
Captain, IT. S. N., Com''d^g. 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

True copy. 

WM. P. MORAN. 

U. S. S. Lehigh (4th rate), 
Port Royal, S. C, July 10th, 1876. 
Sir: Being detached from the command of this vessel, it affords me 
great pleasure to express my high appreciation of the abilities of Lieu- 
tenant Geo. W. De Long, U. S. N., the executive officer of the ship, 
and who relieved me in command. 

He is indefatigable in his attention to his duties, has a thorough 
knowledge of his profession, and is an accomplished officer and a cour- 
teous gentleman. 

Very respectfullv, your obed^t serv^t, 

GEO. A. STEVENS, 

Commander J U. S, N, 
•Honorable Geo. M. Robeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, B. C. 

True copy. 

WM. P. MORAN. 

Brooklyn, N. Y., 1st April, 1879. 
Honorable Richard W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, B. C. : 
Sir : It is with more than ordinary pleasure I communicate to the 
Navy Department, and, through it, to the Board of Naval Examin- 
ers, my high appreciation of the mental, moral, and professional quali- 
fications of Lieutenant George W. De Long, who served under my com- 
mand in the U. S. S. Juniata in 1873, during her cruise to the Arctic 
regions and afterwards to the relief of the Yirginius prisoners at San- 
tiago de Cuba. 



696 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Lieutenant De Long's duties on the first part of the cruise were that 
of navigator in dangerous latitudes; the latter part of his time on the 
Juniata he was execntive officer, to which place he was assigned by 
the Hon. Secretary of the Navy as a reward for perilous services in the 
Arctic regions on the steam launch Little Juniata, in search of the 
Polaris and her peoide. 

So highly do I rate Lieutenant George W. De Long as a skillful, ac- 
complished, and daring officer that I, three years ago, recommend him 
to Mr. James Gordon Bennett for the command of the Arctic expedi- 
tion, which sails this summer for the North Polar search via Bering's 
Straits. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obed't servant, 

D. L. BEAINE, 

Captain U. S. N'. 
Navy Depaktment, 2d May, 1879. 
I certify that the within letter is a true copy of the original in this 
Department. 

J. E. DOW, 

Acfg Chief Cleric, 

Kingston, New York, April 3d, 1879. 

Sir: Having been notified by Lieutenant George W. De Long, U. S. N., 
that he is to appear before an examining board for examination for pro- 
motion, and that the regulations require him to produce before the board 
copies of letters from his commanding officers since his last examina- 
tion, I have the honor to state to the Department that Lieutenant De 
Long served as executive officer of the U. S. steamer Frolic, while un- 
der my command, from the summer of 1872 to until the following 
winter. 

I take pleasure in stating that during that interval of time I found 
Lieutenant De Long to be efficient in the performance of his duties ; 
and the thorough manner in which he executed his mission since that 
time, while in command of an Arctic exploration party, confirmed the 
favorable impressions of tiiat officer which were formed while he was 
under my command. 

I would also state that from service performed together, I believe him 
to be professionally and morally qualified for promotion. 

Lieutenant De Long is furnished with a copy of this letter. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obed't servant, 

0. M. SOHOOMAKER, 

Commander, U. S. N'. 

Hon. Richard W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D, C. 

True copy. 

C. M. SOHOOMAKER, 

Commander, U. 8. JV. 

Portsmouth, N. H., 

April Uh, 1879. 
Hon. Rich'd W. Thompson, 

Sed'y of the Navy, Washington, D. C. : 
Sir : I have the honor to inform the Department that Lieutenant 
Geo. W. De Long served under my command as "executive officer" of 
the U. S. S. Nantasket from Feb'y to July, 1872. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 697 

I take i^leasure in stating that his moral and professional character 
was good. 
He was also zealous and attentive to his duties. 
Very respectfully, &c. 

0. 0. OAEPENTEE, 

Commander, U. S. N', 

126 E. 28th St., New York, 

April 5, 1879. 
Hon. E. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, WashrngtoUj B. C. : 
Sir: Lieut. Geo. W. De Long, U. S. ^avy, who is soon to be exam- 
ined for promotion, served under my command on board the nautical 
school-ship St. Marys from Dec, 1874, to April, 1876, as navigator 
and instructor, and trom Sept., 1876, to Jan., 1878, as executive. 

In the discharge of the duties of both positions he evinced zeal, in- 
telligence, and professional attainments of a very high order. 
I am, very respectfully, 

E. L. PHYTHIAN, 
Commander, U. S. Navy. 

A correct copy. 

E. L. PHYTHIAN, 

Commander, U. 8. N. 

True copy. 

JNO. W. HOGG, 

Chief Cleric. 

65 West 45th Street, New York City, 

April 1th, 1879. 
Sir : I would respectfully inform the Department that during my 
command, while I was attached to the tlag-ship Lancaster, on the South 
Atlantic station. Lieutenant George De Long performed his duty satis- 
factorily, and his conduct was unexceptionable. 
I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obed't servant. 

STEPHEN D. TEENGHAED, 

Rear-Admiral. 
Honorable Eichard W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 

True copy. 

WM. P. MOEAN. 

True copy. 

JNO. W. HOGG, 

Chief Cleric. 

Abstract of service from the records of the Navy Department.— J^o. W. 

HoGa, chief cleric. 

Charles W. Chipp entered the Navy as a midshipman at the Naval 
Academy 24 July, 1863 -, graduated June 2, 1868; made his first cruise, 
on the European station, serving on board the Franklin and Guard. 
Promoted to ensign April 19, 1869, and served in the Alaska and Be- 
nicia on the Asiatic station. Promoted to master July 12, 1870, and 
to lieutenant December 2, 1872, and served on board the Juniata, special 



698 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

duty in the Arctic regions ; Ashnelot, on the Asiatic station, and in the 
Arctic steamer Jeannette, and was lost on retreat from hitter vessel. 

His record and standing as an officer at the Navy Department was 
considered excellent. 

No testimonials on file. 

Abstract of service from the records, — Jno. W. Hogg, G. C. 

John W. Danenhower entered the Navy as a midshipman at the Na- 
val Academy, Sept^iber23, 1866. Graduated June 7, 1870. Made his 
first cruise on the European Station, serving on the Plymouth and Ju- 
niata. Was promoted to Ensign July 13, 1871, and served on the Ports- 
mouth, Pacific Station. Was promoted to master September 27, 1873, 
and served on rlie Vandalia, European Station, and on the Arctic 
steamer Jeannette. Was promoted to lieutenant, Aug. 2, 1879, and is 
at present attached to the training-ship Minnesota at New York. He 
has also been employed on shore duty at the Naval Observatory^ and 
Naval Academy. 

His record and standing as an officer at the Navy Department during 
the entire period above mentioned has been excellent. 

I enclose herewith copies of testimonial letters taken from the files of 
the Department, from officers under whom Mr. Danenhower has served. 

Total sea service 11 yrs. 1 mo. 

Total shore duty 4 '' 6 '< 

United States of America: 

Navy Department, 
Washington^ D, C, 2 May, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Kevised Statutes, I hereby certify that 
the annexed are true copies of testimonial letters, taken from the files 
of the Navy Department, in behalf of Lieutenant John W. Danen- 
hower, U. S. Navy. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
seal of the Navy Department of the United States to be affixed, at the 
city of Washington, this second day of May, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty four, and of the Independence 
of the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[SEAL.] ED. T. NICHOLS, 

Acting Secretary of the Navy. 

U. S. S. Juniata (3d rate), 

Boston, Mass., July 8, 1872. 

Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy : 
Sir : Midshipman John W. Danenhower has served on board the 
Juniata, under my command, for the past 11 months, and I am gratified 
at being able to state that during that time his conduct in every respect 
has been excellent. His strict attention to his duties and the interest 
he exhibits in his profession in all its branches I think quite exceptional, 
and I take great pleasure in recommending him to the favorable consid- 
eration of the Board of Examiners. 

I have furnished Mid'n 13anenhower with a copy of this letter. 
Very respectfullv, your obedient servant, 

S. B. LUCE, 
ComWr, ComWg Juniata. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 699 

Office of Liairr house Inspector, 

1st District, 
Portland, Me., February 26, 1879. 
Hon. E. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy : 
Sir : Master John W. Daiienbower, U. S. Navy, served under my 
comjnand as an ensign on board of the U. S. S. Portsmouth for a period 
of nearly two years, during the cruise of that vessel in the Pacific. For 
a part of the time he was a watch and division officer, and by his zeal 
and officer like bearing increased the resiDect I had entertained for him 
when he was a younger man. I consider him one of the most thorough 
and reliable young officers in the Navy, and commend him to the favor- 
able consideration of the Department. 
Eespectfully, 

J. S. SKEEEETT, 
Captain U. S. Navy. 

True copy. 

WM. P. MOEAN. 

U. S. Naval Signal Office, 

ATinapolis, Md., Bee. 9, 1875. 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy : 
Sir : It gives me great pleasure to state to the Department that 
Master J. W. Danenhower, who served in this office from June 8th to 
Nov. 18th, 1875, jjerformed his duties to my entire satisfaction. 

I found him a hard-working, painstaking, and exceedingly intelligent 
officer, and he rendered most efficient aid in the i)reparation of the new 
General Signal Book of the Navy. 

I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, 

FOXALL A. PAEKEE, 
Commodore and Chief Signal Officer, U. S. Navy. 

A true copy. 

0. H. LYMAN, 

Master, V. S. Navy. 

Cape May, New Jersey, 

July 20th, 1872. 
Sir : Midshipman John W. Danenhower served under me while ex- 
ecutive officer of the Juniata, for somewhat over a year, and it gives me 
much pleasure to testify to his great zeal and ability in the performance 
of all his duties. I consider him one of the most promising young officers 
I have ever sailed with. 

Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, 

GEO. M. BAOHE, 

Lieutenant Commander, 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

I certify the above to be a true copy from the original. 

GEO. M. BAOHE. 



700 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Bureau of Ordnance, Navy Department, 

Washington, Nov^r 20^/i, 1877. 
Rear- Admiral W. E. De Eoy, U. S. K., 

Gomm^d'^g, &c., &c., &c.: 
Sir : The Bureau has received with pleasure the report of recent im- 
provements in the French system of diverging torpedoes by Oomm^d'r 
Bobeson and sketches made by Master Danen bower. 

Please convey to these officers the Bureau's high appreciation of the 
interest manifested in their professional duties. 
I am, sir, your ob'd't serv't, 

WILLIAM N. JEFFERS, 

Chief of Bureau. 

Bureau of Ordnance, ^any Department, 

Washington City, Aug. 2Sthj 1877. 
Rear- Admiral J. L. Worden, 

CornvfCWg TJ. 8. Naval Force, Europcayi Station : 
Sir : The Bureau acknowledges with pleasure the receipt of the re- 
ports on torpedoes by Comm'd'r H. B. Robeson and Master J. W. Dau- 
enhower, and appreciates highly the efforts of these officers. 
I am, sir, your ob'd't serv't, 

WILLIAM N. JEFFERS, 

Chief of Bureau. 

^o. 15.] U. S. S. Plymouth (3rd rate), 

Southampton, England, August Mh, 1871. 
Hon. George M. Robeson, 

Secretary of the Navy : 
Sir : Midshipman Danenhower, having been detached from this ship 
and ordered to the Juniata, I beg leave to slate to the Department that 
the conduct of Mr. Danenhower whilst he has been under my command 
has met my entire approbation. He has shown himself zealous and 
attentive to his duties, of good ability and aptitude for the service, and 
a firmness and character in dealing with the men most highly to be aj)- 
plauded. His journals and work book are patterns. 
Very respectfully, your ob'd't s'v^t, 



I certify that this is a true copy. 
True copy. 



K. R. BREESE, 

Coni^Wr, Coni'Wg. 

K. R. BREESE, 

Commander, Com'Wg. 

Chief Cleric. 



U. S. S. Plymouth (3rd rate), 

Southampton, Aug. 4tth, 1871. 
Sir : I take great pleasure in being able to say that during the thir- 
teen months you have been attached to this ship, under my direction 
as executive officer, you have performed your duty in a steady, straight- 
forward, energetic, and decisive manner, and so entirely to the satis- 
faction of the officers under whom j^ou were placed that I have never 
had to mention your name unfavorably in connection with any report. 
Feeling sure that if you continue to manifest the same ability through- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 701 

out your career in the service, you will eventually attain that promi- 
nence which it should be the aim of every young officer to reach, I re- 
main, 

Very respectfully, yours, &c., 

B. J. CROMWELL, 
Lieut. Commander^ U. 8. N, 
To Midshipman John W. Danenhower, U. S. IS". 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

Washington, D. C, March 8, 1879. 
Hon. E. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy^ Washington^ D. C. : 
Sir : Master John W. Danenhower, U. S. Navy, accompanied me in 
the Arctic yacht Jeannette, under my command, during a voyage from 
Havre, France, to San Francisco, California, extending over one hun- 
dred and sixty five days, and terminating on the 28th day of December 
last. 

He has shown himself on all occasions and under all circumstances 
to be a good seaman, reliable navigator, and praiseworthy officer. 
Very respectfully, 

GEOEGE W. DE LONG, 

Lieutenant^ U. S. Navy. 
True copy. 

WM. P. MOEAN. 

Navy Yard, Boston, 
Captain of the Yard's Office, 

Feh. 19, 1879. 
Hon. E. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Wavy : 
Sir : It gives me great pleasure to state that Master John W. Danen- 
hower, while serving under my command, aboard the U. S. ship Van 
dalia, won my high esteem as an officer and a gentleman. 

He displayerl both zeal and ability, and I regard him as giving high, 
promise in his career. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your ob't serv't, 

M. HAXTUN, Captain. 

New York, Feb. 20, 1879. 
Sir: It affords me much pleasure to bear testimonj^ to the excellent 
character of Master Jno. W. Danenhower, U. S. Navy. 

Mr. Danenhower served with me on board the Vandalia for eighteen 
months, during her recent cruise on the European station, during which 
time he had charge of a watch and division. As an officer I have always 
found him attentive and zealous in the performance of duty, while of his 
moral character I can only speak in the highest terms. 

I regard Mr. Danenhower as fully qualified for promotion to the grade 
of lieutenant. 
I have the honor to be very respectfully your ob't serv't, 

H. B. EOBESON, 

Comd'r, U. S. N^, 
Hon. E. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washingtofij J). 0, 



702 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

James Marshall Ambler entered the Navy as an assistant snrgeou 
April 1, 1874, and was first assigned to duty at the Naval Academy. 
Served in the Kansas, Minnesota, and Franklin, of the North Atlantic 
squadron. Was promoted to x^assed assistant surgeon June 15, 1877. 
Ordered to Acrtic st'r Jeannette to report the 22d of May, 1878, and died 
in the Arctic regions. 

He was also employed on shore duty at the naval hospital, Norfolk, Va. 

Testimonal letters not being required for medical officers is the reason 
why none accompany this statement of his services ; his reputation, how- 
ever, both personal and professional was considered excellent by the 
Navy Department. 

Total sea service, 3 y'rs, 4 mos. 

Total shore duty, 1^'' , 10 " 

True abstract. 
United States of America: 



JNO. W. HOGG, a a 



Navy Department, 
Washington, D. (7., 2 May, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Revised Statutes, I hereby certify that 
the annexed is a true copy of a testimonial letter taken from the files of 
the Navy Department in behalf of the late Passed Assistant Surgeon 
James M. Ambler, U. S. Navy. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
seal of the Navy Department of the United States to be affixed, at the 
city of Washington, this second day of May, in the year of our Lord one 
thousand eight hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence of 
the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[SEAL.] ED. T. NICHOLS, 

Acfg Secretary of the Navy. 

U. S. S. Minnesota, 

Navy- Yard, New York, 

February 10, 1877. 
Sir : It affords me great pleasure to certify to the able and thorough 
manner in which Assistant Surgeon J. M. Ambler, recently detached 
from this vessel, has performed all his duties. 

His professional ability is of high order, and his judgment and dis- 
cretion, as shown in his physical examination of recruits, has had my full 
confidence. 

He is a genial and competent officer, manly and upright in character, 
and his morals and habits are unexceptionable. 
Very respectfully, y'r obed't serv't, 

N. L. BATES, 

Surgeon. 
To the Hon. George M. Robeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

A true copy from the files of the Navy Dept. 

Chief Clerk. 

Abstract of service from records. — Jno. W. Hogg, C. C. 

George W. Melville entered the Navy as a third assistant engineer 
July 30, 1861; was promoted to second assistant engineer December 
18, 1862, During the war of the rebellion he served on the following 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 703 

U. S. ships : Michigan, Dacotah, Wachusett, Maumee, and on the tor- 
pedo boats of the North Atlantic blockading squadron. Was promoted 
to first assistant engineer January 30, 1865. Since the war he has served 
on the Tacony and Penobscot, North Atlantic squadron; Lancaster, the 
flag-ship of the South Atlantic squadron j the Arctic relief steamer 
Tigress 5 the flagship Tennessee, and the Eanger on the Asiatic station, 
and the Arctic steamer Jeannette, and is at present attached to the 
steamer Thetis, of the Greely relief expedition. Was promoted to chief 
engineer March 28, 1881. 

He has also been employed on shore duty at the naval stations at 
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Norfolk. His record and stand- 
ing as an officer, at the Navy Department, during the entire period above 
mentioned has been excellent. 

Enclosed herewith are copies of testimonial letters fi'om officers un- 
der whom Engineer Melville has served, taken from the files of the 
Navy Department. 

Total sea service, 17 years, mo's. 

Total shore duty, 4 years, 7 mo's. 

United States of America: 

Navy Department, 
Washington, D. C, 2 if ai/, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Eevised Statutes, I hereby certify that 
the annexed are true copies of the testimonial letters taken from the 
files of the Navy Department in behalf of Chief Engineer George W. 
Melville, U. S. Navy. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
seal of the Navy Department of the United States to be affixed, at the 
city of Washington, this second day of May, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty four, and of the Independence 
of the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[seal.] ED. T. NICHOLS, 

Acting Secretary of the Navy. 

U. S. Steamer MiCHiaAN, 
Erie, Pa., January lUh, 1862. 
Third Assistant Engineer George W. Melville has served under my 
command for nearly six months. During this time he performed all the 
duties of his post faithfully and efficiently. 

His personal and moral character is in the highest degree unexcep- 
tionable. 

JOHN C. CAETEB, 
Commander, United States Navy. 

Navy-Yard, New York, 

June 20th, 1861. 
Sir : I have examined Mr. Geo. W. Melville, and find him physically 
qualified to discharge the duties of an engineer in the U. S. Navy. 
Eesp'y, 

L. J. WILLIAMS, 

Ch'f Eng. Wm. E. Shock, 

Pres. of Board of Engineers, 



704 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

IT. S. Steam Sloop Wachusett, 

Harbor of St Thomas, May Uth, 1805. 
3d Ass't Eng'r Geo. W. Melville, U. 8. K : 

Sir : I take pleasure in testifying to your strict attention to the du- 
ties of your position, and tlie creditable in which they have been 
discharged on board this ship. 

Your conduct has uniformly been that becoming an officer and gentle- 
man. 

Yours truly, 

WM. D. PENDLETON, 
1st AssH JEJng^r, U, 8. N'., in Charge, 
Approved . 

CHARLES WILKES, 
E'r AdmH, GomWg W. I. 8q'd. 

I, with great pleasure, certify that George Melville has faithfully ful- 
filled the term of his apprenticeship to me. 

I have at all times found him steady, sober, diligent, and reliable. He 
is expert in his business j as a workman can be depended on; and he 
takes with him my best wishes for his success and advancement. 

JAMES BINNS. 
Foreman, THOS. HARDOASTLE. 
East Brooklyn Machine Works, 

July 1st, 1861. 

IT. S. S. Chattanooga, 
Off Navy-yard, Fhila., Aug. 31st, 1866. 
Sir : It affords me great pleasure to testify to you my appreciation of 
the assistance so cheerfully rendered at all times by 1st Ass't Engineer 
G. W. Melville, while associated with me as an Assistant Engineer on 
the U. S. S. Chattanooga. The zeal he manifested in the management 
of the engines, &c., has been highly commendable. 

His strict attention to duty, personal deportment, and gentlemanly 
conduct has been worthy of emulation. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

GEO. S. BRIGHT, 

Chief Engineer, U. 8, N, 
Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy. 

Copy correct. 

S. D. HIBBERT, 
Chief Eng., U. 8. N., Navy Deft. 

Boston, Massachusetts, 

September 29th, 1866. 

Sir : First Asst. Engineer George W. Melville has served under my 
command upwards of three months. 

His (Mr. Melville's) strict attention to duty and excellent deportment 
for the time merits my approbation. 

Very respectfully, your ob't servant, 

J. P. McKINSTRY, 

Commo. 
The Hon'ble Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, I). C. 

A correcjt copy . 

S. D. HIBBERT, 
Chief Engineer, Navy DefU 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 705 

U. S. Navy- YARD, 
FJiila., Aug. 8, 1863. 
I have carefully examined Third Assistant Engineer George W. Mel- 
ville, and find him physically qualified to perform the duties of a Second 
Assist-ant Engineer in the Navy. 

T. DILLAED, 
Surgeon, TJ. S. Navy. 

Naval Station, 

Balto., June 30, 1863. 
Dear Sir : It gives me great pleasure to testify to your gentlemanly 
deportment and ability as ao eugineer, as displayed while attached to 
to the U. S. S. S. Dacotah. The great assistance rendered by you in 
repairing the boilers, often without drawing the fires, has merited my 
highest approval and confidence. You have my best wishes for success 
at your examination. 
Yours, truly, 

P. G. PELTZ, 

Chief Eng'rU. S.N. 
3d Ass't ENa'R Geo. W. Melville, U. S. N., 

No. 40 Kent avenue^ Brooldyn, N. Y. 

U. S. St'r Maumee, 
Navy-yard, Philadelphia, June 15th, 1865. 
Sir : During the period of his service on board this vessel the con- 
duct of Second Assistant Engineer George W. Melville has met my en- 
tire approval. 

He has been in charge of the engines and boilers, and his care and 
attention to the department under his control have been constant. It 
has been a model of neatness and order. 

He is gentlemanly, kindly to his subordinates, and obedient to his 
superiors. 

Very respectfully, your obedient serv't, 

JAMES PAEKER, 

Lt. Comd^r, ComWg. 
Hon. Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

U. S. Steam Sloop Waohusett, 

Boston Navy-yard, 

November 2Sth, 1864. 
Sir : It affords me much pleasure to express to you my appreciation 
of your assistance so cheerfully rendered on all occasions during our 
late cruise on board this ship. The zeal you manifested in the manage- 
ment of the engines, «&c., have been highly commendable. 

Your studious habits, strict attention to duty, moral deportment, and 
gentlemanly conduct while attached to this vessel has been worthy of 
emulation. 

Yours, &c., 

WM. H. EUTHEEFOED, 

Chief Engineer, U. S. N, 

2d Ass't Engineer George W. Melville, 

U. S. Navy. 
45 J Q* 



706 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Navy-Yard, Philad'a, 

July 24, 1865. 
We have carefully examined 2d Ass't Eng'r Geo. W. Melville, and 
have found him physically qualified to perform the duties of a first 
ass't engineer in the U. S. Navy. 

T. DILLARD, 

Surg., U. 8. N. 
J. D. MILLER, 

Surg., U. 8. m 

Erie, Pennsylvania, 

January 26th, 1865. 
Sir : 2d Assistant Engineer George W. Melville, having served for 
thirteen months on board the U. S. S. Wachusett under my command, 
I can certify to his good character and conduct during that time. He 
is, in my opinion, a vahiable officer to the Government, and is well 
worthy of promotion. 

I am, respectfully, your ob't serv't, 

N. COLLINS 



The honorable Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington City. 



Commander. 



Copy correct. 

S. D. HIBBERT, 
Ch'f Eng., U. 8. N. 

Philadelphia, June 15th, 1863. 

3rd Asst. Engineer Geo. W. Melville, U. S. N. : 

Sir : It affords me much satisfaction to state that your continued 
good conduct, and efficient and reliable performance of your duties as 
senior 3rd assistant engineer on board the U. S. S. Wachusett fully 
substantiates the commendation you have already received. 

With my best wishes for your i^rofessional advancement and success, 
I remain, yours truly, 

WM. D. PENDLETON, 
1st Asst. Engineer, U. 8. N., in charge. 

True copy. 

Chief Clerk. 

Approved. 

CHAS. E. FLEMING, 

Lieut. Commander, Commanding. 

U. S. St'r Chattanooga (1st rate). 
Off Navy-yard, Phila., August 31st, 1866. 

Sir : It affords me gjeat pleasure to testify to you my appreciation of 
the assistance so cheerfully rendered at all times by 1st Asst. Engr. G. 
W. Melville while associated with me as an asst. engr. on the U. S. S. 
Chattanooga. 

The zeal he manifested in the management of the engines, &c., has 
been highly commendable. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 707 

His strict attention to duty, personal deportment, and gentlemanly 
conduct has been worthy of emulation. 

Very respectfully, your obed't serv't, 

GEO. S. BEIGHT, 
Chief Ungr., U. S.N. 
To Hon. Gideon Welles, Se&y Navy. 
Forwarded. 

J. P. McKINSTEY, 

Commo. 
Forwarded by 

THOS. O. SELFEIDGE, 

Comm'dH. 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

Boston, Massachusetts, 

September 29, 1866. 

Sir : 1st Ass^t Engineer George W. Melville has served under my 
command upwards of three months. 

His (Mr. Melville's) strict attention to duty, and excellent deportment 
for the time merits my approbation. 

Yery respectfully, your ob't serv't, 

J. P. McKINSTRY, 

Commo. 
The Hon'ble Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of Navy^ Washington^ D. C. 

True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

U. S. S. Tacony (3d rate), 
Navy -yard J Pensaeola, Fia., August 11th, 1867. 
Sir: First Ass't Engineer Geo. W. Melville, of this ship, has been 
under my command as senior engineer since the 8th of February last. 
I take great pleasure in stating that I have always been well pleased 
with Mr. Melville as a gentleman and officer, and as the senior engineer 
of the vessel. His moral character is unexceptional, his management 
of the machinery is excellent, although it is much worn, and the con- 
duct of his department has been good. 
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully your obed't serv't, 

F. A. EOE, 

Commander. 
Honorable Gideon Welles, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 
EespectfuUy forwarded by 

JAS. F. AEMSTEONG, 

Capt. Comm^dH. 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

U. S. S. Penobscot (4th rate,) 
Portsmouth Navy-yard, N. M., July 8th, 1869. 
Sir : 1st Ass't Engineer Geo. W. Melville has served under my com- 
mand in the Penobscot for 18 months in charge of the steam depart- 
ment, and has faithfully worked to keep his part of the ship in good 



708 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

working order, and has succeeded in doing so to my entire satisfaction 
during the whole cruise. 

He has performed nearly all kind of repairs, and has, I believe, 
faithfully watched over the interests of the service committed to his 
charge. 

I believe him capable of building and running the engines of any of 
our men-of war, and can recommend him not only as well versed in the 
theory of his profession, but as very successful in the practical part, so 
necessary at sea on a foreign station. 
Very respectfully, 

T. H. EASTMAN, 

Lieut. Com^dW Coirn'Wg. 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy^ Washington^ D. 0. 

Forwarded. 

JNO. A. WINSLOW, 

Com. and Com'Wt. 
True copy. 

Chief ClerJc. 

IJ. S. Flagship Lancaster (2d rate), 

Sarhor of Bio Janeiro^ April 24, 72. 
Sir : In obedience to article 811, Eegulatious of the Navy, it gives 
me pleasure to testify to the abilities of First Assistant Engineer Geo. 
W. Melville. 

Mr. Meville since being on board this ship has exhibited an amount 
of mechanical ability, energy, and engineering skill rarely found. 
I confidently recommend him to the notice of the Navy Department. 
I am, respectfully, your obed^t servant, 

H. NEWELL, Chief Engineer. 
Hon. George M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

Forwarded. 

J. W. A. NIOHJLSON, 

Captain U. S. Navy, Com^d'g Lancaster. 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

U. S. S. Tigress, 
Navy-yard, New Yorlc, 24 Nov., 1873. 
Hon. G. M. Eobeson, 

Sec^y of the Navy, Washington, B. C. : 
Sir : 1st Ass't Eng'r G. W. Melville, during the late cruise of this 
vessel to the Arctic re^^ions, has been in charge of the engineer depart- 
ment, and has performed all of his duties (which have been of a most 
onerous and perj^lexing nature, owing to the miserable condition of the 
boilers, and the cheap machinery found on board), to my entire satis- 
faction. To his great fertility of resources, combined with a thorough 
practical knowledge of his business, I most cheerfully attribute the 
fact of the vessel's being able to keep the sea under steam, on a cruise 
where it was absolutely essential 

Very respectfully, y'r obdt svt, 

JAS. A. GEEER, 

Coni'd^r Com^d^g. 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 709 

Office of Inspector of Machinery Afloat, 

U. S. Navy-yard^ PMla., August 31st, 1874. 
Sir : I take great pleasure iu bearing testimony that during the time 
that Past Assistant Engineer George W. Melville was attached to the 
office of machinery afloat at this yard, under my superintendence, his 
deportment has invariably been gentlemanly, and in the discharge of 
his professional duties has proved himself to be a most worthy, capable, 
and reliable officer. I would be glad at all times to have him associated 
with me. 

Wishing him the merited advancement in the engineers corps, I am, 
respectfully, your obed't servant, 

W. S. STAMM, 
Chief Engineer TJ. 8, N., Inspector of Machinery Afloat, 

Wavy- Yard, PMla. 
To Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

True copy. 

Chief ClerJc. 

U. S. S. Tennessee, 

At sea, August 12, 1875. 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary U. S. Navy, Washington, D. C. 
Sir : I take great pleasure in calling the attention of the Department 
to the marked interest and zealous attention to duty manifested by 
Passed Ass't Engineer George W. Melville of this ship, his ready re- 
source, and the interest shown in the success of the ship, entitles him 
to the favorable consideration of the Department. 
Very respectfully, 

WM. H. SHOOK, 
Chief Engineer, TJ. 8. Navy. 
True copy. 

Chief Clerh 

U. S. Flagship Tennessee (2 E.) 

Yokohama, Japan, Aug. 24, 1876. 
Hon. Geo. M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Navy Department, Washington, D. C. : 
Sir : I deem it my duty before being detached from this vessel to 
state to the Hon. Secretary of the Navy that passed Assistant Engi- 
neer George W. Melville, IJ. S. N., has been with me in the engineer 
department of this ship for the past fifteen (15) months, during which 
time I have always found him reliable and attentive to all his duties as 
an engineer officer. His untiring zeal, practical and scientific knowledge 
of his profession, being a thorough mechanic in all its branches, com- 
bined with moral worth make him a valuable engineer officer, to be re- 
lied on in all cases of emergency that may arise, and fully competent to 
be promoted to a chief engineer of the U. S. Navy, and perform any duty 
that may be assigned to him of that grade. 

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obed't servant, 

J. Q. A. ZIEGLEE, 
Fleet Engineer, U. S. N., Asiatic Station. 
True copy. 

Chief ClerJc. 



710 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

U. S. Flagship, Tennessee (2d rate), 

Harbor of Song Kong, March 20, 1877. ' 
Hon. George M. Eobeson, 

Secretary of the Nati/y Washington, J), C. : 
Sir : Having been declared unfit for dnty by a '* Board of Medical 
Survey," and having in consequence been detached from this vessel, I 
have the honor to address you this communication in accordance with 
paragraph 806 of the Regulations of the Navy. Passed Assistant En- 
gineer George W. Melville (senior assistant), has been of the greatest 
service to me in the management and repairs of the machinery and 
boilers, and in the general administration of the engineer department 
during the period that I have been attached to this vessel. He has a 
remarkable capacity for the duties of his ofiice, and possesses mechan- 
ical skill and ability of no ordinary character. 

His theoretical knowledge, professional intelligence, fertile resources, 
and extended experience qualify him for the satisfactory performance 
of any duty appertaining to his profession. 

He has an excellent control of men, is of untiring energy, and devoted 
to his profession, for which he is peculiarly adapted. 

I am glad to have an opportunity to express officially my high ap- 
preciation of his worth as an officer, and of his value to the service. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

GEORGE F. KUTZ, 
Chief Engineer, JJ. S. Navy. 
Approved and forwarded. 

J. YOUNG, 
* Captain. 

True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 
U. S. Flagship Tennessee (1st rate), 

Yokohama, Japan, November 9th, 1877. 
Hon. R. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy, Navy Department, Washington, D. C. : 
Sir : Passed Ass't Engineer George W. Melville, having been de- 
tached from this ship, I have, in compliance with Navy Regulations, 
respectfully to report that my experience fully confirms the high reputa- 
tion, this gentleman has throughout the service for professional skill, 
executive ability, energy, and zeal. In all these qualities, as well as in 
those other essential ones that go to make up true manhood, it is no 
disparagement to his fellows to say that I believe he has not his su- 
perior in his corps. I unhesitatingly recommend him as one eminently 
fitted for promotion. 

Very respectfully, 

CHAS. H. LORING, 

Chief Engineer. 
Approved and forwarded. 

J. YOUNG, 

Captain. 
True copy. 

Chief Cleric. 

Chief Engineer's Office, 

U. S. Naval Station, 
League Island, Fa., March 26th, 1879. 
Sir: Passed Assistant Engineer George W. Melville, on duty in 
this Department, having been ordered to appear before a board for ex- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 711 

amination preliminary to promotion, it affords me pleasure to have an 
opportunity to express tlie high opinion I entertain of his abilities as a 
mechanic and engineer. 

From his long and varied experience, both on shore and afloat, he is 
fally capable of performing any and all duties that may be required of 
him. 

His conduct has been always respectful, and his habits gentlemanly 
and correct. 

I am, respectfully, your ob'd't servant, 

H. H. STEWAET, 
Chief Engineer J U. 8. N, 
Hon. R. W. Thompson, 

Secretary of the Navy^ Washington, D. G. 



Forwarded. 
True copy. 



A. P. COOKE, 

Commander, Commanding. 

Chief Cleric. 



Mr. Curtis. Now, what is the decision in reference to the papers of 
Mr. Collins? 

Mr. McAdoo. We will look over these letters and select such as are 
proper to be printed as pertaining to the investigation. 

James H. Bartlett recalled and examined. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Question. Did you have any conversation with Melville after you gave 
your evidence the other day f — Answer. Yes, sir. 

Q. What, if anything, did he say to you in reference to your having 
brought charges against him in your testimony? — A. He said he 
thought I had hit him a lick once or twice. 

Q. Did he say anything to you about its being better if you had 
not ? — A. I do not know as he did. He talked about it in a general 
sort of a way. In a friendly kind of a way — what we term among my 
class of people as a sort of a rough and ready way. 

Q. Did he or not say if you had not spoken of him as you did that he 
would have told the whole thing? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with regard to that? — A. Not me. 

Q. Did he say anything to you in reference to Chipp leaving the 
party as soon as they reached land ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did he say about that ? — A. He said he was satisfied that if 
Mr. Chipp had ever struck the delta he would have left De Long as soon 
as he struck it, as Chipp had told him he had no confidence in Captain 
De Long. 

Q. Did Mr. Melville say anything to you upon the subject of whether 
he had any confidence in Captain De Long? — A. He did. 

Q. What did he say ? — A. He said that he had no confidence in his 
ability to conduct a retreat over the ice, but he had worked under his 
orders when he thought he was working at a disadvantage, under which 
he would not have worked had he (Melville) been in charge. 

Q. Is there anything that you have not stated in the investigation 
that occurs to you that you now desire to state ? — A. With the permis- 
sion of the chairman, as counsel for Mrs. De Long and Mr. Melville and 
Mr. Danenhower has made an aggressive movement toward myself, I 



712 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

don't know as it is any more than tlie just spirit of a man that I should 
try and set myself right in this matter. 

Mr. Curtis. That is your privilege. 

The Chairman. Go on and let us see what it is. 

The Witness. I don't like to do this, and I would not have done it, 
but Mr. Arnoux has shot at me several times in regard to the $50 that 
I borrowed from Mr. Collins, and it appears to me that he looked at it 
in a light as though Mr. Collins had bought me, and T do not feel very 
well about it, because I think I am worth more than $50 — I don't know 
whether I am or not. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Have you anything to state that you have not already stated f — 
A. In the first place I will commence at the beginning of the expedi- 
tion. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not want you to do that. 

The Witness. I mean as to parts. I am not going all over it. 

Q. If there is anything that you have not stated that injustice to yourself 
you ought to state you may state it. — A. It is only in justice to myself 
that I want to speak about the expedition from the beginning of it in 
certain particulars. 

Mr. Arnoux. Does the committee permit that this witness who has 
been twice upon the stand and given a latitude 

The Witness (interrupting.) I will not touch upon anything I have 
stated before if I can avoid it. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that if a witness comes upon the stand and 
gives a matter which he admits is true j that he has borrowed 
money and that he has had conversation with the parties from whom he 
borrowed, and afterwards goes on to testify, and has been on the stand 
and testified as fully as he desired, and been recalled, he should not be 
permitted to come on the stand again and go into anything in addition. 
I submit that it would not be in furtherance of a righteous investigation 
of the witness under the solemnity of an oath. 

Mr. Curtis. I submit that the witness is not here at the expense of 
the Government. He should have every liberty granted him to explain 
anything that reflects upon himself or that throws light upon the expe- 
dition. Now, in reference to the matter of which the learned counsel 
has spoken it seems to me he puts a wrong construction on it entirely. 
There is no proof whatever in this investigation that Mr. Bartlett bor- 
rowed that money with any corrupt motive, but on the contrary the 
proof is that he could not have got to Washington without means un- 
less the money for his expenses was advanced. 

Mr. Arnoux. That is a matter between us as counsel for argument. 
We have the fact on the record. 

Mr. Curtis. The question that is presented now is this: Here is a 
member of this expedition, a citizen of the United States. He says he 
feels aggrieved at some things that have been stated in the investiga- 
tion that he claims he can explain, and certainly he ought to have that 
I)rivilege. Of course I do not ask him to go all over the expedition. I 
simply want him to touch upon those things and matters that he has 
not related. Kow it is not to be presumed that a man like Bartlett can 
recollect everything in connection with that expedition unless it is 
suggested to his memory and his recollection is stimulated by that 
suggestion, but if there is anything that is pertinent to this inquiry 
that he desires to be heard upon I claim it is his right as a witness and 
as a citizen of the United States. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 713 

The Chairman. The witness has a right to make corrections. 

Mr. Arnoux. That I have not objected to. He proposes a statement 
from the beginning of the expedition to the end, going over additional 
matters, and matters which do not correct his testimony and have no 
reference to his former testimony, as I understand it. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, Mr. Melville has sent a letter this morning correct- 
ing his evidence. 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes, and if there is anything of that kind I do not make 
objection to it. 

Mr. Curtis. The correction is not necessarily of the nature of the 
one desired by Mr. Melville. It may be an entirely new statement rela- 
tive to a matter that may be in explanation or in relation to a matter of 
injustice to the witness. That is always allowed. 

Mr. Arnoux. The committee does not misunderstand me, I am very 
sure in regard to that. If Bartlett wants to correct any statement he 
has made I have not said one word against his doing it. If Mr. Bart- 
lett wants to say that any specific statement that any one else has made 
since he was on the stand he thinks is erroneous I am willing that he 
should correct that ; but I do object to Mr. Bartlett's going through 
and making a general statement of whatever he choses under the spirit 
which he says animates him in coming back to this stand, and it is all 
the more so with this acknowledgment of the counsel that he comes 
back as a voluntary witness. He was asked whether he had testified 
to the truth before the Court of Inquiry. You remember his answers, 
and when we come to close I shall bring his answers more directly to 
your attention than now. He was then asked if he felt under any re- 
straint before this committee, and he said he did not; that he had tes- 
tified fully and truly. To allow him to go on after that, when he had 
been examined, re-examined, examined by the committee, cross-exam- 
ined, and then recalled to the stand and again examined, I think would 
be a perversion of justice. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, but one word in replj^ In reference to the ex- 
aminaton before the Board of Inquiry, I think the committee are fully 
enlightened by this time as to the circumstances under which those 
witnesses testified. I think the record in relation to that is very full 
and ample. This witness does not ask any favor at the hands of the 
committee, it seems to me. He simply demands a matter of right, and 
that is to make a statement in reference to facts about which he has 
not before testified. I do not wish him to be i)ermitted to testify in re- 
lation to matters that he has already spoken about unless it is to call 
the attention of the committee to some errors of the other witnesses. 
It is conceded by the counsel on the other side that he has the right to 
do that particular thing. 

Mr. Arnoux. That is always the case. 

Mr. Curtis. Now it is not new in this investigation that a witness 
has come back to the stand. Instance the case of yesterday. Wilson 
came to the chairman. He wrote out a list of interrogatories in refer- 
ence to matters about which he desired the chairman to examine him. 
Of course I desire the chairman to instruct the witness not to go oyer 
any ground that he has already taken up, but if there is anything that 
has been called to his attention by the testimony of others that he deems 
to be erroneous let him state it. 

Mr. Arnoux. This is a matter that I consider of sufficient impor- 
tance, if it meets the chairman's view, to ask that Mr. McAdoo should 
come to the committee-room. 

(Mr. McAdoo was sent for at this point and came to the committee- 
room.) 



714 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mr. Bartlett, who has been examined, cross examined, 
examined by the committee, dismissed, recalled, examined in chief, 
cross-examined, and examined also by the committee, has come upon the 
stand as a voluntary witness to-day. He has stated one or two matters 
which he has chosen to state without any objection. He was then put 
a j^eneral question whether he had anything further to say and com- 
mences by saying that he takes exception to a certain remark which I 
had made as counsel about a matter of fifty dollars. The evidence is be- 
fore you and it is for you to determine what weight you will give to that 
circumstance in connection with Bartlett's testimony. But now he says 
influenced by that and reflecting upon it and taking all this time since 
he was upon the stand, not coming at the time when Melville was here 
to meet him, he now comes upon the stand andi)roposes to go over this 
entire matter from beginning to end. 

The Chairman. 1 think his examination ought to be reduced to those 
matters that he did not remember on the former examination. 

Mr. McAdoo. I would like to ask the witness a few questions. 

The Chairman. Very well. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. At your former examination, Mr. Bartlett, did you consider that 
you had ample opportunity to state all the facts in relation to the in- 
vestigation before this committee ? — A. I had ample opportunity in this 
way : it had been two years since I had thought of the thing at all. Sit- 
ting here listening to the testimony there have been a great many points 
brought out which refreshed me and which are as vivid to my mind now 
as at the time they transpired. 

Q. How long ago were you a witness before this committee f — A. I 
was the first witness for Mr. Collins. 

Q. You have been generally present every day since the investiga- 
tion commenced ? — A. I have not been here every day, but I have been 
here generally. 

Q, Do these facts which you want to relate bear upon the conduct of 
Engineer Melville in any way ? — A. Not particularly ; no, sir; it is only 
in a general way all through. Some of them may bear upon Mr. Mel- 
ville, but not particularly so. 

Q. What has occurred since your examination to so brighten and re* 
Iresh yonr memory that although you had, as you state, ample oppor- 
tunity before this committee, you should now want to state a lot of new 
facts with relation to the expedition ? — A. This thing occurred two years 
ago, and in sitting here and hearing the testimony of others and hear- 
ing these questions on particular points there are many things brought 
to my memory that I did not remember at the time I was placed on the 
stand. I had given the case scarcely a thought for two years. 

Q. You knew the fact that Engineer Melville was to sail on Thurs- 
day last? — A. Yes, sir; I was perfectly aware of that. 1 knew that 
was his intention. 

Q. It is a fact that you were recalled and had a subsequent oppor- 
tunity to state the facts ? — A. I think I was recalled one day after I 
left the stand the first time, but the record will show that. 

Q. What I want to know is this: You say that you now come here 
and make an ofl'er of new facts, but as you say you have been irritated 
by the remarks of the counsel, Judge Arnoux, has that anything to do 
with your recollection of these facts ? — A. No ; it has not a single thing 
to do with it. There are many facts in regard to this case that I did 
not care to go into. 



JRAI^NETTE INQUIRY. ilt) 

Q. Had yon not sworn to tell tbe whole truth to this committee ? 
And why should you want to withhold any fact? — A. It seems that 
there is nothing but what the other side arc willing to go into; and to 
set myself and everybody else that has been on the expedition at rights, 
1 don't think it is any more than just that I should come down and put 
myself in the same category with them. 

Q. I want to know why you, as a witness before a committee,of the 
House of Eepresentatives, where you had ample opportunity and full 
liberty, under an oath, to tell the whole truth about this expedition, 
should conceal any fact. Explain that. — A. I did not conceal any 
fact. 

Q. Why did you withhold any fact from this committee f — A. Because 
I did not deem it admissible at that time, and with my own feeling, be- 
ing the first man that was put on the stand, I did not want to do it. 

Q. Did you consider it consonant with your oath to withhold any 
fact that would throw any light upon this question ? — A. I thought it 
was optional with myself if the question was not put to me to bring it 
out. 

Mr. Aenoux. That is the same story that we have had with refer- 
ence to the naval court of inquiry from this very witness. He was asked 
distinctly, according to my recollection, to tell anything and everything 
that he knew before this committee. 

Mr. McAdoo. I confess I do not like the idea. It seems strange to 
me that Bartlett should have his recollection refreshed by a mere per- 
sonal assault upon him. 

The Witness. No, sir ; I do not claim that. I claim that it was by 
the other side going into this matter and not stopping short of anything 
they could get out in regard to it, and I did not feel like — I believe Mr. 
Danenhower used the expression — airing dirty linen. In the first place, 
I did not want to walk on any dead men if I could avoid it. 

Mr. McAdoo. Of course it is perfectly legitimate that as far as your 
acts or character have been attacked you should defend them. 

The Witness. But they have not stopped short of anything as I 
feel about it. 

Mr. McAdoo. Mr. Bartlett is no doubt entitled to defend himself in 
any way in any direction in which he may have been aspersed, and if 
anything objectionable comes up, of course it can be objected to at the 
proper time. 

Mr. Curtis. Will the committee put the questions to him? I would 
rather not. 

The Chairman. I do not know on what he desires to be re-examined. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Mr. Bartlett, will you please to state to the committee anything 
that you have not already stated in your examination that will throw 
light on this expedition ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Now, I object to a question so broad as that at this 
stage of the examination after Mr. Bartlett has twice been upon the 
stand. 

Mr. Curtis. Will the chairman put the questions. I would prefer 
he should do so. 

Mr. McAdoo. The objection is not so much a legal technical objec- 
tion to his evidence. The only thing I thought was it did not put him 
in a favorable position. I only expressed my opinion. 

Mr. Curtis. Have you anything to state that vou have not already 
stated ? 



716 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. Will the committee permit him to go on in answer to 
any such a blind question as that! 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Do you know any facts in relation to the expedition which yon 
have not already stated to the committee ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Narrate them. — A. First in regard to the outfit of the ship 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). Is the committee going to take up that 
in the absence of Mr. Melville ? Certainly, he must know that any crit- 
icism of that is improper when, periiaps, one of the most important wit- 
nesses, Mr. Melville, is absent. Lieutenant Danenhower was not upon 
the deck of the ship to know most of the things, and here is a question 
where it may stand with Lieutenant Danenhower on one side and Mr. 
Bartlett on the other side, with no corroborative evidence. Certainly, 
in regard to the outfit of the ship this man ought not. to be allowed at 
this stage to testify. 

The Chairman. My understanding was that Lieutenant Danenhower 
knew more about the outfit than any other living witness. 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes ; but what I mean to say is this : This man comes 
forward and says the outfit was so and so. Now, we meet it by Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower, and he says it was so and so. But if Mr. Mel- 
ville were here, we would have two witnesses, in all probability, instead 
of one. 

Mr. McAdoo. What I said was mere criticism of the time, and not of 
the matter he is putting before the committee. The order of putting it 
in seems to be badly chosen. 

Mr. Curtis. We are not responsible for Mr. Melville's absence. 

Mr. Arnoux. It is a very extraordinary thing that this man should 
be here 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. (Interposing.) Go ahead with the statement. — A. I only want to 
touch on one point in regard to the outfit of the ship, and that is in re- 
gard to clothing. There was no clothing on board the ship with the 
exception of one suit of clothes, what they call this California hard- 
times clothing, and a suit, I think, of clothing that 1 understood from 
Danenhower came from England, that had been up in the Pandora, 
which was the Jeannette, when she went up under Sir Allen Young; that 
it laid in the store-house in the Isle of Wight since 1870; and I asked 
permission of Captain De Long at San Francisco to have a bill of extra 
underclothing sent aboard the ship of $25 or $30, and he says to me, 
" Bartlett, you are a fool to buy clothing ; I have more clothing now in 
this ship than we can i)ossibly take care of." Well, I had bought then 
about $130 or $140 worth of clothing of my own. He says, " You are 
a fool for buying clothing, because we can't take care of it in the ship." 
And one man that was shipped in the fire-room, Sharvel byname, came 
aboard and had nothing but one suit of blue overalls (he was an English 
boy) and a suitof white cotton underclothing. I gave Sharvel two suits 
of underclothing and shirts, expecting that when the time came when I 
needed them I could have them back from the ship, understanding that 
there was any amount of clothing in the ship. 

Mr. Arnoux (interi)osing). I object to his understanding. 

The Witness. Well, T was told so bv Mr. Chipp and the captain also. 
Shall I go on ? 

Mr. McAdoo. Certainly. 

A. (Continuing.) On the way to St. Michaels some of the people lost 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 717 

some of their clothing overboard by some means or other 5 I did not just 
exactly understand it, but I was aware of the circumstance of its being 
lost, and they went to Mr. Chipp or Mr. Danenhower, I don't know 
which — the one thafc was in charge of that department — and asked for 
some pants, and they were told that there were not any in the ship, 
and this party at St. Michaels, a little Indian trading-post of the 
Alaska Commercial Company, and, I think, the most northern trad- 
ing-post they have, got the captain to buy him some shirts and pants. 
That was Seaman Johnson. The ship, I think, was not properly fitted 
with clothing. There was not the making of a single shirt aboard that 
ship but what had to be lined in order to hold it together. There were 
two bolts of flannel bought at St. Michaels or Ounalaska that the men 
actually covered with flag-bunting to hold it together. 

Q. What was the trouble 1 — A. It was so thin and poor that it would 
not hold together. 

Q. What other criticism have you to make about the fitting out of the 
ship ? — A. l^ot any, sir. 

Q. The clothing was the only point!— A. The only point. We did 
sufl'er for the want of clothing, and we were given to understand before 
we left San Francisco that there was plenty aboard. I think that 
many others of the men that desired to buy clothing in San Francisco 
and have the bills paid and charged to their account were refused. 

Mr. Aenoux. I submit that he should not be allowed to testify for 
others. He has told his own story about it. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. State only what you know yourself. Have you any personal knowl- 
edge as to that fact as to other members of the expedition ? — A. I have 
only been told by them. But in regard to myself, I asked Captain De 
Long if he would allow me to have a bill of $30. I think that is the 
way I stated it. 

Q. You have stated that. JSTow as to the other facts about the expe- 
dition ? — A. In regard to the watches that were kept on board the ship, 
I heard Mr. Danenhower say, in his testimony, that there was a super- 
visory watch kept in the cabin. I know positively that I have been in 
the cabin myself at night, while I was on watch in the engine-room, to 
look at the ship log which was lying on the cabin table, and that there 
was not an officer who was awake. Every officer was asleep or in his 
room. And I know positively, that as for Mr. Melville, sometimes for 
a week I would n6t see him over the engine hatch where I was posting 
up the rough log slate that I kept on my watch. Mr. Lee and myself 
stood the engine watches, and he would come under that hatch, and 
would not enter the engine-room when I was on watch, and sometimes 
for a week I would only see him when he would come under that hatch 
and sing out for the log slate, and that he always turned in whenever 
he felt like it. 

Q. W^hat other facts have you ? — A. In regard to the delays on the 
retreat. I did not state anything in regard to that. 

Q. State any new fact you know. — A. The first delay occurred at 
Bennett Island. We were at Bennett Island for seven or eight days 
and it was unnecessary. I believe they claimed the delay was made iu 
order to repair the boats. At the time we went there I was in charge 
of the whale-boat under orders from Captain De Long. I spoke to Mr. 
Chipp several times. She was split open at both ends. That is, what 
they call the gaboard streaks of the boat were driven away from the 
keel by constant bumi)ing on the ice. I spoke to Mr. Chipp two or three 



718 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

times before be went on an exploring trip that be undertook, or tbat 
tbe captain sent him upon, about fixing the boat. He said be could 
not do anything until be had orders from tbe captain in regard to it. 
I think the ddj before we left the island Mr. Danenhower said to me, 
" Bartlett, there is going to be a change in the party and it may affect 
you some." I said, ''How is that?" He said, "Well, there is going 
to be a change, and Mr. Melville is coming into the party, and it may 
affect your position in tbe party." Said I, " It can't affect mine in any 
way." The next morning Mr. Obipp came to me and said that Mr. 
Sweetmau would go on, and if L would assist him we would fix up the 
whale-boat as well as we could. Sweetmau and I went to work and 
fixed her in one day, or a little less than a day. After we got her fixed 
Mr. Chipp came to me and told me, "Mr. Melville will relieve you from 
charge of the whale boat," and then told me of the new arrangements 
they bad made of consolidating tbe five parties into three, as we would 
prol3ably have to take to the boats. Mr. Melville and Mr. Ambler both 
of them stated to me while we were at Bennett Island that we were 
kept there unnecessarily and fed on carrion birds. 

Q. To whom did they state it? — A. To me, sir. 

Q. Do you remember the language in which Dr. Ambler conveyed the 
statement ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Eepeat it as near as you can. — A. I don't know that I can give it 
word for word, but the substance was that be bad eaten so many of 
these birds that it had given him diarrhse to such an extent tbat it bad 
almost prostrated him. And Mr. Melville always termed them carrion 
birds — that he had fed himself with carrion birds until be was not good 
for anything. Tbat was the substance. 1 have stated in regard to the 
delay at Geeomovialocke. In addition to that I think that the first day 
Kusmah came to Geeomovialocke (it was between the 8th and 10th of 
October or thereabouts — I have been since informed that that was the 
date anyway), in crossing from Geeomovialocke to Tomoose — and if I 
bad a chart I could show you very plainly tbat you do cross the eastern 
main mouth of the river between Geeomovialocke and Tomoose. There 
is no river beyond that until you strike the main river again opposite 
Bulun, as I have been over the country two or three times. If there is 
a chart here I would like to show you in regard to it. I have been there 
in the summer and winter both. I have been in tbe Lena delta a longer 
time than any man connected with tbe expedition. [The witness here 
was shown the chart which accouipauies the report of Mr. Melville.] 
This is a copy of tbe Peterman chart that we worked from. This chart 
is not correct. Here is the original [producing Nindemann's original 
chart]. 

Q. By whom was this last chart made ? — A. By Nindemann and from 
observations tbat Nindemann and I got from compass bearings, and our 
judgment on distances in dog travel while on the search in tbe Lena 
delta, and we were the only ones tbat paid any particular attention to 
the bearings while in tbe Lena delta. In this search Mr. Melville never 
took any particular compass bearings nor paid any particular attention 
to distances traveled, and we had each one a watch. This part of tbe 
chart [ indicating on chart opposite page 30G of tbe record of tbe Court 
of Inquiry, a place about ISO^ latitude and 72^ longitude], from tbat 
point to a point known as Barkin I traversed with two dog sleighs and 
two Indian natives, and entered into the mouth of evxHy river tbat I met 
of any considerable size where I thought a boat might have entered, 
and traversed it for a distance, some of them of 10 versts or 2J to 3 
miles, and some of them farther, according to tbe size of them, just as 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 719 

I happened to feel about it. Mr. Nindeinann accompanied me to Barkin 
and we separated company. He told me that he did the same thing 
along the north coast. 

Q. What criticism do you make upon the members of the expedition 
in connection with this chart ? — A. None. All I called the chart up 
for was to show that between Geeomovialocke and Tomoose is the main 
eastern mouth of the river, and it was stated in Mr. Melville's or Mr. 
Danenhower's testimony, one or the other, as I remember it, that the 
river beyond Tomoose was broken up and that they could not travel ; 
thatKusmah could not come to us 5 could not get beyond his place; but 
positively I know that from Kusmah's place to Bulun there is only one 
river, and that is the river that Bulun is on, the main river. Kusmah's 
house is here [indicating on chart], and here is the mouth of the main 
river, and Geeomovialocke is on a little island over here [indicating on 
chart], and this is a neck of land ; in winter and in summer when the 
frost comes the water flows over there [indicating on chart]. This is a 
big bay. I traversed that at the time Mr. Danenhower sent me to 
Bulun with the dispatch of Nindemann. I traversed that with reindeer 
teams. We came around all the way on land. We did not cross the 
ice. So that at the time Kusmah came to us we could have started to 
a point called Booroolocke. That was the end of the reindeer road. 
That is here on the Lena Eiver proper and here is Bulun [indicating on 
chart]. We could have gone down that side of the river because the 
road runs on that side of the river from Booroolocke to Bulun, and if 
the river had not been frozen we could have crossed it in boats, because 
there are habitations on both sides of the river there, and natives do 
cross and I crossed it myself a year ago last fall I think it was. It was 
when I was there with Lieutenant Harber, anyway. 1 crossed it in a 
boat when there were large floes or pieces of ice running in the river. 
That was pretty heavy ice and very thick. 

Q. What is the point of your objection to the route as laid down in 
this map "? — A. The point of my objection is that the statement that we 
could not pass beyond Tomoose on the 8th of October is incorrect, be- 
cause we could pass there. I traversed it, and there is no river of any 
size whatever between Tomoose and Bulun until you strike the main 
Lena Eiver opposite Bulun. 

Q. Has Engineer Melville ever been over that route ! — A. Not that 
particular route, no, sir. He traversed very near the same route. You 
can see it here [indicating]. Two roads laid down, one the deer road 
and the other the dog road. There is comparatively no difference be- 
tween the two roads. 

Q. What other fact do you wish to state? — A. In regard to Mr. 
Scheutze's statements yesterday about the jealousy existing and in re- 
gard to myself also. He has put a chart in evidence I believe, and has 
laid down correct courses and correct sea coast lines, and all that, while 
his own track upon that chart will show that he has never touched the 
sea-coast more than a distance of 10 miles. 

Q. (Submitting a chart.) I show you the chart put in evidence by 
Lieutenant Harber. 

Mr. Arnoux. It was made by Scheutze and Harber. 

A. If it was put in by Lieutenant Harber and Lieutenant Schuetze I will 
change what 1 said in regard to it. But I will not change what 1 said in 
regard to Mr. Scheutze. Mr. Harber started from Geeomovialocke and 
followed around through what is called Borkiah Yai to its southern ex- 
tremity ; then in a northerly direction to Cape Borkiah ; then followed 
the trend of the coast in a southerly direction to the south of the Yana 



720 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Kiver. We entered the mouth of the Yana, where we camped for ada^ 
or two ; went into the river three or four miles, and had plenty of water 
there. 

Q. How near was he to the ocean then ? — A. We were in the whale- 
boat then thatcamefrom the Jeannette. He would not tal^e the schooner 
that he had built, because she was not seaworthy after he had got her 
built. She went like a hog at war, a little sideways. This is a correct 
chart, is it [indicating] ? 

Q. As far as the place De Long perished is shown, I suppose it is. — 
A. Mr. Scheutze stated yesterday I never gave them any information. 
I was sent back, especially by Mr. Melville, to furnish them information, 
and he told me before Ensign Hunt, in Olockmer, at the time he sent me 
back that, I knew as much or more of that country than he did, and I 
went back with Mr. Hunt, or under his charge, as he was an officer in 
the Navy and I an enlisted man. He was an officer in the Kodgers, 
and was sent by Lieutenant Barry, who was in company with us at that 
time. I reported for duty when we met Mr. Harber, and Mr. Harber 
took me in a boat with him. Coming up the Lena River from Jakutsk 
to Olockmer we had passed him. When we found he had passed we 
went back. Mr. Hunt and myself hired a small boat. We got part of 
the way back to Jakutsk and met Mr. Harber. Mr. Hunt and myself 
were both asleep in the boat, and the first thing we heard was a shot. 
It was fired from a revolver. It woke me, and just at the time I awoke 
there was a man stepped in the boat and said, "Are there any Amer- 
icans here!" It was Lieutenant Harber. I said, "You must be an 
Englishman, or Lieutenant Harber, probably," as he had a navy cap 
on. He says, " Yes." I said, " Ensign Hunt is here asleep," and I woke 
Mr. Hunt, and he got up, and we immediately turned back toward 
Jakutsk. While we were going down the river in -the small boats Mr. 
Harber took me into the boat with himself, put Mr. Hunt and his in- 
terpreter into the other boat, and asked all the information I could give 
him in regard to the country. I had charts and memoranda of every 
point and place that we had been that Mr. Harber took. 

Q. Then you claim that you helped to make this chart 1 — A. No, sir; 
I claim that I assisted Mr. Harber in everything he did and helped to 
make the chart that Nindemann produced, and that Mr. Scheutze did 
not go to exceed 10 miles on the coast of the Lena Delta at any point 
himself. 

Q. What other facts have you to state 1 — A. Take the delay at Semi- 
nowski Island. We landed at noon for dinner on the 10th of Septem- 
ber, I think it was, I won't be positive, and the captain and several 
others went up on the island while the cooks were getting dinner in the 
boat. There didn't many of the men get out of the boats, because it 
was very muddy on the island. He discovered the tracks of a reindeer 
aiUd a bear on the island, and he ordered, while we were eating dinner, 
that there should be a party sent from each boat down the island to kill 
this reindeer and bear, if possible. We started, two from the whale- 
boat, myself and Aneguin, and a deputation from each of the other boats; 
I don't know how many, in fact. There were quite a number of us that 
went down the island and the boats proceeded along the coast to the 
southward, intending to pick us up near the southern end of the island. 
When near the southern end of the island we killed the deer. We all 
shouted as loud as we could for the boats as soon as we killed it. Mr. 
Ohipp was the first one that returned. He had been in the rear when 
the boats had passed us. I stood upon the edge of the bank and told 
them we had killed the deer and asked what we should do with it. He 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 721 

said, " Throw it down the bank and I will take it on my boat." We 
threw it down this steep bank, a distance of 60 feet, and he i)icked it 
up and put it across the bow of his boat, and at that point Captain De 
Long and Mr. Melville with their boats returned, and the captain asked 
his people if there was any point close by where they could get the boats in 
a safe position on the beach. We told him that there was a low i^ojnt 
abouthalf a mile to the northward. We all went up there, and he ordered 
a halt and said that we must eat this reindeer immediately, and ordered, 
it served out as quick as possible. I remember hearing him in Lis tent 
giving the Chinese cook a going-over because he was not quick enough 
in cooking it. He said he wanted it to eat. Mr. Melville remonstrated 
with hiui, I think, in regard to the stoppage there, and the captain's 
words were that the men needed rest. I heard them. Mr. Melville says, 
"Captain, my men don't need restj they are anxious to go on." But, in- 
stead of our getting rest, that same afternoon myself with several others 
of the party were sent off to hunt the other reindeer. There was a doe 
and a lawn. We killed the doe, but the fawn escaped and we traversed 
a distance of probably 10 or 12 miles. It took us until 11 o'clock at 
night to get back, anyway, and the next morning a portion of the men 
were sent out again to see if they could get the fawn, but without any 
result. I think there was a very unnecessary delay, and a delay that I 
think caused the disaster in the separation, because, in my estimation, 
if we had proceeded right on at that time we would have arrived at the 
Lena delta before the gale came on. We had ample time if we had 
kept right on from Saturday noon, because we had just a nice sailing 
breeze from the northeast, as I remember it, and I think it continued 
easterly and northeasterly all the time of the day and a half that we 
spent there, and if we had kept on we would have arrived at the delta 
before this gale came on. 

Q. Proceed with any other statement of fact. — A. The next thing I 
will take up is in regard to the treatment of Mr. Danenhower of the 
party while he had charge of it — his general management of the party 
and his bearing towards us. The most of us were in a crippled condi- 
tion, physically, and he was in the best condition of any man that there 
was in the party, without any exception, at that time. In the gale he 
kept himself covered with the Mcintosh blanket and the rest of us sat 
with our backs to it and took the seas down our back until it pretty 
near froze us to death, while he held this Mcintosh blanket over his 
head and shoulders. It had acted as a wind sail to keep the boat's 
head to sea, but at the same time acted as a shelter for him, and I think 
was placed there more for that purpose than it was for a wind sail. 

Q. Proceed. — A. After we arrived in the delta, while we were pro- 
ceeding from the landing point to Geeomovialocke, we were in a jjretty 
badly crippled condition — our feet were — and we were not able to get 
along very fast. Of nights, when we would camp, whether at a hut or in 
our tents at the bank of the river, we would haul the boat on the beach. 
I remember cue particular instance of Wilson being sent to get a log to 
pry the boat off with, or to throw into the water so that the men could 
stand on it, or something of that kind. I told Mr. Danenhower that I 
could push the boat off with the loom or handle of the oar, because she 
was not heavy at the time and the oar was strong enough for the pur- 
pose. I put the oar under her and he gave me quite a setting-down for 
doi]ig so, and said that I might break it. 

Q. State exactly what he did say. — A. I don't remember the words, 
but he told me in an abrupt manner not to do it. 

Q. What do you mean by an abrupt manner!— A. Well, speaking 
46 J Q* 



722 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

very roughly and bluffly to me. Telling me that I should not do it with 
the oar. I quit and Wilson was in the mean time looking for a log. 
There were not many logs around there. He did not find oue quick 
enough and Mr. Danenhower sang out to him, " Why don't you get that 
logF Wilson says, "lam getting it as fast as I can." Mr. Danen- 
hower says, '' Ko you are not, you can go faster than that." Wilson says, 
" I am getting it as fast as t can." The man at the time was crippled 
to a certain extent, how much I don't know, but so that he was lame, 
anyway. The next thing is in regard to the treatment of the men by 
Mr. Melville. It was stated in testimony by some one, I think Mr. Dan- 
enhower, that while Mr. Melville was in charge of the working gang on 
the retreat he always put his shoulder to the stern of the boat when 
we were in a hard fix and helped boost her over. Well, that was incor- 
rect, because I have had him stand right behind me and tell me to lift, 
" damn you," and pull her out, and never put his hand to her at all. And 
he did not give Mndemann and myself while we were connected with 
him in the search party for De Long fair treatment at all times. At 
times he treated us very badly. 

Q. In what respect did he treat you badly, and instance the fact?— 
A. Well, I have had him curse me black and blue. 

Q. Where, and when, and what did he say"? — A. One instance that I 
remember perfectly was at Bulun. It was in regard to bread. At the 
lime he was north on his first trip, and after Mr. Danenhower had left 
for the southward, by orders from Mr. Danenhower I was left in cbarge 
of the party that remained there. I had written orders from Mr. Dan- 
enhower placing me in charge of that party, and he made out a ration 
bill of what we should eat there. 1 was allowed to give each man so 
much, or the order was that we should all consume so much. It was a 
very short ration, too, by the way, and I remonstrated with him in re- 
gard to tbe allowance of bread that he had put us down to, and the re- 
ply he made to me was that it was not in the town. But the following 
spring, when there had been no flour or anything transported there, we 
had 60 or 80 poods of bread. That would be something like 3,000 
pounds; yes, more than that; I don^t know how much it would be, but 
the pood is 3 pounds of our weight. We had 60 or 80 poods. Mr. 
Melville was about to leave for Geeoraovialocke for the purpose of 
buying fish for dog supplies, and he gave me verbal orders in regard 
to going to Cass Carta with the supplies. He had an interpreter 
with him by the name of Gronbeck. Gronbeck, I think, made the prop- 
osition that a pound of bread a day was enough. Well, it was this 
Eussian black bread that is very heavy, and a pound is not a very large 
piece, and I remonstrated with Melville, and said " Mr. Melville, that is not 
enough bread per day for the party." He says, " Gronbeck says so." I 
says, '* Well, probably Gronbeck don't know. We used a great deal 
more than that while we were camped here doing nothing, and here is 
a i)arty going out to hard work." He says, *'Damn it, you give away 
more than you use." I says, "Mr. Melville, it isn't so; we don't give 
away more than we use. I only gave the wood chopper bread and fish 
after we got done our meal." He was the man that chopped- wood for 
us, and if there was any extra bread cut off the loaf we would give it 
to the wood-chopper. He flew at me, and said, "Damn you, don't you 
contradict me when I make an assertion ; I know that I am right." 1 
entered uuo the spirit of the thing a little myself, and I says, "Mr. 
Melville, 1 will contradict any one when I know I am right when I hear 
them make a wrong assertion." For that he cursed uie considerably, 
and finally I quit. The next day he left for Geeomovialocke and wrote 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 723 

an order. I have the order in my possession, but not here. He did not 
direct it to any one, bat wrote it and came in and laid it on the table 
before me, stating that we should leave Bulun — I think the order so 
reads — on the 27th of the month, and go to Ku Mark Surk. He came in 
and laid it on the table before me and went out. It was not signed or 
directed, but it was in his handwriting, and I have the order. On the 
27th, of course, I took charge of the train with Mr. Mndemann. I had 
charge of the train from Jakutsk down there. He had made a contract 
with the natives to deliver so many poods at Ku Mark Surk. He had 
made this contract, and given me this order to proceed from there on the 
27th to go to Ku Mark Surk. The day was a very stormy one, but his 
leaving in the mood he left me in, not bidding me good-by, or saying 
anything, but coming and laying this order on the table before me 
that was unsigned or undirected, I felt as though I would obey 
that order if it took the last bone out of me. The day was a very 
bad one, very stormy, you could hardly see an inch out of doors. The 
starosti of the village, who was one of the contractors to deliver me 
at Ku Mark Surk, said that we could not go. 1 finally told him or had 
an interpreter tell him, that they would have to go, that my orders said 
I must go and I would go. We started at noon. At 12 o'clock that 
night we had made 40 versts. I lost two reindeer teams and did not 
find them until the next morning. It blew so hard at times you couldn't 
see anything of the deer but their horns, and I lost part of one sleigh- 
load of provisions that cost 200 rubles. The natives afterwards found 
it. I started through that storm and made 40 versts that night. Next 
day I proceeded and got to Ku Mark Surk, and right after that came 
on this severe storm, as to which Mr. Melville told about the natives 
being turned back and losing their dogs. The natives only lost one 
dog. They told me so themselves, and the natives were not very badly 
frozen. And right here I want to say this : Mr. Melville stated that a 
white man cannot stand what a native in that country can stand. I 
think that any civilized white man can freeze any of those natives to 
death, and I never had a native to assist me, but I have had to take 
care of the natives that were under me at the delta. I left Jakutsk in 
midwinter, the 27th of January, and from that time I was almost con- 
tinually in the storm, out of doors in charge of the provisions and the 
whole train with Melville's search party and I have had to beat the 
natives out of the house with a stick in order to make them go on. 
They would cross themselves and say ""pergoda bulsoij^^ that means big 
storm. A native cannot outlive a white man in that country. That is 
my ex])erience. 

Q. Proceed with the other facts that you omitted in relation to the 
expedition. — A. The next thing would be my opinion in regard to Cap- 
tain De Long's management of the retreat after we came on the ice. 

Q. State any facts you know in relation to the conduct of Captain De 
Long on the retreat. — A. I am speaking for myself. I know, as mat- 
ter of fact, for my own part, I would rather see any other man on the 
expedition come around whilst moving the sleds across bad places or 
difficult spots than Captain De Long. 

Q. For what reason ? — A. For the reason that he never came where 
the working party was at work crossing a bad place but what there was 
a disaster in the way of getting a sled overboard, or getting men over- 
board, and then he would turn around and walk off^ and we wouldn't 
see him again all day, after he would get a whole party overboard. 
To illustrate this I will give one instance in particular. We were cross- 
ing a creek in the ice, and we were putting the boats across first, as I 



724 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

remember it. The second cutter, tlie lightest boat of the lot, was placed 
upou a piece of ice, which was to be used as a ferry-boat, instead of 
humching the boat into the water when the boat was sound. The first 
cutter was sound. The whale-boat was sound enough, so that she 
would not take water crossing these creeks, but she was not perfectly 
sound. This piece of ice hadn't buoyancy enough to float it with the 
men on it. The consequence was that the four men that were on it to 
steady the boat were turned into the water and the boat too. Then he 
brought up one of the heavier boats and had the same piece of ice 
brougiit back again, and put it on the same piece, and continued that 
thing right along until one after another had been dumped oft" this ice, 
because it was not heavy enough to float them, taking the lightest boat 
to start with. More than once I have been rolled into a hole of water 
by being put on a f)iece of ice that was as round as a ball. He would 
place one of the sleighs on a round piece of ice, that was like a ball, and 
have us try to balance it on that. It was the common remark when we 
saw him coming, if we were in a bad place, " Hurry up, boys, and get 
her across before the old man comes, because we're overboard if we 
don't." That was the common remark among the men who were work- 
ing the sleds. 

Q. What else was there ? — A. It became so common that during the 
delay at Bennett Island there was considerable talk at diflferent times — 
I heard it several times, although I had no direct talk on the subject 
myself but once — that unless we moved very soon from Bennett Island 
it might be that Captain De Long would be taken from the command 
and some one placed in his stead. Lieutenant Chipp was the one who 
stood in favor with the men at that time. I only had one conversation 
in regard to it, and that was with Mr. Sweetman,- but I had heard it 
talked in little snatches of conversation here and there among the men, 
and knew that such was the feeling. The next thing I will take up 
is what Mr. Melville said in regard to Mr. Harber and his search, with 
reference to myself. I will confine myself to the facts. It was at the 
first communication that Mr. Melville received or the first knowledge 
that he received in regard to Mr. Harber. He said to me, " He must be 
one of these young pups that they are just breeding in the Navy ; I don't 
know him ; don't give him any information at all if we meet him ; don't 
give him any information whatever. 

Q. At the time that Engineer Melville requested you not to give any 
information to Lieutenant Harber the whereabouts of Captain De Long's 
body was known ! — A. They were buried at that time. 

Q. At what place was it that Engineer Melville told you not to give 
him any information ? — A. I think at a station called Kanyarotski, be- 
tween Verkeransk and Jakutsk, what is known as the mountain pass. 

Q. At that time were the bodies on the way back ! — A. No, sir ; we 
had buried them, and we were on our return from the search and Lieuten- 
ant Harber at that time was at a place called Viteen, where he was fit- 
ting out his expedition. 

Q. To go after the bodies'? — A. He was to go, as we understood, to 
make a summer search for Chipp. He stated to me, and I think he stated 
the same thing to Nindemann at the same time, but I will confine it to 
myself, that in case I met Mr. Harber I was not to give him any infor- 
mation in regard to what we had done orwiiere we had been in the Lena 
delta, or what we had learned of the country. 

Q. Please state again what Engineer Melville said to you with refer- 
ence to giving information to Lieutenant Harber. — A. He told me in case 
I met Lieutenant Harber not to give him any information in regard to 



JEANNETTE IXQUIRY. 725 

what we had done or wliere we had been while on the search in the Lena 
delta. 

Q. Anything else! — A. He made the same statement to me when 
Gilder and Jackson came there. 

Q. Give us the substance of the words, if you can recollect. — A. 
This was before the statement about Lieutenant Harber. He told me in 
case I met Gilder to keep a damned close mouth ; if I met him to give 
him no information, because he wanted no damned reporter after him. 
I state*! that in my former testimony. And he made a similar statement 
when Mr. Jackson came to us. But this statement about Mr. Harber was 
made still later on when he found that Mr. Harber had passed us. While 
we were going to the southward on our route home Mr. Harber was going 
to the north on his search. We were on a steamer on the Lena River, 
and we passed a steamer with Mr. Harber in tow during the night. Noros, 
Mndemann, and myself, I think, saw the steamer and saw this schooner, 
and we were not feeling very friendly towards Mr. Melville at that time 
and did n-ot say anything. He told us he had given orders to the cap- 
tain of the steamer we were on to stop any boats that had Mr. Harber 
in tow if he saw it, and the captain of the steamer failed to do it, and 
we did not do it because we had no instructions to do so. As soon as 
we arrived at Olockmer, which was the next day, I think, after we had 
passed Mr. Harber, we found that Harber had also stopped at Olock- 
mer, and had left letters there for Melville in case he should i3ass him. 
Before we got to Olockmer, however,^ after Mr. Melville had got up in 
the morning, we told him that we thought Mr. Harber had gone down 
the river, and I said, '' In case he has, will you let me go back with 
himV He says, ''No; I want you to go home with me.'' Well, we 
got to Olockmer and he got some letters from Harber, the contents of 
which I don't know, and he came to me and said, " Bartlett, you asked 
me to let you go back, and I told you that I would not let you go; 
since I have received these letters you will have to go. I will order 
you to go now, and Lieutenant Barry has concluded to send Mr. Hunt 
back, and I shall have to x)lace you under the charge of Mr. Hunt, and 
you will report to Mr. Hunt for duty when this steamer leaves here," 
and he gave me a written order to that effect. Mr. Hunt started that 
night to go back ; when we got part of the way to Jakutsk we met Mr. 
Harber coming up the river, and we went on 200 versts farther to the 
north, aud met Mr. Scheutze with the schooner coming to the south- 
ward. It appears Harber had given up the idea of his search, and was 
following Melville with all speed on small boats towed by horse-power, 
while Melville was going up the river by steamer, and he h?id also or- 
dered Mr. Scheutze to bring the schooner to the southward. That is 
all in relation to that part of it, I believe. If I remember aright, Mr. 
Danenhower in his testimony said that the whale boat drew 2G inches 
of water at one time. That would be almost an utter impossibility. 
She would have been some 4 or 6 inches under water had she drawn 
26 inches. She was only 22 inches deep inside, with a keel of about 3 
inches below her garboard streaks. Probably it would be 4 inches from 
the top of her kelson to the lower side of her keel. So, if she had 
drawn 26 inches of water, she would have been under water entirely. 
In regard to that point, I want to say I always had charge of the boat. 
Mr. Danenhower never had charge of the whale-boat, to my knowledge ; 
to the best of my memory, he never had charge of the whale-boat only 
for one day. 

Q. Who navigated the boat during the storm ? — A. It was done under 
the directions of Mr. Melville, sir. The orders were given by Mr. Dan- 



726 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

enliower, but under Mr. Melville's supervision, as I understand it. I 
do not remember the whale-boat ever being turned over to Mr. Danen- 
hower. 

Q. It was turned over to him during the gale? — A. Not to my knowl- 
edge; no, sir. 

Q. Wilson swears so? — A. I heard the conversation. I was sitting 
facing Melville and Danenhower; we talked of heaving the boat to. I 
think that I joined in the conversation, and said that I thought we were 
running as long as we could, or something like that, and Mr. Melville, 
I think, said, to use his own words, ^'Dan., what do j-ou think of it?" 
meaning Danenhower. Mr. Melville called him Dan. He says, "Well, 
I think we have run about as long as we cau stand it;" and Mr. Melville 
says, "Do you think you can do anything to help her any?" using a sail- 
or's phrase for it. Mr. Danenhower says, "Yes, I think I can; I think 
I can heave her to." Melville says, "Well, how will we do it?" Mr. 
Danenhower proceeded to use the oars, I believe, and boat-hooks, and 
sucli other stuff as we had, and Mr. Melville saj^s, "No; that never will 
do; if we should lose the oars we would be utterly helpless unless we 
had a wind; if we come into a river we could do nothing; that won't 
do; I think we had better take three tent-poles and make a triangle ot 
them and tie a piece of canvas over them." Mr. Danenhower concurred 
in the talk they had, and said that he would boss the job or superin- 
tend the job of making this thing if Mr. Melville was agreeable. Mr. 
Melville says, "Go ahead and do it," and I believe that he gave the 
order for it to be done, and, I think, helped to a certain extent in mak- 
ing what they called the bridle. He assisted in that, as I remember 
well. So far as the lashing on the tent-poles was concerned and the 
lashing onto them of the canvas, all that was done by Mr. Cole and Mr. 
Man son. 

Q. Is there any other fact that you wish to state ? Just go right along 
as brief as possible.— A. I guess that is about the end of it. Hold on. 
I will refer to another instance which has just come to my mind in re- 
gard to Mr. Melville speaking about the captain. He had often — I won't 
say often — he had at times made the remark in conversation while in 
search for the bodies in the Lena delta that if Captain De Long had 
been the only man that perished, and the rest had come through, he 
would have said amen to it, because, as he said, he considered that 
Captain De Long was not the proper man in the proper place. He also 
stated to me in Washington here, since I was on the stand before this 
committee, that he himself had no faith in the captain ; and, further- 
more, I would state that myself and Manson, who is right here, had 
made an arrangement to run away from Captain De Long in the island 
of Kotelnoi while we were delayed there two days, as I thought at the 
time, unnecessarily. That was my opinion of it. I think it was two 
days; I won't state positively it was two days. We had made an ar- 
rangement to leave the party and to steal one can of pemmican and a 
rifle and some ammunition; and had Captain De Long not moved from 
there at the time he did we should have left him, probably to our sorrow 
and death. Let that be as it may, we had the idea in mind at the time. 

Q. Is there any other fact that you wish to state? — A. That is all I 
have to say. 

Q. Why had you determined to desert the party that night? — A. Be- 
cause we had both made up our minds in conversation together that the 
delay was unnecessary. We had moved over the same si)ace that we 
had stopped for. It was on account of the ice being driven onto the 



JEANNETTE mQUIRt. 727 

coast of the island, and to my positive knowledge the ice had not moved 
off the coast, and we dragged our boats over the same space that was 
covered when we went there — after a delay of two days we dragged the 
boats over that space, and I thought it was unnecessary to remain there, 
and did not feel like staying. I thought I would rather take my chances 
by myself. 

By Mr. Arisoux: 

Q. Where was Mr. Ohipp at that time ■? — A. Mr. Chipp was there, sir. 

Q. Had you waited for him to come up ? — A. Mr. Ohipp had over- 
taken us. 

Q. Had you waited for him to come up ? — A. Yes; I think we waited 
two days or a day. I won't be positive of the time. We waited a day 
and a half or two days for Mr. Chipp to come up after we arrived at 
Kotelnoi. But that was before they arrived at Kotelnoi. 

Q. Who was it that arranged for the desertion at Kotelnoi Island, 
you or Manson '?— A. It was between us both. 

Q. Who proposed it first? — A. I don't know whether it was mj^self 
or Manson. It was brought about 

Q. (Interposing.) I did not ask how it was brought about. I simply 
asked who proposed it. — A. I can't remember -, I don't know which one 
of us did propose it. 

Q. Did you propose to desert the rest of the party and go off by your- 
selves and take care of yourselves ? — A. We did; yes, sir. 

Q. Was that in the discharge of any rule or regulation in the ISTavy 
or any duty you had engaged to perform ? — A. It was not in discharge 
of any regulation or rule of the Navy, but I was taking the thing into 
my own hands and was looking out for my own safety when there was 
nobody to look out for us, as I considered. 

Q. I ask you whether that was in the line of duty*?— A. No, sir. I 
considered it in the line of self-preservation. 

Q. When and where was it that Melville told you in Washington that 
if Captain De LoDg had been the only one that had perished he would 
not have searched for him ? — A. It was on the corner of Thirteenth and 
E streets. I can't tell you the day, but it was the day after I was on 
the stand, or some day after I was on the stand before this committee. 

Q. Was any person present 1 — A. No, sir ; Mr. Melville and I were 
by ourselves. 

Q. When the boats were turned, as you testified heretofore, at your 
suggestion, did not Manson tell you to speak of it because he did not 
speak English so well ? — A. He did, most emphatically ; yes, sir. 

Q. Did you forget to tell that when you were on the stand before *? — 
A. I said that I told 

Q. Did you forget to tell that somebody told it to you ^ — A. I did not 
say anything about it one way or the other. 

Q. Did you forget to tell this committee when you said that you did 
it that it was not your own idea, but that it was Manson's idea, sug- 
gested- to you? — A. I did not say anything about it. 

Q. Did you when you were telling about that circumstance forget to 
tell that Manson was the one that told you to speak of it ? — A. I say I 
did not tell it. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. Did you remember it at that time? — A. If it co'nes right down to 
the point of the thing it was not a pure suggestion of Manson's. It 
was brought about by conversation between him and me. 



728 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Mo Adoo : 
Q. Tbe fact is you did not state it when you were on the stand be- 
fore. Did you forget it ! — A. Yes j I forgot it. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Q. Do you mean to tell this committee that at the time you were tell- 
ing that circumstance you did not recollect that Mansou had anything 
whatever to do with that conversation ! — A. No, sir ; I had some con- 
versation in regard to it. I admit that I had conversation with Manson 
in regard to it.. 

Q. That is not what I ask you. Can you not comprehend my ques- 
tion '? I ask when you were telling the committee before about what 
you did in connection with that circumstance, did you not recollect that 
you had had that conversation with Manson"? — A. I don't know that I 
did at the time I made that answer to that question. 

Q. You won't swear that you did not *? — A. I won't swear that I did 
not, and I won't swear that I did at that time. 

Q. Was there an open shoe piece to the keel of the whale-boat ? — A. 
No, sir ; no open shoe piece. 

Q. Was there any kind of a shoe piece ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What kind of a shoe piece did it have? — A. It was what is known 
as Oregon pine. 

Q. Did you understand me when I put the question to you to inquire 
particularly about the material ? — A. Yes, I did; and you put the ques- 
tion in that shape and I answered it. 

Q. And you did not go into any explanation about the kind of shoe 
piece, did you ? — A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. How heavy was the shoe piece of the keel of the whale-boat? — 
A. I don't know what the heft of it would be, I think it was a four by 
six ; about 20 or 22 feet long, perhaps. 

Q. Where was that fixed to the boat *? — A. It was fixed on to what 
is called the standing keel, or the regular keel of the boat, and I will 
explain that to you. 

Q. No, you need not explain that now. It is a little out of order after 
the answer you gave. Do you recollect, when you were on the stand 
before, the conversation about Melville telling you to keep a close mouth 
to the reporters ? — A. Yes. 

Q. You recollected that? — A. I recollect something about it. 

Q. And you told about it when you were on the stand before ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you as clearly recollect about the conversation not to giv^e 
Lieutenant Harber any information ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you consider it was a serious matter for him to tell you not 
to give Harber any information ? — A. ISIo; but I was asked the question 
fair and square in my other examination, and I answered it as it was 
asked me. Giles Harber had never been brought into this investiga- 
tion up to that time. 

Q. Did you consider it a serious matter that Melville had told you 
not to give another officer information in respect to his duty? — A. Well, 
yes ; I considered it so at the time. 

Q. And have you not ever since considered it a very serious matter? — 
A. I have considered it so. 

Q. A very serious matter? — A. A very serious matter. 

Q. Is there any matter which you have told in criticism of Mr. Mel- 
ville that you consider compares in gravity of offense with that? — A. 
Well, Idon'tJiuow. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 729 

Q. And yet having that in mind, and having sworn before this com- 
mittee to tell the whole truth, you suppressed it when you were on the 
stand heretofore, did j-ou not? — A. I don't know as you can call it sup- 
})ressing anything when you are not asked in regard to it when you are 
examined, cross-examined, and re-examined. 

Q. Were you not asked to tell everything that you could against every 
officer that was on that Jeannette expedition ? — A. I think that ques- 
tion was never put to me, sir. 

Q. Did you not understand that you were expected and required to 
tell everything you could against every officer? — A. There are a great 
many things that have been called to my memory by sitting here and 
listening since 1 was on the stand before. 

Q. I asked you about this matter of Lieutenant Harber. You said 
you recollected that. — A. I did not say I recollected it. 

Q. T ask you if you did not understand when you were on the stand 
before that you were required to tell everything you knew against every 
officer of the Jeannette ?— A. No, sir; I did not understand it in that 
iight at all. 

Q. Do you so understand it now? — A. I do understand it in that 
light now. 

Q. Have you said everything that you can now recollect against 
every officer of the Jeannette? — A. It is not only against the officers 
but against the men. 

Q. Have you told everything that you now recollect? — A. Well, just 
at this moment I have, but I might think of something else to-morrow, 
maybe. 

Q. Have you suppressed any fact whatever from the knowledge of this 
committee?— A. Nothing that is brought to my mind at present. 

Q. You have not intentionally now kept back anything? — A. I have 
not intentionally, but in the course of the investigation, if it goes on 
longer, I might have other things brought to my mind by hearing the 
testimony of somebody else. 

Q. Where was the place that you were told by Melville not to give 
the information to Harber ? — A. It was at a station called Kinjaratski, 
on the road from Yerkeransk to Jakutsk. 

Q. W^hat was the time, if you please? — A. I think it was the last of 
April, 1882. It was in the last part of April or in the forepart of May. 

Q. Now, give me exactly the words that you recollect Mr. Melville 
spoke to you on that subject. — A. As I remember it, we heard it 

Q. (Interposing.) Not as you remember, but the fact. — A. I will say, 
as I r en] ember it. Is that right ? 

Mr. Aknoux. No. 

The Witness. Do you want me to say a thing that is not so ? 

Mr. AnNOUX. I want you to say the words you heard. 

The Witness. I will tell what I remember. 

Q. Do you not remember it positively ? — A. Not word for word. 

Q. Can you give the substance ? — A. I can give the substance, but 
I cannot give his exact words. 

Q. Well, as accurately as you can ? — A. That is what I was going to 
do. I think as I remember it he heard about Mr. Harber — 

Q. (Interposing.) That is not what I want at all. I do not want to 
know what you think you heard or anything of that kind. I want his 
words. Can you give them ? — A. As I remember it he told me in case 
I met Mr. Harber not to give him any information in regard to what 
we had done, nor where we had been in the Lena delta or in our search. 

Q. Now, which was it, in the Lena delta or in your search ? — A. Well, 



730 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I tliiDk he used both the terms just as I expressed it. I don't remember 
word for word, but it was in regard to what we did in the search. 

Q. Did lie give you any reasons why he wished you not to g;\ye Har- 
ber any information ? — A. To the best of my knowledge, I think he 
said in connection with it that he must be one of the young pups that 
was coming up in the Navy, one that he did not know. 

Q. Did he give that as a reason why'you were not to telH — A. Ko, 
I think that was in connection 

Q. I did not ask what he said in connection 1 — A. He did not give 
me any reason as I remember. 

Q. He gave no reason ? — A. Not as I remember. 

Q. Did he continue the conversation^^ — A. No, sir; I think it was 
broken up by Mr. Jackson coming on the scene. 

Q. So you have given the entire conversation on that subject? — A. I 
think the conversation was broken up right there by Mr. Jackson, 
who was in the hut at the time. 

Q. Have you given the entiie conversation on the subject? — A. As 
far as I remember at present. 

Q. Do you swear now that that conversation took place ? — A. I do 
swear that that conversation took place. 

Q. And that is as true as anything that you have stated to this com- 
mittee ? — A. I think it is true. 

Q. Is it as true as any other statement jou have made? — A. Yesj as 
true as any other statement I have made. 

Q. You spoke about a party being overboard through Captain De 
Long's interference. Was that the same instance that was testified to 
here yesterday ? — A. I do not know what was testified to yesterday. 

Q. Were you not here ? — A. Only a portion of the time. 

Q. Did you hear one of the witnesses testify yesterday to the fact 
that Captain De Long ordered them on a cake of ice which rolled over 
and slipped them over into the water? — A. I heard him tell of it. 

Q. Was that the same transaction ? — A. No; I think it was another 
transaction. We used to have them so frequently that I cannot call up 
the transaction, perhaps, that that man spoke of. 

Q. When w^as it that that took place that you narrated? — A. It was 
along in the fore i^art of Jul^^, I think. 

Q. Where were you ? — A. It was about the time that we sighted Ben- 
nett Island — no, I think it was a little before we sighted Bennett 
Island, a few days before. 

Q. Howlonghad youthen been on the march? — A. I believe we started 
March 17, and that was the IGth of June. 

Q. Was that the first time that you recollected that such an accident 
liappened ! — A. Well, it was the first time that an accident occurred 
where there were three sleds put onto the same piece, and every one went 
overboard. 

Q. Is that the first time that you recollect some such an accident hap- 
pening ? — A. Well, I don't know whether it was the first one or not. I 
can't tell in regard to that. The thing did happen sevenil times. 

Q. Did I ask whether it happened several times ? — A. I tell you I 
can't tell whether it was the first time or not. 

Q. Did you understand that you were answering my question when 
I j)ut it to you ? — x\. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you did notunderstand metoaskyou whetherit had happened 
several times ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Then how do you answer my question ? — A. I said I could not tell 
you whether it was the first time or not. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 731 

Q. Weil, the other part of my question. — A. Well, I said it occurred 
several times. 1 dou't know whether it was the first time or not. 

Q. Can you tell any other time it happened 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Tell it. — A. One day going across with the sleigh that we called 
the Walrus, the heaviest provision sleigh in the outfit, he put the sleigh 
on a piece of ice that was comparatively round and that was nearly as 
much out of order. 

Q. I am not asking about the ice. You need not dwell upon that. I 
want to know where it was and when it was ? —A. 1 think it was just a 
little while after this instance that I have spoken of. 

Q. How long after ? — A. It may have been five days, and it may have 
been ten days, I cannot tell you. 

Q. Where were you ? — A. I think we were approaching Bennett 
Island, or had shaped a course towards Bennett Island. 

Q. What time did you get to Bennett Island ? — A. I have been told 
we got there about the 29th of July or the 26th. I don't know anything 
correct about these dates. 

Q. When and where was it that you beat the natives with a stick ? — 
A. At the time I was taking the provision train for the search party of 
Melville to the northward from Jakutsk. 

Q. Had any officer beat you with a stick "? — A. No, sir j I would not 
let them. 

Q. Had you any authority over those natives f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Had you any more authority over them than the officers had over 
you as a seaman ? — A. I did not have as much, sir. 

Q. And yet you felt that you could beat the natives with a stick, did 
you 1 — A. I felt that I was urging the interest of the work I was in by 
doing it. 

Q. Did you feel that you had a right to beat the natives with a 
stick? — A, I kind of thought I did, because the governor told me if 
they did not do as I told them to beat them. 

Q. So you felt you had a right to beat them ? — A. I didn't think I had 
a right, but I thought it was my duty. 

Q. Because they did not go faster ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And yet you think it was a very cruel thing for Melville to swear 
at the men and damn them because they did not move fast enough to 
suit him 1 — A. I think that Mr. Melville was very cruel at times in his 
language to the people. 

Q. You did not think you were very cruel to the natives when you 
beat them with a stick ^. — A. I beat them because they were not doing 
justice, and the men were at the time Melville was cruel to them in lan- 
guage. 

Q. And you pass judgment on the whole party, master and man ? — 
A. I think I can in that instance. 

Q. Do you ever swear ! — A. Yes, blue streak. 

Q. Did you ever swear at the natives? — A. Yes; I cursed them up 
hill and down. 

Q. Did you think it was cruel ? — A. They didn't understand whether 
I cursed them or not. 

Q. Did you think it was cruel to swear at the natives ?— A. If you 
come right down to the point, yes, sir. I had no right to swear at them 
probably. I never cursed them only when I thought they deserved it 
and when I thought it was aiding us in the work we had. 

Q. Did you ever know Melville to curse the men and tell them to 
^' lift, damn you," when he did not think it was necessary to encourage 
them in their work? — A. I think that he was cursing intelligent men, or 



732 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

men that knew tbe position they were in as well as he did, and he was 
not justified in cursing them at times when he did curse them. I don't 
tliink he was justified in telling the men that were doing the work on 
that retreat that they were ^ parcel of God damned mules. 

Q I am not askiug about that. You said he used the words ^'lift, 
damn you V^ — A. He did more than once. 

Q. Now, then you say you swore at the natives when they did not 
work ?— A. I did. 

Q. And you thought you had a right to do it? — A. I said I thought 
I had a right when they were not doing their duty. But at the time 
Melville cursed us it was when we were doing our duty, and doing all 
that it was in our bone and muscle to do. 

Q. Perhaps the natives thought the same ? — A. l^o, sir ; when a man 
sits down and takes three hours by the watch to put on his boots, it's a 
pretty strong indication 

Q. (Interposing.) Do you think Melville thought you were going as 
fast as you could f — A. Yes 5 I knew he knew it, because there we were 
stuck in the hole and it took all the muscle we had to get the thing out 
of the hole. 

Q. You say you could look into his mind and see what he knew *? — A. 
Any sensible man could tell. 

Q. And yet the natives could not look into yours ? — A. I think that 
any native that can take three hours to pull on his boots is not sensible 
enough to tell anything, and a native was three hours by the watch get- 
ting his boots ou, and I had seven or eight of them working, and I made 
them go and get their teams, and this native was three hours by the 
watch pulling his boots on, and he was a driver, too. 

Q. Have you got the notes you said you wanted to get *? — A. No, sir ; 
I have not. 

Q. You have not been refreshed in all these matters by these notes? — 
A. No, sir ', only what I have heard during this investigation as it has 
proceeded. 

Q. How many men hunted on the island when you were hunting for 
the doe and fawn ? — A. I cannot tell you. There were probably eight 
or nine ; I think about that. 

Q. And what were the rest doing ? — A. They were in the boats. 

Q. What were they doing ? — A. Sailing down the coast of the island 
when we killed the doe, or along the coast of the island. 

Q. How long a delay did you make at Seminowski Island ? — A. From 
Saturday noon until Monday morning. 

Q. You rested over Sunday! — A. We rested Saturday afternoon. 
Well, we did not rest. It was pretty hard work with the most of us. 
There was very little rest for me. I worked very hard there. 

Q. Was that the i)lace where you were going to desert? — A. No, sir; 
it was Kotelnoi Island. 

Q. Did you think of deserting at Seminowski Island? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Was it before or after you had reached Kotelnoi? — A. After we 
had been to Kotelnoi Island. 

Q. Did, you get any fur clothing on the Jeannette? — A. Yes, sir; I 
did. 

Q. Where did you get it ? — A. I got it on the quarter-deck of the 
ship. 

Q. Where did you get it on board the ship; from what place or 
port? — A. I think a portion of it came from Ounalaska, in the Aleutian 
Islands, at one of the Alaska Commercial Conjpany's stations, and I 
think a portion of it was taken or bought with the ship ; I don't know 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 733 

ill regard to that, but I think so ; and I know that some of the skins we 
took fiom Ounalaska were carried to St. Michaels, and while we remained 
there were made into clothing; mostly into pants, I think. 

Q. Then yon got the skins after the ship sailed from San Francisco 
and when 30U stopped at Ounalaska, did you! — A. 1 think the most of 
them came from there ; there might have been some fur clothing in the 
ship ; a little ; I don't know to what extent ; but I know we sot sldns at 
Onnalaska, because I saw them come aboard there, and taken out of 
the ship at St. Michaels. 

Q. When was it that you had the talk with Melville that you referred 
to in your examination to-day 1 

The Witness. In regard to whaf? 

i\Ir. Arnoux. In regard to what he said about Chipp, and that he 
bad no confidence in De Long's ability to conduct the retreat? — A. I 
hail that conversation right here in Washington with him while this in- 
vestigation was going on. 

Q. When and where"? — A. I can't tell you just the day, but it was 
down here at the corner of Thirteenth and E streets. 

Q. Was it in the same conversation to which you referred where he 
said if De Long had been alone he would not have gone for him ! — A. 
No, sir; it was not; that conversation took place in Siberia. 

Q. Which one ? — A- Where he said if De Long had been the only 
one that had i^erished he would have said amen. 

Q. Was that the only time he ever said that to you about De Long ? — 
A. I don't know as I ever heard him make that particular statement 
but that once. 

Q Whereabouts in Siberia was that! — A. I think it was in the hut 
at Mat Vai, just after the finding of the bodies. It was there, to the 
best of my memory. 

Q. That was the only time and place he ever said that if De Long had 
been the only one who perished he would not have gone for him ? — A. 
He did not say he would not have gone for him, sir. I did not say 
that. 

Q. Well, that if De Long had been the only one, then what ! — A. 
That he would have said amen. 

Q. Did he at any other time or in any other place say anything of 
like character that you recollect f — A. I heard him say 

Q, (Interposing.) No, no; this particular hinguage. — A. I never heard 
him say anything like that but that once that I remember of now. I 
have heard him say similar things. 

Q. When was it that he said to you that he had no confidence in De 
Long's ability to conduct the retreat ! — A. On the corner of Thirteenth 
and E streets. 

Q. I said when was it ! — A. It was while this investigation has been 
going on. 

Q. Can 5^ou tell any more accurately than that! — A. Well, I think it 
was some time last week ; jast the day I can't tell you. 

Q. Are you sure it was last week ! — A. I think it was, to the best of 
my memory. 

Q. Was it after you had left the stand ! — A. I think it was just shortly 
after I had left the stand. 

Q. Was it before he had been called as a witness!— A. Yes ; I think 
it was before or during the time he was on the stand, I can't tell which. 

Q. Do you know when it was he first went on the stand as a wit- 
ness !— A. No, sir ; I cannot tell you the dav. 



734 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Were you here before this committee when he first went on the 
stand as a witness 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Was it at the same time and in the same conversation that he 
said to you what you have repeated about Mr. Chipp? 

The Witness. In regard to what ? 

Mr. Arnoux. In regard to anything that you have mentioned to- 
day? 

A. I don't know what I have mentioned in regard to Mr. Ohipp. 

Q. Do you recollect that Mr. Melville at any time in any conversa- 
tion with you said anything in regard to Mr. Ohipp ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you in this testimony of yours to-day repeated anything 
that Melville said to you about Mr. Ohipp ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did you repeat ? — A. I said that Melville told me that ho 
knew if Ohipp had struck the coast he would have left De Long, or 
words to that effect. 

Q. Now, then, I ask you was that remark about Mr. Ohipp made at 
the same time that he made the other remark to you about Captain De 
Long ? — A. I think it was. 

Q. Are you positive? — A. Well, I don't know; I wouldn't swear posi- 
tively, because 1 have been in conversation with Melville every day 
since this committee has been in session until he went away. I would 
not swear positively, but I think that was the time. 

Q. Did you know or did you understand that Mr. Melville had gone 
to sea at the time you went on the stand to-day f — A. No, sir ; I do not 
know to my knowledge that he has gone to sea. 

Q. I ask you whether you knew or understood he had gone ? — A. I 
understood the ship was to sail yesterday. 

Q. Have you any understanding to the contrary; that she has not 
gone as she intended ? — A. No, sir ; I haven't, one way or the other. I 
haven't seen that article in the paper to-day. That is the only means 
I would have of knowing. 

Q. Were you examined as a witness before the court of inquiry ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember that this question was put to you in the Oourt 
of Inquiry : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Have you any statement to lay before thia 
court in relation to the fitting out of the Jeannette for Arctic service and the condi- 
tion of the ship when she sailed from San Francisco ? 

A. I do not recollect that it was. I recollect something about it, 
but just the exact words I do not remember. 

Q. And did you not answer that question : ^'I haven't any, sir?" — A. 
I said I had no question to lay l)efore that court. 

Q. Did you not answer "I haven't any, sir"? — A. I guess I did be- 
fore the court. 1 had none at that time. 

Q. When you gave that answer did you intend by that to be under- 
stood that you did know things derogatory to the expedition and its 
fitting out, but that you would not lay them before that court *? — A. 
Well, I knew things at that time that I did not lay before that court 5 
but the question, as I understood it, was, had I anything to say to that 
court, and I said " No, sir." That is the way I understood it; that the 
court asked me if I had anything to lay before that court. I didn't 
have anything to lay before that court under the existing circumstances 
at that time. 

Q. Was that what you intended them to understand by your an- 
swer! — A. That was just what 1 intended, sir. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 735 

Q. Did you have these things, or some of them, in your mind at that 
time? — A. I did, sir. 

Q. And you intended to withhold them from that court in answering 
that question because you had the opportunity under the words ^'tolay 
before the court"? — A. 1 intended to withhold them as long as I lived 
if this investigation had not been brought up. I never said a word out- 
side of this investigation but what I said in that testimony. 

Q. You have not answered the question I have put to you in the slight- 
est degree. I will put it in this form : Did you avoid telling tbe truth by 
reason of the words being put in the question, " Have you any state- 
ment to lay before this court?" — A. I say that 1 had no question to lay 
before that court. That was the feeling that I went there under. 

Q. Did you take advantage of the words '* Have you any statement to 
lay before this court?" to give the answer you gave? — A. If they had 
put questioDS in detail the same as you have, I would have answered 
them just the same as I have you to-day. 

Q. Another question was put to you : 

Have you any charge to lay or special commendation to offer concerning any of the 
officers or men connected with the Jeannette expedition ; first as to the condition of 
the vessel on her departure from San Francisco. 

Were you asked in that question whether you had any statement to 
lay before that court ? — A. Not at that time ; I had none, sir, I think. 

Q. I ask you whether in that question there was anything said about 
laying it before that court ? — A. That goes on ; it was all the one ques- 
tion ; it was split up. 

Q. No, sir 5 it was not. This is another question as I put it to you 
now. — A. 1 understood it was before that court. 

Q. Are you sufficiently intelligent to understand a question that is 
put to you ? — A. Sometimes. 

Q. Did you understand the questions which were put to you at the 
Court of Inquirj^ ? — A. Partly, probably. 

Q. Was there any question that you failed to understand in your 
judgment before you answered ? — A. There might have been, but I don't 
remember that there was. 

Q. This question was put to you : 

Question by the Judge-Advocate. Have you any charge to lay or special com- 
mendation to oifer concerning any of the officers or men connected with the Jeannette 
expedition : first, as to the condition of the vessel on her departure from San Fran- 
cisco ; second, her management up to the time of her loss ; third, her loss ; fourth, 
the provisions made and plans adopted for the several boats' crews on their leaving 
the wreck ; fifth, the efforts made by the various officers to insure the safety of the 
parties under their charge and for the relief of the other parties; sixth, the general 
conduct and merits of each and all of the officers and men of the expedition ? 

A. I can't remember that question through, sir. 

Q. Will you swear that that question was not put to you ? — A. I think 
the question was put to me, but it is beyond the capacity of my under- 
standing to remember that question from beginning to end. 

Q. I did not ask you whether you remembered. Do you remember 
in substance whether that question was put to you on the inquiry ? — A. 
I don't know, sir j I think the question was put to me in separate parts 
as I remember it. I think they divided the question and put it to me 
in a divided form. 

Q. And did you not answer that question, ^' I have not any, sir?" — 
A. I didn't have at that time, sir. 

Q. Did you in your answer at that time say to that court, "I haven't 
any, sir ? " — A. 1 said I had none, but in the former answer before that 
I said I had nothing to answer before that court. 



736 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Yes, but when they left off the words " To that court," did you 
under your oath consider that you had any right of mental reservation 
as to any question that was put to you ? — A. I answered according to 
my feelings at that time. 

Q. Did you answer the truth to this question : 

Have you auy charge to lay or special commendation to offer concerning any of 
the officers or men connected with the Jeannette expedition ? 

A. I did at that time, yes, sir. 

Q. Did you tell them that you had none! — A. I think my answer to 
that question was that I haven't anything to say about it — not at that 
time ; that is the substance of it. 

Q. Did you liave that mental reservation in your mind, "not at that 
time?" — A. I had it in my mind that I had nothing to say, only just 
what I was obliged to say before that court. 

Q. Yes ; but did you have it that when you answered a question that 
you meant at that time you hadn't anything to say *? — A. At that time I 
hadn't anything to say. 

Q. That is what you meant? — A. .Tust what I meant. 

Q. And so when they asked you if there was anything that you had 
to say about the general conduct of each and all the officers, j-ou knew 
things against certain of the officers at the time and refused to disclose 
them. Is that true ?— A. To that court. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. The chairman. Judge Buchanan, told you you could give your mo- 
tive for your intention to leave the party at the time you mentioned. 
What was your motive ! — A. Because I thought we were better able to 
take care of ourselves than the authorities we were under were able to 
take care of us. 

Q. And did you deem it essential to the protection of your life ? — A. 
I did. 1 considered it in the line of self-preservation. 

William F. C. Kindemann recalled and examined. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you have any conversation with Mr. Melville in reference to 
the testimony that he gave before this committee ? 

The Witness. At what time do you mean ? 

Mr. Curtis. Within two or three or three or four days. 

A. Yes ; I had. 

Q. Where was it! — A. Right on Pennsylvania avenue. 

Q. What, if anything, did he say to you in reference to it? — A. 
Well, he said after the investigation was closed, and after he came back 
from the expedition he was going on, that he would talk differently from 
what he had now. 

Q. Is there anything else that you desire to state before the committee, 
that you have not stated during the course of the investigation, and, if 
so, please state it? — A. Yes; there are a few things which 1 would like 
to state. Well, Mr. Melville kind of tickled me by saying that I gave 
him the course to keep the west side of the river, which I did not, not 
for all the way. I gave him the correct course, and the chart is right 
here; that is the course I gave him. 

Q. Who made the chart Scheutze had ? — A. I don't know, I suppose 
Mr. Scheutze ujade it himself. 

Q. What is it made from ?— A. That I couldn't say. It looks very simi- 
lar to mine. And 1 think the other day wheu Melville was on the stand 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 737 

here he had hold of the investigation book where my chart is, and he 
happened to get hold of my chart, and he said my chart was not correct, 
was not a good one. I think that ray chart was just as good as any chart 
he had with the means I had of making it. I had nothing but a watch 
and compass on this course, and used to take bearings on different points. 

I think it is my right to speak about it. Mr. Melville condemned it, said 
it was no good. I think I have still more claim or more right than Mel- 
elville has iu the matter of finding the bodies. He says he was the man 
that found the bodies. I give Melville credit for finding them, but 
who was the man who led him there I It never was known before pub- 
licly from newspapers that I led Mr. Melville. He got all the credit 
for finding the bodies ard finding everything. I claim that I am the 
person that brought him to the place where he found the bodies. I had 
a row with him a half an hour before he found the bodies, and he cursed 
me at the time, and the day was, I believe, the 23d of March. About 

II o'clock, when I wanted to go to a point to the southeast, Melville 
spoke up to me and said, '' Nindemann, where in the hell and damna- 
tion do you want to go to ; do you want to go back to Oi-stolboi ! " I said, 
" I want to go until I strike rough ice ; we have not crossed any rivers 
with rough ice, and haven't found the river yet j the river I want to get 
is a river where the ice is very rough, and I don't think the snow has 
drifted heavy enough to cover all this ice up." And I didn't have any 
more to say. I had pointed out already the point he wanted to go to, 
and he drove ahead of me, and when I came up to the point he had 
stopped, and I had made up my mind then I wouldn't have another 
word to say, and if he didn't find the bodies I would ask him the next 
day to let me go in search for the bodies on my own hook. When I 
caught up to him he came up to me and says, ^' Nindemann, where do you 
want to go now ; is there any place here you recognize *? " I says, " Yes ; 
I want to go due east; there was some high land near the river." Says 
he, "All right, we will go there." So we struck about due east, and Mel- 
ville run across a fire-place. He stated in his testimony that I always 
had the lead of him, which was not so. Mr. Melville had a better 
driver and a better team of dogs, and he always had the lead of me. I 
never was ahead of him. When we ran across the fire-place he was 
the first one who saw the fire place, and he stopped and asked me, " Mn- 
demann, did you build this fire ? " Says I, " No, sir ; I built a fire 2 
miles to the south, that you won't find, because it is covered in with 
snow." This fire was probably 200 yards to the east of the river bank. 
I walked to the river bank, and Melville started with his team, and 
drove around the river bank. Before that I had told him I had sighted 
the old flat boat which I had as a landmark, and he saw the boat before he 
sat down on the sleigh. He sat on the sleigh and started off to the 
northward along the river bank, and I was going to walk along. He was 
below the river bank, and he says, " Nindemann, it is better for you to 
sit on your sleigh ; we will get there quicker." Says I, "All right." He 
was still ahead of me. I went down to the river jjank and sat down on 
my sleigh. He said I was facing to the east. I was not. I was facing 
to the west, and so was Melville, ahead of me. We sighted this little 
tripod sticking out of the snow, but couldn't tell whether it was a rifle 
sticking out or not, and just as soon as he got abreast of the tripod he 
says he tried to get the natives to stop, and ihey didn't, but he threw 
himself oft, and that after the natives noticed it they stopped the team, 
and I got my team stopi)ed, and Mr. Melville thought I was behind him 
and was trying to get there before he did, and when he got within about 
4 feet of the tripod, in his statement, I believe, he said he tumbled off. 

47 J Q* 



738 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

He tumbled, but, in my iudgment, as far as I could see, be tbrew him- 
self off just as be was trying to grab this tripod. He tbought I was 
bebind bim and would get it before him. I was sitting bebiud him 
on my sleigh and was laughing at him. It was about 12 o'clock on the 
23d of March when we found them. We set the natives to digging to 
see wbat was under the tripod. At that time we had left everything 
behind, and says I, "Melville, I will go to the northward and see if 
I can find any more traces of them." Says he, *'A11 right." I told 
him 1 was going to Cass Carta, and I knew it was within a few miles 
of them. 1 wanted to see if the people had been there and found them 
all. 1 started along the river bank. He says, "I am going to the 
southward to take some bearings." I says, " All right, sir." I went 
north and a native came after me to tell me to come back, that they 
had found Captain He Long, Dr. Ambler, and Ah Sam. That daj^ 
we had to get sticks to pry them up. They were frozen to the ground. 
Then after that we took more bearings, and the natives were set to 
work to dig out this tripod; where we found the papers and the tin 
cases which the papers were in and they kept on digging until they 
exposed two bodies, but Melville couldn't tell who they were, nor could 
I tell who they were, and about 3 o'clock in the afternoon it commenced 
to snow and the wind commenced to freshen and we took the papers 
that we had found, put them on the sleigh, and then went back to 
Mat Vai. At the same time when we came back to Mat Vai, we found 
Bartlett, who had been in charge of the people, and I gave Bartlett full 
instructions as soon as I could tell him, and if Bartlett had gone one 
river farther to the westward he would have found the people. Mr. 
Melville told Bartlett how he found the people ; how he fell off his 
sleigh, and that he stumbled when he tried to reach this tripod, and I 
believe that Melville claimed afterwards, when Kaak and Lee, the ma- 
chinist, could not be found that day, that he went out with us that day 
to find out the place where they were. It is not so. Melville never 
went back with us while we were looking for the bodies. He never 
came to the place again until all the bodies were at Mat Yai ; and one 
day after we had all the bodies, I don't remember the day exactly, but 
it was in the month of March, he came out with us to make arrange- 
ments to have a coffin or a box made for the bodies, and arrangements 
were made to bury them at this high place where they were buried. I 
wanted the bodies taken on to Bulun and buried there. Melville 
wouldn't have it. He told me it would take too manj- teams and take 
too many lish, and he had a good many excuses to make. I could not 
see that it would have taken any more. Of course it would have taken 
a little more, but they would have been in a country where they could 
have got fish, and the bodies could have been buried just as well at 
Bulun as the place where they were buried. 

Q. Is there anything further you want to state particularly ? — A. I 
made a mistake about Collins being sick. I came hereto tell you 1 am 
a liar myself, because I know Judge Arnoux will make me out a liar, 
and that is the reason I come here and tell yo'i I am a liar, because I 
don't want to make any trouble. I might as well say I told a lie before 
the Board of Inquiry. 

By the Chairman : 

Q. What was the lie you told I — A. I told before the Court of Inquiry 

that when the captain asked me what the matter was with Collins that 

he didn't come back I told the captain that Mr. Collins was played 

out, and it was a lie. Mr. Colhns told me, says he, " Niudemann, I am 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 739 

not going off to drag in Captain De Long and the doctor, like a dog. 
I am willing to go out and drag in sick people, but I am not willing to 
go out and drag in the captain like a dog." When we sighted land 
it was about the 15th of September — the Lena delta. When we got 
stuck the young ice had been making and we had been running 
through young ice probably for 10 or 15 miles, until we would get 
into loose, open water, and get through and get into young ice again. 
The tide at the time that we came in was running from east to west, 
and we tried to get into the mouth of the river, and got pretty well 
in towards land when we got stuck. When Captain De Long found 
that we were going to get stuck and could not get into the river 
he tried to put the boat around and to stand out to sea again. 
He put the boat around, and we tried hard to get out again, the 
same way we came in and we found we could not. We worked all that 
day and we did not make any progress j got a little to the east and a 
little to the west but couldn't find smy way of getting out again. We 
kept on that day. Night came on, and we just stuck a couple of tent- 
poles in the mud and stopped there. The next day we tried the same 
thing again. We tried to shove the boat over the mud, as there was not 
water enough to float her. We kept on working, but we didn't have 
any success in getting anywhere. Then the captain made up his mind 
that everybody should strip off their boots and take everything off 
and jump overboard and pull the boat into deeper water if we could. 
Erichsen's and Boyd's and Ah Sam's feet were pretty badly frozen and 
had turned blue. When the doctor saw that he talked to the captain, 
and the captain made up his mind not to send the men overboard at 
that time. It seems the tide commenced raising a little by that time, 
about six inches, and we waited until we thought the tide was at its 
highest to get out, but we didn't get out. We were trying to get east. 
The captain says, " There is no show for us to get anywhere." Towards 
evening we saw some ice pretty well to the eastward that looked as if 
it was quite heavy ice at the time, and the captain made up his mind to 
reach this ice and fasten there for the night and lay there, and as the ice 
looked to us as if it was quite heavy it seemed to us that there must be 
more water at first where we were. We tried to haul the boat over, but 
we didn't make much headway. We managed to get that night along- 
side this ice, but when we came up to it we found it was ice a quarter 
of an inch or half an inch thick that had pushed up on a little shoal. It 
looked at a distance as if it was heavy ice. When we found it was 
nothing but posh ice the captain gave orders to fasten the boat for the 
night. We lay there that night and next morning tried again to get 
out to the eastward and to the westward the same way again, but it was 
no go. I think we worked up to somewhere near dinner and we came 
back to the same piece where we started from and shoved the boat back 
again over the mud and what little water there was, and the captain 
told me to take one of the tent-poles and stick it over the side and make 
a mark where the water would touch it and see whether the water was 
raising. 

Q. Tell us how you got out of that river.— A. The same day — it was 
on the 17th, after we had tried to get out — Captain De Long says, ^' I 
know what I will do. Push the boat right back again where you started 
from." He made me set out the tent-pole to see when the tide raised 
higher, and the tide raised about 4 inches, that was all, and we con- 
structed a raft. 

Q. Just tell what you did ; how you got ashore '? — A. We pushed the 
boat in as far as we could until we couldn't get the boat in any farther. 
The wind was then about south-southeast, blowing quite a stiff breeze. 



740 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You went in on a raft ? — A. No, sir; we went in on the boat. We 
had a heavy swell, and we made her lean over on the bilge so that she 
wouldn't draw so much water, and we could shove her easier over the 
ground; we got in to where Captain De Long ordered everybody to jump 
overboard and drag her in. We dragged her as far as we could, and 
when we found that we could not drag her any farther Captain De Long 
gave orders for everybody to take a load and carry it to shore. Every- 
body jumped overboard except Captain De Long, Dr. Ambler, Boyd, Ah 
Sam, and Erichsen. We went ashore. The young ice was J inch thick. 
Iverson hadn't his boots very well tied, and he lost his boots and socks 
wading ashore. We landed the things we had, the sleeping bags and 
provisions, and one thing or another. 

The Chairman. We will suspend here. 

Mr. Arnoux. With the permission of the committee I would like to 
offer some documentary evidence. 

The Chairman. Very well. 

Mr. Arnoux. I desire to read from the Eevised Statutes and the 
Naval Regulations. (Eeading :) 

The orders, regulations, and instructions issued by the Secretary of the Navy prior to 
July 14, 1862, with such alterations as he may since have adopted, with the approval 
of the President, shall be recognized as the regulations of the Navy, subject to al- 
terations adopted in the same manner. — (Laws relating to the Navy, section 1547.) 

Navy Department, 

Washington, August 7, 1876. 
The following regulations are established, with the approval- of the President of the 
United States, for the government of all persons attached to the naval service. All 
circulars or instructions from any of the Bureaus of this Department not in contraven- 
tion with these regulations are to be considered as still in force, and will be obeyed 
accordingly. 

GEO. M. ROBESON, 

Secretary of the Navy. 
• «»«««* 

12. 

Classifications of punishments. 

For the purpose of promoting good order and discipline in the Navy, and to secure 
uniformity in awarding punishments, the following schedule of offenses, with propor- 
tionate and appropriate punishments, will be adopted in all vessels of the Navy as 
applicable for infliction by commanding officers of vessels without resort to summary 
or to general courts-martial : 

A. Solitary confinement, five days or less ; no irons ; bread and water. 

B. Solitary confinement, three days or less ; no irons ; bread and water. 

C. Solitary confinement, 7 days or less; no irons; full rations. 

D. Solitary confinement, 5 days or less ; no irons ; full rations. 

E. Solitary confinement, 3 days or less ; no irons ; full rations. 

F. Confinement, 10 days or less ; double irons ; full rations. 

G. Confinement, 5 days or less ; double irons ; full rations. 
H. Confinement, 3 days or less ; double irons ; full rations. 

I. Confinement, 10 days or less ; single irons or without irons ; full rations. 
J. Confinemout, 5 days or less; single irons or without irons ; full rations. 
K. Confinement, 3 days or less; single irons or without irons ; full rations. 
L. Confinement over night ; single irons or without irons ; full rations. 
M. Reduction of any rating established by himself. 
N. Deprivation of liberty on shore. 
O. Extra duties. 

13. 

Suggestions as to offenses punishable hy a commanding o^er. 

No. 1. Absence without leave N 

No. 2. Leaving boat or working party N 

No. 3. Making false charges against any of the crew, if made by petty 

officer or other person rated by commaoder M 

No. 4. If by petty officer or other person not rated by commander O 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 741 

No. 5. LyiDg O 

No. 6. Answering for another man at watch-muster, at quarters, or in a 

boat - - O 

No. 7. Being habitually dirty or slovenly (as a reformatory measure in 
such cases, besides the punishment, frequent inspections of the 
person and clothing by officer of division or deck, or by master- 
at-arms or ship's corporal, should be made until the habit is re- 
formed. The marine officer or non-commissioned officer of ma- 
rines shall make these inspections with the marmes) O 

UNTIDINESS, DISOBEDIENCE, OR NEGLECT OF ORDERS. 

No. 8. Not being in proper uniform (frequent inspection also) O 

No. 9. Neglecting to carry out orders O 

No. 10. Disobedience of orders • - A to 1^ 

DRUNKENNESS AND LIQUOR. 

No. 11. Drunk at sea or on duty M or O 

No. 12. Returning from leave drunk None 

No. 13. Occasionally drunk (confinement until sober as a precautionary 

measure in these cases) A, M, or O 

No. 14. Smuggling liquor A 

No. 15. TralScing in liquor A 

NEGLECT OR AVOIDANCE OF DUTY. 

No. 16. Neglect of ordinary duty, or negligently performing it M or O 

No. 17. Not answering muster at watch or quarters MorO 

No. 18. Malingering M or O 

No. 19. Inattention to duty (frequent inspections also) M or O 

OFFENSES AGAINST GOOD ORDER. 

No. 20. Gambling A,M,or O 

No. 21. Misbehavior at divine service A, M, or O 

No. 22. Making noise on deck, aloft, or at quarters A to L 

No. 23. Spitting on deck, either below or from aloft O 

No. 24. Sleeping in tops or in boats, whether top or boat keeper or not O 

No. 25. Getting in or out of ports O 

No. 26. Throwing things overboard from improper places O 

No. 27. Not making or not having clothes or hats made in time O 

HAMMOCKS, CLOTHES, OR BEDDING. 

No. 28, Carelessness about clothing-bag, or going to it without permission. O 

No. 29. Leaving clothes about O 

No. 30. Hanging hammocks or clothes in improper places O 

No. 31. Washing hammocks or clothes in improper places O 

No. 32. Washing hammocks or clothes badly, or at improper times O 

No. 33. Lashing hammocks badly (frequent inspections also) O 

No. 34. Untidiness as to hammock or bag (frequent inspections also) O 

No. 35. Cursing others, or using obscene language (immorality) A or B 

No. 36. Striking inferiors or equals (quarreling) A or B 

No. 37. Fighting A or B 

No. 38. Quarreling with words or using provoking language F to L 

No. 39. Smoking out of hours or in improper places (smoking) F to L 

No. 40. Having lights after hours F to L 

No. 41. Negligently letting fall or lowering anything from aloft (miscella- 
neous) O 

No. 42. Using knife or marlin-spike aloft without good lanyard O 

No. 43. Carelessness with respect to arms (frequent inspection) O 

No. 44. Not keeping arms clean (frequent inspection) O 

In all cases in which extra duty is imposed as a punishment it should be as nearly 

as possible of the kind of duty that has been neglected, if awarded for neglect of duty ; 
and, if awarded for other offenses, it shall be of such nature as will most tend to 
correct them and prevent their repetition. 

Aggravated cases in the preceding list of offenses can, of course, be referred to sum- 
mary courts-martial, or to general courtss-martial at the discretion of commanders of 
vessels, to whom alone the law confides the power to inflict punishment, or to cause it 
to he inflicted, on board vessels of the Navy, by the exercise of their own authority. 



742 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I now read from the Revised Statutes: 

Section 1624. The Navy of the United States shall be governed by 
the following articles : 
Divine service. Art. 2. The commanders of vessels and naval stations to which chap- 
id., Alt. 3. lains are attached shall cause divine service to be performed on Sunday, 
whenever the weather and other circumstances allow it to be done ; and 
it is earnestly recommended to all officers, seamen, and others in the 
naval service diligently to attend at every performance of the worship 
Oflfenses pun- of Almighty God. 
cretion of court- ^RT. 8, Such punishment as a court-martial may adjudge may be in- 
martial, dieted on any person in the Navy — 

Id., Art. 7. First. Who is guilty of profane swearing, falsehood, drunkenness, 
Profamty, false- gambling, fraud, theft, or any other scandalous conduct tending to the 
^^' ' ^' destruction of good morals ; 

Quarreling. Third. Or quarrels with, strikes, or assaults, or uses provoking or re- 

proachful words, gestures, or menaces toward any person in the Navy ; 
Fomenting Fourth. Or endeavors to foment quarrels between other persons in 
quarrels. .^he Navy ; 

Conteniptof su- Sixth. Or treats his superior officer with contempt, or is disrespectful 
^^M*u ti^7i^o us^^ ^^°^ ^^ language, or deportment, while in the execution of his office ; 
tuords. Eighth. Or utters any seditious, or mutinous words; 

Neglect of or- Ninth. Or is negligent or careless in obeying orders, or culpably in- 
tlers- efficient in the performance of duty ; 

Plundering on Or, whea on shore plunders, abuses, or maltreats any inhabitant or 
s^ore. injures his property in any way ; 

Now, there is another paper, and that is the enlistment of the men. 
It is as follows [reading J: 

United States of America: 

Navy Department, 
Washmgton, D. (7., May 2, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Eevised Statutes, I hereby certify 
that the annexed is a true copy of the original shipping articles (Arctic 
steamer Jeannette) on file in this Department. 

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the 
seal of the Navy Department of the United States to be affixed, at the 
city of Washington, this second day of May, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four, and of the Independence 
of the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[SEAL.] ' ED. T. NICHOLS. 

Acting Secretary of the Navy. 
J. W. H. 



SHIPPING ARTICLES FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE FOR PERSONS ENLIST- 
ING ON BOARD OF THE ARCTIC STEAMER JEANNETTE. 

We, the subscribes, petty of&cers, seamen, and others, do, and each 
of us does, hereby agree to and with Lieutenant George W. De Long, of 
the United States Navy, in manner and form following, that is to say : 

In the first place, we do hereby agree, for the considerations herein- 
after mentioned, to enter the service of the Navy of the United States, 
and in due and seasonable time to repair on board the Arctic steamer 
Jeannette, for a cruise to the Arctic regions for the purpose of dis- 
covery, exploration, and scientific research ; and we do bind ourselves 
to discliarge our several duties or services to the utmost of our power 
and ability; and to be in everything conformable and obedient to the 
several requirings and commands of the officers who may, from time to 
time, be placed over us. 

Secondly, we do also oblige and subject ourselves to serve well and 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 743 

truly ill carrying out the objects of said cruise to the Arctic regions 
from the date of our signing these articles to the day on which we are 
discharged from the naval service of the United States by competent 
authority. 

Thirdly, understanding and appreciating fully the hardships and 
dangers to which we may be subjected, and the varied and peculiar 
duties which we may be called upon to perform, whether as members of 
a ship's company, portions of an outlying and removed colony, or form- 
ing one of a party told off for any particular duty, whether afloat or 
ashore, on ice or over it, we none the less cheerfully and willingly bind 
ourselves to unhesitatingly obey such orders as may be given us, and 
devote to the carrying into effect thereof all our strength and ability ; 
and to strictly observe, comply with, and be subject to such laws, reg- 
ulations, and discipline of the Navy as are or shall be established by 
the Congress of the United States, or other competent authority, and to 
such especial laws, regulations, and discipline as have been established 
in this particular case. 

Fourthly, recognizing the peculiar situations in which we may be 
placed, and the extreme. importance of carefully guarding against waste 
or improvidence of any kind, we do each severally bind ourselves to 
watch over and care for all articles of food, raiment, and equipment, to 
accept such establishment of food, both as to quantity and quality, as 
may be directed from time to time by the commanding or other author- 
ized officer ; to wear such articles of dress as we may be ordered to wear, 
changing, altering, or modifying the same at the discretion of said com- 
manding or otherwise authorized officer j and to preserve faithfully the 
good condition and usefulness of whatever article of arms or equipment 
of any kind may be entrusted to our care. 

Fifthly, the said Lieutenant George W. De Long, for and in behalf 
of the United States, does hereby covenant and agree to and with the 
said seamen, petty officers, and others who have hereunto signed their 
name>5, that they and each of them shall be paid in consideration of 
such services the amount per month which in the columns hereunto 
annexed, headed " Wages per month,'' is set opposite to their names, 
respectively; or the wages due to the ratings which may, from time to 
time, be assigned to them during the continuance of their service afore- 
said ; and likewise to advance to each and every one of them at entrance, 
due security for the same being first given, the amounts set opposite 
their respective names in the column headed "wages advanced," the 
receipt of all which they do hereby severally acknowledge. It is under- 
stood, however, that such payments as are mentioned above shall cease 
to be made personally uj)on the departure of the Jeannette from 
San Francisco, California. The amounts becoming due from time to 
time shall be regularly credited and accounted for in the books of such 
l)ay or disbursing officer as may be indicated beforehand by the honor- 
able Secretary of the Navy, and such allotments of pay as are desired 
by the said petty officers, seamen, and others, and allowed by the said 
honorable Secretary of the Navy, shall be paid by the designated pay 
or disbursing officer. In the event of no such allotment being made, 
the amounts becoming due shall be carried forward on the books of the 
designated pay or disbursing officer until the return of the individual 
entitled to receive the same and his discharge from the naval service 
of the United States j and in the event of the death or loss of any one 
of the said petty officers, seamen, or others, the amount due and remain- 
ing unpaid at the date of such death or loss shall be paid to the widow 
or next of kin, as provided for by existing laws. 



744 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



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JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 745 

DIRECTIONS TO BE STRICTLY OBSERVED BY THE COMMANDING OFFI- 
CER. 

These sbippiog articles are to be signed in duplicate by each recruit 
and the commanding officer, the original to be forwarded on the first 
day of each and every January, April, July, and October, and at the 
end of a cruise, to the Bureau of Equipment and Eecruiting of the 
Navy Department, and the duplicate kept among the records of the 
vessel for reference. No sheet is to contain more names than the num- 
ber of lines ruled on it. 'J he recruit must sign his own name if he can 
write at all, and the term for which he is enlisted must be entered in 
words, and not in figures, in each case. The name of the vessel, with 
the date (day, month, and year) and signature of the commanding ofii 
cer, must always be written correctly and distinctly. 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieut. y Commanding Officer, 
Arctic Sieambr Jeannette, at 

San Francisco^ Cal., July Sth, 1879. 
Forwarded to the Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting by — 

GEORGE W. DE LONG, 

Lieut. U. 8. Navy. 

Adjourned till Tuesday next, the 6th instant, at 10.30 a. m. 



WASHiNaTON, D. C, Tuesday, May 6, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present. At the request of counsel the subcommittee further adjourned 
to meet Thursday next, the 8th instant, at 10.30 a. m. 



Washington, D. C, Thursday^ May 8, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

William F. 0. Nindemann resumed the stand. 
By Mr. Curtis . 

Question. At the last session you got to the point where the chair- 
man, Judge Buchanan, wanted to hear about how you got your boat 
out. You may proceed from that point. — Answer. I believe I explained 
all about the landing, but I did not explain how we got onto that land. 

Q. That is exactly what Judge Buchanan said he wanted to know 
about; that you had not explained it yet in the evidence. — A. When 
the captain found he could not get the boat out either to the westward, 
to the eastward, or north, he then spoke up and said, " I know what I 
am going to do 5" and he gave orders to shove the boat in back to the 
place where he had started from ; that is, this pushed-up ice. I believe 
I went over that once before, if I am not mistaken. We w aited there 
until the tide had raised about 4 inches, and then the captain gave 
orders to make a raft out of a boat sleigh, and to put on as much 
stuff as we could to lighten the boat. After the raft was made he 
gave orders to push the boat in towards shore as far as we could ; 
it wasn't very long before the boat got stuck in the mud. Captain De 



746 - JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Long tben gave orders for everybody to get overboard and tow the 
boat. Bat Captain De Long, the doctor, Erichsen, and ^^ Snoozer," the 
dog, staid in the boat. After we had taken one load ashore Mr. Collins 
staid ashore, and Ah Sam, the cook, turned into his sleeping-bag, and 
we could not wake him. I asked Mr. Collins if he wasn't going to come 
off again, and he said no, he wasn't going to drag in the captain, the 
doctor, and " Snoozer," the dog. He remained ashore, and started to 
build a fire. When I came back to the boat again I stopped at the bow 
of the boat, where my place was in dragging the boat in, and the captain 
says, "Nindemann, how far do you think we can get inshore f Says J, 
"Captain De Long, I can't tell you exactly how far we can get into 
shore; in some places the water is deep;" and 1 think he stopped me 
right there and sung out to me in a very loud tone, "Nindemann, is that 
the way you speak to your superior officer f Says I, " Captain De Long, 
I have told you all I couid possibly tell you; in some places the water 
is deep, in some places the water is shallow, in some places the mud 
is soft, in some places the mud is hard;" and he gave me quite a talk- 
ing to, and told me that wasn't the way to speak to my superior officer. 
Of course I staid at the bow of the boat, where it was my place. The 
boat was headed for the shore, and I don't know what was the reason 
he spoke to me that way, but it seemed to me the reason he spoke so 
harshly was that I didn't come up to the stern of the boat and wade 
through this mud and ice and whisper in his ear and tell hiui what I 
thought. That settled that case right there and then, and we dragged 
the boat in as far as we could get her, and got stuck again, and we took 
another load ashore, and came back again and towed the boat iarther 
in, and then we couldn't get her any farther; then the mud and water 
was i^robably ankle-deep. We tried to carry Erichsen, as he had very 
bad feet, but we couldn't. There was no means of carrying him, so 
Erichsen took hold of two men, he in the middle, and steadied himself 
the best way he could until he got inshore. Before this one of the men 
had asked me or spoke to me at least about the dog, what we were going 
to do with the dog. I said, "We had better throw the dog overboard; 
he can wade ashore as well as we can." Captain De Long spoke up and 
said, "Nindemann, you have said enough about this matter; I will take 
care of that dog ; I will see that that dog gets ashore." We made another 
trip to shore, and we went out again to get another load, and he told 
Alexy, the Indian, to take the dog and carry it to shore on his should- 
ers, which he did. After we had got back to shore again the captain 
asked me if there was anything else in the boat that we wunted. I 
told him what there was. He then said, "Nindemann, I want you to 
take a couple of men and go out there and straighten up the boat so 
that she shall look shipshape." So I took out three men, and it was dark ; 
there was such a snow-storm I couldn't see much. But we got back, 
put the raft in the boat, and fixed up such little things as we wanted. 
When we came ashore again I believe they had supper ready, and Caji- 
tain De Long and the doctor were sitting close to the fire on a log of 

wood, and Erichsen and Boyd and Ah Sam 

The Chairman (interposing). It is not necessary to go into those 
little particulars, where they sat and where they were. That does not 
amount to anything. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What the chairman desires, if there is anything important or 
vital that you have omitted in your statement heretofore that you make 
it now. 

The Chairman. Yes. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 747 

The Witness. I would like to have the chart to fix the dates. [Re- 
ferring- to his own chart.] On September 19, 1881, when we started 
from the camp we were overloaded. Towards evening I had too much 
to carry, and I tired away some of my clothes. Captain De Long said, 
''Nindemaon, what did you want to fire your clothes away for?" Says 
I, ''I have too much to carry." Another man picked up the clothes and 
asked if he could have them. Says I, " Yes, you can have them ; 1 
have too much." Captain De Long says, ^' If you had waited a little 
longer I was going to lighten your load," and when we came to camp he 
told me to take the cooking- stove, spy-glass, and the log-books back. 
I asked him whether I should take all the papers back. He said noj 
he was going to keep his own private journal and all the ship^s papers 
and the doctor's journal, only to carry back the log-books that belonged 
to the ship and to place them in the cache, which was done. His own 
private journal was carried. On September 30 we came to a hut where 
Alexj^ had shot two deer to the southeastward. We staid there one 
night, and the next day we were sent back to the southeastward to get 
these two deer and carry them back to camp. Everybody was sent 
except the sick people. Walter Lee was the machinist. He was a man 
who was not fit for the expedition. How he passed the doctor I don't 
know. The man had been in the war and had been shot through both 
legs and used to get cramps in his legs and tumble over. We asked the 
captain if he should not stay back, and he said, " No j he ought to be a 
man and walk as a man." When we came to the deer we divided them 
as well as we could. I took one of the deer, and the rest was divided 
in equal proportions for everybody to carry. Lee says, ^' Mndemann, it 
Is no use for me to try to carry anything. I am played out." Says I, "All 
right; if you can carry nothing else/carry the rifle." Says he, "All 
right, I will carry the rifle." Well, we got back to camp about 4 o'clock 
in the afternoon. Next day we started south again. All this meat that 
we didn't eat was divided equally between the men, not between the 
doctor and Captain De Long. We started back over the same course 
again where we had got the reindeer, so I think that this work was very 
unnecessary of sending us out to the southeastward, and then going 
back over the same road again. 

Another occasion was December 23. I believe Captain De Long had 
a charge against me for court-martial. I forget now exactly the words 
that he used, but I wish to state here that we tried on the 23d of Sep- 
tember to make a raft, which was done, and a verj^ large raft, probably 
as large as this room. Captain De Long and the doctor sat down and 
looked at us working, but never gave us a hand. When I had the 
frame work made we couldn't build the raft on the beach, because it 
would have been too heavy for us to have lasted. Just as soon as the 
frame work was made we launched the frame work in the water, and it 
was my place to put all these logs on it, and every now and then 1 used 
to slip into the water and get wet and draw myself up again, and I 
would growl to myself, but didn't allude to anybody personally. Cap- 
tain De Long was walking up and down the beach then, and I guess he 
heard some of the words I said. I was growling to myself. Says he, 
"Niudemann, you may as well come ashore first as last; I might as 
well give you a talking to first as last. Says I, " Yery good, captain," 
and I came ashore. Says he, " Nindemann, what is the matter with 
you ?" Says 1, " There is nothing at all the matter with me." Says he, 
"What are you growling about all the time'?" Says I, " I am growl- 
ing about slipping off the log ; the logs are slippery, and I get off into 



748 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the water, and I am growling to myself." Says I, "Captain, this raft 
aint going to work." 

By the Chairman : 

Q. Have you not told about tliis raft before? — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes, he did. 

The Witness. I did no Ruch thing. 

Mr. Arnoux. Did you make more than one raft? 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Aknoux. Is this another raft you are telling about? 

The Witness. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. Go ahead. 

The Witness (resuming). So I told the captain, "This raft aiufc 
going to work." " Well," says he, " JNindemann, I want to try the thing, 
and I am going to try it if we lose everything we have got." I said to 
the captoin, "In the first place the water is so deep we can't get poles 
long enough to shove the rait along the river; we haven't any tow-line 
to tow her, and, another thing, the current is running to the north 
ward." Says he, "It can't be helped. I am going to see if it will 
work." So I went back again to my work, and kept the raft afloat as. 
well as I could. On one occasion I shoved oil' a little too much, and I 
was going down the stream at the rate of about two miles an hour, 
and if it hadn't been for Alexy wading over his waist in the water 
and reaching me a i)ole about 20 feet long, God knows where I would 
have fetched up. The raft was finally fixed, and the sick people went 
along the river bank. We made a little high place to keep them dry, 
and we tried to shove off* then and wetbund we couldn't shove off. We 
worked at it very hard for about an hour trying to get her off, but 
couldn't do it. At last Captain De Long says, " Men, take up your 
things and walk ashore." 

By Mr. Arnoux: 
Q. What was the date of that?— A (Referring to map.) The date is 
" September 23d ; raft a failure," or it may have been the 24th. 

By the Chairman: 

Q. Go on. — A. September 24, in the morning, when we broke camp, 
Mr. Collins was carrying a doctor's box, and there was nothing of im- 
portance in it, arid he asked the captain whether he would not leave 
this box behind. The captain said, "Mr. Collins, I will tell you when 
to leave that box behind ; you carry that box as long as I want you to 
carry it." That was the end of that. I didn't hear any more of that. 
On Se[)teraber 25, when we made the raft and crossed the river, I crossed 
it with five men and left three men over on the south bank and came 
back with two men. Captain De Long wanted me to take seven men. 

Q. You testified about that. — A. Yes ; I testified about that. Now, 
1 want to say exactly the words I said when 1 walked away from Cap- 
tain De Long, which I have not yet done. When I walked away from 
him, when I was about 25 yards away, I swung my fist and said, " I 
would soon« r be along with the devil than be along with you." But I 
didn't say it very loud, and I didn't think anybody heard it. Those are 
the very words 1 said. I told Mr. Melville of it, and 1 told Bartlett of 
it, and I told them exactly the same words, and never used any other 
words than those. Then there is another case, where Caj)tain De Long 
charges Lee with stealing whisky. I don't know what it was. 1 can't 
tell myself the dilterence between liquors. It was at the New Siberian 
Islands, on the sand spit. We had all been out hunting. When I came 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 749 

back iu the evening about 4 or 5 o'clock, probably, and sat down to pick 
one goose aiid some ducks that were shot, Lee came up and said, " We 
will pull sticks and see who will have the goose, and who will have the 
ducks." I believe in one lot there was a little more than in the other, 
and we could not divide them in any other way. Says I, " Lee, I don't 
care, 1 had just as leave have the ducks." We kept on talking, and I 
didn't notice that he had been drinking anything, and all at once Captain 
De Long spoke up and said, ^' Lee, you step to one side," and 1 didn't 
pay any more attention to it. The man walked right straight. I never 
was told about it until afterwards by some of the men. He was told to 
stand alongside the boat away from everybody else. The captain says 
to me, "Didn't you fill up the rubber flasks this morning? " Says I, 
"Yes, I did." Says he, "Go and look at them, and see whether they 
are full." Well, there was one that there was some missing out of. I 
didn't tell the captain. Says I, "They are all right." Then the doctor 
spoke up and he said, " Go to the boat and get our liquor. There are 
three bottles," or something like that. I got the bottles and I saw there 
was no sign of a knife or a corkscrew or anything else used on the cork. 
Then the doctor opened them, and tasted them, and he picked out one 
bottle, and he says, "Captain, this is the bottle where Lee took his 
whisky," or rum, or whatever it was. " This is the bottle. You taste 
it, too, and you will find one will taste like fire-water, and the other one 
will taste quite mild." And the captain said, "Yes." And the doctor 
said he would swear Lee was the one who had taken so much out of it, 
and had filled it with alcohol ; but there was no sign that the cork was 
drawn out of it. 

Q. There is no need of telling that anybody said this, that, or the other 
thing. Just tell whether there was liquor missing or not. — A. There 
are charges against me, and I want to clear myself. I know what 1 
have said. Captain De Long claims that I have not spoken very good 
to him in several places. There was another occasion. After Mr. Chipp 
was lost for some days, and he had come up again, I had orders to take 
the men and make a road to Mr. Chipp, who was on the edge of the pack 
at that time. We were in the pack some distance away. When I came 
back again I told Captain De Long how the road was, and that we had 
had to launch a boat in several places. Says he, "Mndemann, you 
take a boat now and go over to Chipp's boat." Says I, "All right, sir." 
I started, and was probably 50 yards away from the tent, when Mr. 
Dunbar came up. Says I, "You had better take charge now; you are 
the ice pilot." Says he, "Nindemann jou are just the man; I wish you 
would keep charge of the party." Says I, " I don't want to have any- 
thing to do with it; it is not my i)lace. 1 am not the ice pilot. You 
are the ice pilot and I think it is your place to lead now." He says, 
"Mndemann I wish you would leave me out and do the best you can." 
Says I, "Very good, sir." We started ofl" and we came up to near the 
place. I told the men to launch the boat. All at once Captain De Long 
roared out, " Nindemann, what do you mean? Are you going to take 
charge of this whole party?" Says J, "No, sir; you told me to take 
the party over to Mr. Chipp's boat, and you haven't taken the command 
away from me yet." Says he, "I know I haven't, but you are taking 
too much liberty altogether." Says I, "Very good, sir; then 1 will keep 
my mouth shut." So I kept my mouth shut. He kept on fooling the 
same way, and one of the men says to me, " Why don't you sing out," 
and I says, "No, sir; it is not my place to sing out." Th^u another 
man would say to me, " Why d()n'tyousiugout,"audIsaidthesamething. 
It went on this way until at last 1 said, " Erich sen, why don't you sing out," 



750 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and he was a little sick and he sung outacouple of times. At last the Cap- 
tain sung out tome, ^'Nindemaunif you don't want to do your work, step to 
oueside." I says, Captain, I have always done my work." Says he, *' I know 
you have, butyou are not doing it now." Says I, '' Yes; I am. You told me 
not to say anything, and I haven't." At last he said to me, " What are you 
going to do now ? " and I says, ^' Launch the boat." He says, "All right," 
and we went ahead and got through without any more trouble at all. 
That was the only trouble I had with Captain De Long, and then this land- 
ing place where I had words with him and wliere I made the raft, where 
I didn't think I was in fault in any shape or form, but he spoke to me 
xery harshly, and I thought it was not right for him to do so. I did 
everything I possibly could, and I didn't think it was right for him to 
treat me the way he did. I wish to state that there was another charge 
made against Seaman Star. Captain De Long put it in his k)g-book, but 
didn't put it in his journal. Oae morning when we were trying to cross 
a creek a lot of men got overboard. Melville called them a lot of damned 
fools, and told them it was mostly their own fault that they got over- 
board, and Star just simply spoke up and said, "Mr. Melville, we are 
not a lot of damned fools, and it wasn't our fault that we got overboard," 
and it seems that didn't suit Mr. Melville very well, and when Star 
threw out these soles Melville went for him. But Captain De Long 
didn't state anything of that kind in his journal as far as I know. And, 
if I ain't mistaken, he states in his journal that the soles were laying on 
the stern-sheets flat in the boat, and that by hauling or dragging the 
boat these soles were jammed on top the sleeping-bag 

Q. (Interposing.) That has been told over and over and over again. — 
A. No, sir ; not this point. 

Q. About throwing the soles away ? — A. The charge is that the soles 
were lying in the bottom of the boat and not on Star's sleeping-bag, and 
he threw away these soles ; that the dragging of the boat over the ice 
had thrown the soles over on his sleeping- bag 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I submit he has not the right to express 
his opinion in any way in that ridiculously small matter. 

The Witness. I don't consider it a small matter where a man is 
charged so as to bring him before a court-martial. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit if he knows the fact and if he saw anybody 
lay them on the sleeping bag he can state it, but for him to say he does 
not believe it happened so it is not competent. 

The Witness. I want to say that Star in no manner, shape, or form 
committed himself against Captain De Long. Captain De Long was his 
superior officer, and was the only man that Star had to go to and state 
his case. But every time Star opened his mouth to explain matters, 
before he got a second word out of his mouth, Captain he, Long said, 
" Shut up." He told him that three times, and Star was trying to tell 
his case, and yet Captain De Long was his commanding ofiicer and he 
had no other person to go. It was Captain De Long's place to listen 
to that man. There was no other person for him to go to except Cap- 
lain De Long. Then I wish to state that Mr. Melville, right in Bulun, 
and on ^November 3, when I explained things to him about traveling 
and everything else, and I was suffering, told me that he didn't give a 
damn for Captain De Long, but he felt sorry for all the rest of the poor 
men that he had dragged along with him to their giaves in starvation. 
1 forget exactly the words he used — that he didn't give a snap for Cap- 
tain De Long, and he stated the same thing to Bartlett as he stated to 
me. 

The Chairman. You need not state that. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 751 

Mr. Arnotjx. I submit that he has not a right to interpolate in this 
record that Melville stated the same thing to him as he stated to Bart- 
lett. 

The Witness. I was there when this statement was made, and Mr. 
Melville said, " I don't want you to give Mr. Scheutze and Mr. Harber 
any information about what we have done." 

Mr. Arnoux. You were not present at the time that he said that to 
Bartlett, for Bartlett said it was said down on Pennsylvania avenue, 
and nobody was by. 

The Witness. I don't know what point you are alluding to. 

Mr. Arnotjx. When he said he didn't care a damn for De Long. 

The Witness. That is what he said in Bulun in September or Novem- 
ber. Bartlett wasn't there then, only me and Koros. This is another 
case. I was talking about Scheutze and Harber, when he said we 
shouldn't give them any information. 

The Chairman. Go on and state where it was and what it was. 

The Witness. He talked quite frequently about Scheutze and Harber 
after we left Jakutsk when they found out the way north and said not 
to give them any information of any kindj that if the Government was 
not satisfied with the search he had made they could send somebody up 
there and they could do the best they could without anything from him. 
Then I wish to say that Mr. Melville said that he took the course that 
I gave him, whereas I told him exactly the wdj we came, the land- 
marks that I had, and told him that I walked away into the northwest, 
then to the southward, to the southeast, and so on. He claimed that I 
told him to keep to the west bank of the river all the time. But instead 
of Melville going to the east he kept on going to the westward. This 
chart I indicating] will show the same thing, that I marked it down for 
him, telling him the correct course to go. But probabl}^ he got off the 
road, and yet he said he took exactly the direction I gave him. He 
didn't do any such thing. I didn't tell him to keep to the west bank of 
the river all the time. 

By Mr. OuRTiS: 

Q. Is there anything else, Mr. Nindemann, that you desire to state?— 
A. Yes, I wish to state that Captain De Long, from the time he left 
San Francisco until the time the ship was lost, was well liked by every 
man forward, but soon after we had lost the ship, and everybody saw 
the way things were managed, they kind of fell back from him -, they 
didn't like him as much any more. I never had anything against the 
captain in any shape or form, and haven't now, but I thought the man- 
agement of, and the way he used to work us on the retreat was not 
proper. I have known him, not once, but several times, to run us right 
into a bad place and walk away and laugh at us. 

Q. Have you anything else, Mr. Nindemann ? — A. Well, I have some- 
thing more to say about Mr. Melville, but I don't know whether it will 
concern this investigation or not. It is about the treatment he gave 
me several times, and even coming on to America. 

Q. Have you stated it before ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Well, state it as briefly as possible. — A. While we were coming 
down some river, I forget its name now, we took a steamer to go down 
to Nijnigarat. He always found a state-room tor himself, but he never 
could fi.nd a state-room for me or Noros, and we used to lay around on 
deck, and have to get permission from the captain to come into the 
cabin to get our meals, and ail such things as that. On another occa- 
sion on our way south we got stuck to the north of the mountains. We 



752 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

liad to cross the Jakutsk Mountains after we fell in with Captain Barry 
and Mr. Hunt. He kind of pushed Bartlett and me to one side just as 
soon as he fell in with naval officers, and he made the cook that was 
hired for Mr. Melville, Bartlett, and myself, cook for these naval offi- 
cers just as soon as Captain Barry and Mr. Hunt arrived at the hut. 
When the turn came tor us to eat, he told us if we wanted anything to 
eat we could cook for ourselves. Several times I went away mad and 
didn't have anything to eat. I took my rifle and walked away for prob- 
ably three or four hours, and I came in again. On one occasion Mel- 
ville said, '' This won't do. I have noticed you walk away without any- 
thing to eat." Says I, "Mr. Melville, it is no use staying around here, 
I can't get anything to eat." Says he, "There is plenty of meat and 
everything; why don't you cook itT' I says, "I don't get paid for 
cooking. There was a man hired to cook for us, but it seems now jou 
put us to one side since Captain Barry and Mr. Hunt came here." 
Which he did. Then there was another occasion ; coming across from 
Liveri)Ool. I didn't have a proper sleeping-place. Melville had a 
state-room, and he didn't get any proper transportation for us. I always 
paid for what I had. I spoke to Melville about it several times. If the 
Government wouldn't pay for it, of course, 1 was willing to pay it out 
of my own pocket. He says, " Nindemann, it will be all right; you shall 
have proper transportation." When we were in Paris Noros and me 
were sent ahead to London, and from there on to Liverpool to the con- 
sul to inform him that Melville would be there such and such a time. 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I submit that is not part of the expedi- 
tion. He had abundant opportunity offered him when on the stand be- 
fore, and he could not pretend, when he made no allusion to anything 
in that part of the journey, that he was prevented from testifying 
about it. 

Mr. Curtis. I think it is proper as to legal principle, and also it is 
eminently just to the witness. 

The Chairman. 1 do not think that the voyage across the Atlantic 
Ocean indicates any matter connected with the expedition as an expe- 
dition. 

The Witness. The expedition never was ended until we were prop- 
erly discharged. 

Mr. Curtis. As matter of law" that is so. In that I think you have 
outstripped all of us. 

The Witness. The articles readjust as I state it. 

The Chairman. What is the complaint you have ? 

The Witness. In crossing the Atlantic there was no berth prepared 
for me, and the accommodation I had I paid for out of my own pocket. 
After I had been on board a couple of days Mr. Melville told me if there 
was anything I wanted he would pay for it out of his own pocket, but I 
told Mr. Melville that I didn't want him to pay for anything for me out 
of his own pocket ; I would pay it myself. Noros was in the same fix, 
and he went and spoke to Melville about it, and he says, " Noros, you 
have got just what the Government allows you." Then, some time af- 
terwards he came and told me that he was willing to pay it out of his 
own pocket, and I told him that I didn't want him to pay anything out 
of his own pocket ; that I was willing to pay it myself. 

The Chairman. Is that all ? 

Mr. Curtis. 1 have nothing to ask him. If there is anything more 
you haven't stated, Mr. Nindemann, you have the right now to do so. 
it is your last opportunity. 

The Witness. Only to state the treatment that the doctor and Cap ■ 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 753 

tain De Long gave to Erichsen after he got so he coulda't walk any 
more. I never heard the doctor speak a pleasant word to him. " Why 
don't yoa open your mouth ; why can't you say anything," and all that. 
He never spoke to him in a pleasant manner, and the man wasn't fit to 
stand up. On one occasion, when he was out of his mind, Captain De 
Long said to him, " God damn it, you ought to have better sense than 
to have given your last pemmican to the dog; you had better give it to 
some of your shipmates." Well, the man didn't have any sense. He 
was senseless. The dog would come up to him wagging his tail, and 
Erichsen was lashed on the sleigh and couldn't eat it, and couldn't open 
his jaws any more, and he handed the piece of pemmican to the dog be- 
cause he liked it ; that is all. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Since you were on the stand when you first came to be a witness 
here have you been endeavoring to think of anything that you could 
bring up or recall that would be to the prejudice of every officer there 
was on board that vessel f— A. Ko, not at all. These things have been 
in my mind right straight along pretty much, and my remembrance is 
very good. I can remember things for years and years back. 

Q. Were these things which you have told on this present examina- 
tion, and which you omitted to tell before in your mind when you were 
on the stand before ? — A. I don't know whether they were all exactly 
in my mind. There are a good many things in my mind yet, I could 
tell, but there is no need of it. 

Q. Were those or any of those things which you have now told in 
your mind when you testified before *? — A. Probably some of them were, 
and some of them were not. I don't remember just exactly, but the 
whole concern is right in my brain now, every bit of it, and I can go 
right to work from the time we left San Francisco, and tell about it, 
and state every word, almost. 

Q. I did not ask you that. Now, Mr. Mndemann, did you and Noros 
write a report on or about the 29th day of October, 1881, to the Ameri- 
can minister at St. Petersburg ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you yourself write that document, or did Noros write it? — A. 
Noros wrote it, and I sat and told him what to write. 

Q. You dictated it, and he wrote it ^. — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What you dictated was true *? — A. It was true. It was a short 
account of it. 

Q. I mean so far as it stated anything ? — A. As far as the short ac- 
count of it went, it is true exactly. 

Q. In your former examination you gave an account of the time when 
Captain De Long put you under arrest on the delta? — A. Yes, exactly. 
I remember it well. 

Q. Do you remember that this was what you said : 

I bad my back turned towards bim. He did not see my face. I only sbut my fist 
and swung my arm. 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember that you so testified ? — A. Yes, and I remember 
well that I had in my mind that "I would sooner be along with the 
devil than be along with you," only I wasn't asked to tell that. 

Q. Did you state that that was all that you did ?— A, At the end of 
my stateujent, I believe, I was told I could go back on the stand when 
1 had anything else to state, right belbre that Court of Inquiry. 
4-8 J Q*. 



754 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. I am Dot talking of the Court of Inquiry. Did you on your exami- 
nation before the members of this committee state this: 

I only sliiit my fist and swung my arm. 

A. I know I stated that perfectly well. 

Q. Did you at the time you stated that have in your mind the swear- 
ing which you have narrated this morning *? — A. Yes, I had, and I 
kept it back — exactly. 

Q. Was the log book saved ? — A. The log-books were saved; yes. 

Q. How many miles did you travel in going and retracing your steps 
at the time you spoke of this morning *? 

The Witness. What do you mean ? I do not understand the ques- 
tion. 

Mr. Aenoux. You said this morning that on some occasion when you 
were on the delta Captain De Long had you travel to a certain point 
and then made you retrace your steps. How many miles did you re- 
trace ? 

The Witness. It took us from 

Q. (Inter[)Osing.) I did not ask you that. I asked you how many 
miles you retraced. — A. The first time probably it was about 5 miles, 
or something like that. The second time it was 10 miles going and 
coming. 

Q. Five miles that you retraced ? — A. Yes, sir ; and the second time 
it was about 10, and another time it was about 

Q. (Interposing.) Oh, no ; I am only asking about the time you men- 
tioned. — A. I mentioned all these times. 

Q. Did you mention three times that you retraced your steps'? — A. 
I mentioned twice, and other times I mentioned 

Q. (Interposing.) Very well. But 1 am only asking about what you 
said this morning. I want to know whether there was not in the doc- 
tor's medicine chest at the time you were on the delta lint and medi- 
cine? — A. Yes; there was lint and medicine, but I don't know how 
much medicine or whether that medicine was good for anything or not; 
I don't believe it was, either. 

Mr. Arnoux. I ask that the last part of the answer be stricken out. 

The Chairman. He can give the facts upon which he predicates his 
opinion. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Now, will you state any fact on which you based your expression 
of opinion that that particular medicine was not good for anything? — 
A. The fact is that some men had some lint, more or less. It was 
given to them by the doctor to carry, and some salve was given to some 
of the men to carry between so many people, and some pills were given 
to us by the doctor to carry, and in this box there was nothing else of 
any value that I know of. Then there was another medicine chest, a 
little lighter box probably, with six or eight holes in it, where the regu 
lar medicine that was used was carried. 

Q. Do you think medicine is good for anything yourself? — A. No; I 
don't believe in medicine myself. I never did. 

Q. Was Captain De Long present at the time that Melville called 
Star a fool 1 — A. Captain De Long was in the neighborhood, and the 
talk was nil between the men. 

Q. I did not ask you that. Was he present and in hearing of Mel- 
ville's language when he called Star a fool ? — A.. I don't know that he 
was, but I, myself, heard Melville call him this. 

Q. I only wanted to know whether you knew. Are you certain that 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 755 

at the time the pemmican was given to the dog Captain De Long used 
an oath '?— A. Yes ; and I will tell you the date if you will give me that 
chart [indicating], and the time of the day almost. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. (Submitting chart.) You say, give you that chart and you will tell 
the day and date. — A. It was October 2, 1881, somewhere near 12 o'clock. 

Q. You are in pretty good health, are you not? — A. No, sir; not at 
present. I am troubled with "rheumatism now. 

Q. Usually you are in good health 1 — A. I always have been in good 
health since I came back from the expedition. 

Q. You do not believe in medicine, do you ? — A. No, sir. If there is 
anything the matter with me I try to light through with it without 
medicine. 

Q. Did you see the body of Mr. Collins in the delta ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who first discovered it? — A. Bartlett and me. 

Q. Be kind enough to tell me the exact position in which it lay, and 
whether the face was covered or not ? — A. The face was covered with a 
pair of red flannel drawers, I think, and he was lying on his back with 
his hands a little off his body, and his expression was verj^ bitter. 

Q. Was it an agonized expression ?— A. It was very bitter. There 
wasn't a man in the party had such an expression on his face as he had. 

Q. In what position were his arms? — A. A little oft' his body, raised 
up, with his hands clicched. 

Q. In what position were his arms ? — A. Something like that [illus- 
trating], with his fists clinched. 

Q. Was his mouth open? — A. No; I think his teeth were clinched 
together. 

Q. What was the expression on his face ? — A. Just as I said before. 
He had a very hard expression on his face, as if he had died very hard. 

Q. An expression of suffering ? — A. Yes ; as if he had died a hard 
death. 

Q. And of agony ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I am not permitted to ask you, though an intelligent creature, as 
to your opinion. Have you any fact by which you can come to a con- 
clusion as to Avhether the piece of flannel drawers that you saw upon 
his face was placed there before or after death. I do not want you to 
exercise the reason that God has given you to give an opinion ; I want 
to know if you know the fact ? — A. No ; I do not know the fact. 

Q. Still you have an opinion ? — A. Oh, I have an opinion about it. 

Mr. Curtis. I won't ask you what it is. That is all. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Well, Mr. Nindemann, the counsel has been so eager to get your 
views of something, I would like to ask your views of theology. 

The Chairman. Oh, that is not admissible. 

Q. Did you attend the services on Sunday ? — A. No, sir ; I did not. 

Q. Why not ?— A. Because I didn't feel like it. 

Q. And for what reason ; were you sick ? — A. No; I was always well, 
except one time, and then the doctor told me it took the whole ship to 
cure me. I didn't know what he meant. 

Q. Will you tell why you did not attend services?— A. I don't think 
you have a right to inquire into my religion or what my belief is. 

Q. Is an oath binding on your conscience ? — A. It is. 

Q. To what extent ? — A. To a great extent. 

Q. Do you believe in a future state of awards and punishments ? — 
A. I don't believe in a future, I don't believe in any punishment here- 



756 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

after. This world is where we get all our punish meut. This world is 
oar hell and heaven, and I don't believe in a hereafter, but 1 believe in 
right and wrong. That is my belief. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. And are you aware that there are and have been a great many 
worthy, moral, intellectual people 

The Chairman (interposing). That is not a proper question. 

The Witness. I believe in the Bible. The Bible says we shall not 
swear by earth or heaven, and here you make me take an oath where 
the Bible says I shall not swear. 

The Chairman. We are here to investigate this expedition, and not 
to ascertain whether there is a future state of awards and punishments. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. You say you believe an oath is binding on your conscience ! — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. And you believe your conscience dictates to you to tell the truth 'I — 
A. Yes, every time. 

Q. You say you believe in a Supreme Being ^ — A. No, sir ; I don't. I 
believe in nature. 

Q. You believe nature is the Supreme Being ? — A. That is my belief. 
I believe in nature. Nature is my God. I beheve everything that na- 
ture brings forth. 

Q. You believe if a man does wrong on earth he receives his punish- 
ment here? — A. If a civilized man does wrong on earth he gets his pun- 
ishment right here. A man knows right from wrong. His own heart, 
or his own conscience, or whatever you call it, will tell him when a 
thing is wrong. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will read a part of De Loug's journal in connection 
with these events Nindemann has testified about. 

Mr. Curtis. I will make a suggestion. The counsel contends that 
the volumes which are here and which are uncertified constitute a copy 
of the original journal of Captain De Long which he has in his hand. 
If he believe that, why does he not read from those copies ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Because it is so much easier to handle this, and I have 
the place here. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, I wish the learned counsel to understand that I 
shall make a motion to introduce the entire journal of De Long and 
have it impounded in the hands of the committee, and if the counsel 
insists upon reading extracts from what he claims to be the original 
journal of De Long, 1, as a legal right and privilege, shall put in, not 
the copy, but the book itself. 

Mr. Arnoux. I shall have the copy that is here certified by the Depart- 
ment, and then if it is called for I shall produce that copy, because under 
the Revised Statutes it is admissible the same as the original. 

Mr. McAdoo. The journal is a common fountain for both sides from 
which they can draw. 

Mr. Curtis. We do not have the journal. 

Mr. MoAdoo. The copies are here. 

Mr. Curtis. Shall I repeat a thousand times that is not a copy? 

The Chairman. This question will go over to some other time. 

John P. Jackson sworn and examined. 

By Mr. Curtis: 
Question. What is your full name, if you please, sir! — Answer. John 
P. Jackson. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 767 

Q. You are a citizen of the United States'? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I believe at present a resident of the city of Paris, in the republic 
of France"? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where your family now are? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. I believe you are connected with the New York Herald? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Were you so connected when you got acquainted with Lieutenant 
.Danenhower? — A. Yes, as special correspondent of the Herald. 

Q. Will you be kind enough to tell me when you first saw Lieutenant 
Danenhower, and where? — A. It was in Irkutsk, in Eastern Siberia, in 
the middle of February, I suppose, from the 18th to the 20th of Febru- 
ary. I could give you the exact dates by referring to my notes. 

Q. Have you any notes ? — A. Yes ; a few. 

Q. You have a perfect right to consult your notes; I prefer that you 
would, because that is the best evidence under the circumstances. — A. 
(After referring to a note-book.) It was about the 23d or 24th of Febru- 
ary, I think. 

Q. Now permit me to ask you one question at the outset. For how 
long were you in company with Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. Up to 
March 12. ' 

Q. Of what year ?— A. 1882, I believe. 

Q. What period of time did that constitute ? — A. About eighteen or 
nineteen days ; twenty days probably. 

Q. At what place was this ? — A. Irkutsk, the capital of Eastern Si- 
beria. 

Q. You were stopping at the same hotel ? — A. For the first two days 
they were in a private house. I staid there two days with them and 
then we removed to a hotel. 

Q. For this period of time, with the exception of two days, you re- 
sided with him at the same hotel ? — A. All the time. Those first two 
days we met in the same room with others, and in the hotel in sepa- 
rate rooms, of course. 

Q. During that time you had frequent conversation with him in ref- 
erence to the subject of the Jeannette expedition, did you not ? — A. Yes, 
sir 5 officially, as correspondent. 

Q. Permit me to ask did he or did he not know that you were the 
correspondent of the Herald? — A. Certainly he knew it. 

Q. Did you so announce to him ? — A. Yes, sir ; certainly. 

Q. Did you or did you not write or publish anything given bj^ him 
to you in a confidential spirit or nature? — A. I interviewed Mr. Dan- 
enhower. 

Q. At the time you interviewed him, as you state, he knew that you 
were the correspondent of the Herald ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You put your questions to him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he gave you his answers ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, Mr. Jackson, how many interviews did you have altogether 
with Mr. Danenhower? — A. I suppose seven or eight -, that is, seven or 
eight days would be occupied in the interview. 

Q. That is, seven or eight different days ? — A. Different days. 

Q. And were the interviews that you had with him committed by 
you to writing? — A. They were; in writing — in longhand — at the time. 

Q. And to a greater or less extent in question and answer form ? — 
A. Yes ; in questions and answers, 

Q. And were or were not these communications that you received 
from him afterwards published in the New York Herald? — A. Yes, sir j 
they were. 



758 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, permit me to call your attention at the outset to one matter. 
C ne of the letters that you wrote is dated March 6, 1882. Will you be 
kind enough to refer to your data or memoranda and say if you have 
that letter in your mind ? — A. I have no memoranda of the interviews 
at all. 

Q. But do you remember having written a letter at that time ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you remember that in that letter you made a statement as com- 
ing from Lieutenant Danenhower as follows : 

It seems certain that the whale-boat really reached the Lena proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day lonjrer Bulun would have been reached a month or six 
weeks earlier and in all probability Noros and Nindemann met and the captain's party 
saved. 

A. I have no doubt if that is written there it was taken down cor- 
rectly. 

Q. (Submitting extract from the Herald.) Look at that and see if you 
recognize the type ? — A. It is nonpariel. 

Q. Of what paper?— A. The New York Herald. 

Q. And that letter is dated Irkutsk, March 6, 1882. Do you remem- 
ber that letter! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I ask you, as matter of fact, what did Lieutenant Danen- 
hower state to you on that subject? — A. Those would be the exact 
words that he said to me, taken down from his mouth. 

Q. Lieutenant Danenhower denies that he made use of those words 
or that statement. — A. There can be no question of the truthfulness of 
the report, because the words were taken down verbatim as I heard 
them. 

Q. In long-hand? — A. In long-hand. I hadn't time to take them in 
short-hand notes and rewrite them. 

Q. Now, in point of fact, were these interviews or communications 
read to him after they were taken down? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And for what purpose, if you please ? — A. For any corrections or 
additions. 

Q. For any corrections, additions, or alterations ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, I will leave that particular matter for the present. In the 
first [)lace, Mr. Jackson, I would like to ask you what information, if 
any, you derived from any source, and remember that you can only 
speak of the information given you by members of the expedition or 
the natives of the country, in reference to any papers that Mr. Collins 
had left. 

The Witness. The papers that were found upon his body, do you 
mean ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes; as to whether they were all the papers that he 
possessed? — A. I heard from various sources that he had papers on his 
body during the retreat on the ice. There were some found on his body 
and some note-books. 

Q. What I desire more i^articularly to call your attention to is this : 
What recollection have you now as to any information given you by 
any of the survivors of the expedition or natives of the country rela- 
tive to papers possessed by Collins not found on his body ? — A. I had 
information that 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I submit that he state the source of the 
information. 

Mr. Curtis. I say not outside of the survivors. 

The Chairman. He can state from whom he obtained his informa- 
tion. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 759 

Mr. Curtis. I ask him to do it in my question. 

The Witness. My first information was in Irkutsk, and that would 
be from Newcomb. 

By Mr. Cuktis : . 

Q. He was a member of the expedition ?--A. He was a member of 
the expedition ; and in Geeomovialocke, where I met Melville, Bartlett 
also told me that letters should have been on OoUins's body during the 
retreat; letters addressed to Mr. Bennett and to the Heiald. 

Q. Did you derive any information from anybody as to whether or 
not the papers that you have now described were found on his body ? — 
A. I have not said that they were. 

Q. Were you informed that they were not *? — A. Yes ; I was informed 
that such letters were not found on him. 

Q. By whom ? — A. By Melville, who showed me what had been found, 
what he had got from him, and from Bartlett and !Nindemann, who 
searched the bodies first. 

Q. Do you know whether or not Mr. Melville showed you all the 
papers when he pretended to do so *? — A. I don't know at all. I saw a 
little bundle of papers. 

Q. Did you examine them ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And what were the papers that you saw 1 — A. The only one that 
I remember is the letter that is published in the proceedings of this in- 
quiry. 

Q. The letter of Collins f—A. The letter of Collins to Captain De 
Long. There are other papers which I do not remember the contents 
of. A great many of them could not be opened without spoiling them. 

Q. But you did not see the papers that you first spoke about -, the 
letters to the Herald and Mr. Bennett, &c. ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, Mr. Jackson, 1 am not permitted to lead you in any way. 
You were on the ground and saw the survivors of the Jeannette expedi- 
tion at the time and times that j^ou have mentioned. I wish you now 
to state what information you derived from members of the expedition 
relative to its general management, and more particularly in connection 
with its retreat, and before you answer that question be kind enough 
to look at that package of papers and see if those were all that you saw 
in the possession of Melville [submitting papers]. — A. (Indicating one.) 
I do not remember to have seen that one. This [indicating] is a little 
note-book without covers that I referred to. 1 do not remember to have 
seen this [indicating]. There was a smaller note-book. That is not 
here, and the papers were doubled up and crumpled and could not be 
opened. Of course, I couldn't tell whether these have been straightened 
out or not. 

Q. You understand that the inquiry now is as to the papers you saw 
in the possession of Mr. Melville ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not see among those papers now before you any letters to 
the Herald or to Mr. Bennett or any of the papers that you first sjjoke 
of ?— A. No, I did not. 

Q. Now, be kind enough to answer the question that I put to you a 
little way back. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that he tell that in connection with each in- 
dividual. 

The Chairman. Yes, he can tell the source of his information. 

Mr. Curtis. Proceed, Mr. Jackson. 

The Witness. Shall I refer to my notes on that point ? 

Mr. Curtis. Certainly. 



760 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Witness. The conduct of the expedition before the ship went 
down of course is all from hearsay naturally. 

Mr. Curtis. From members of the expedition ? 

The AViTNESS. From members of the expedition. 

Mr. Curtis. That is competent. 

The Witness. I do not know that there w^as anything said about the 
management of the expedition. I cannot remember anything on that 
point. 

Mr. Curtis. That is prior to the ship going down. 

The Witness. Yes, sir. The sailors even said that they were very 
well satisfied with the food they got on the voyage and with the treat- 
ment they received. They didn't complain in that respect at all. 

Q. I am not speaking now of the question of treatment. I am direct- 
ing your mind, a very intelligent one, to the management. You say that 
you do not remember their stating anything relative to the manage- 
ment before the sinking of the vessel. Now, I ask you do you remem- 
ber any statement made to you in reference to the management after 
the retreat began, and if so, state it ? — A. There were statements made 
by various members of the party to me at Irkutsk, criticising the nu- 
merous delays that they had made on the road, to whickthey attributed 
their delay in getting onto the Siberian coast, and therefore the calam- 
ity which overtook the party. 

Q. What members of the exi^edition so complained to you? — A. Mr. 
Danenhower and Mr. Newcomb. 

Q. By Mr. Danenhower you mean Lieutenant Danenhower?— A. Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower. The story of that is a long story, and I would have 
to occupy the committee a long time in going over it. 

Q. Be kind enough to give us, as briefly as you can, what was said to 
you by Lieutenant Danenhower and other members of the expedi- 
tion relative to those delays which you have spoken about. — A. The de- 
lays at the various islands were criticised as being too long — at Bennett 
Island, for instance. Lieutenant Danenhower criticised that. 

Q. What did he say in reference to that? — A. Merely the general re- 
mark that it was a mistake to linger there so long, and especially at 
Seminowski, the last island before reaching Siberia, where there were 
three days' delay, and it was thought that a storm would come in its 
regular course. Storms come up at regular periods, and it was feared 
that a storm would come. The general impression I received was that 
Captain De Long was very weary himself, although he did not like to 
admit it, and it was necessary to have a little rest. Probably the men 
liked it just as well. If you would indicate some point — the story is 
such a long one that I can hardly get my mind down to single points. 

Q. They spoke of a delay at Bennett Island ; was there any other special 
delay ? — A. The last one was at Seminowski Island, the last one before 
going to the Lena delta, in which they staid three days. The general 
criticism was that delays were unnecessary on the retreat over the ice. 

Q. And that criticism was indulged in by Lieutenant Danenhower? — 
A. lie criticised it in that way. There were also some criticisms about 
the conduct of the expedition during the retreat on the ice mainly re- 
ferring to Captain De Long not taking the roads made by the ice ])ilot, 
Dunbar. That seemed to me the chief criticism there, and then the 
numerous men, eight men I think, that were under arrest or suspension, 
who were taken away from the working portion of the crew. That was 
a source of criticism and annoyance. 

Q. Now you have spoken of the delays, you have spoken of the want 
udgment shown in the suspension of the men. Was there anything 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 761 

particular in wliicli they referred to the retreat as being ill-managed ? — 
A. I cannot remember any particulars about the mismanagement ex- 
cept what was written or contained in an interview by Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower. All the statements that I got have come into general im- 
pression ; I did not keep the original. 

Q. Were the interviews that you wrote published in the Herald? — 
A. I believe so; I have not read them since writing them. 

Q. Were any of them suppressed, do you know ? — A. That I do not 
know of my own knowledge ; I have heard so from other parties. 

Q. From what parties did you hear that 1 — A. In a general way ; but 
that would be merely passages that I would mark and question whether 
they should go in. 

Q. Now, I ask you the straight question ; were any of those letters 
you wrote to the Herald suppressed? — A. J do not think so; that is, 
the interviews. 

Q. Were they altered? — A. I do not think so. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that he is not competent to go into what was 
contained in his letters. The question is, so far as he is concerned, what 
statements did the survivors make to him, not whether the Herald sup- 
pressed or garbled or modified them. 

The Chairman. He has answered it. Proceed with the examination. 

Tne Witness. There would be passages cut out which I would sug 
gest myself; for instance, that in Geeomovialocke the men had a chess 
board. I would suggest probably the cutting out of that. I thought it 
was not in very good taste, and probably I would suggest the cutting 
of it. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Well, we will leave that for the present. Did you hear any state- 
ments made by the members of the expedition in relation to the treat- 
ment of Mr. Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By whom ? — A. Chiefly by Mr Newcomb, Lieutenant Danenhower, 
and one or two of the sailors. 

Q. Now, tell us what Lieutenant Danenhower said in reference to the 
treatment of Mr. Collins ?-t-A. He spoke of it in a general way. 

Q. Tell us what he said, whether general or specific. — A. It is impos- 
sible to remember the exact words that he used. 

Q. No ; but you can approximate to them. — A. And, as he used to 
say, he was in his cabin all the time, and was not always a witness of 
what was going on on board. The only thing he told me was about the 
arrest of Mr. Collins. 

Q. Now, as nearly as you can remember, what did he say about it? 

I do not expect you to give the exact words; no mortal can. — A. He 
said that Mr. Collins came down to light his pipe, I think, a little before 

II o'clock, and then stood chatting with him for a while, until Captain 
De Long came and called him upstairs, and then Captain De Long said 
something to Mr. Collins, and asked him why he delayed so long; did 
he not know the time for exercise had come — 11 o'clock — and he was 
surprised he shoukl be so late; whereupon Mr. Collins said, ''Captain 
De Long, you seem to be treating me like a dog," or something of that 
sort; "You follow me, and treat me like a dog," whereupon some words 
ensued, and he was placed under arrest. That was the version I got 
of it. 

Q. And you got that from Lieutenant Danenhower? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. And he claimed to have witnessed it, did he not? — A. He claimed 
to have witnessed it. 



762 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. He claimed to have heard the conversation that took place between 
Captain De Long and Mr. Collins ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And he claimed to have given you the exact account of what did 
take place at the time ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What did any other member of the expedition say in reference to 
the treatment of Collins ? — A. Mr. Newcomb spoke a great deal about it. 

Q. What did he say 1 — A. Well, he went into long statements. 

Q. Well, epitomize '^ — A. It is difficult to remember the details after 
three years. 

Q. I do not ask you to; I know you cannot, unless you are more than 
mortal. — A. In Newcorab's story, as he told it to me, he spoke about 
his own treatment as well as about Mr. Collinses. The general impres- 
sion left upon me was that it came from Melville; that is as to the way 
the feeling grew in the mess-room. That it was after discussions on 
some certain scientific matters. 

Q. What I want to get at is what was said by Newcomb as to his own 
treatment and the treatment of Collins. — A. He was complaining gen- 
erally of his treatment, especially during the storm in approaching the 
Siberian coast, in which, I think, Melville spoke very harshly to him. 
Melville ordered him to do something with the sail. He had a sail to 
attend to, and Newcomb said, " Wait until I put on my boot," where- 
upon Melville naturally got vexed. Newcomb's words to me generally 
referred to himself, his own life on board, which he did not like very 
much, and to his treatment, and the life at Geeomovialocke. 

Q. What did Newcomb tell you about the treatment Collins received 
on board? — A. In a general way, that Collins used to talk to him, and 
complain of his treatment; that he was not treated like a gentleman or 
as an officer. 

Q. Did he or did he not say that Collins had told him he had been 
treated like a dog ? — A. I don't remember those exact words, but that 
would be about the general imi)ression. 

Q. Is there anything in those notes that you have that would refresh 
your recollection as to words; if so, pray consult them? — A. What I 
want to come at is that the troubles commenced in the mess-room un- 
doubtedlj^, and after discussions on scientific matters, and from what I 
can find in my notes, there was a great deal of tale telling on board. It 
was Melville and the doctor who commenced the trouble with Collins, 
I think. 

Q. You say you got the impression that it grew out of a difficulty in 
the mess-room, which was the result of a scientific discussion? — A. It 
began in the mess-room, after dinner, as far as I can make out, from 
scientific discussions, and there grew up a bad feeling in some way be- 
tween Melville and Collins for the most part, and now and then the 
doctor. I never heard of any trouble between Collins and De Long, 
l^ersonal discussions leading to any troubles in the mess room, but after- 
wards, as I made a note, I cannot tell from whom I got it, that tale- 
telling and general reporting to the captain went on which would prob- 
ably result in the captain's treatment of Collins. 

Q. Then, so far as you are able to know, the only thing that was told 
to you that led to the suspension of Collins was the conversation that 
took place between De Long and Collins that Danenhower claimed to 
have overheard? — A. That was the result doubtless of a long series of 
previous misunderstandings. 

Q. That was all that was said to you? — A. That was all that was said 
to me, of course. 



JEANKETTE iNQtJmY. 7G3 

Q. Ko other fact was mentioned ? — A. I spoke of the fact of the trouble 
in the mess-room, of the scientific discussion that led to personal feeling. 

Q. Wei], that is one fact?— A. Yes. 

Q. You know none other? — A. No; I do not believe I do. 

Q. Was anything else said by any of the survivors of the expedition — 
by the sailors — relative to the management of the retreat; and, if so, by 
what sailors ? — A. The other part of the retreat would be on the Lena 
delta. I think I have said about everything that I can remember on 
the first part. 

Q. You have not told us anything about what the seamen said to you. 
You have spoken about what officers have said. What seaman spoke 
to you in reference to the management of the retreat ? — A. Mndemann, 
doubtlessly. 

Q. Anybody else ? — A. Koros, whose opinion I should not care much 
for. 

Q. And Bartlett ? — A. I do not think he spoke to me very much. 

Q. In point of intelligence how did you regard Nindemann, Noros, 
andBartlett? 

Mr. Arnoux. I do not think that is a proper question. The com- 
mittee have seen these men. 

Q. (Continuing.) Did they strike you as competent, able men f— A. 
Bartlett worked very much. I thought he was a particularly bright 
and able man. Nindemann, I thought, knew a great deal more about 
Arctic matters and about everything connected with the ship and with 
the voyage altogether. Noros I did not think much of, and I did not 
pay much attention to what he said. 

Q. Did thej^ or did they not join in the same general complaint as to 
the management of the retreat 1 

Mr. Arnoux. I object to that form of question. Counsel should ask 
what they said. 

The Chairman. Let him state the facts. 

The Witness. Eepeat the question. 

Mr. Curtis. The chairman has said for you to state what was said to 
you by the seamen relative to the conduct of the retreat. — A. I got so 
much from Lieutenant Danenhower that I certainly did not ask much 
from the sailors. They would tell me little incidents here and there. I 
would ask them about them in order to fill up my narrative. 

Q. Do you remember what incidents you asked them ? — A. So many 
of them I do not know exactly. 

Q. Do you remember among the so many a few ? 

The Witness. Could you indicate any definite point of the retreat 
where I could place it ? 

Mr. Curtis. If I do, there will be an argument here, and it will take 
time. 

The Witness. Yes ; but you see it is a long story. 

Mr. Curtis. Of course it is a long story. 

Q. What did they say, for instance, in relation to the delays on the 
retreat ? — A. Well, they were very much dissatisfied with them. It was 
Noros told me, and, of course, 1 could not tell how far to believe it, that 
some of the sailors got together and talked about it ; that they wished 
that Chipp was in charge. 

Q. Did they say why ? — A. They thought the delays were too long. 

Q. What did they say of Chipp ? — A. They seemed to admire Chipp 
very much. 

Q. Both as a man and as an officer ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. We will leave the subject of the management of the retreat, and 



764 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

we will go back to the subject of the treatment of Collins. Who among 
the seamen did you hear speak of his treatment ? — A. They all spoke of 
it, but the knowledge of the sailors would be second-hand. 

Q. What did they say about if? — A. They seemed to be in sympathy 
with him j they thought that he was not properly treated. 

Q. What did they say on that subject ? — A. I cannot tell the exact 
words. 

Q. I know you cannot 5 it is not in mortal man's power to do it, but 
approximate it; give us, to the best of your recollection, in words, the 
substance of what was said. — A. They seemed to think that he was 
misunderstood and badly treated, and they used to notice him on deck 
at the time he would not leave the deck of the ship, when he staid on 
board for three months, I think it was, without leaving the ship ; and 
they noticed the bad feeling that existed on board the ship, and his gen- 
eral treatment by Melville seemed to be most in their minds. Ii^oros, I 
believe, told me that he was in the habit of speaking of Collins in a very 
disrespectful manner, calling him names behind his back. 

Q. Is there anything more in connection with the particular matter 
that you now remember ? — A. I have not studied out the matter, and 
unless the question is put to me 1 do not know what to speak about. 

Q. Did or did not Lieutenant Danenhower state to you that in his 
judgment the arrest or suspension of Collins was unjustifiable!— A. I 
do not remember ; if it was published in the Herald, it is so. I do not 
remember the words. 

Q. Do you remember the substance ? — A. The general impression 
that I gained was that it was unnecessary. 

Q. And you gained that from Danenhower ? — A. That I cannot tell. 

Q. Do your own notes refresh your memory in any way ? — A. Not on 
that point. 

Q. Be kind enough to designate on what points your notes refresh 
your memory. — A. My notes are very few. 

Q. (Submitting letter published in New York Herald, cut and pasted 
in a note book.) Be kind enough to read that letter, and then answer 
who wrote it.— A. (After looking at same.) That was written by me. 

Q. (Indicating.) That is the beginning, "Irkutsk, March 6, 1882"?— 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Indicating.) Did you write all on that page? — A. Everything 
there is written by me. 

Q. (Turning a leaf.) Did you write all on that page? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Those are the first and second pages ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) Did you write all on that page that is 
printed ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) Did you write all on that page that is 
printed ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) Did you write all on that page that is 
printed ? — A. Certainly. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And on that? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that ? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Turning another leaf.) And that? — A. Yes. 

Q. (Indicating on another leaf.) And that also down to there and on 
the opposite page ? — A. Yes, every word of it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 765 

Q. Then there is nothing in the printed matter that I have shown you 
that you did not originally write in manuscript ? — A. It is an interview 
which represents the words of the man interviewed. 

Q -Vnd who is the man interviewed? — A. Lieutenant Danenhower. 

Q. And <^ia ^ oU <^-ake him down truthfully 1 — A. I took the words 
down from his mouth, ct.'^ainly. 

Q. Did you put in anything ne did %ol teil you? — A. Not a word. 

Q. Did you cut out anything that he did tell you ? — A. In goiug over 
it I probably corrected it or suggested a correction that he agreed to. 

Q. But there was no correction or alteration, revision or modification 
without his knowledge ! — -A. Nothing at all. 

Q. Cr that sensibly or seriously altered the text! — A. No, sir. 

Mr. Curtis. I offer this article in evidence. 

Mr. Aknoux. I object to it; I never heard of such a proposition in 
my life 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). Eather than hear the gentleman I with- 
draw the motion. 

Q. (Eesuming.) Did the survivors say anything in reference to Mel- 
ville's general conduct of affairs, and, if so, who were they and what did 
they say? 

The Witness. The account of affairs at Geeomovialocke ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir. 

A. Yes, I was told something in Irkutsk ; the most of my information 
on that point I gathered by looking over the ground. 

Q. Let us have your information. 

The Witness. You refer to the thirty -five- days' camp, I suppose 1 

Mr. Curtis. Well, anything in reference to the general conduct of 
affairs by Mr. Melville that you remember. 

The Witness. That would refer to the possibilities of the rescue, and 
my studies there went to that end. 

Q. Now, we will speak first of the delay at Geeomovialocke. What 
have you to say about that ? — A. Well, I think it was decidedly too 
long and quite unnecessary, and that if the delay had not occurred, if 
they had arrived at Geeomovialocke when they had the opportunity, I 
think everybody would have been saved. 

Q. Why do you think that ? — A. To tell you that I should have to 
give you my reason 

Mr. Arnoux (interposing). I suppose he ought to give the facts. 

Mr. MoAdoo. Certainly. 

The Witness. The facts would be from observation and hearsay. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Now, be kind enough to go on and state on what facts within your 
observation you based that opinion. — A. The chief engineer was in 
command of the whale-boat which left Seminowski, and that finally 
reached the delta of the Lena at a place called Borkiah, just about 40 
miles to the north of Geeomovialocke, and 30 or 40 miles from the sea. 
They were then taken by the natives to Geeomovialocke, a place which 
was visited byAnjouin 1826, 1 believe, and which on board they seemed 
to have known something about. The story of reaching there is pretty 
well known. They reached there on the 26th of September. It is 
marked on Melville's chart as the thirty -five days' camp. They 
remained there from the 26th of September until the 30th of October, 
the day on which they received the news of the captain's party from 
Noros and Nindemauu. The orders given to the party before they left 
Seminowski were that they should first of all try to touch at Cape Barkin 



766 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

on the Dortheast of the delta and then go to the Light Tower, a place 
which was marked ou Peterman^s map, and then make their way to 
Buliin, which was to be the meeting point of all. That was pretty well 
in their minds. Lieutenant Danenho wer told me at Irkutsk that Bulun 
was to be the meeting place. They reached Geeomovialocke on the 26th 
and on the 27th they made an attempt to take the whale-boat up the 
Borkiah branch of the Lena, that is the eastern branch of the Lena, to 
reach Bulun. They had found out from the natives that it was a seven- 
days' journey, or seven sleeps ; but in trying to pass over the bar they 
found it very shallow, probably not over 1 or 2 feet deep, and they met 
ice coming down the river, and they said that the natives refused to go 
any farther. I have no doubt the men were very tired and weary, and 
I do not think they can be blamed for not trying at that time. But if 
they had pushed through over the bar they would doubtless have got 
to Bulun in six days, because the ice only extended as far as the shoals 
that were between Geeomovialocke and Tomoose. Up beyond that the 
river was quite free of ice as far as Bulun, or probably as far as Jakutsk 
at that date. The ice was a half an inch thick. It was coming down in 
little streams. They could have gone, but I think they were very tired 
and they cannot be blamed for wanting rest, not knowing but that the 
others had been rescued themselves. Geeomovialocke, the jilace of 
which we speak, is on the northern shore of the Bykoff and close to the 
sea. It was Anjou's wintering place and should have been known to 
those on board. Across the river about 6 or 7 miles is the little 
village of Tomoose, and there resided a man called Kusmah, an exile, 
who plays rather an important part in the events connected with 
the sojourn of the whale-boat at Geeomovialocke. Between these two 
villages the main body of water flows from the Bykofl' out to the sea. 
It was here that the steamer Lena of the ^ordenskjold expedition en- 
tered on her way to Jakutsk ; therefore it is one of the best channels to 
Bulun. When Melville arrived at Geeomovialocke on the 26th of Sep- 
tember, he was told by Nicolai Shagra, the head native of the village, 
that it would be sixteen days before it would be possible to get to Bulun, 
because the river must freeze over. On the following day the attempt 
was made of which I have spoken. Some of the men on their return 
from the journey were badly frozen and one or two had to be carried 
from the beach to the house and the others had to crawl on their hands 
and knees. The boats were hauled high and dry on the beach by the 
natives and the next morning the river was covered with a half an inch 
of ice and therefore they could not attempt to take the boat to Bulun. 
Nicolai Shagra then said in five or six days it would be possible to start 
for Bulun on sleds. Melville prepared telegrams to the Secretary of 
the Navy, to Mr. Bennett, and to the American minister at St. Peters- 
burgh, and these Nicolai Shagra promised to send by native messenger 
to Bulun at the earliest possible moment. The condition of the river 
was carefully watched by the whale-boat party. It broke up and froze 
over repeatedly until the 6th of ( )ctober, when Kusmah crossed it in his 
sled from Tomoose to Geeomovialocke and first became acquainted with 
the rescued men. That was the first date at which the river was pass- 
able at that point for sleds and that was only on the shallow parts of 
the river and did not extend very far. 

Q. What was that date *? — A. That was on the 6th of October, En- 
glish style. We can therefore accept this as the first possible day when 
the whale-boat party could have crossed the river in order to get to 
Bulun, which was a journey of three days by sled. But farther up the 
river, the Bykoif branch, the river was running until the 5th or 6th of 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 767 

October and running very quickly, like a mill-race, for on that date the 
Indian Alexy returned to Captain De Long and told him he had seen 
a great river clear of ice. He had therefore seen the Lena proper. On 
the 14th of October Noros and Nindemann were able to cross over the 
Lena in the most rapid part of its course, and they noticed on that date 
only a few dangerous places, which were easily avoided. So the conclu- 
sion would be that a search from Geeomovialocke was afterwards im- 
possible by boat, but as regards making a move with the sleds that 
should have been done much earlier than it was really done. One rea- 
son Melville says why he could not move from Geeomovialocke was that 
he could not get dogs. When Shagra was asked about it he answered 
that the dogs were away off in other villages 20 or 40 or 90 versts away 
and that the natives could not bring them. 

Q. Are you stating what Shagra said or what Melville said? — A. 
What Shagra said. I discovered that this could not be the reason, as 
such distances are of no calculation on the delta. Between the 6th and 
the 11th of October Lieutenant Danenhower got a team of dogs together 
and started out in a search to Cape Barkin. He demanded that the 
native driver should take him to Barkin, but instead of which he was 
driven in a southern direction, out to sea finally, bringing up at the 
house of Kusmah, where he slept that night. This was the first at- 
tempt made to search for De Long and Ohipp by the whale-boat party. 
The explanation given to me by some of the sailors was that the natives 
refused to get dogs together for drawing sleds. They said that Shagra 
often sent dogs away from the village, and this was a fact, because the 
natives were afraid for their dogs. There had been a great number of 
quarrels between the sailors and the natives, and the method of treating 
the natives had caused them to send their dogs away. It was the habit 
of Melville, in communicating with the natives, to speak English, and to 
swear pretty loudly in English, which of course they did not understand, 
and when they did not understand he would pick up a block of wood 
and shy it at them, and the natives got very much afraid to go near 
them at all, and it came to such a point that they took their dogs away 
from the village. 

Q. Permit me to ask you. Do you mean to be understood that this 
feeling of unkindness or fear on the part of the natives was engendered 
by the conduct of Melville ? — A. Undoubtedly. 

Q. And the treatment that he had extended to them ? — A. Undoubt- 
edly. The complaint was that the whale-boat party did not get enough 
to ea:. The natives did not get enough themselves. They had but few 
fish. They had not begun to catch fish then, and they had very few left 
from the prior season, but they gave them four night and morning — eight 
per day. Each fish is from 6 to 8 or 9 pounds in weight. That is quite 
sufficient to live on. They demanded more. They thought that was 
not sufficient, and asked them why they could not have geese. The 
natives give the geese to the dogs. When the party did get geese they 
were in such high condition that they made the men worse mad. 

Q. They outranked game ? — A. Yes ; they did not like it at all, and 
the result was the natives would not come near them, and when Kusmah 
came thej^ told him not to come near the Americanes or he would be 
murdered. But he came to see them notwithstanding, and arranged to 
go to Bulun with a dog team in order to inform the Cossack command- 
ant there pf the presence of the shipwrecked men at Geeomovialocke, 
and on the 11th of October he started, accompanied by Mcolai Shagra. 
There had been discussions before that who should go with him. The 
jealousy existing at Geeomovialocke doubtless was the reason why no- 



768 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

body was sent after all. Lieutenant Danenhower wished to go, and it 
was discussed, I believe, for a day or two, and Bartlett, I believe, pro- 
posed to go too. In fact Bartlett was an energetic man. He said lie 
would walk there if he couldn't get there any other way, and he was 
told to "shut up his G — d — mouth," and eventually it seems Kusmah 
had some excuse that he could go quicker alone with Shagra with cer- 
tain telegrams. Melville had telegrams ready to go, and Kusmah told 
Melville that he could go better with a native, who was Shagra. It 
seems this was false on the part of Kusmah. He was a criminal, an 
exile sentenced for robbery of some sort. He had been sent from Russia 
to Irkutsk, and then after another robbery from Irkutsk to Jakutsk; 
then he was banished on a charge of cow-stealing from Jakutsk to the 
Lena delta. In his sentence of banishment he was ordered to confine 
himself to the lower part of the Lena's course, and was forbidden to be 
seen southward of a hut 40 versts north of Bulun, where he resided in 
summer. Kusmah, therefore, could not visit Bulun unless he wished to 
incur further pains and penalties, and consequently Nicolai Shagra had 
to be taken along in order to vouch for the genuineness of his mission. 
There is no doubt that with these two somebody should have been sent 
from Geeomovialocke. 

When Kusmah and Shagra came to the Lena, which they did with- 
out any difficulty, they went to Kusmah's summer-house, situated about 
40 versts north of Bulun. Kusmah staid there and sent Mcolai Shagra 
on to Bulun to inform the commandant of Melville's presence on the 
Bykoff. Shagra was absent several days, though he should have re- 
turned to Kusmah within two days at the utmost. Supposing the two 
men had arrived at the hut on the 14th, Kusmah did not turn up at Ku 
Mark Surk on his way back to Melville until the 27th of October, a 
period of nearly two weeks, when he met Koros and Nindemann. When 
he returned to Geeomovialocke after eighteen days he excused his long 
absence by bad roads, heavy snow drifts, and the fact that he had to 
wait in Ajaket several days until the river was frozen over, when the 
fact is the delay was owing to a very different cause. When Shagra 
arrived in Bulun he met some of his old friends and took the privilege 
of getting drunk, while Kusmah was waiting for him at Ajaket. And 
this was told to me by xMrs. Kusmah herself, and she doubtless had had 
it from her husband. All this time Melville waited in Geeomovialocke for 
Kusmah's return, and whenhedidcome he broughtnewsthataroused him 
— alas, too late — to activity. Then Melville went himself to Bulun and 
met Noros and Nindemaun and sent off the telegraphic dispatch. There 
is no doubt that if he had accompanied Kusmah to Bulun, the point to 
which De Long endeavored to make his way, he would have arrived by 
the 14th of October at the latest, and then the absence of news from the 
other boats would have forced him to an immediate search, and a search 
at that date could not but have been successful. The distance from 
Bulun to the Bluff* can easily be covered in two days. He would have 
met Noros and Nindemann on the way, and with their guidance and the 
blazing lights of De Long's signal fires the famished men would cer- 
tainly have been succored in good time, all but Erichsen and Alexy. 
The light of those signal fires could be seen from 20 to 25 miles from any 
point where such a search would have struck the delta. But they were 
lighted in vain, and De Long, in his note-book, was continually wonder- 
ing why, if the others were saved, they did not come out to search for 
him. Signal fires were built every night. That is my story in regard 
to Melville, and that ends that part, I think. 

Q. I suppose part of your mission and part of your instructions was 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 769 

to ascertain, if possible, the causes that led to the ill results of the expe- 
dition ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You were sent out by Mr. Bennett, the proprietor of the Herald, 
the gentleman whose private munificence fitted out this expedition ? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And you had instructions to ascertain, among other things, the 
causes of the ill success of the expedition ? — A. That would come of 
itself without instructions. 

Q. Now, do you know as matter of fact whether any jealousy ex- 
isted between any of the officers, or were you so informed by any of the 
members of the exx)edition *? And, if you were so informed, state, if you 
know, what were the causes of that jealousy.— A. The chief jealousy 
that I learned about was between Lieutenant Danenhower and Chief 
Engineer Melville at Geeomovialocke, and it was to a great extent what 
delayed them there. On Melville's part it was a kind of a cat in the 
manger business, in not going himself and not allowing other people to 
go to Bulun. 

Q. He would not go himself? — A. He would not go himself. A kind 
of a cat in the manger business, and he did not allow anybody else to 
go. 

Q. Did you not understand that Danenhower was ready to go 1 — A. 
Danenhower offered to go doubtlessly. He told me himself he tried, 
but his trial was a very poor trial at the time. 

Q. That is exactly what I am trying to bring your mind to. Was or 
was not that matter of the jealousy communicated to you by Lieutenant 
Danenhower himself? — A. No; I learned that afterwards by repeated 
conversations. 

Q. With other members of the expedition? — A. With other members 
of the expedition J that there was a deep jealousy which originated not 
only from the command being given to Melville, but just when they 
landed after the storm Jack Cole, who went insane, and who was doubt- 
less insane then, went up to Melville and said, " Melville, there is a plot 
against you ; Lieutenant Danenhower wishes to take charge and to put 
himself in command." That was doubtlessly the origin of the jealousy 
and the cause of the stern way in which Melville treated Danenhower 
afterwards. 

Q. I do not ask you to state whether it was a fact or not, but did 
Lieutenant Danenhower complain to you that Captain De Long thought 
that he was crazy ? — A. No, he did not tell me that. 

Q. Did he say that Captain De Long had stated that he, Lieutenant 
Danenhower, had been in the asylum ? — A. He did not tell me that. 

Q. Did any one else tell you that ! — A. I heard it as a general rumor. 

Q. What i want to get at is this : Did not Captain De Long assign 
as a reason why he did not want to intrust the destinies of a number 
of the people to Lieutenant Danenhower was that he was doubtful of 
his mental capacity ? — A. I have no knowledge on that point ; I have 
no definite information at all ; no rumor even. 

Q. You seem to have a volume of notes in your hand now. Do they 
relate to your observations in that country? — A. They chiefly relate to 
the journey on the delta, from the landing on the delta to the death. 

Q. Now, what observations have you to make in reference to what 
took place after the landing on the delta up to the time of the death ?— . 
A. That is a story that I have derived from the members of the expe- 
dition and put into a narrative. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that statement, however interesting it 
may be, is not competent. 
49 J Q* 



770 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Chairman. The committee have ruled that the sayings of the 
members of the expedition is competent evidence. The objection is 
overruled. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. State any facts which you desire to state in reference to the man- 
agement of that portion of the expeditionary party that landed at the 
delta, and after stating those facts give us any information that you 
have in regard to its management. — A. In traveling through part of 
the retreat, what I could say would be my observations in examining 
the chances of escape. 

Q. That is exactly what the committee want. — A. Those are the main 
points that I kept in view, whether they could have escaped or not. 

Q. You were on the delta yourself? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Go right on from that point ? — A. I may say before 1 begin, that 
they landed on the 17th of September; and they cached their material 
on September 19th, and that was the day on which Lee first broke down 
and afterwards Erichsen. It is of course very easy to criticise an ex- 
pedition after it is over. It is very much easier to criticise than to work. 
But I must say that the reason why I consider De Long died, first of 
all, must be given to his devotion to Erichsen and to Lee. I think in 
all that, De Long was heroic. 

Q. Anything that occurs to you that is favorable to De Long or to 
any of the party particularly, bear in mind in your statement. — A. That 
was the great cause. I remember once telegraphing to Mr. Bennett that 
the great cause of the catastrophe was undoubtedly De Long's devotion 
to, and his determination not to desert the least ot his men, and that 
brought the party to ruin eventually. Doubtless it was the great 
cause of the death. The other things that were causes came afterwards 
and are minor points. But in all that time he might have said when 
the men were lagging behind a single word to have lived, and a single 
word would have saved the entire company. On that point there is no 
doubt in mj mind. Afterwards there were other things that cropped 
out, that showed that there was a lack of knowledge of the Siberian 
coast which proved fatal. 

Q. Now, please state that in extenso. — A. One of the great causes of 
the fatality after the delay caused by these sick men who had to be 
dragged was doubtless Captain De Long's own weak condition, which 
he tried to bear up under all the time, and to conceal from his men. He 
thought that he made much greater distances than he was doing every 
day. Nindemann once told me he would say to him, " Well, Nindemann, 
we have made good 12 miles to-day." Nindemann says he knew that 
they only made 5 or 6, and so it went on day after dsiy. He imag- 
ined that he was making much longer distances, and at the end, when 
he came to Usturda, when he was waiting for the river to freeze over, 
he then imagined that he was down on the gooba or bay around Stol- 
boi ; that is, he had just come half the distance and that was the cause 
of his imagining he was on the island of Tit Arrii. He went quite 
astray. A great deal of blame is attributable to the bad charts of the 
Lena delta; there were none of any size. No real chart was made and 
the only survey that was made does not seem to have been on the ship — 
that was Anjou's — and I do not know myself whether there was a chart 
in the book, but he traveled over the country in 1828. I think that 
probably Captain De Long besides suffering physically was short-sighted, 
or got to be, and had to depend on the men, and did not know anything 
about the configuration of the country from the maps they had before 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 771 

them. They had Peterman's maps which showed the bay plain enough, 
and showed it to be 40 or 50 miles wide, and the river they crossed on 
the 28th was only a mile wide at the most. He concluded that this bay 
had silted up in the course of forty or fifty years and become a small 
river. The entire delta had not increased above 7 or 8 miles during the 
last ninety years. 

The place called Barkin, which he was led astray with, he called the 
winter huts of the natives. It was the winter huts of the fur traders 
who used to start out for the New Siberian Islands. It is now 12 miles 
inland, showing that the delta has not increased in length, and that 
De Long's miscalculations of distances should be traced to physical 
causes more than anything else. The maps were so very bad that they 
did not know the names or the Eussian meaning of the names. It is 
the fault of the geographers who put in Eussian geographical names 
without translating them. For instance, if he had known that Stolboi 
meant pillow-like he would have known where he was. At the river 
they could see this big sugar-loaf kind of island. He would have 
known where he was. That was the fault of the geographers. He was 
trusting to Petermau and Nordenskjold, who had written works only 
three or four years before, and who talked about winter huts and Barkin, 
whereas the traders have passed through Barkin for the last 15 years. 
That should have been known to geographers, and De Long could not 
be blamed for that. In fact the charts are very bad. The only inhab- 
ited place marked properly on the chart is Geeomovialocke, but that is 
marked in such small characters that to look at the map you would think 
it only a winter station, whereas Barkin and the Light Tower are in 
large letters, which would lead him to suppose it was a large village. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Who was the author of the chart ? — A. It was one of Peterman's 
charts they had. A small piece was cut out, not very large ; about 6 
inches high and 3 inches across. It was a very poor chart j in fact 
there were no charts of the delta up to that time. The general config- 
uration of the delta was almost correctly given, but the names of places 
were not known where the natives lived in summer and in winter. Of 
course, I considered that the preparations for the retreat over the ice 
and for the life in Siberia were not enough. They seemed to think that 
rifles would be the only guns needed, and as a fact they left most of 
their unnecessary clothing behind, and very few of them had anything 
else except the clothes in which they stood up. It was only a small 
picnic in the Arctic, De Long said, to give the men encourage- 
ment. I think he said that to Noros. When they started on their 
sled journey one of the great mistakes, I think, was not to take the 
shotguns along. Eifles were taken, and although they succeeded in 
killing a few deer, the season was too late, and with the shotguns they 
undoubtedly could have got enough food to have got through. Captain 
De Long, in his note-book, mentions continually that the tracks of ptarmi- 
gan were seen, and on the day when Mndemann and Noros left they 
saw two hundred, of which Alexy only secured three or five, which was 
not enough food for three men. I think, with one shotgun and one 
rifle they would have been able to get through. The ptarmigan is a 
very quiet kind of bird, and if you find a covey of them you can get 
about a fourth of them. I think it was a great mistake to leave the 
shotguns on the ice near the sinking Jeannette. I have seen it men- 
tioned that the reason was that the ammunition was wet. It is new to 
me and I cannot believe it, because Newcomb had also a shotgun, with 



772 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

which he shot two gulls, and he did not say anything about the ammu- 
nition being wet. The ptarmigan live on the delta all the winter. It 
is there where the vegetation comes out latest, and it stays under the 
snow all the year around. For that reason the ptarmigan are always in 
plenty there in winter. I have no doubt that for every one shot 'with 
a rifle twenty might have been secured with a shotgun. When Alexy died, 
when he brought in the last ptarmigan, tbeir last hope was gone really. 
Nobody else could tramp after ptarmigan. A covey of ptarmigan would 
take him to 3 and 4 up to 10 miles away, following and shooting with 
rifle-balls, but he got very few of them. I think he was one of the 
noblest men on the expedition. I never can find that he ate anything 
that he shot, but brought it all faithfully back to the camp. He was 
buried with all honors. Captain De Long evidently recognized this 
when he died. 

I think De Long made a mistake in keeping his men together instead 
of allowing them to go out in parties in search of game or natives. I 
do not wish to charge De Long with neglect. He was desirous of push- 
ing on and finding natives in time, and, as I said, criticism is easily made. 
Had he sent out exploring or hunting expeditions it is likely the result 
would have been much more game and in all probability some of the 
party would have come upon the residences of natives which were only 
iO miles to the west. They were still dwelling there as he passed on his 
way to the south. On this point and on the general subject of the 
chances that De Long had of escape from the delta, I asked Engineer 
Melville, who had been upon the ground, his opinion, and this was his 
answer : " There is no doubt in the minds of all the survivors at the 
present time," he said, " that had we arrived on the Siberian coast ten 
or fifteen days earlier, every soul of the Jeannette's crew would have 
been saved, for many reasons. When we first struck the coast there 
was some game, but the season was already past, and all the large game 
we saw was such as had been left behind and the main body had left 
for the south. 

" De Long's party landed at an unfortunate point. Along the coast 
further to the west they would have been better off, for there are im- 
mense herds of reindeer at all times ; of course more during the summer 
and up to the month of August than in winter, though even in March and 
April, the severest months of the year, I saw reindeer all along the 
coast to the westward. The strip of country through which De Long 
took his party is almost entirely devoid of game. It is seldom hunted 
over even by the natives themselves ; and in making inquiries of them 
to find out the position of the hut where Erichseu died, not one of them 
from any part of the delta could tell me anything about this part of the 
interior. As they said, they never hunted there. 

"• The coast to the west of De Long's landing point, as well as that more 
to the east, were ai)parently well known, while the section which the 
captain unfortunately traversed was quite unknown to the natives. 
Thus a rough chart of the delta drawn for me by the Yakuts shows 
quite blank around the spot where the bodies of De Long and his com- 
panions were found, and not a native among my drivers and assistants 
could fill out the outlines of the incomplete portion. Had De Long 
landed on the Siberian coast earlier in the season his boat would have 
floated over the bar ; had we been earlier in the season we would have 
escaped the gales that prevailed as we approached the coast and we 
should all have lauded together and been able to use our boats down to 
Bulun. De Long landed at the northern mouth of the Lena and com- 
menced to ascend the river all right until he got to Usturda. He was 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 773 

on the most northern branch and following the river correctly until he 
got to that point. In his record of the 1st of October he says that he 
had crossed the river with the intention of following the main branch. 
As he intended to have done, he would have come up at the huts of Cass 
Carta, Carviua, or Mat Vai, and all of which were occupied by natives 
until after the time that he had passed along the southeast. How do 
we know this ? Because when I got to North Bulun I inquired of the 
natives at what time they had found the three records left by Captain 
De Long in the huts of Ballok and Osooktok. They informed me a week 
or ten days before my arrival there. I asked them how they happened 
to go there, and they said they were going home to North Bulun after 
leaving their hunting stations at Cass Carta and Carvina, and that as 
they passed up to the village of North Bulun they had stopped at the 
huts in order to examine their traps, and to reset them in case any were 
out of order. 

"But I)e Long's unfortunate mistake was in recrossing the main 
branch of the Lena and then taking a course over the many river shoals 
and sand spits to the southeast. De Long also passed near other places 
where he would have found food and succor. At Usturda, the point 
where he crossed the river to the western bank, due west 25 versts as 
the crow flies, there were several carcasses of reindeer staked in a sum- 
mer hut as food for the natives during the winter awaiting the time 
when they would have been transported on sleds to the villages lying 
to the north, or when he was at Ballok, 30 or 40 versts due west, there 
are the villages of North Bulun and Kitarch, situated on either side of 
the river with a hundred or a hundred and fifty inhabitants, all or nearly 
all of whom were in their homes at the time when De Long passed to 
the south. 

" About 25 versts to the west of Ballok is a large grave-yard with 
many rude wooden crosses and tomb coverings, which would have indi- 
cated to him the vicinity of a native village. It was excusable in De 
Long not knowing of the existence of North Bulun, as the ispravenik 
of the district did not know of it himself until I informed him of the 
fact on my arrival at Yerkeransk. It is on the river Kitarch that most 
of the inhabited huts of the delta are located. * Between Usturda and 
the bluffs of the Lena whereon De Long perished, he had to cross nine 
good-sized rivers, varying from five to fifteen hundred yards wide, and of 
various depths. When he reached the bluff he was on the larger out- 
let of the Lena, and the one that discharges its waters to the east at 
Geeomovialocke. He found it running fast with masses of broken ice, 
which it was impossible for him to cross either with or without boats. 
Had he brought his boat so far he could not have navigated the river, 
the ice being so dangerous. So apparently when became to that point 
he thought his case was hopeless for further advance. There he must 
have become perfectly convinced of his position. Standing on the points 
where he died, looking south or south by west, he looked into the mouth 
of the main river coming down from Bulun. 

As you see, the thing we call chance, luck, or providence did not favor 
De Long in his movements on the delta. Had he landed 30 or 40 miles 
more to the westward than where he had he would have struck natives 
at once, or had he gone more to the east he would at least have fiillen 
upon a better hunting ground, and game would doubtless have been 
more plentiful. Had he landed a few days sooner or even a few days 
later he would have been found by natives. Twice or thrice De Long 
mentioned the fact that human footsteps were seen imprinted on the 
snow, and that they appeared to be only a day or two old. Had he kept 



774 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

on the rivers which he followed safely during September, he would have 
come upon huts still inhabited, and had he gone but 15 or 20 miles to 
the west, as he afterwards went to the east, he might easily have come 
upon the hut containing the carcasses of reindeer, winter food of the in- 
habitants of Upper Bulun. A strange fatality, indeed, seems to have 
attended every footstep that he made. A singular circumstance came 
to my knowledjze when visiting the house of Kusmah, the exile, 20 
versts north of Ku Mark Surk, on the Lena. I was told of it by Kus- 
mah's wife, a Yakut woman of remarkable intelligence, her husband 
being unfortunately away from home. In one of the huts of Ballok 
Captain De Long had left a useless Winchester rifle, which up to that 
time had been carried by Mr. Collins. It was a silver-ornamented aifair, 
and Captain De Long had x)robably desired to keep it as a memento of 
Arctic experiences. Two days after the captain and his companions 
had left Ballok (Mrs. Kusmah told me), a party of natives from the vil- 
lage on the river Kitarch, in visiting their traps, came to the huts and 
found there this broken Winchester rifle. Lookmg further they saw 
in the snow the tracks left by De Long and his party, and followed them 
for some distance. Mrs. Kusmah says they saw the footprints when 
they were certainly not more than two days old. They then returned 
home, fearing, as they afterwards said, that the footprints were those 
of 'contrabandists,' which may mean escaped convicts, robbers, or 
smugglers, and fearing to come into conflict with them the natives kept 
the secret of what they had seen to themselves, and only admitted their 
negligence long afterwards. Thus we see that the hope that De Long 
entertained of natives visiting their traps was not an utterly vain one. 
It is, of course, difficult to blame the natives for not following the foot- 
prints. I record the fact simply to show how near De Long and his 
party were continually to salvation. 

" During the last days De Long based his hope on two things : on the 
early return of Noros and Mndemann, and on a search expedition being 
made for him by the parties belonging to the other two boats if they 
were alive." 

It is known how Koros and Nindemann succeeded in reaching Ku 
Mark Surk, and I believe they did all that was required of them and 
all that could be expected. Three or four days before they were sent 
away, on the 9th of October, the discussion was whether the doctor 
should not go. The doctor was to have gone and taken another man 
with him. Collins also proposed to go, 1 believe, so Noros told me, but 
finally Captain De Long selected Nindemann, after they had no food 
and very little alcohol left, and asked Nindemann to select somebody 
to go with him. He selected Noros. He thought then he was only 25 
miles away from Ku Mark Surk, whereas he was 75 miles or more. I 
think they did all they could. When they met the natives I do not 
think there was any chance of making themselves understood. It was 
a very difllcult thing indeed. Their part of the story is very well known 
and 1 need not repeat it, and how they failed in getting the natives to 
come back, and then were driven to Bulun. If at the time they were 
at Ku Mark Surk they could have induced the natives to have gone 
back, that might have saved four or five of the expedition, who would 
have been Captain De Long, Dr. Ambler, Mr. Collins, and probably 
one or two others, but they could not make the natives understand. I 
think they did the best they could in every way." 

There was one hope to which De Long clung to the last; but, like all 
the rest, it proved a vain one. No record of this hope is found in the 
note-books of De Long, but both Nindemann and Noros say that the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 775 

captain would often express liis surprise tliat no search parties were 
sent out to look for him. " I cannot understand," he w^ould say, "how 
it is if the others are safe they do not come to look for us." This sur- 
prise he very frequently expressed, and with this hope that had flick- 
ered with every signal-fire he doubtless died. A few days after the de- 
parture of Nindemanu and Noros he writes, wondering why they have 
not returned, but he only mentions their absence once, for he undoubt- 
edly saw, when he came to the bluff how greatly he had erred in esti- 
mating his distances ; but his many signal-fires, and especially bis last 
one, built on a point of land to the eastward of where he perished, prove 
more clearly how tenaciously he clung to the hope that assistance would 
come from his own people. 

The distance across from where he died to the mouth of the Lena 
Biver was 17 miles, and he was constantly looking for them to come 
down, and I have no doubt that if a thorough attempt had been made 
to rescue De Long by Melville that only one or two deaths would have 
to be recorded, instead of a dozen. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What do you mean by the qualifying phrase, a " thorough 
search"? — A. There was no search made in time. When Melville received 
the news in Geeomovialocke, on the 30th of October, that Noros and 
Nindemann were alive, he started off and met the two men in Bulun. 
They were then too sick to be moved, I believe, and only proposed that 
he should wait a couple of days until they were able to accompany him. 
Melville then started out on his own hook and made a five weeks' 
search, and displayed great energy in that search, but it was a blind 
energy. He took down the information Nindemanu gave him as to 
where he last left the party, and then tried to find it himself, but 
swung off the track and got to a place called Oass Carta, from whence 
he sent a telegram about De Long and his party having wandered up 
into a wilderness, which was all in Mr. Melville's imagination. If he 
had just waited tAVO days and taken Nindemann with him, he woukl no 
doubt have found their bodies in four days, instead of letting them re- 
main there five months. There is no reason in the world why the 
search should have taken so long ; and he at last had to take Ninde- 
mann's advice and follow Nindemann's lead, and they fouud him the 
very first day they went on the Lena Eiver proper. I think the entire 
search b^^ Mr. Melville was badly conducted. I think that is the end 
of that story. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you write, or cause to be published, any matter given to you by 
Mr. Danenhower against his request? — A. Not anything at all. There 
was nothing published against his request. 

Q. Or in point of fact was there anything published without his 
knowledge? — A. Nothing at all, except in the shape of an interview by 
him. 

Q. Do you know anything about the circumstances of the burial of 
Collins? — A. Nothing except what I heard from Bartlett and Ninde- 
manu afterwards. 

Q. What did you hear about that? — A. I had a description of how 
the burial was conducted and how the tomb was erected. From what 
I learned I did not think they were buried with any degree of reverence 
or with the reverence that was due them by Melville. 

Q. Under what circumstances were they burled? — A. They were laid 



776 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

in a cairn on top of tlie mountain, and I think the suggestion was made 
by somebody to have prayers read and Melville said they would do 
very well as they were. That information I obtained from Bartlett. 

Q. Was there anything said about a relic that was on the body of 
Collins at the time ? — A. I think it was Bartlett that said something 
about it. The question w^as put whether that should not be sent home 
to his friends. Melville said, " No, we had better leave his Joss on him ; " 
something of that sort. 

Q. That was the term used by Melville in speaking of the Deity ? — A. 
Yes, sir. The term Joss comes from China. 

Q. It means among the Chinese the deity that is worshiped ? — A. I 
su])pose so. 

Mr. NiNDEMANN. It means their god. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. What part of the Lena delta did you, personally, travel over ? — A. 
I went from Verkeransk up to Geeomovialocke, where I met Melville. 
I then went from Geeomovialocke to Borkiah, the place where the whale- 
boat landed, and its party was rescued. I thenwent along the Borkiah 
branch of the Lena to the place where the bodies were found, where the 
four pieces of wood were found, then to the tomb, then down the river 
following the course of Noros and Nindemaun to Bulun and then home- 
ward. At the time I could not go over all the ground, expecting the 
thaw every day. 

Q. You did not go over the part of De Long's track from the time of 
the landing to the death? — A. No, I could not ; I had not time. 

Q. So that the opinion you have expressed here in regard to his prog- 
ress and the opinions you have based on it are derived entirely from 
hearsay "? — A. Not at all ; from observation. One part of the delta is 
the same as the other. All Siberia is of the same general character, 
and the opinions are based on what Captain De Long says, and my own 
observations, and upon hearsay. 

Q. Now, do you mean to say that all of Siberia is as desolate, as in- 
tersected by water, and as swampy as is the Lena delta ? — A. Certainly 
not ; the delta is a different thing. 

Q. That is what I am speaking of. — A. Quite a different thing. I 
went over 200 miles of the delta, which is quite sufficient to judge of 
its general character. 

Q. Did you know that the delta in the part where Captain De Long 
was differed so much from the other part of the delta that the natives 
never went there, and do you not know that it is a terra incognita to the 
natives'? — A. That is Melville's story. I did not say that. 

Q. I say, did you learn that that was so ? — A. From Melville alone. 
The fact is there are huts all around there. There are huts where 
Erichsen died, showing that the natives do go there. 

Q. Do you know that of your own knowledge ! — A. I know that by 
tlie huts, and I know that the huts were all found with old fires in them. 

Q. Did you see the hut where Erichsen died ? — A. Ino, sir j it is re- 
ferred to in Captain De Long's journal. 

Q. We are only asking of what you know at present. Captain De 
Long's journal is as accessible to us as it is to you. Now, did you give 
credcTice to the description and statement which Mr. Melville made to 
you which you have read here this afternoon % — A. I did not express 
any judgment on it at all. I merely incorporated it. 

Q. Very well. 1 ask you now from what you know and from what you 
have heard from others, do you think that that statement is a correct 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 777 

statemeDf? — A. I could not judge of his opinion about landing on the 
delta. His opinion about the natives I can judge from knowing that the 
huts are there. It is their hunting ground in the winter and in the fall. 

Q. I am speaking of the whole that you read. Did you give credit to 
that"? 

The Witness. To Melville's statement ? 

Mr. Aknoux. Yes. 

A. No ; I neither believed nor misbelieved it. It is an interview, a 
narrative which you can either believe or disbelieve. 

Q. Was that the same with other interviews ?— A. With regard to all 
interviews my object was to give their words. 

Q. And you had interviews with natives'? — A. Yes; with some of 
them. 

Q. Did you form any opinion as to whether they were telling you cor- 
rect facts or not? — A. As a rule I formed my own estimate. Some I 
would not believe and some I did. 

Q. Why did you not form an opinion on what the natives told you? — 
A. Because I did not think it worth while to base anything on it. That 
was his judgment 

Q. (Interposing.) I am not speaking of judgment, but of the facts? — 
A. If you accept it as true that the entire ground is not known to the 
natives ; but it is known to the natives. 

Q. Did you believe that from what the natives told you? — A. I be- 
lieved that from the presence of huts all around the delta. 

Q. You say you never saw those huts yourself? — A. There were some 
at a place called Durango. 

Q. 1 am speaking of the part where Captain De Long was. — A. Yes; 
there is where the river is continually making inroads on the land, and 
the natives do not build huts where the land is overflowed every spring- 
time; but 15 miles away the natives come. 

Q.'l^oWj you have said Captain De Long built fires every night, and 
that those tires could be seen 30 or 40 miles oft? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have also said that the natives were within 10 miles on one 
side and 25 on the other ? — A. Kot 25 on the other. 

Q. How far on the other ? — A. Nothing on the other at all. 

Q. I understood you to say that they were. — A. I did not say that. 

Q. Did it strike you as at all strange if these fires were burning every 
night and could be seen by the natives within a radius of 30 miles that 
none of them found him ? — A. But the signal-fires were not built until 
after he got down the delta. They had left then. 

Q. They had left then ? — A. The natives had already gone away. At 
first they merely built "camp-fires, but afterwards began to build signal- 
fires, which were described to me as very large. 

Q. How long a time after he built signal-fires as distinguished from 
camp-fires was it before the party perished ? — A. I think about the 20th 
of October was the time signal-fires began to be built. For the first 
few days after they came there there was no thought of accident or of 
any catrastrophe coming upon them, and their signal-fires were not 
built. 

Q. Now, when Captain De Long sailed from San Francisco, did he 
not, according to the knowledge which then existed of the Lena delta, 
have a right to expect when he reached the Lena delta that he would 
be in a habitable country ? — A. No, I do not think so. He expected to 
find natives there naturally. 

Q. Did he not have the right to expect that there was a light-house 
on the delta ? — A. Yes, he had the right to expect that. 



778 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Now, was there any such light-house "? — A. Yes, it was found af- 
terwards. 

Q. Was there any such light-house at the time he left San Fran- 
cisco ? — A. Yes, sir. It was not alight-house; it was a light-tower. It 
was found by Lieutenant Harber or Lieutenant Scheutze, I forget 
which. 

Q. But that was not a light-house? — A. It was a misnomer. Of course 
he was led astray by that. 

Q. Had you ever given any study to the Siberian coast ? — A. Not at 
all. 

Q. You knew nothing of it before that time"? — A. Nothing at all. 

Q. So that you would not have known of the resources there were in 
the civilized world in respect to the configuration of the delta, or the 
location of its villages at the time De Long left f — A. If I had had an 
order to go I should have studied it up. I would have got books. 

Q. Would you not have got Peterman's ? — A. Peterman is an author- 
ity, yes. 

Q. You have said that you thought a thorough search by Melville 
would have enabled him to have rescued most of the members of the 
captain's party ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do 3^ou mean a search to have been instituted before he came in 
contact witb Noros and Nindemann ? — A. Yes ; while he was at Geeo- 
movialocke. 

Q. Do you believe that a thorough search on their part would have 
enabled them to have discovered Chipp's party f — A. No ; I do not. I 
could not say anything on that point. 

Q. Now, according to what you have learned, did they know anything 
more about the whereabouts of De Long's party before they met Noros 
and Nindemann than they did about Ghipp's party ? — A. Captain De 
Long said before the boats separated the first point to be made was 
Oape Barkin, the next the light tower, and the last place of gathering 
would be Bulun, known to be the first large place on the Lena River. 

Q. How do you know thaf? — A. It was the common conversation. 

Q. Who told you that ? — A. I think Lieutenant Danenhower. I am 
not quite sure, but I could not get it of my own knowledge ; I could not 
invent it. 

Q. Do not understand for a moment that I meant anything of that 
kind. — A. It is difficult to say exactly where you get information in 
getting little points that come into the narrative. 

Q. What I wanted to reach a few moments ago was this : Is it not 
the fact that the oi^inions which you have expressed here are based 
largely upon the statements of facts which had been made to you ? — A. 
To a great degree. 

Q. And so far as those statements are erroneous they would so far 
affect the opinions that you have expressed? — A. If the statements 
were erroneous certainly they would. 

Q. Under the circumstances which you have narrated and which we 
liave understood, from the conversations with others and from the na- 
tives, and from your own observation of the Lena delta, I understand 
that you did not criticise the conduct of Captain De Long? — A. Cer- 
tainly not. 

Q. Do you know what part of the journey it was that the natives 
came upon De Long's track? — A. At the huts at Ballok. 

Q. At what time was it De Long was there? — A. From the 21st to 
the 23d of September. 



I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY 779 

Q. ISo that if the natives liad then followed np the trail they could 
readily have rescued himf — A. Yes, sir; undoubtedly. 

Q. i do not understand you to intimate at all in anything that you 
have said that you supposed that there was anything willful in his con- 
duct in respect to their own safety ; that there was no desire on the 
part of any one to do or fail to do anything that would secure their own 
safety? — A. I think I have not mentioned anything that would lead to 
that opinion at all. 

Q. And the only thing that you have criticised so far as the delay 
is concerned, is the conduct of Melville in not, with proper activity, 
seeking his lost companions'? — A. I think if he had shown 

Q. (Interposing.) I say that is the only thing you criticised? — A. If 
he had shown as much energy before, as he did after the news came to 
him, a tenth part of it, there would have been no death. 

Q. That is your opinion? — A. Yes, based on looking over the ground 
and knowing the facilities he had, and everything. 

Q. Do you think without the assistance of reindeer or dogs he could 
have found De Long? — A. No; I do not think go. 

Q. Have you read Dr. Ambler's journal ? — A. I have not. 

Q. In the latter part of Dr. Ambler's journal he mentions the fact that 
De Long desired the men to try to save themselves, and that he himself 
declared that if De Long was unable to continue in command, he should 
assume command and he would not leave him as long as he lived, or 
something of that heroic character. Now knowing that, would it affect 
the criticism that you made that if De Long had allowed some of the 
men to separate, some of them would have been saved ? — A. I have not 
said that if he allowed them to separate they would have saved them- 
selves, but what I have said is if they had separated they would have 
found relief or found food. I did not touch the other point. 

Q. Now knowing the fact which I have brought to your attention for 
the first time, would it not do away with the criticism which you made 
on that point? — A. No; I think that merely proves what I said when I 
first began. The real cause of De Long's death was his devotion to 
his men. He refused to leave his men. He stuck to them and took 
care of them all the time. I said this : That if he had been mean enough 
to have left one of them behind, all of the men could have escaped. 
He did not do it. Therefore he was heroic and he martyred himself. 

Q. Do you think that his refusing to leave his sick comrades was a 
matter of adverse criticism on his conduct ? — A. No. 

Q. I supposed you intended to cast no reflection on Captain De Long 
for that heroism ? — A. I did not criticize it at all. I considered it the 
purest heroism and martyrdom on his part. It was easy for any man 
to have sacrificed one life and have saved the rest. 

Q. But at that time do you think he had any assurance that it was 
necessary to sacrifice one life for the benefit of the remainder ? — A. 1 
think he felt it; I think he knew it was dangerous. He saw at once 
when he was dragged back by Lee and Erichsen the chances of escape 
were being cut ofi' every day. 

Q. You were speaking of the shotguns. Did you understand from 
the different ones that Mr. New comb had a shotgun with metallic cart- 
ridges ? — A. That I did not know. 

Q. And did you understand that the shotguns on the ship had been 
provided with paper cartridges ? — A. That I had no information of. 

Q. Of course, you would not intimate that shotguns would be of any 
value if they had not the proper ammunition for them ? — A. Certainly 
not. 



780 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. And if you should learn tbat the shotguns of the ship had been pro- 
vided with cartridges encased in paper, and that by dampness these 
cartridges had swelled so that it was impossible to put them in the gun 
unless they were cut down, so that the ammunition was practically 
worthless, would that alter your opinion in regard to the advisability 
of taking sbotguns? — A. I heard tbat some ot the ammunition was 
swelled a little. I questioned them undoubtedly, at the time, very 
narrowly. I was not told then that there was anything the matter 
with the amnmnition. 

Q. Undoubtedly that is the reason. We have had witnesses under 
oath who have testified in regard to that, and I ask whether your judg- 
ment in regard to the shotguns would not be affected by that ? — A. It de- 
pends upon the witnesses having knowledge of the facts in the case. 

Q. If such were the fact, would not your opinion in regard to taking 
the shotgnns be greatly modified ? — A. If the amnmnition was injured 
in any way, of coarse the guns would have been useless. But in that 
case they could undoubtedlj^ have taken means of fixing them properly. 

Q. That might be so. Now, in regard to rifles. Have you studied 
the matter from what you learned from the officers and otherwise suffi- 
ciently to express an opinion as to whether rifles would or would not 
be more serviceable wlien they were on the ice for shooting seals and 
walruses"? — A. Certainly they would be useful on the ice. 

Q. So that if Captain De Long labored under the opinion, from the 
information that he had in his possession at that time, that all he had 
to do was to provide for himself until he reached the Lena delta, and 
that there he would be in a civilized land where he would have all the 
assistance that he needed, do you think that he would have needed to 
take shotguns? — A. I think they should have been taken anyway, as a 
matter of precaution. 

Q. Were you aware of the amount in weight to be taken to have en- 
abled them to make that unprecedented march of 500 miles from the 
vessel to the Lena delta, and where the necessities of the case demanded 
that they should reduce their load to the utmost minimum ; if they 
took rifles, should they take shotguns also ? — A. Yes ; they should 
have been distributed; that is, one-half rifles and one-half shotguns. 

Q. That is your judgment? — A. Undoubtedly. 

Q. But that judgment which you now exx)ress would be modified by 
the question -whether they had suitable ammunition for the shotguns ? — 
A. The question of the swelling of the ammunition, of course, I cannot 
decide very well about; I never heard it and I do not think these 
things were known at the time among the men, because I questioned 
them verj^ narrowly. 

Q. You understand I am putting it as a suppositious case at the 
present time, and I ask you whether your judgment about the shot- 
guns would not be modified by the fact whether they had or had not 
proi)er ammunition for the shotguns? — A. Certainly it would be modi- 
fied if they had not proper ammunition, which has not been proved. 

Q. When did you learn the facts which you have given us in regard 
to the growth of the delta? — A. I think that is from the searches made 
by Melville and Nindemann and Bartlett for Chipp. 

Q. That is to say, since the party landed upon the delta ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Now, how did you get the impression that De Long labored under 
the belief that the silt had filled up the bay ? — A. He says that in his 
note book. 

Q. It is only from what you learned from his own records ? — A. Cer- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 781 

tainly. And by what he says when he sent the men forward from the 
island of Tit Arrii. [Eeferring to chart and indicating.] There is the 
island of Tit Arrii, upon which he imagined himself to be, when he 
was in fact over here [indicating], about 60 miles away. 

Q. You learned in no other way that he assumed that fact than from 
reading his own journal 1 — A. That was the first information, and from 
the fact that the first letter dated from Tit Arrii was incorrect. 

Q. How do yon know that they did not have on board of the Jean- 
nette a copy of Anjou's survey ? — A. That I do not know. If they had 
it would have been brought 

Q. (Interposing.) Your only information is an inferential one ? — A. 
I do not know whether they had it or not. I never said that they had 
not. 

Q. I understood you to say you did not believe they had it on board 
the ship. — A, I said it could have been on the ship. He was the only 
man that journeyed on the Lena delta. His is the only work on the 
subject during recent years. 

Q. Was Anjou's survey more recent than Peterman's '? — A. Peterman 
is merely a collective geographer. He collects the information of other 
people and puts it together. 

Q. I understand ; but was not the part of Peterman's which relates 
to the Lena delta later than Anjou's "? — A. It is later, and composed of 
Nordenskj old's journey, probably. It is a collection of information that 
is spread around in geographical magazines. 

Q. And it was the latest knowledge attainable at the time De Long 
started ?— A. It was the latest that was published. 

Q. Who was it that first told you that it was the jealousy between 
Melville and Danenhower which interfered with an effective search 
being made for De Long *? — A. One of the sailors up in Irkutsk. 

Q. Do you recollect which one 1 — A. No j I do not. 

Q. Did you hear it from more than one person ! — A. It was the gen- 
eral belief^ 

Q. (Interposing.) ISTo ; I am not asking for the belief. — A. Well, it 
was said generally by the sailors. That was their own reasoning of the 
matter, which I afterwards looked into. 

Q. Did you ascertain that from any officer? — A. I jadged there was 
jealousy from Lieutenant Danenhower's narrative. 

Q. Now, what did this sailor, to whom you first spoke on this subject, 
say to you ? — A. That I do not remember. 

Q. Can you give the substance of it ? — A. Those things come in a 
general way. The first intimation I should have would be from Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower's narrative naturally, and then the talk among the 
sailors now and then would verify the thing, and after I got to Geeomo- 
vialocke I would probably talk with Bartlett and get proof of what I 
was looking after. 

Q. Tell me what the first one you talked to about it said on the mat- 
ter in substance '? — A. That is impossible to remember after three years. 

Q. What did Lieutenant Danenhower say to you on the subject ? — A. 
Nothing whatever except what can be seen in his narrative, which shows 
a certain feeling against Melville. 

Q. You were saying that you learned subsequently that the reason 
that Kusmah did not return was that Mcolai Shagra got drunk at Bu- 
lun?— A. Yes. 

Q. Did you hear that from any other person than from Kusmah's 
wife ! — A. Yes, .sir ; from Bartlett ; that is, a rumor that there was some 
drunkenness connected with the affair, but not the details. 



782 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. You say that that was concealed for a long time. Did you ascer- 
tain from Kusmah's wife how long that had been concealed ? 

The Witness. The fact of this drunkenness ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. I do not know that 1 did. I do not know how long it was con- 
cealed. It was known generally. 

Q. I understood you to say it was concealed. Was I correct in so 
understanding I — A. I do not remember I am sure. 

Q. Was it not the fact ? — A. It was naturally concealed. Kusmah 
tried to excuse himself by saying the river was not frozen over, whereas 
Noros and Nindemann crossed the river from the 14th to the 16th, when 
the river was frozen in every part, and there was no necessity for wait- 
ing until it froze over. 

Q. That was a fact subsequently ascertained ? — A. Ascertained by look- 
ing at the maps and tracing the course of Noros and Nindemann and 
watching the dates. 

Q. And that course of tracing the course of Nindemann and Noros 
and watching the dales and seeing the condition of the river was some- 
thing that came up subsequently ! — A. Came up when I was writing and 
studying the thing up. 

Q. And that was how many months after? — A. My notes were written 
at the time and I copied them about a year ago. My notes were written 
coming down the Lena River and going back again. 

Q. What time would that be?— A. June and July, 1882. 

Q. That would be the year following? — A. The same year I went up. 

Q. Butit was the year following the disaster? — A. The year following 
the disaster. 

Q. How many months and what months were you on the delta? — A. 
I think it must have been from about April 1st to the 7th on the delta 
proper. I am not very exact in dates, because it is difficult to remember 
so long back. 

Q. You said something about fish being thrown to the dogs. Did I 
understand you correctly? — A. No, I said geese. The sailors demanded 
geese, whilst geese were thrown to the dogs. 

Q. Who was it that did that? — A. The Tungus or natives. 

Q. And who was it that made the complaint about the fish ? — A, All 
the sailors I suppose. 

Q. Did you learn that Bartlett was one of them ? — A, Bartlett was 
the one that hit one of the natives on the head with two geese, I think. 

Q. Who was it that told you that Melville shied sticks at the natives 
because they did not sufficiently rapidly respond to his demands ? — A. 
I think that was told me by every sailor that was on the whale-boat. 

Q. When did you first hear that ? — A. In Irkutsk, in the general 
conduct of affairs there, that was the treatment of the natives. 

Q. Did you hear of any disturbance with the natives by reason of 
Newcbmb's trading? — A. No; I think there was some trouble about 
some trading matter, but I do not remember the point. 1 believe there 
was a dilficulty, but what it was I do not remember just now. 

Q. They called him the Yankee peddler ? — A. Yes ; that was so, I 
know. 

Q. Now, when you were shown the papers which belonged, or which 
were said to have belonged, to Mr. Collins, did you retain any of them ? — 
A. No. 

Q. Did you return all that you received in the condition in which 
they were first placed in your hands back again to Mr. Melville ? — A. 
Certainly. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 783 

Q. Who first made complaint to you as to the retreat on the ice ? 

The Witness. The conduct of the retreat on the ice "? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. That would be in Irkutsk ? 

Q. I say, who first made complaint to you ! — A. Lieutenant Danen* 
hower. 

Q. And then it was followed by New comb*? — A. By Newcomb in a 
general way. He did not know much about it. 

Q. As I understand you, Newcomb had no criticism to make on the 
general conduct of the matter, but simply in regard to his own personal 
affairs and feelings f — A. Mostly his own personal affairs. He was gen- 
erally busied in telling me his own personal troubles more than any- 
thing else. 

Q. And he never attempted to criticise the management of the expe- 
dition as a whole, did he? — A. I do not think so. 

Q. It was mostly his own personal matters ? — A. Mostly his own 
personal matters and his treatment in the whale-boat, and opinion of 
that simply. 

Q. When was it that Lieutenant Danenhower tokl you that the delay 
at Bennett Island was a mistake *? — A. That would be in the interview. 
It would refer to all those delays. 

Q. Who told you that the delay at Seminowski Island was three 
days ? — A. I do not know, I am sure. 

Q. Did they not in fact tell you that they arrived on Seminowski 
Island Saturday afternoon and lett there Monday morning? — A. Yes 5 
I believe so. 

Q. So that it was less than two days? — A. Yes ; it was cutting into 
three days. They wanted to start again the same day. I cannot re- 
member, of course, unless I can see the records. 

Q. Who was it that told you that on the retreat on the ice Captain 
De Long did not take the road laid out by Captain Dunbar? — A. Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower, I believe. 

Q Did he say that that was a general refusal or that it was occa- 
sional, that it was a variance of judgment between Captain Dunbar 
and Captain De Long as to which was the better road to take? — A. 
Yes 5 that is in the interview with Lieutenant Danenhower. I believe 
that charge is in it. 

Q. No ) you were speaking of it here to-day, and you said that that 
had been said to you ? — A. Yes. 

Q. Now, I ask you whether that was a criticism that was in regard to 
the general management of the retreat, or whether there was simply an 
occasional instance of that kind ? — A. An occasional instance in the 
general retreat. 

Q. That is, that in the course of this 300 miles retreat on the ice 
there were times when Captain De Long was not governed by Captain 
Dunbar in that respect? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he speak of that as being anything more than a difference of 
judgment between two men ? — A. He spoke of it as a difference of judg- 
ment and condemned it. 

Q. He had his opinion as to which one was in the right? — A. Yes, 
sir; I could not judge, of course. 

Q. Now, who was it that told you that there were numerous men 
under arrest or suspension while they were on the retreat? — A. Lieuten- 
ant Danenhower. That is no doubt in the interview. 

Q. I am not asking you what is in the interview. I am asking you 
about a fact under oath.— A. Yes j Lieutenant Danenhower. 



784 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did he say that there were at any time numerous men under ar- 
rest "^ — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You are sure of that f — A. Certainly. 

Q. How many times did he tell you? — A. Oh, in the general narra- 
tive, until at the last, that there were seven or eight under arrest or 
suspension. 

Q. Now, do you understand the distinction in naval circles between 
arrest and suspension ? — A. It was suspension from duty. 

Q. My question was whether anybody had told you that on the ice 
there were numerous men under arrest? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, you say Lieutenant Danenhower told you ? — A. He would 
be the first man to have told me that story. 

Q. Did anybody else tell you such a story as that? — A. 1 think 
Nindemann also corroborated the thing, or told me his version of it, and 
probably Noros would tell me his story. 

Q. No, no ; I do not want probably. I only want the facts that yoii 
recollect. — A. Noros and Nindemann would repeat the story to me un- 
doubtedly. The story was repeated to me so often that it is difficult to 
mention the names of the parties. 

Q. Did they give you any of the particulars about how long these 
numerous men remained under arrest while they were on the retreat on 
the ice? — A. The time of arrest was varied. The only one that lasted 
long was Collins, I believe. 

Q. That is what you understood from Danenhower? — A. From the 
narrative that I received. 

Q. In what was said to you, did any one tell you, as a matter of judg- 
ment, that the retreat as a whole was badly planned, or badly executed, 
except in respect to these delays ? — A. Mostly in respect to the delays. 

Q. I say, did they in any other respect speak of it as being badly 
planned, or badly executed ? — A. Yes ; and they criticised the loss of 
working power in the men beiug under arrest, who should have been 
with the working force. 

Q. I will separate the question. Did any of them criticise the plan 
of the retreat on the ice ? — A. Not the plan. That was a matter of no 
plan. Of course, it develops itself. 

Q. What did Mr. Newcomb say to you, if anything, about Collins's 
treatment? — A. He spoke in a general way about Mr. Collins; nothing 
very definite. 

Q. Can you recollect anything that he said on the subject ? — A. I 
cannot. 

Q. Who were the one or two sailors that spoke to you about Collins's 
treatment? — A. I suppose probably Bartlett for one, and Noros for 
another. Noros was with me a long time. 

Q. Do you remember what Mr. Bartlett said to you on that subject? — 
A. I cannot remember very well. 

Q. Can you tell in substance what Mr. Bartlett said on that subject 
to you ? — A. I do not remember any sentence that he said. It has all 
come into a general survey, or general opinion of the entire thing. 

Q. And if I understand you that general opinion is that the difficul- 
ties between Mr. Collins and the officers grew out of scientific discus- 
sions after dinner, in which Melville and the doctor were the principal 
parties? — A. That is my opinion, judging from what I was told from 
various sources. 

Q. Did Mr. Bartlett or Mr. Noros, in any of the conversations, give 
you any impression that Captain De Long was a party to any of these 
discussions ? — A. He was naturally brought into the quarrel. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 785 

Q. I simply ask whether in the scientific discussions they told you 
that Captain De Long took any part 1 — A. I do not believe that Cap- 
tain De Long did. 

Q. I understood you to say on your direct examination, in the state- 
ment you made to the committee, that you asked the sailors for inci- 
dents to fill up the narrative which you wrote ? — A. Kot in that way, I 
think. I would ask the sailors for information on any point that I felt 
the narrative was lacking in. 

Q. Did you weave that information into the narrative which you pub- 
lished *? — A. Yes, after carefully sifting and comparing notes as much 
as I could. 

Q. In one of the letters to the Herald there occurs a sentence to which 
your attention was called on your direct examination. Will you now 
swear that you wrote to the Herald- 
It seems certain that the whale-boat really reached the Lena proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day longer Bulun would have been reached a month or six 
weeks earlier, and in all probability Noros and Mndemann met and the captain's party 
saved. 

A. Is that an interview with quotations or without ? It depends 
whether it is an interview or not. [After referring to the printed article.] 
That would be my own opinion. That is just the introduction to an in- 
terview. 

Q. So that when Lieutenant Danenhower says that he did not use 
that language you think he is correct ? — A. He is correct in saying that 
he did not use those words unless they are repeated in the interview. 
If I said that Lieutenant Danenhower used those words it was because 
1 did not notice the introduction. It was my introduction without quo- 
tation marks. 

Q. You said that somebody spoke to you about Mr. Collins being on 
board the vessel for three months without leaving it. Do you remember 
who it was that spoke about that "? — A. Ko, I could not remember. 

Q. Will you tell all that you recollect that was said on that subject? — 
A. It is difficult to remember; those things become so generalized after 
awhile. The conversation I had with the sailors extended from Irkutsk 
way to the Lena delta, probably with a dozen men, and I did not take 
notes of everything each told me. 

Q. I comprehend the difficulty you labor under in that respect, and I 
ask you now in general, combining all that was said that remains in 
your mind, to state all that you recollect on that subject. — A. I recol- 
lect that under the arrest he was compelled not to leave the ship, but 
permission was given to him afterward to leave the ship and he refused 
to take the permission, and he staid on board and walked up and down 
the deck, somebody said, three months. It may have been, perhaps, 
shorter or longer time in which he refused to take the permission given 
by Captain De Long to leave the ship. 

Q. Where was it that you first had an interview with Lieutenant 
Danenhower, and at what time? — A. In Irkutsk, on February the 
twenty something, I suppose. 

Q. What was Lieutenant Danenhower's physical condition at that 
time ?— A. Strong. His eyes were bad ; they had not recovered. 

Q. And was he able to see what you wrote or to review anything that 
you wrote 1 — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Did he read it ? — A. Yes ; he read it. One eye was very bad and 
the other he could read with. It was only by symi)athy the other was 
affected. 

Q. Did you tell Lieutenant Danenhower then or at any other time 
50 J Q* 



786 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that Mr. Bennett had telegraphed you not to air soiled linen ? — A. The 
telegram would come naturally. 

Q. No, no ; I am asking whether you told Lieutenant Danenhower. — 
A. I should show him a telegram I received undoubtedly, in order to keep 
to the narrative of the expedition, without any outside facts. 

Q. Now, did you so tell him that ? — A. I have no doubt I did. I do 
not remember the words Lieutenant Danenhower used. 

Q. Did you have any conversation with Lieutenant Danenhower about 
the Jeanne tte expedition that you did not reduce to writing ? — A. There 
would be a part ofthe conversation when, naturally, I would not take 
notes, that I would not write down. It would probably be an anecdote 
or a story which did not belong to the narrative, and therefore I listened 
to it. Notes were not taken and I passed on. 

Q. Did you not for some time pass your evenings with Lieutenant 
Danenhower ? — A. Living in the same hotel, naturally we all passed the 
evenings together in the crowd there. 

Q. Did you pass the evenings with him in a crowd ? — A. After work- 
ing from the morning until 6 or 7 o'clock when we would get dinner 
then I would drink tea and smoke some, probably. 

Q. Now, after you had obtained the information from Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower in respect to the expedition, did you write a preface of your 
own in sending the matter on to the Herald ? — A. Yery short. 

Q. But you did write such a preface ? — A. Undoubtedly ; each letter 
would have a short preface. 

Q. And in what you sent did you not use a correspondent's privilege 
in dressing up and smoothing down the narrative to make it a consecu- 
tive statement of the facts ? — A. Naturally, in preparing an interview, 
if there is any way in which you think the sentence could be improved 
you do it. But in an interview like that, especially, you cannot give so 
much time to it, otherwise I should have rewritten it. 

Q. Did Danenhower in the course of those conversations with you at 
Irkutsk speculate and theorize about what would have happened if so 
and so had been done ? — A. I have no doubt he did. 

Q. He expressed his opinion to you on the possibilities of the advance 
shaping differently by reason of a different course being pursued ■? — A. 
Undoubtedly. 

Q. You said that you had your interviews with Lieutenant Danenhower 
as a correspondent. Now, in the course of those interviews I think you 
said that Lieutenant Danenhower made certain criticisms upon the con- 
duct ofthe expedition. Did you understand him as expressing those opin- 
ions to you as a correspondent of the Herald or to you as an individual 
and a gentleman 1 — A. If I was taking them down he would know it was 
for the paper. If he said such and such things were not for publication 
I did not take them down. 

Q. And did he sometimes state to you that he was speaking to you 
as a companion and friend and did not want them taken down '? — A. I 
have no doubt that occasionally we would just sit up and talk over 
things. 

Q. Did you take down those which he expressed to be of that char- 
acter ? — A. No ; I took no notes of those. 

Q. Did the seamen speak to you in high terms of Lieutenant Danen- 
hower's conduct during the gale '? — A. No. 

Q. Did any of them ? — A. I do not remember that they did. 

Q. Did you not so state in the preface of your first report ? — A. If I 
did so it was true ; I cannot remember now. 

Q. You do not recollect ? — A. No. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 787 

Q. If it should be brou gilt to your recollection A. (Tuterrupting.) 

If it is written there it is true. That is all I can say. From general 
conversation it would be put down. 

Q. Did Newcomb complain to you of ill-treatment from any officer in 
particular"? — A. Chiefly from Melville ; yes. 

Q. Did he complain in regard to any ill-treatment from Captain De 
Long? — A. ISTo; I do not think he did. 

Q. From Dr. Ambler? — A. a^Toj from Lieutenant Danenhower, I 
think he did. 

Q. Did he from Mr. Chipp 1 — A. I do not think so. I do not remem- 
ber. 

Q. The only ones of whom he had any complaint to make were Mel- 
ville and Danenhower ? — A. Those were the latest cases, I suppose. I 
do not remember any other. 

Q. What was your observation of Lieutenant Danenhower^s treatment 
of the party under bis command ? — A. Perfectly gentlemanly in Irkutsk. 
He kept them in subjection there. 

Q. And did Lieutenant Daoienhower show a desire to give you all the 
important information to facilitate your work in Siberia?— A. Yesj he 
did. 

Q. And did all the other officers ? — A. ]N"o ; Melville did not. 

Q. And your feeling toward Melville is not of as friendly a character 
as it is towards Lieutenant Danenhower ? — A. Just as friendly. I think 
he behaved very well since he came back. Up there, of course, I was a 
little vexed. I have no feeling in the matter now, not the slightest. 

Q. You have made some statements of your opinion about the condi- 
tion of the ice in the river in September. On what facts are those opin- 
ions based ? — A. On the interview with Melville himself, I suppose — 
they must have been ; or from data gathered up in interviews. 

Q. Have you read the whole of Captain De Long's journal ? — A. No. 

Q. How much of it have you read ? — A. I do not know, I am sure. 

Q. You have read considerable of it ? — A. I have read considerable 
of it ; yes, sir. 

Q. And what opinion, from what you have learned of the men and 
of the officers and from the journal which you have read, did you form 
of the conduct and character of Captain De Long ? — A. I do not know 
that I formed any opinion at all particularly. 

Q. Did you not form an opinion, and did you not say that it gave 
you a high admiration of his character? — A. Yes, I think so, especially 
on the delta, I have said, this afternoon. Of course, the other part I 
could not know so much about. This I was a little nearer and could 
judge about, but of the other I did not know so much. 

Q. Do you recollect in what part of Captain De Long's journal you 
found the facts or opinions about the change in the delta? — A. That 
will be found in his journal on the date of October 2d or 3d. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, Mr. Arnoux has asked you in reference to your opinion of 
Captain De Long. How long did you know Jerome Collins before his 
death ? — A. I suppose three or four years. 

Q. What was and is your opinion of Jerome Collins as a gentleman 
and a man of culture ? — A. He was of a very gentle nature and of a 
very kindly nature. I was very fond of him. He was always ready 
to assist men with advice when they were new to any position, and I 
naturally became very much attached to him in that way. 



788 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What have you to say about his acquirements, his abilities?— A. 
He had the reputation of being a well-educated man and also scientific- 
ally educated, having studied a great deal. 

Q. Now. you were questioned at some length about the ammunition. 
I shall not detain you but a moment on that. If the ammunition was 
defective at the time the vessel was fitted out, whose fault was it ? — A. 
That I do not know. 

Q. Your attention was called to this letter that you wrote to the Her- 
ald. You say that the exact words to which your attention was called 
was the opinion expressed by you upon the facts as given in the narra- 
tive?— A. Yes. 

Q. You do not wish to alter that, do you ? — A. No, sir ; not at all. 

Q. Now, I will ask you simply a question or two in reference to this 
same narrative. You were the correspondent, were you not? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Mr. Danenhower was the gentleman you interviewed ? — A. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Did or did not Lieutenant Danenhower say this to you ? 

Correspondent. If a man had gone to Buluu with Kusmah, what bearing would 
that have had on the captain ? 

Melville had orders to take the party to a place of safety, where there would be 
sufficient food, and then communicate with the Russian authorities. We knew the 
route the captain proposed to take after reaching Barkin. He intended to go west 
to Sagasta and the signal tower. Had some one gone to Bulun with Kusmah, and 
started an expedition north immediately, it would probably have picked up Norosand 
Nindemanu before they reached Bulcour. 

Is that true ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did he tell you that ? — A. Certainly. 

Q. And it is upon matter like that in the narrative that you formed 
this opinion that the counsel was inquiring about ? — A. Yes. The first 
sentence would doubtless 

Q. (Interposing.) And your present opinion is that that was the log- 
ical conclusion at which your mind should arrive ? — A. Yes; and it is 
true as it stands to- day. 

Q. You do not desire to change any of the opinions you have ex- 
pressed in relation to the retreat on the ice, or in relation to the sojourn 
in the delta ?— A. No. 

Q. When you say you do not care to criticise, you simply mean that 
you do not desire to sit in judgment on others ? — A. Yes ; I mean that. 

Q. Now, in reference to this telegram. Mr. Bennett sent you a tele- 
gram in reference to airing soiled linen. Do you know where that tele- 
gram is ?-— A. I think my telegrams are in Paris. 

Q. At your residence in Paris ?— A. Yes. I did not think I would 
need them. 

Q. It is not of much importance, but I will ask you this question ; 
did you ever write for publication, or did you ever cause to be published 
any matter that Lieutenant Danenhower requested you to keep secret 
or confidential ? — A. Not the slightest. 

Q. Speaking of that telegram, did not Mr. Bennett say in the telegram 
it was the duty of the Naval Department, if there was a scandal, to in- 
vestigate it ? — A. I believe he said something to that effect. 

Q. And he did not desire you to interfere with it? — A. No. 

Q. Now, you said that Mr. Melville did not give you all the informa- 
tion you desired ? — A. No ; he certainly did not. 

Q. Please state whether or not he put obstructions in the way of your 
obtaining information ? — A. Well, I had a telegram from the Secretary 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 789 

of the Navy that he could not very well get over ; but he was very un- 
gentlemanly in his ways all through and kept his mouth very close; 
would not give me any information. I thought it was his duty at the time 
to have assisted me. Any way he did not seem to care to do that nor 
would he give me one of his natives to take me to see the delta. He 
even would not allow Bartlett to go with me, who knew the ground very 
well. He might have done that without injuring himself. He was then 
going directly home. 

Q. Did he try to prevent you visiting the place where Collins died 
or was buried ■? — A. He would not allow me any natives as guides. 

Q. Hid you express to him a desire or wish to visit the spot? — A. 
Yes ; I said to him, ^' Will you give me one of your old native guides 
who has been there?" 

Q. What was your object in going there? — A. To see the ground 
and to get a general idea of it. 

Q. You finally reached that spot ? — A. I finally reached that spot 5 
yes. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 

Q. What was your object in reaching there ; to write a description to 
The Herald ? — A. Yes, sir. It was a general summary of the entire 
narrative. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Did you see the body of Collins ? — A. I did. 

Q. Did you examine the body for papers? — A. I did. 

Q. In order to discover the papers, did you cause the body to be ex- 
humed ? — A. To be lifted out of the cairn from under the snow. It 
was buried under snow only. 

Q. You caused his body to be exhumed for the purpose of getting at 
some papers which were supposed to be upon him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You and Mr. Collins were associated together in your journal's 
matters more or less of the time that you knew him ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. You have spoken very feelingly of Captain De Long, of his 
loyalty to his men, &c. In one of your letters to your journal, while 
expressing the same sentiments, did you not also say that you thought 
he was too strict a disciplinarian, or too much of a martinet ? — A. I do 
not know that I said so. I think he was a very strict disciplinarian, 
too much so to my own idea. 

Q. Perhaps he was inclined to sacrifice great matters to little mat- 
ters ? — A. Yes J it struck me so on hearing the narratives. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. You did not know Captain De Long personally, did you ? — A. I 
did not. 

Q. And the opinion you have just expressed was derived from hear- 
say information ? — A. Yes, naturally. 

Q. Did you cause the tomb to be opened ? — A. Yes. 

Q. What bodies were there ? — A. Eleven bodies would be there, I 
believe. 

Q. Why did you open the tomb ; was it only for the purpose of see- 
ing if there were any other papers on CoUins's body ? — A. That was my 
chief reason. 

Q. And what was the other ? — A. That was the principle reason, the 
only reason that it would be done. The others were subsidiary. 

Q. And what had to be done to open the tomb ? — A. Just remove the 
stones, and the wood, and one plank, I think. 



790 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Did you have to saw off the tenons of the box to get it open ? — 
A. There was no box there. 

Q. Was anything sawed off"? — A. There was nothing sawed off. 
There was just one piece of wood sawn through which did not injure 
the structure. 

Q. What was that piece of wood ? — A. It was a flat piece of wood. 

Q. How was it laid on 5 wliat was the necessity of sawing it 
through? — A. I do not remember now. There was a necessity about 
the case, or it would not have been done. I do not remember what the 
necessity was now. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. The only object you had in view was to get the papers ? — A. That 
was the only object. 

Q, And in order to get at the bodies it was necessary to saw through 
this wood you speak of*? — A. It was necessary; yes, sir. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. How did you know he had papers on his body ? — A. From infor- 
mation I gathered from the sailors that he was known to have letters on 
his body. I thought they might have been missed, and there was a 
slight chance of finding something. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Who was it first gave you information of that ? — A. Bartlett. 

By Mr. Boutelle : 
Q. Did you have authority for opening the cairn ? — A. No. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Did Bartlett assist you? — A. l^o. 

Q. Was he not present at the time ? — A. Ko ; he was not. l^oros was 
there. 

Q. You know Mr. Bennett's handwriting ? — A. Yes, sir. 
Q. (Submitting a paper to witness.) I wish you would tell me whether 
the signature to that letter and the last line of it are in his handwrit- 
ing? — A. Yes ; that is Mr. Bennett's handwriting. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. In whose handwriting is the body of the letter ? — A. Mr. Cham- 
berlain's. 
Q. His secretary ? — A. His secretary. 

Henry J. Hunt sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. What is your name, rank, and present duty? — Answer. 
Henry J. Hunt; lieutenant of the junior grade; Greely relief ship 
Alert. 

Q. Are you awaiting orders, or what is your present position in re- 
gard to your ship ? — A. I have been assigned already to the Alert, and 
have reported for duty, but was ordered temporarily to Washington to 
appear before this committee. 

Q. When does your ship sail ? — A. On Saturday, sir. 

Q. Were you sent by the Government to Siberia; and, if so, when 
and for what purpose ? — A. I was attached to the relief ship Eodgers. 
sent out for the purpose of searching for the Jeannette, Vigilant, and 
Mount Wolaston. . 



JEANNETTE INQUIIlY. 791 

Q. Where did you go ?— A. We went to St. Micliael's, to Blifford 
Bay, St. Lawrence Bay, through Bering's Strait; searched for cairns; 
thence to Wrangel Land ; then crossed north in search of the Jean- 
nette ; searched the Siberian coast for suitable winter quarters ; found 
none, and went into winter quarters in St. Lawrence Bay, in Bering's 
Strait. 

Q. That was what season ? — A. We went into winter quarters during 
the month of October, 1881. 

Q. Then the next spring did you resume your search *? — A. IsTo, sir ; 
the ship was lost by fire in the month of November. We afterwards 
made a search to the westward. Captain Barry searched to the west- 
ward on a sledge journey. I accompanied him. We ascertained the 
fate of the Vigilant and Mount Wolaston before reaching Nichne- 
kolymsk, at which latter point we ascertained the loss of the Jeannette 
and the safety of Melville's party; that Captain De Long and his party 
were missing, with the exception of Nindemann and Noros, and that 
Chij)p had not been heard from. 

Q. What is the general character of the coast from the Lena delta 
onward towards Bering Strait *? — A. The coast is generally low, but as 
you go near the eastern extremity there are several very high cliffs and 
it becomes rocky and cliff-like. But for hundreds of miles east of the 
Lena River the coast is very low and the water is very shallow. 

Q. Is it thickly settled in any part along there for some hundreds of 
miles? — A. No, sir ; not at all. It is very sparsely settled. 

Q. And do you know anything of the land itself, whether it is a fer- 
tile or a barren land, whether it is full of game or a desert? — A. Well, 
sir, I should call it a good deal of a desert, but in summer time there 
are quite an abundance of wild flowers growing and we found in sum- 
mer great quantities of ducks and geese along the coast. 

Q. That is in what months'? — A. The summer months, from June to 
about the 1st of September. They begin to leave the 1st of September. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Does the ptarmigan bear any relation to our wild duck? — A. The 
ptarmigan is not a duck ; it is more like a partridge. It changes its color 
in winter to white. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. What is termed a white grouse? — A. That is what I think it is 
more like. It is a very handsome game bird. 

By Mr. Arnotjx : 

Q. When was it that you met Bartlett? — A. When we joined Mel- 
ville's party between Yerkeransk and Jakutsk. 

Q. About what time was that ? — A. That was in the month of May. 

Q. Eighteen hundred and eighty-two? — A. Eighteen hundred and 
eighty-two. 

Q. Did you journey with Bartlett and the others to Jakutsk ? — A. 
We journeyed with Melville's party to Jakutsk. Bartlett was sent on 
a day or two ahead of our arrival in Jakutsk. 

Q. After you got to Jakutsk with Melville's party, did you leave there 
and subsequently return and meet Mr. Bartlett or return with Mr. 
Bartlett to Jakutsk ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Now, on your visit there, did you have a conversation with Mr. 
Bartlett in respect to giving him money, or his demanding money of you ? 

The Witness. At what time, sir ? 



792 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. AUNOUX. At any time. 

A. Yes ; but this was months after our return to Jakutsk. 

Q. I understand you, but I am just directing you right to this trans- 
action. Will you please to state what took i)lace at that time ? 

The Witness. At the time referred to concerning the money ? 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes. 

A. 1 had been sent in charge of the men to return to the United 
States. On our arrival in Jakutsk I had with me the body of Mr. Col- 
lins for transportation to the United States. I received there a tele- 
gram from the JS^avy Department for Lieutenant Harber, directing 
him to bring all bodies home. I stated to the men that I might have 
to start north the following day to communicate with Harber. I then 
went to the governor's and was informed by him that I could not proceed 
with Mr. Collin s's body without a permit, and that Lieutenant Harber 
could not remove the bodies from the tomb without a permit. I then 
decided to remain in Jakutsk. When I returned to the house there were 
present in the room a Russian, Mr. Bouboukoff, and I think Leach and 
Lauterbach. Bartlett seemed to be in very good humor, and said to me, 
" Well, Mr. Hunt, you are going north to-morrow, and I would like to 
go home." I told Bartlett that I was not going north to-morrow, but 
would remain in Jakutsk until Mr. Harber's arrival, which would be 
very shortly } that I was sorry my orders would not permit me to allow 
him to leave the party unless for some special reason, of course. In- 
stead of giving me any reason he said in a very insolent tone, " Well, I 
will send an estafette to the Secretary of the Navy." Says I, " How 
send an estafette? ^^ He says, " How the hell do you suppose j through 
the governor, of course." I called him to account briefly ; I do not know 
what I said. When I turned to leave he said, ''Will you give me 100 
rubles." I asked him what for. He told me he did not propose to tell 
me ; he had never been questioned as to what he should do with his own 
money. I said, " Very well, you can't have it." He said, ''Why not?" 
I said, " Because I am not a paymaster," and I left the room. He fol- 
lowed me into the other room and stated that he never had been treated 
in that way by officers on board the Jeannette ; it was only since he had 
come with other officers that he had been treated in that manner. I 
told him to leave the room and consider himself under arrest to await 
the action of Lieutenant Harber. Lieutenant Harber arrived a few 
days afterwards, and I submitted a report in full. 

Q. Have you a copy of it ? — A. I neglected one part of the statement. 
After my refusal to give him 100 rubles he said well, he wanted me 
to know that he had $25,000 at his disposal. 

Q. Did you make a report of this in writing ? — A. I made a report in 
writing. 

Q. Have you a copy of that report? — A. I am not certain; I think I 
have a copy, but the original report was brought through to the Secre- 
tary of the Navy. 

Q. Now, will you tell the committee the circumstance connected with 
a gun that Mr. Bartlett had to do with?— A. When Bartlett and I 
started back to join Lieutenant Harber we took with us a gun which I 
had believed or had always understood was Government property. 
Later, on the return home, Bartlett claimed this gun as his private 
proi)erty, and I did not believe it at the time, but I had no means of 
I)roving whether it was his or not. I have since learned that the gun was 
not his private i)roperty ; that it was the property of the Government. 

Q. Did he tell you anything about how much he paid for it? — A. He 
said he had paid 30 rubles for it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 793 

Q. What kind of a gun was it ? — A. It was a double-barreled shot- 
gun ; a very poor gun. 

Q. Did he say of whom he had bought it ? — A. No, sir ; I do not 
think he did. 

Q. Now, will you state the circumstance in regard to the sleeping-bag 
or fur-robe, or whatever you call the article 1 

The Witness. You refer to stories that were told me by Bartlett 
which I did not believe ? 

Mr. Abnoux. Yes. 

A. At Orenberg, while the^men were all collected in a room, one of 
the employes of the hotel came up and said that a man below would like 
to buy our old skin clothing ; but before I could reply Bartlett antici- 
pated me and said, " Yes, we will sell it to get whisky money." I turned 
to the man and said, " "We will sell the old skin clothing," and when he 
had gone I turned to the men and told them if there was anything there 
among the skins that they valued from association, and would like to 
take home, to take it from the pile 5 that the rest would be sold. Then 
I added also, of course they understood that all this skin clothing was 
Government property, and that the proceeds would belong to the Gov- 
ernment. Bartlett said he wanted it understood that what he had was 
his own ; it had been bought for him, and it belonged to him, and he 
walked over to this pile of clothing and pulled a skin out and said I 
don't want that sold. I threw that skin back on the pile, and said it 
would be sold ; that the skin, if private property at all, belonged to me. 
I considered it Government property. 

Q. Now, why, if private property, was it yours 1 — A. The skin had 
been used all summer by Mr. Scheutze. I believe he obtained it from 
Mr. Bouboukoff. I think that it was originally bought by Mr. Melville. 
At any rate it was turued over to Mr. Bouboukoft' and by him to Mr. 
Scheutze on their arrival in Jakutsk. Scheutze used it all summer as a 
bed. When we separated, I to bring the party home, and Scheutze and 
party to go north, I tendered a fox-skin robe which I had to Scheutze 
and told him I would take his deer skin. The fox-skin robe was much 
warmer. He said all right, and I took the deer skin. Bartlett on this 
occasion, in Orenberg, claimed that it was his deer skin, and added that 
Mr. Scheutze had given it to him. I was very positive that that was 
not true, and I asked Mr. Scheutze if he had not given the skin to me, 
and if he had given it to Bartlett, and he said he had given it to me 
and had not given it to Bartlett. The skin, however, was sold. 

Q. And the money turned over to the Government ? — A Yes 5 and 
the proceeds turned over to the Government. 

Q. Do you know of any other transaction in which Mr. Bartlett 
showed disrespect or insubordination to the officers ? — A. Yes 5 he was 
repeatedly insubordinate and disrespectful. In Orenberg he gross y 
insulted me and I knocked him down. 

Q. Did he come home as a prisoner of war ? — A. When he refused 
in Jakutsk to make any reply to Mr. Harber he was informed that he 
would continue a prisoner under parole to await the action of the Sec- 
retary of the Navy, and come back as such. 

Q. Did you go down the river on the steamboat with Mr. Melville ? — 
A. I went up the river with him. 

Q. Now, how long were you with Melville? — A. I think five or six 
weeks. 

Q. Did he give you freely all information as to what had been done 
by the parties in the search, and on the delta ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. While you were on the steamboat going up the river did you 



794 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

cross the track of Lieutenant Harbor? — A. We passed Harber and 
Scbeutze going down the river, in the night, without seeing them. 

Q. Then what did you do *? — A. I was then sent back by Lieutenant 
Barry to join Harber in the summer search, and Bartlett reported to 
me to join also. 

Q. Did you, when you reached Lieutenant Harber, give him all the 
information which you remembered which you had derived from Mel- 
ville ^. — A. Of course, it took some time. Whenever it came up I gave 
him all that I knew that came to my mind, and Bartlett gave him a 
great deal too, and frequently through the summer points would arise 
which we had heard before. 

Q. Did Melville send a letter to Harber ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Did you see that letter ! — A. I think I saw the letter, but I am 
not positive. 

Q. Was it a letter giving general information in regard to the 
search ? — A. Harber originally had requested Melville to come back. 
They had passed each other. This letter stated that Bartlett and my- 
self, Bartlett especially was fully informed on what had occurred and 
would give all the information that could be given 5 that he was fully 
posted on all points. 

By Mr. OuRTis : 

Q. ]^ow, at the time Bartlett asked for the 100 rubles, he claimed the 
Government owed him that amount, did he nof? — A. Well, I do not 
know, sir ; he claimed that the Government owed him money 5 I do not 
know to what amount. 

Q. When he demanded the 100 rubles he claimed it was on account 
of an indebtedness of the Government to him, did he not? — A. He did 
not say so, but I knew the Government was indebted to him. 

Q. He did not demand it of you as a loan ? — A. Oh, no, sir ; all the 
money I had was Government money. 

Q. Then he did not demand it as a loan ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You had no idea that he was trying to take it from you by force *? — 
A. Oh, no, sir. 

Q. Then do you not know that he demanded it because he believed 
the Government owed him the money ? — A. Oh, yesj I know that the 
Government owed him money. 

Q. And he made use of the expression substantially that he did not 
see anything very wrong in demanding money that was due him? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you see anything very wrong in that? — A. I do not see any 
objection at all to a man's requesting money at any time, but he must 
do it in a proper manner. 

Q. Especially if that money belongs to him. Now, were you in com- 
mand of this party ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What otlier ofi&cers were there besides yourself ? — A. None, sir. 

Q. So that there was no witness to this transaction except you and 
Bartlett?— A. Yes; I mentioned that I thought Leach and Lauter- 
bach were both present. I think the whole party was present with the 
exception of Manson and Aneguin, who had been left at Yerkeransk, 
under the doctor's care. 

Q. Were any of the parties present who have been here as witnesses 
before this committee? — A. I think Lauterbach. Has he been here? 

Q. No, sir. Can you name one who has been under examination be- 
fore this committee who was there ? — A. Only Bartlett himself. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 795 

Q. Kow, you ordered him under arrest for that, did you ? — A. My 
eport will show what he was ordered under arrest for. 

Q. I ask you. I have not the honor of having your report at this 
time. — A. He was ordered under arrest for insolence and disrespect. 

Q. What was his insolence "? — His insolence consisted in saying to 
me, "How the hell do you supi^ose?" and his bearing was certainly dis- 
respectful and entirely unprovoked. I spoke to him with only sympa- 
thy for his having to remain. 

Q. Now, I ask you in what did the insolence consist ; confine your- 
self to that. You say he was guilty of insolence and disrespect. In 
what did the insolence consist '?— A. His insolence consisted in his re- 
plying to me, "How the hell do you sujjpose 1 Through the governor, 
of course." 

Q. You had no reason to believe up to that time that Bartlett had 
entertained any disrespect for you, had you? — A. Yes, I had. 

Q. In what did his disrespect consist 1 — A. His disrespect consisted 
in his manner, particularly. He followed me into the other room and 
continued to talk to me about the way he had been treated by the 
other officers— the officers of the Jeannette — and it only had been since 
he came with other officers that he had been treated differently. 

Q. And that was the disrespect he was guilty of 1 — A. That and his 
bearing, sir. 

Q. And for that you ordered him under arrest 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Is that all that he said or did on the occasion he demanded the 
100 rubles? — A. As I said, sir, he said he wanted me to understand 
that he had $25,000 at his disposal. 

Q. And is that all f — A. That is the extent of it, sir. 

Q. Now we will come to the story of the gun. Are you ready to 
swear, of your own knowledge, that he never paid 30 rubles for that 
gun 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. You say you at first supposed that the gun was his, but you after- 
wards found out it belonged to the Government ?— A. Well, I would 
like to correct that, sir. 

Mr. Aenoux. He did not say that. 

A. (Continuing.) I never supposed that the gun was his. I knew he 
claimed that the gun was his, but I believed the gun to be Govern- 
ment property. 

Q. If he had paid 30 rubles for that gun certainly he had a sort of 
property in it ? — A. Certainly it was his gun if he paid 30 rubles for it. 

Q. And you are not prepared to swear that he did not pay 30 rubles 
for it 1 — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, of your own knowledge, outside of what has been told to 
you by some other person, do you know that the gun belonged to the 
Government ? — A. I do not, sir. 

Q. And is that all about the gun business ! — A. That is all about the 
gun, sir. I do not know whether it is necessary that I should add hear- 
say evidence, but this is what I have heard since. 

Q. I ask you, outside of that, do you know of your own knowledge 1 — 
A. Outside of that I know nothing else with regard to the gun. 

Q. Now, with regard to the skin clothing. Bartlett said that the 
clothing had been bought for him, and that it was his, did he not ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. Had it been bought for him ? — A. It had been bought for him to 
wear, just as mine had been bought for me. 

Q. In point of fact the clothing was sold and the Government got 



796 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the benefit of it, did it not! — A. Yes; the clothing was sold and the 
Gov^ernment got the benefit of it. 

Q. Bartlett did not get the benefit of it! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, you said something about Lieutenant Scheutze having a 
right of property in that overcoat. Were you here the other day when 
Lieutenant Scheutze was here? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you aware that he has been here ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And testified ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Where were you when he testified ! — A. In New York on board 
the Alert, sir. 

Q. Is that all there is about the skin clothing ! — A. That is all, sir. 

Q. Is that what you laid over to testify about ; is that what you 
came here to testify about 1 — A. I do not know, sir. I came here to 
answer all questions to the best of my ability. 

Q. Now at Orenberg he grossly insulted you, you say ! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Who were present beside you and he ? — A. All the men. 

Q. What men ?— A. Leach, Manson, and Lauterbach. 

Q. Do you know where Leach is ! — A. He is in Maine, sir. 

Q. Do you know where Lauterbach is ? — A. In New York, or else 
here. I thought he was here. 

Q. You knew Manson was here and testified, did you not ! — A. I heard 
he was. 

Q. He lives in Michigan, does he not ! — A. I do not know, sir ; I 
understood he lived out there somewheres. 

Q. Now, lieutenant, is it not the truth that on that occasion you were 
a little excited for some reason or other ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. And that that was the reason you knocked him down ! — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. You are quite sure ! — A. It never occurred to me in the world 
until the moment I knocked him down. 

Q. What never occurred to you ! — A. To knock him down. 

Q. It was a momentary impulse! — A. Yes; I knocked him down 
with the words and gestures. 

Q. Reflect a moment. When did that take place! — A. That took 
place the day before leaving Orenberg. It was about a month before 
we arrived in New York, sir. 

Q. What made you knock him down ! — A. Because I considered that 
he had insulted me, sir. 

Q. What did he do to you ! — A. He had frequently 

Q. (Interposing.) No, this time; this particular time. — A. You do 
not wish me to explain, then, what my words mean that were spoken to 
him! 

Q. I want you to say what took place at this time and what was said 
at this time, not at any other time ! — A. Very well, sir. I said to Bart- 
lett, ^' That will do, Bartlett ; to-morrow you won't know what you have 
said." He turned to me, took a step towards me, and shook his face 
and said, "Well, it is no more than you have done." And I knocked 
him down. 

Q. That is what you knocked him down for ! — A. That is what I 
knocked him down for. 

Q. Did he strike you ! — A. No, sir. 

Q. Did he attempt to strike you ! — A. No, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What are the words you refer to ! — A. I said to him, " To morrow 
you won't know what you have done." Those words meant this excuse 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 797 

he had frequently given for insolence, that he did not know what he had 
done at the time before. He felt it sufficient to say that he had been 
drunk to excuse anything'. 

Q. On this particular occasion you said, "To-morrow you won't know 
what you have said." What immediate act or word did thafc refer to^ — 
A. That referred to his talking about this skin clothing ; he did not 
want this thing sold and the other thing sold, and that he wanted a 
box there. I had given directions to have a box stowed. He said that 
was his box, his individual private property, and he did not want to 
have it stowed. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. He claimed that he had an individual property in certain goods 
that were his, did he not '? — A. He claimed that this box was his. 

Q. And he did not want it stowed? — A. He did not want it stowed. 

Q. And you told him to shut up? — A. No, no. 

Q. Well, what did you say? — A. I do not remember now, sir, whether 
or not it was this particular box that caused the words ''To-morrow 
you won't know what you have said." I refer to his whole conversa- 
tion with me at this time. 

Q. I want the words at that time. 

Mr. McAdoo. I wish you would tell the whole story. All that led 
up to it. — A. Well, sir; when I went in the room in the morning, as I 
stated, there was a man came to buy second-hand clothing, and Bart- 
lett said that he would sell it, and I told the men that the proceeds 
would belong to the Government, and Bartlett said that what he had 
belonged to him, and he did not propose to have it sold. He did not 
propose to have this deer skin sold, and I threw it back on the piJe, 
and I think it was at that time when I left the room that I said as I 
started to leave the room when he was continuing to object, " That will 
do, Bartlett; to-morrow you won't know what you have said;" and then 
he turned to me with this very insolent swagger, and he stepped up to 
me in a very insolent manner indeed, and said, "It is no more than you 
have done." 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Was he sober at the time, or was he under the influence of liquor? — 
A. I think he was then probably suffering from the effects of liquor, 
but I would not say that he was drunk. I think probably he felt badly 
from drinking the night before. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you remember that he said this : That if you were in your 
right mind, or your right senses, you would not treat him in the way 
you did? — A. I remember most positively that he did not say that, sir. 

Q. Are you quite positive that you were in a state of entire sobriety? — 
A. At the time, sir. I had not touched a drop of anything that day. 

Q. Was there not an ill-feeling between you and Bartlett because of 
your ill-treatment of him ; had he not threatened to make charges against 
you for intoxication ? — A. No, sir ; he never had threatened to make 
charges against me for intoxication. 

Q. Had he not aided and assisted you while you were intoxicated ? — 
Never, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Who was it that told you that gun was not the private property 
of Bartlett, but belonged to the Government ?— A. Mr. Melville. 



798 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Curtis : 
Q. Had you any information outside of Mr. Melville 1 — A. No, sir ; 
none. 

By Mr. McAdoo: 
Q. What became of tlie gun *? — A. I do not know, sir. He took it in 
charge, I think ; at least it was either given away or traded or sold. 
It never returned. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Will you swear positively that at no time while on this service 
were you intoxicated ? — A. No, sir j I will not. 

Q. You will not swear to that ? — A. I will not. 

Q. Will you swear that it was not a matter of frequent occurrence? — 
A. I will, sir. 

John P. Jackson recalled and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux: 

Question. Did you ever tell Mr. Bartlett that Captain De Long wrote 
in his journal words to the efiect that Lieutenant Danenhower was a 
son of a bitch ? — Answer. No, sir j I could not tell him that then, be- 
cause I had not seen his books. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Let me ask you : Was not Bartlett considered an able and efficient 
man? — A. He was. 

Q. And was it not considered that he rendered great assistance to 
Lieutenants Harber and Scheutze when they came up there ? — A. I did 
not see him after he came back with them. 

Henry J. Hunt recalled and examined. 
By Mr. Curtis : 

Question. Speaking of Bartlett, was he not of assistance while you 
were on that expedition 1 

The Witness. On the summer search with Mr. Harber ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. 

A. Oh, yes, sir ; of great assistance. 

Q. Did he at any time refuse to give information or to give assistance 
when asked ? — A. Never, that I know of, sir. 

Q. And did he not conduct himself zealously in the interest of Harber 
and Scheutze to give them all the information he possessed? — A. I be- 
lieve he gave them all the information he possessed; yes, sir. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Was not his conduct often insubordinate, and was he not at times 
under the influence of liquor ? — A. Yes, sir, he was very insubordinate 
and often under the influence of liquor. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Can you state any acts of insubordination other than those you 
have already stated 1 — A. Not of my own knowledge, sir. I could state 
one other, sir, that I recall now, but I pardoned the man for it at the 
time, so I do not care to state it. 

Q. You can state anything of an insubordinate character of your own 
knowledge. — A. If you wish me to state it, sir, I will state it. 

Q. You can state any act of insubordination other than you have stated 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 799 

that you know of your own knowledge. — A. Bartlettused very vile lan- 
guage in my presence at one time, and I ordered him to shut up. 

Q. To whom did he use it ? — A. To another man. 

Q. Whatman? — A. Leach. 

Q. Do you know who commenced the difficulty, Leach or Bartlett? — 
A. I was present at the time ; Bartlett did. 

Q. Were you ever charged with any act of insubordination "? 

The Witness. On the expedition ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes. — A. No, sir. 

Q. Or at any other time ? — A. l^o, sir ; I do not think I have ever 
been charged with insubordination. 

Q. Would you not be liable to remember it if you had been?— A. I 
would, sir ; and I am positive that I have never heen charged with in- 
subordination. 

Q. Will you swear that you, on this expedition, were not intoxicated 
more than once? — A. No, sir; I will not. 

Q. Will you swear that you were not intoxicated more than three 
times ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Will you swear that you were not intoxicated more than six 
times 1 — A. Well, you are going on at that rate, sir — [laughing]. It de- 
pends on what you call intoxicated. 

Q. I mean under the influence of drink. — A. Now, my idea may be 
entirely different from yours. I consider a man under the influence of 
drink if he is flushed at all. If he feels the warmth of alcohol in him 
I consider him under the influence of drink. 

Q. Were you continually in the habit of drinking alcoholic liquors? — 
A. No, sir. I drink very little. 

Q. For an officer to be intoxicated is against Navy rules, is it not? — 
A. Certainly, sir. 

Q. For an officer to be under the influence of liquor in any degree is 
against Navy rules, is it not ? — A. I do not think it is forbidden an 
officer to touch liquor of any kind. 

Q. But if an officer is under the influence of liquor, so that liquor 
affects him ? — A. If he is under the influence of liquor, so that people 
observe it, he is certainly wrong. 

Q. And it is against Navy rules? — A. It is against Navy rules. 

Q. Are you willing to swear that you have never been under the in- 
fluence of liquor to the extent that people observed it? — A. No, sir; I 
am not. 

Q. Then, if you were so you were violating Navy rules, were you 
not ? — A. Yes, of course, I was. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. Do you not think that the common peril through which these men, 
as well as the officers, had gone had rendered them less observant, nat- 
urally, of strict naval rules ? — A. Oh, of course, the relation between 
officer and man was entirely different from the service. 

Q. And do you not think that the survivors of the expedition did not 
pay the same strict regard to naval etiquette and naval requirements ? — 
A. Yes, but with the exception of Bartlett they were always respectful. 

Q. They did not consider themselves as acting in the sphere usually 
occupied by an ordinary sailor towards an officer, did they ? — A. I do 
not know whether they considered that or not, sir; but there was a fa- 
miliarity in the intercourse between the officers and men on this expe- 
dition that was never seen at all in the service. It could not exist in 
the service at all, and there be any discipline whatever. 



800 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

^ By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Do you tliink that at any time you were so far under the influence 
of liquor during the expedition, as to which you have been inquired 
about, that you were not under the control of your own reason !— A. 
No, sir. 

By Mr. OURTIS : 
Q. That is usually the judgment of those who drink ? — A. That is 
usually the judgment, sir. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. Where did these acts of intoxication take place on your part ? — 
A. Well, sir, they were always on occasions of meeting with Russian 
officers who wished to be very social, and cordial, &c. And I never 
drink alone, never would take liquor to drink, and I am not at all a 
drinking man, as everybody who knows me is perfectly well aware. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. The Russians are pretty good drinkers as a rule ? — A. They are, 
sir ; indeed. The only way a man could avoid intoxication to a certain 
extent would be to be a teetotaler. 

Q. A follower of Father Matthew ?— A. Yes, sir. 

Dr. D. F. Collins recalled. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Were you present, and did you hear the testimony of Sam- 
uel C. Lemly! — Answer. Yes, sir; that is, the latter part of it. I did 
not hear the beginning of it. 

Q. After hearing his testimony, were you called again upon the stand, 
and did you testify in relation to the matters to which he testified? — A. 
I think 1 was called on the stand after he testified. I am not sure 
whether it was before or after. 

Q. Please look at the record now shown you of the evidence of Mr. 
Lemly and your own, and state, after refeshing your recollection thereby, 
if you did not testify again after his testimony was ended. — A. Yes ; I 
testified after his testimony was closed ; that is, after what I heard of 
it, nor have I read that part thereof which I did not hear. 

Q. Do you remember that you, when so recalled, did not agree with his 
recollection of the interview about the naval Court of Inquiry, and that 
the matter would be looked at or examined through naval spectacles? — 
A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Do you also remember that you then stated that the Critic reporter 
was not present at the interview he had with you at the Riggs House? — 
A. I so stated, and 1 do not to this day know that such a man was 
present. 

Q. Except in those two particulars, does your recollection corrobo- 
rate Mr. Lemly's statement, so far as you heard the same ? — A. He also 
stated that it was Mr. Chandler's wish that the Collins-De Long busi- 
ness should not be gone into, as that Secretary Chandler had certain 
charges in his possession made by Captain De Long against my brother, 
which would not be presented to the Court of Inquiry if I did not press 
the investigation of the matter, which would be presented to the court 
if I persisted in inquiring into the matter. I stated to Mr. Lemly then 
that I had come to Washington for the special purpose of having that 
matter brought to light or investigated. Another point we differed on 
is this, that he stated that he did not say to me that he objected to 
using evidence that reflected on dead people. I most positively say he 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 801 

did. I recollect another. He said he denied the statement that he told 
me it was best for me not to attend the court unless I was notified to 
do so. That was at the first interview at the Riggs House, to the best 
of my recollection. I say most positively he did make that statement. 
I think those are the particular parts of his testimony to which my at- 
tention was called when I was present. 

Q. Do you now recall any other statement made by Mr. Lemly which 
you heard and which does not agree with your recollection! — A. I have 
not got any recollection at the present time of any other thing. 

Q. Mr. Lemly testified as follows : " Q. And at one interview that 
you had with him at the Eiggs House, was there any other person 
present? — A. There was. There was a Critic reporter present." And 
Judge Curtis said, " I desire to show by Di*. Collins that Lieutenant 
Lemly, in regard to that, was mistaken, and then put to you this ques- 
tion: * * * Q. Now, I wish to confine youi mind to that interview. 
Who was present at that interview besides you and Lieutenant Lemly ? ^^ 
To which question you answered, " There was no one present but a Mr. 
Thomas Carroll.'' And I now ask you, do you now say that Mr. Lemly 
was mistaken in the answer above given by him ? — A. I will state to 
my knowledge and remembrance no one was then present. 

Q. Have you a clear and distinct recollection that no one besides Mr. 
Carroll was present at any interview you had at the Eiggs House with 
Lieutenant Lemly ! — A. 1 can answer that by saying that I have no 
recollection that any one was present, and no one who made himself 
known to me at that time except this man Carroll. 

Question repeated. — A. The general interview is clear, and I have no 
recollection that any one was present. 

Q. Are you certain that you had no conversation with any such per- 
son at or about the time you had the interview with Lieutenant Lemly? — 
A. Not to my knowledge or remembrance, except Mr. Carroll. I think 
Mr. Lemly was mistaken. 

Q. Are you certain that all the interviews at the Eiggs House with 
Lieutenant Lemly occurred on succeeding days ? — A. Yes ; to the best 
of my knowledge there were two on one day. 

Q. Did you remain in Washington throughont the time of those Eiggs 
House interviews ? — A. I must have, or I could not have had those in- 
terviews. 

Q. I mean from the beginning to the end of the time covered by these 
interviews. — A. I would not be positive, and without refreshing my 
memory I have a suspicion I went to New York and came back again 
during that time ; I could not be positive. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Lemly first suggest to your mind the retaining of 
counsel? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At the time of your interviews with Lieutenant Lemly at the 
Eiggs House, did you have an intention to obtain a Congressional in- 
vestigation ? — A. My intention was if the facts were not brought out in 
the Court of Inquiry to have a Congressional investigation. 

Q. Did you tell Mr. Lemly at any of those Eiggs House interviews 
that you would oppose Mrs. De Long's endeavors to obtain a pension ? — 
A. No, sir ; I will say emphatically no. 

Q. Did you at or about the times of those interviews say that to any 
person at the Eiggs House ? — A. Not to my knowledge or belief. 

Q. Did you hear Mr. Newcomb's testimony before this present inves- 
tigation ? — A. Yes J nearly all of it. 

Q. Did you hear his version of the statements he made to you ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

51 J Q* 



602 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. What have you now to say in relation thereto? — A. I state that 
the statements he made on the stand were untrue in every particular in 
which they differed from the statements I made in relation thereto. I 
mean that when he said he did not state to me what I said he did he 
was mistaken. 

Q. Do you believe that his different statements to you and on the 
stand arose from want of memory or willful misstatement ? — A. That I 
cannot say. I honestly believe that he willfully misstated those conver- 
sations. 

Adjourned. • 



Washington, D. C, Friday, May 9, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 11.45 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

Elias Hempstead sworn and examined. 
By Mr. OuRTis : 

Question. Where do you reside ? — Answer. New London, Conn. 

Q. You have been passing the winter in Washington, I believe?— A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. What is your profession ! — A. Master mariner. 

Q. How long have Y(;;i been a mariner! — A. Forty-eight years. 

Q. How long have you been a master mariner ? — A. Twenty-six years. 

Q. Have you attended the different sessions of the committee during 
the investigation up to this time? — A. Pretty regularly. I missed two 
or three days. 

Q. But you have heard the greater portion of the testimony that has 
been given, have you not? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. By the way, permit me to ask you, have you had any experience 
as a navigator in Polar or Arctic seas? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. To what extent ? — A. Well, I think nine years. 

Q. Now, will you be kind enough to give us, in the briefest manner 
possible, your views as to the management of the expedition before the 
ship sank, and your views as to the management of the retreat after the 
ship sank? 

Mr. Aknoux. I submit that he has not shown himself to be compe- 
tent to express ;iny opinion on the subject. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 

Q. How many voyages have you made to the Arctic ? — A. Two only 
in the Arctic Ocean. The rest have been in Bering Strait and the Sea 
of Okhotsk. 

Q. You have made two voyages, however, to the Arctic, passing 
through the Strait ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. What were the ol)jects of those voyages ? — A. Whaling. 

Q. Have you ever been through the Bering Strait ? — A. Certainly ; 
you must go through there to get into the Arctic Ocean. 

Q. Approaching it from the other way, you could get into the Arctic 
Ocean ? — A. Yes ; but it would be very difficult to get along the north 
coast of North America. 

By the Chairman : 
Q. About what part of the Arctic Ocean have you been ? — A. (Indi- 
cating on circumpolar chart.) About this part ; never so far as Wrangel 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 803 

Land. I have been up to about seventy and a half. The ice barrier, as 
we term it, is sometimes higher up, sometimes lower; sometimes about 
seventy-two, sometimes down as low as seventy and a half. Our whal- 
ing grounds are about to the southeast of Wrangel Land and southwest 
of Cape Barrow. 

Q. Did you get as high as Cape Barrow! — A. ]!:^o, sir; I was up to 
about seventy and a half, and I think near Cape North, on this side 
[indicating on chart], as near as I can recollect. But we do not always 
get perfect observations there ; in fact, very seldom. 

The Chairman. The committee has determined to let him testify. 

Mr. Curtis. Be as brief as you can, and at the same time give the 
committee your ideas and views. 

Mr. Aenoux. Let him state the facts first on which he bases any 
opinion. 

The Witness. Lieutenant Danenhower, may I ask you to mark on 
the chart the course taken by your ship ! 

Mr. Danenhower [marking on chart]. From San Francisco we went 
to Ounalaska by way of Akutan Pass; from Ounalaska we shaped a 
course to clear the west end of ISTounivak Island, then for the east end 
of St. Lawrence Island, then for Cape ISTome, then to the eastward for 
St. Michael's ; from St. Michael's we crossed over to St. Lawrence Bay 
on the coast of Siberia to meet the supply schooner. 

The Witness. The whaler's supply schooner ! 

Mr. Danenhower. No 5 it was a special. 

The Witness. For you ! 

Mr. Danenhower. Yes, sir. Then from St. Lawrence Bay we went 
through the Straits, keeping along the west shore, and after passing the 
East Cape we coasted along the northeastern part of Siberia until we 
came to the winter quarters of Nordenskjold, near Serdze Kamen, to the 
eastward of Kaliutchin Bay. From Yega's winter quarters we shaped 
a course for Cape Hawaii, and intended to make southeast to Wrangel 
Land if possible, but we soon fell in with the ice and had to coast along 
to the northeast, to coast the floe edge until we got near Herald Isl- 
and, and we entered a wide lead there and pushed to the northwest. 

The Witness. Where does your course end ! 

Mr. Danenhower. Near Herald Island [indicating on chart]. 

The Witness. Please mark your retreat as near as you can. 

Mr. Danenhower [indicating and marking on chart]. The retreat 
was first started south. We made some miles south and then to the 
southwest. At the same time the ice was moving in diiierent directions, 
according to the wind. We landed on Cape Emma, the southern cape 
of Bennett Island, then we shaped a course to the southwest, varying 
at different times, according to the condition of the ice, and we arrived 
off the northern coast of Thadeowski Island, and we were beset there 
in a ten-day camp and drifting to the eastward. We finally got clear 
and went through this channel [indicating] between the islands and 
landed on Thadeowski Island. This shoal [indicating] extends from 
there [indicating] to the southward there [indicating], and after touch- 
ing there we went around this shoal [indicating], and landed on Kotelnoi 
Island. We coasted that island one day until we arrived at the South 
Cape. Then, of course, we shaped for Stolboi, to the southwest, and we 
passed to the westward of it and landed on Seminov Island first. Then, 
from Seminov Island, we shaped a course to Barkin, and midway we 
were dispersed in the gale. Then the whale-boat kept on to within 10 
or 15 miles, probably, of Barkin, and finding shallow water, we shaped 
a course to the eastward until we got 9 fathoms, and then to the south- 



804 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



west until we entered. After we were dispersed, Captain De Long was 
driven more to the southwest by the wind, and he made a course some- 
thing like that, as near as I can make it [indicating]. He landed near 
the light-house point on the Lena delta, northern branch. About 100 
miles separated us from his point of landing. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now, will you be kind enough to give us your views as to the man- 
agement of the expedition before the ship sank, and your views as to 
the management of the retreat after the ship sank? — A. For the pas- 
sage up, I do not see that anything can be said either for or against it 
any more than that they sailed from San Francisco and went up to near 
Wrangel Land as well as they could. [To Mr. Danenhower.] What day 
did you reach the ice! 

Mr. Danenhower. We left Kaliutchin Bay the 31st of August, and 
shaped a course for Cape Hawaii, at the point you indicate on the map, 
which was reached the 4th of September, I think. 

A. (Eesumiug.) I should have thought it would have been very much 
better to have been up to the ice barrier about the 1st of August or the 
middle of August. There has been something said about Wrangel Land 
and the advisability of trying to get to it. If I could not have reached 
Wrangel Land directly without penetrating the ice I should not have 
tried to go there. I think it would have been better to have cruised 
along the barrier in August and penetrated as far as possible in any way 
that might have been found, and then, instead of leaving the ship be- 
tween two cakes of ice, or surrounded by a number, I should carefully 
have selected as big a piece of ice as I could have found and cut a lane 
into it and carried the ship in like that. 




I should have selected a very large piece of ice and have drawn the 
ship into it like that, just wide enough for the ship to have entered and 
then have secured her firmly. When the water froze, which it would 
have begun to do about the 15th of September, the ship would then 
have been as firmly encased in the middle of a large piece of ice entire- 
ly free from any danger of being crushed as though she were lying in a 
dock. The only possible danger that could come to the ship then from 
the ice would have been the possibility of a crack coming across her 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 805 

resting place, and if that had come they would have had to repeat the 
experiment and get in another place. You can judge about how likely 
it would be as well as I. 

By Mr. MoAdoo : 

Q. If that cake ever broke would the ice crush the ship ? — A. Not 
more so than where she was lying between two big cakes already. The 
position would be precisely the same. 

Q. Would not the cutting of the lane to get your ship in the center 
of that cake weaken the cake? — A. It must necessarily weaken it a very 
little, but the weakening would be so very slight that I think you could 
hardly know that it had been weakened at all. This is a plan that is 
pursued by the whalers in these parts [indicating on map], the English 
whalers, and I may say they go up to Greenland and keep their vessels 
there from year to year. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit the Greenland Sea is under such different 
conditions that that would not be authority unkss they do it on this 
Bering Sea. 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What difference is there between the two seas in that respect? — 
A. I know nothing about the Greenland Sea. I have never been there, 
and onlj know what I have heard about it. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 
Q. Did you ever know of the docking of a ship in that part of the 
Arctic Ocean? — A. No, sir; I never did. Our business as whalers re- 
quires us to keep out of the ice. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Now please go on. — A. That is the course that I should have pur- 
sued in going north. I believe that one can reach, as a general thing, 
a little farther north, directly north of Bering Straits than he can 
either east or west in this open water and the leads lead out of it. You 
will see Collinson was up here [indicating] in about seventy-three and 
a half. I do not know how he got there. That would have been my 
course. I may be allowed to say here that we sailors always received 
the idea of there being a Wrangel Land as a truth, but I for one am 
very much surprised to find it so large as it is. I thought that it was 
a little island. I do not know that I have anything further to say until 
we reach the point where the Jeannette was lost. I think it would be 
better to know the dimensions of the ship, the shape of the ship in 
which the expedition started, and I can only learn that in a general way 
from Mr. Danenhower, if he will have the kindness to tell me how long 
and wide a ship, &c., she was. 

Mr. Danenhower. The ship was about 150 feet long, 25 feet beam, 
and she drew when we left San Francisco between 12 and 13 feet aft, as I 
remember. Her under- water body was pretty full at the foremast. Her 
greatest breadth was just abaft the foremast, and then she tapered 
away and had a great deal of dead rise and dead wood aft, and forward 
the same way. 

The Witness. Did you ever see her out of water ? 

Mr. Danenhower. Oh, yes. 

The Witness. How deep was her keel ? 

Mr. Danenhower. You mean her keel from the load-line ? 

The Witness. No ; from her garboards. 

Mr. Danenhower. Well, 1 think her keel was 2 J or 3 feet. 



806 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The Witness. A deep-keeled boat ? 

Mr. Danenhower. Yes ; she was so considered. 

The Witness. What was her widest point — at the water-line or on 
her spar-deck ! 

Mr. Danenhower. Her widest point was at the water's edge ; her 
rail was about 8 feet above the water. 

The Witness. Her main rail when you sailed from San Francisco? 

Mr. Danenhower. Yes. 

The Witness. She must have been very deep. 

Mr. Danenhower. She was very deeply laden, very deep in the 
water. 

A. (Resuming.) From the description that Lieutenant Danenhower 
gives of the ship, I think she was about as bad a model for the service 
as could possibly be made. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Give your reasons for that. — A. Perhaps I could show these gen- 
tlemen better. 

Mr. Arnoux. I submit that that is not a subject of inquiry. 

Mr. Curtis. We offer to prove by the witness on the stand that this 
vessel was totally unfit for the purpose for which she was intended. 

Mr. McAdoo. As far as Captain De Long was concerned he had no 
discretion in the matter; he was bound to go in a tub or a canal-boat if 
the Navy Department ordered him. 

(The objection was sustained.) 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Will you allow me to call your attention to the question that I first 
put to youj and it is this : Give us in the briefest language possible your 
views as to the conduct and management of the expedition prior to the 
sinking of the vessel, then give us in the briefest language possible your 
views and opinions relative to the conduct and management of the re- 
treat after the sinking of the boat ? — A. I do not know that I can say a 
word about the matter until the vessel gets up into the ice and is 
crushed there. 

Q, Then start from that point. — A. f Referring to chart before him.) 
According to this chart, 77° 15' north and 155^ east is the point where 
the shii3 was lost. Now the ship is lost, and it would seem to me to be 
the duty of every one on board, under the direction of the commanding 
officer, of course, to escape to an inhabited country, or safety, perhaps, 
would be better, and in doing so 1 cannot see how any other course 
should have been taken than for the nearest mainland. [To Mr. Danen- 
hower.] Will you have the kindness to mark where you first met open 
water or navigable water for your boats 1 

Mr. Danenhower. (Marking on chart.) Cape Emma, latitude 76° 
38'. The open water did not occur until we got within 80 miles of the 
coast, but here is the place where it was navigable for boats. They 
would work for two or three hours in the lead and then have to make a 
portage, have a barrier of ice and make a portage across it, then put 
the boats in the water again for a few hours, and then make another 
portage. Here it was very wide, from the time we left the ship until we 
got to Cape Emma. We generally took advantage of any leads we had. 
There were some cracks occasionally. 

The Witness. About what proportion of open water and ice did you 
meet there 1 

Mr. Danenhower. There was a great deal more ice at that time 
than open water. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 807 

The Witness. Will you have the kindness to point out where you 
finally reached the open water? I do not mean where you left the ice 
entii^ly but where you were navigating in the boat through the ice and 
had left off making portages. 

Mr. Danenhower (indicating on chart). That is the place that we 
commenced to navigate between the ice, and to haul the boats over the 
ice and through the water from this time. Cape Emma, latitude 76° 
38', as I remember it, longitude 148^ 20' east, I think, was the location 
of the cape, and from that time we would work in the leads and then 
come to a barrier and have to haul the boats across and make portages. 
The point where we were continuously in the boat was not until we 
reached Seminowski Island. There was one barrier off Kotelnoi Island 
where there had to be a portage made. That was the last time. 

The Witness. I do not care a cent about that myself, but I think it 
is important for the committee to know something about the navigation, 
whether it was mostly through the water or over the ice. 

Mr. Danenhowek. You can judge by the distance we were able to 
make over the ice. We were able to make two miles a day when it was 
over the ice, and through the water we were able to make from ten to 
fifteen miles a day sometimes, according to the way the ice was running 
and the number of portages that had to be made. 

The Witness (indicating on chart). When you got down here, or 
somewhere near here, you had to make quite a long stretch, and they 
had to go over a considerable ice-barrier. 

Mr. Danenhower. Just before reaching Kotelnoi Island we had to 
make a portage, and it took more than half a day to get the whole force 
rallied on two boats, and it took more than a half a day to get them 
over the rough ice. Mr. Ohipp had to send his men to help, and then 
we got to Kotelnoi Island, and had to make a portage along the south, 
shore of Kotelnoi Island at one time. After we left Kotelnoi Island I 
do not think any more portages were made. 

The Witness (indicating on chart). This, then, w^as where you got 
into open water ! 

Mr. Danenhower. After leaving Kotelnoi Island we made no port- 
ages, as I remember. 

The Witness (indicating on chart with dividers). That is about the 
position. 

Mr. Danenhower. The lower part of your divider is the lower point. 

The Witness (indicating). And that, of course, is the corresponding 
point here ? 

Mr. Danenhower. Latitude 74 and some minutes. 

The Witness (indicating). That is the line of open water. 

Mr. Danenhower. But it was not open water, sir ; it was ice and 
water. 

The Witness. Yes ; but it was the ice that you navigated through ; 
or do I misunderstand you *? Did you have to make portages after you 
left here [indicating] *? 

Mr. Danenhower. It seems to me we were imbedded once after leav- 
ing there ; imbedded one night in the ice and had to wait until daylight 
to get out. The ice was navigable after that. I can say alter leaving 
the south point of the island the ice was navigable for boats. 

The Witness. That is our corresponding point of open water then 
[indicating]. We see, then, according to that, that 180 miles from where 
the ship sank the boats reached open water, and then the passage to the 
main land would have been comparatively easy, and even if the object- 
ive point had been the Lena delta, this was the true course to take here 



808 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

to tlie open water [indicating], liere to the land [indicating], and then 
along shore to the Lena delta, if the Lena delta had been the objective 
point and there had been no point of relief nearer than that. • 

Mr. Danenhower (indicating on chart). The ice is represented here 
to be heavier than any other part. It is represented as 90 feet high 
there, and our charts show that that is marked as fast ice. So this is 
mere speculation. 

The Witness. But this [indicating] is no speculation ; this course car- 
ries us entirely clear of that ice. 

Mr. Danenhower [indicating] on chart. The ice banks up against 
this island if there is a southeast wind, and it is not navigable where it 
may be navigable to the west. 

The Witness. I grant you it may be that ; I am only telling you my 
opinion, of course. This [indicating] would seem to me to have been 
the true course to the open water ; then, to the land, where they would 
be almost sure j then a short distance to find natives at that season of 
the year. 

By Mr. Mc Adoo : 
Q. Have you ever been on the land there*? — A. No, I have never been 
on the land there. It seems Lieutenants Hunt and Barry traveled over 
this land, and they certainly could not have traveled that distance with- 
out finding some people there. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you understand Lieutenant Hunt to say that he traveled on 
the shore ? — A. He traveled on the land from one point to the other. 

(At this point Mr. Arnoux objected to the further examination of the 
witness, and the objection was sustained, and the witness was with- 
drawn. 

Mr. Arnoux asked that so much of the testimony as given by the wit- 
ness as related to the retreat after the crushing of the ship be stricken 
out.) 

The Chairman. That is the natural sequence of the decision of the 
committee. 

Mr. Curtis. We respectfully protest against that, and desire it to go 
on the record. 

(Mr. Curtis here announced that he closed the submission of testi- 
mony.) 

Mr. Arnoux. I now offer in evidence the x)etition of Dr. Collins and 
the resolution of the House of Representatives adopted on the 4th day of 
March, 1884, and I ask the committee to have the stenographer give the 
action of the Naval Committee in appointing the present subcommittee. 
I suppose it is right and proper that the legal constitution of this com- 
mittee be given. 

Thel)etition is as follows : 

Sir : Your petitioner would respectfully submit the following memo- 
rial in reference to the Jeannette Arctic expedition, to the manner such 
expedition was conducted, the conduct of the surviving members, and 
the manner of investigation adopted by the naval court of inquiry un- 
der the joint resolution of Congress providing for the same : 

First. That in the month of July, 1879, Jerome J. Collins, then a citi- 
zen of the United States, and director of the New York Herald weather 
service, joined the United States Arctic steamer Jeannette in the capac- 
ity of meteorologist and correspondent of the New York Herald. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 809 

Second. That on and after the month of September, 1870, the said 
Jerome J. Collins was, with other members of the expedition, treated 
with every indignity and outrage, even to being deprived of all the 
scientific instruments and appliances of his position as meteorologist 
of the expedition 5 that he was prevented from performing the proper 
work and duties of his office. 

Third. That on or about the end of the year 1879, and while the 
Arctic steamer Jeannette was held in the ice, the said Jerome J. Collins 
was placed under suspension or arrest by the commanding of&cer of 
the expedition, and that he remained so until he died of starvation and 
cold on the bank of the River Lena, in Northern Siberia. 

Fourth. That during the month of June, 1881, the Arctic steamer 
Jeannette, at that time held fast and dritting with the ice, was crushed 
and sank, and the officers and crew, in three parties, commenced their 
retreat southward toward the Siberian coast ; that one party, under the 
command of Lieutenant Chipp, U. S. K., was never found, and is sup- 
posed to have perished during a great storm, with his companions ; 
that another party, under the command of Lieut. G. W. De Long, U. 
S. N., landed on the Lena delta, and traveled along the line of the river, 
hoping to find a settlement and relief; that at last, the party having 
consumed their last food and being threatened with starvation, Lieu- 
tenant De Long sent two of his party ahead to find assistance ; that 
the two men so sent, Nindemann and Noros, traveled ahead until found 
by natives in a frozen and starving condition ; that the party under the 
command of Lieutenant De Long, failing to find natives and supplies, 
and receiving no word from Nindemann and Noros, the party, including 
Lieutenant De Long, Mr. Jerome J. Collins, Dr. Ambler, and the sea- 
men, died from starvation and cold during the last days of the month 
of October, 1881. 

Fifth. That the third party under the command of Chief Engineer Mel- 
ville, United States Navy, after weathering the storm, did, on the 26th day 
of September, 1881, find a place of safety, and a base of supplies, several 
of the members of the party being at this time in a disabled condition. 
That the records show that on the 3d day of October following, the said 
Melville had fully recovered, and with him all his men, and that several 
of the party urged him to push a head and not delay, several volunteering 
to go in search of their missing shipmates. That finally, about the mid- 
dle of the month of October, the said Melville sent an ignorant exile 
named Kusmah, resident in that place, to Bulun, refusing permission 
to any of the party to accompany him. That at this time nor at any 
subsequent period up to the 29th day of October did said Melville, he 
being then in command, use any effort or means to obtain information 
as to the condition or location of the two missing parties. That even 
at the time Melville sent the exile Kusmah to Bulun, he gave no di- 
rections or adopted no means for spreading the news of the missing 
boats, although surviving members of the expedition claim that the 
said Melville knew the route De Long would take in his retreat down 
the river Lena. That the exile Kusmah, sent to Bulun, returned on the 
29th day of October, bringing a message from Nindemann and Noros 
stating that the captain's (De Long's) party were in a starving condi- 
tion and in need of immediate assistance ; and that the said Melville 
then, after delaying thirty-three days at Gloomvialocke without mak- 
ing any efibrts to succor his comrades, at last went to the rescue, it is 
alleged, stating that they would be all dead. That the evidence offered 
to the naval court, and which the undersigned is prepared to furnish, 
and that has already and will be further given by the survivors, goes 



810 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

to show, beyond any reasonable doubt, that had the said Melville per- 
formed the duty devolving upon him as the commander of the party, 
and obeyed the directions given him by Lieutenant De Long to im- 
mediately communicate with the Eussian authorities, and gone to the 
rescue and conducted a search for the captain's party, each and every 
member of that party, with the exception of Erickson, would have been 
rescued and alive to-day. 

Sixth. That on and after the arrival of a number of survivors of the 
expedition reached this country a joint resolution was passed by Con- 
gress directing the Secretary of the Navy to appoint a court of inquiry 
into the loss of the Arctic steamer Jeannette and the conduct of the of- 
ficers and men ; that the said naval court refused to admit or allow to 
be given valuable testimony, and that said court ruled out nearly every 
question that would bring out the true history of the expedition ; that 
many of the survivors were not permitted to give their full and free 
testimony, and that the naval inquiry was so conducted that all possi- 
ble chance or possibility of the truth coming out was destroyed; that 
many of the witnesses, it is alleged by competent authority, were at the 
time dependent upon, under the jurisdiction of, and afraid of the perse- 
cution of the Naval Department; that the official stenographer of the 
court publicly declared in writing that important and valuable testi- 
mony was suppressed, and that the proceedings of said court were cal- 
culated to cover up all matters relating to the expedition. 
Kespectfully, 

DANIEL F. COLLINS, M. D. 

Hon. John G. Carlisle, 

Spealwr Souse of Representatives^ Washington^ D. 0, 



The resolution is as follows : 

Whereas a petition has been presented to the honorable Speaker of 
the House of Eepresentatives respectfully representing the condition of 
the Jeannette Arctic Expedition, and the conduct of the surviving mem- 
bers, and the manner of the investigation adopted by the Naval Court 
of Inquiry under the joint resolution of Congress providing for the same; 
and inasmuch as said facts involve the honor and humanity of officers 
in the United States service, as well as a proper respect for those who 
perished in the exi)edition ; and inasmuch as the Naval Court of Inquiry 
refused to admit or allow, as it is alleged, valuable testimony to be 
given to bring out the facts of the case in the interest of truth and 
history : Therefore, 

Be it resolved^ That the Committee on Naval Affairs of this House 
be directed to investigate the facts connected with said expedition and 
the alleged unoflicerlike and inhumane conduct therein, and that the 
said committee be authorized to send for persons and papers; and to 
employ a stenographer. 

I next offer the report of the Court of Inquiry as their report; I do 
not offer it as matter of evidence. 

(The offer was objected to, the objection overruled, and the report 
read as follows :) 

EIGHTIETH DAY. 

Navy Department, 
Washinofon, J). C, Monday, February 12, 1883—10.30 a. m. 
The court met pursuant to the adjournment of Saturday, February 10, 

1883. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 811 

Present, Commodore William G. Temple, United States I^avy, presi- 
dent 5 Capt. Joseph K. Miller, United States Navy, Commander Fred- 
erick Y. McFair, United States Navy, members ; and Master Samuel 
C. Lemly, United States Navy, judge-advocate. 

The record of the proceedings of Saturday, February 10, 1883, the 
seventy-ninth day of the inquiry, was then read and approved. 

The court was then cleared for deliberation, and agreed upon the fol- 
lowing report : 

In conformity with a joint resolution of the Congress approved August 
8, 1882, and in compliance with the orders of the honorable Secretary 
of the Navy, d.ated September 29, 1882, the court of inquiry has dili- 
gently and thoroughly investigated — 

The circumstances of the loss in the Arctic seas of the exploring steamer Jeannette, 
and of the death of Lieut. George W. De Long, and others of her officers and men. 

The court has also carefully inquired — 

Into thg condition of the vessel on her departure, her management up to the time 
of her destruction, the provisions made and plans adopted for the several boats' crews 
on their leaving the wreck, the efforts made by the various officers to insure the safety 
of the parties under their immediate charge, and for the relief of the other parties, 
and into the general conduct and merits, and of each and all the officers and men of 
the expedition. 

And the court transmits herewith its proceedings, the testimony taken, 
and after mature deliberation reports that the following facts are deemed 
established by the evidence adduced : 

First. As to " the condition of the vessel on her departure.'^ 

The Jeannette was originally Her Britannic Majesty's ship Pandora, 
and was purchased from the British Government in April, 1875, by Sir 
Allen W. Young, who made two voyages in her to the Arctic regions, 
and who finally sold her to Mr. James Gordon Bennett in 1877. 

By an act of Congress ai)proved February 27, 1879, she was accepted 
under certain conditions by the United States Government for the pur- 
pose of making further explorations in the Arctic regions, and although 
the weight of the evidence shows that she was not especially adapted in 
strength or model for that kind of navigation, the fact that an expe- 
rienced Arctic explorer had voluntarily made two cruises in her to the 
Arctic seas sustains the judgment and care shown in her selection when 
last purchased. 

The vessel was strengthened as much as practicable at the navy-yard, 
Mare Island, California, and such other additions and improvements 
were made as were recommended by her commanding officer, and the 
condition of the Jeannette on her departure from the port of San Fran- 
cisco was good, and satisfactory to her officers and crew, except that she 
was unavoidably deeply loaded, a defect which corrected itself by the 
consumption of coal, provisions, and stores. 

Second. As to " her management up to the time of her loss." 

The lateness of the season when the Jeannette sailed from San Fran- 
cisco, her want of speed, and the delay occasioned by her search along 
the Siberian coast, under orders from the Navy Department, for the 
Swedish exploring steamer Yega, placed the commander at a great dis- 
advantage on his meeting with the pack-ice early in September, in the 
vicinity of Herald Island. Either he had to return to some port to the 
southward, and pass the winter there in idleness, thus sacrificing all 
chance of pushing his researches to the northward until the following 
summer, or else he must endeavor to force the vessel through to Wran- 
gel Island, then erroneously supposed to be a large continent, to winter 
there, and prosecute his explorations by sledges. The chances of ac- 



812 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

complishing this latter alternative were sufficiently good at the time to 
justify him in choosing it ; and, indeed, had he done otherwise, he might 
fairly have been thought wanting in the high qualities necessary for an 
explorer. 

This attempt unfortunately resulted in the vessel's becoming beset in 
the ice-pack within less than two months after her departure from San 
Francisco, from which she was never released until her destruction, 
more than twenty-one months later. 

During these weary months of forced inaction the vessel and her 
people were at times threatened with great dangers^ Especially was 
her destruction imminent on January 19, 1880, when she sprung a leak 
from ice pressures, and for months after that date she was kept afloat 
only by skillful devices and arduous labor. 

It may be here mentioned that throughout the expedition every op- 
portunity was improved for gaining scientific information. Meteoro- 
logical and astronomical observations, temperature and density of the 
sea- water, and soundings were taken and preserved; studies of the 
character and action of the ice were noted, specimens of the bottom 
and of such fauna and flora as could be procured were examined. Three 
islands were discovered, two of which were visited, explored, and taken 
possession of in the name of the United States. 

The arrangements to abandon ship at a moment's warning, and to 
guard against fire, were all that could be desired, and the evidence 
shows that in the management of the Jeannette up to the. time of her 
destruction Lieutenant-Commander De Long, by his foresight and pru- 
dence, provided measures to meet emergencies, and enforced wise reg- 
ulations to maintain discipline, to preserve health, and to encourage 
cheerfulness among those under his command ; and the physical condi- 
tion of the people was good, with the exception of a few cases of lead 
poisoning, the result of eating canned provisions. The fact of the ship's 
having passed a second winter in the pack without any appearance of 
scurvy on board sufiiciently attests the excellence of the sanitary ar- 
rangements adopted, and reflects great credit upon her medical officer, 
Passed Assistant Surgeon James M. Ambler, who throughout the expe- 
dition was indefatigable in the performance of his duties. 

Third. As to the circumstances of the loss in the Arctic seas of the 
, exploring steamer Jeannette. 
/ The Jeannette was sunk on June 13, 1881, from being crushed by the 
/ ice in latitude 77° 15' north, longitude 155^ 50' east, after drifting un- 
' controllably in the pack ice since September 6, 1879. Any vessel in 
like position, no matter what her model might have been, or however 
strongly constructed, and subjected to the same pressures as those in- 
curred by the Jeannette, would have been annihilated. 

She was abandoned in a cool and orderly manner on the evening of 
June 12, and foundered about 4 a. m. the daj' following, and the court 
attaches no blame to any officer or man for her loss. 

Fourth. As to " the provisions made and plans adopted for the sev- 
eral boats' crews upon their leaving the wreck." 

The contingency of the loss of the vessel had been foreseen and pro- 
vided for, and when the emergency arose, everything was prepared to 
meet it. 

The officers and men were divided into three parties and assigned to 
theboatsbesttittedfor the anticipated work; boat and provision sledges 
had been provided, and more boats, clothing, provisions, and stores were 
removed from the vessel than could be transported on the retreat. 

The party being thus thrown upon the ice, five days were passed in 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 813 

arranging for the long journey to the land, and the provisions made 
and plans adopted for the several boats' crews upon their leaving the 
wreck were judicious, as the evidence shows that ninety days after the 
destruction of the Jeannette the of&cers and men were in fair condition, 
notwithstanding their terrible journey. 

Fifth. As to '^ the efforts made by the various officers to insure the 
safety of the parties under their immediate charge, and for the relief of 
the other parties." 

The retreat commenced on the 18th of June; and during the ensuing 
three months the entire ship's company remained together, under the 
direction of the commander, struggling against obstacles which required 
indomitable pluck and perseverance to overcome — compelled to drag 
their heavy boats and loads of provisions over broken and shifting 
fields of ice, at times ferrying them over the water spaces, and often 
carried far out of their course by the drift of the pack, delayed by storms, 
fogs, and snows; there seems to have been no precaution neglected 
which would tend to insure their safety. During this time, as well as 
upon other occasions, the conduct of Ice Pilot Dunbar, Boatswain Cole, 
and Fireman Bartlett elicited well-deserved commendations. 

The original plan of retreat was to make a southerly course, presum- 
ably to reach the open water as soon as possible, and thence by way 
of the New Siberian Islands to the delta of the Lena, the nearest point 
at which it was supposed that relief could be obtained. But the com- 
mander found after a time, by observation, that the current was sweep- 
ing them so rapidly to the northward and westward that their labor 
was almost in vain, and that the course made good was but little to the 
southward of west. He wisely refrained from discouraging the party 
by announcing this fact, and changed bis course so as to cross this cur- 
rent at right angles, and get beyond its influence as soon as practicable. 

After twenty-three days of toil and anxiety, Bennett Island was dis- 
covered, where they landed, and occupied eight days in resting and 
making necessary repairs to boats. In trying to reach this island the 
party suffered many disappointments and encountered unexpected dan- 
gers, difficulties, and delays in overcoming a very short distance, owing 
to the swift currents and rapid movements of the broken ice close to 
the shore. 

A further delay, from August 19 to August 29, was afterwards forced 
upon the party by the condition of the ice, which rendered progress 
impossible. Meantime it had been deemed expedient at Bennett Isl- 
and, in order to save food for the men, that about half of the dogs 
should be killed, as they were no longer needed to drag the sleds, and 
it was considered inhuman to leave them there to starve, and afterwards 
all but two of them escaped on the ice; but still it was found necessary 
to reduce the allowance of provisions from time to time during the re- 
mainder of the journey. 

On the 12th of September the three boats were separated in a gale of 
wind when approaching the Siberian coast, at an estimated distance of 
about ninety miles to the northward and eastward of the Lena delta, 
and no further record exists of the second cutter's party, but as Lieu- 
tenant Chipp, who was in charge of her, was noted for his seamanlike 
qualities, it may safely be assumed that he did all that a brave and ca- 
pable man could do to weather the gale. 

The first cutter and whaleboat, under the command respectively of 
Lieutenant-Commander De Long and Chief Engineer Melville, barely 
managed to live through the gale by riding to sea-anchors, and in round- 
ing to, the first cutter carried away the etep of her mast, and the next 



814 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

day lost her sail, wbich formed a portion of her drag. During the gale 
the professional services of Lieutenant Danenhower, who was on the 
sick list, were called into requisition, and he is deserving of credit for 
the skill with which he managed the whale-boat, as well as for her sub- 
sequent navigation to the land. 

When the weather moderated, both boats endeavored to reach Cape 
Barkin, the northeast point of the Lena delta, upon which the charts 
erroneously indicated winter huts and inhabitants. 

The whale-boat, with eleven people on board, on striking shoal water 
out of sight of land, stood to the eastward, and hauling in for the land 
the next day, she was fortunate enough on September 16 to enter one of 
the ea&tern mouths of the Lena Eiver, and three days afterwards fell in 
with natives, who guided them to the village of Geeomovialocke, where 
they arrived on the 25th, and subsisted until they were able to com- 
municate with the commandant of Bulun. 

In the mean time, the first cutter, with fourteen persons in all, had 
made the best of her way under a jury mast and sail towards the land; 
but encountering young ice and shoal water, the party on the 17th of 
September was forced to abandon the boat a mile and a half from the 
beach, and to wade ashore through the ice and mud, carrying the few 
remaining stores and provisions on their backs. They had the misfor- 
tune to land at the mouth of one of the northern outlets of the Lena 
Eiver, where no inhabitants were to be found, although a considerable 
village, not indicated on their charts, and consequently unsuspected by 
them, lay some twenty-five miles to the westward. 

They had landed frost bitten and exhausted, with only a few days' 
provisions, which were eked out by a meager supply of game. They 
began their painful journey to the southward, hampered in their move- 
ments by those who were disabled, but encouraged from time to time 
by traces of recent occupancy in the huts, and footprints about the 
fox-traps which they encountered on the way, and they struggled on 
manfully, misled by their imperfect map of the country, and always im- 
agining themselves near a place of refuge, until towards the end of Oc- 
tober, when, after eating their remaining dog, they perished from hunger 
and cold, all but two — Seamen Nindemann and Noros, whom the com- 
mander had previously sent on in advance for assistance, and who, 
after great hardships, were found and rescued by the natives. These 
two men did their utmost to make the natives understand the condition 
of the commander's party, and to induce them to go to its relief, but with- 
out success. It seems that there was some confusion in the minds of 
these people between the commanders party and that under Mr. Mel- 
ville, at Geeomovialocke, but the two seamen knew nothing of the whale- 
boat's fate, and could not therefore guess at the mistake ; nor is it prob- 
able that if they had returned they Avould have found any of the com- 
mander's party alive. 

Meanwhile the whale-boat's party remained five weeks at Geeomovia- 
locke, living upon the limited hospitaltty of a few poor natives, who 
saw their winter supplies rapidly disappearing before the hunger of 
this large party. They, like the first cutter's crew, had landed frost- 
bitten and exhausted, and being ill fed, and badly clothed and lodged, 
they were many days in regaining their strength. 

Efforts were made from the first, but without avail, to get transpor- 
tation for the i^arty to a place of permanent safety, and also to insti- 
tute a search for the other parties, which nevertheless they believed to 
have been lost in the gale. 

Lieutenant Danenhower started on the 17th of October, with a dog 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 815 

teanij to explore tlie coast for the missing boats, but was unable, from 
the condition of the ice, to proceed far in any direction, and returned 
without results. The wide river, or rather bay, which separated Gee- 
omovialocke from the mainland, was sometimes covered with young ice, 
too thick for the passage of boats, and too thin for the passage of sledges, 
and at times was filled with floating masses of old ice ; while their ig- 
norance of the language left them unable to express their wants, or to 
discover the resources of the vicinity in respect to reindeer or dog teams. 

It was not until October 29 that Chief Engineer Melville learned 
that the first cutter had survived the gale, when he at once started, 
and, meeting and consulting with Seamen Nindemann and J^oros, did 
all in his power to find and succor his missing comrades. He succeeded 
in recovering a portion of the records left behind by the commander, 
but after nearly sacrificing his life from hunger and cold, and feeling 
assured that the remainder of the first cutter's party had undoubtedly 
perished, he returned southward to Bulun, and then went to Yakutsk, 
where he at once commenced preparations for a more extended search 
when the season would permit, in the mean time forwarding to Irkutsk 
the members of his party not needed or unfitted for the search. 

On March 12 Chief Engineer Melville was enabled to assemble the 
relief party at OathCarta, the appointed rendezvous, when the search 
for the first cutter's crew was commenced, and resulted in finding, be- 
tween March 23 and 27, the remainder of the records, and the bodies 
of Lieutenant-Commander De Long's party, except those of Erichsen 
and Alexy, which had been buried in the river. 

The bodies were removed and properl}^ interred on high land near 
Mat-Yay, safe from the effects of the spring floods. 

After this had been done, three parties were formed under the charge 
of Chief Engineer Melville, Seaman Mndemann, and Fireman Bartlett, 
respectively, and the coasts and upper portion of the Lena delta were 
thoroughly searched for the second cutter's party, but without finding 
any traces of it. The search was continued as far as the river Jan a, 
and as by this time the sledging season was at an end, the parties re- 
turned to Yakutsk, wheu Chief Engineer Melville, with all but five of 
his men, proceeded home by order of the Kavy Department. These five 
remained with Lieutenant Harber, who had been sent to aid in the 
search. 

Considering, then, the condition of the survivors, the unfavorable 
season, the limited knowledge of the countrj^, the want of facilities for 
prosecuting the search, and the great difllculty of communicating with 
the natives, everything possible was done for the relief of the other 
parties. 

The following is a list of the officers and crew of the Jeannette, show- 
ing their assignment to the boats on the retreat, and their final fate or 
disposition : 

FIRST CUTTER (14). 

Lieutenant-Commander George W. De Long, United States Navy, 
commanding. Died in the Lena delta. 

Passed Assistant Surgeon James M. Ambler, United States Navy. 
Died in the Lena delta. 

Mr. Jerome J. Collins (meteorologist). Died in the Lena delta. 

Seaman W. F, C. Mndemann. Sent ahead for relief and rescued by 
natives; a witness before the court. 

Seaman Louis P. Noros. Sent ahead for relief and rescued by natives ; 
a witness before the court. 



816 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Seamau Heinrich H. Kaack. Died in the Lena delta. 
Seaman Carl A. Gortz. T3ied in the Lena delta. 
Seaman Adolph Dressier. Died in the Lena delta. 
Coppersmith Walter Lee. Died in the Lena delta. 
Seaman Hans H. Erichsen. Died in the Lena delta. 
Coal-heaver Nelse Iverson. Died in the Lena delta. 
Coal-heaver George W. Boyd. Died in the Lena delta. 
Seaman Ah Sam. Died in the Lena delta. 
Seaman Alexy (dog driver and hunter). Died in the Lena delta., 

SECOND CUTTER (8). 

Lieut. Charles W. Chipp, United States Navy, commanding. 
Seaman William Dunbar (ice pilot). 
Seaman Alfred Sweetman. 
Seaman Henry D. Warren. 
Seaman Peter E. Johnson. 

Seaman Edward Star. • 

Seaman Albert G. Kuehne. 
Coal-heaver Walter Sharvell. 

Of which boat, with her crew, no record exists subsequent to the 
gale of September 12, 1881. 

WHALE-BOAT (11). 

Chief Engineer George W. Melville, United States Navy, command- 
ing. Eescued by natives ; a witness before the court. 

Lieut. John W. Danenhower, United States Navy. Eescued by na- 
tives ; a witness before the court. 

Mr. Raymond L. Newcomb (naturalist and taxidermist). Rescued by 
natives ; a witness before the court. 

Seaman John Cole (boatswain). Rescued by natives ; now an in- 
mate of the Government Insane Asylum. 

Fireman James H. Bartlett. Rescued by natives ; retained in Siberia 
to assist Lieutenant Harber. 

Seaman Herbert W. Leach. Rescued by natives ; retained in Siberia 
to assist Lieutenant Harber. 

Seaman Henry Wilson. Rescued by natives; a witness before the 
court. 

Seaman Frank E. Manson. Rescued by natives ; retained in Siberia 
to assist Lieutenant Harber. 

Seaman Charles Tong Sing. Rescued by natives; a witness before 
the court. 

Coal-heaver John Lauterbach. Rescued by natives ; retained in Si- 
beria to assist Lieutenant Harber. 

Seaman Ainguin (dog driver and hunter). Rescued by natives; re- 
tained in Siberia to assist Lieutenant Harber; subsequently died at 
Kirinsk. 

Sixth. As to ''the general conduct and merits of each and all the offi- 
cers and men of the expedition." 

There is conclusive evidence that, aside from trivial difficulties, such 
as occur on shipboard even under the most favorable circumstances, and 
which had no inlineuce in briugiug about the disasters of the expe- 
dition and no pernicious effect upon its general conduct, every officer 



i 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 817 

and man so conducted himself that the court finds no occasion to im- 
pute censure to any member of the party. 

In view, then, of the long and dreary monotony of the cruise, the 
labors and privations encountered, the disappointment consequent upon 
a want of important results, and the uncertainty of their fate (and 
apart from a natural desire to tread lightly on the graves of the dead), 
the general conduct of the personnel of the expedition seems to have 
been a marvel of cheerfulness, good-fellowship, and mutual forbear- 
ance, while the constancy and endurance with which they met the hard- 
ships and dangers that beset them entitle them to great praise. 

Beside the mention already made, however, special commendation is 
due to Lieutenant-Commander De Long for the high qualities displayed 
by him in the conduct of the expedition ; to Chief Engiueer Melville, 
for his zeal, energy, and professional aptitude, which elicited high en- 
comiums from his commander, and for his subsequent efforts on the 
Lena delta j and to Seamen Nindemann and Sweetman, for services 
which induced their commander to recommend them for medals of 
honor. 

Finally, it should be stated that there are several of the survivors of 
the Jeannette who have not yet returned from Siberia, and whose testi- 
mony might or might not modify the conclusions set forth in this re- 
port. 

WM. G. TEMPLE, ^ 

Commodore. United States Navy, President, 
SAM. C. LEMLY, 
Master, United States Navy, Judge-Advocate. 

And the doors having been reopened, the court then, at 4 p. m., ad- 
journed to await the further orders of the honorable Secretary of the 
Navy. 

WM. G. TEMPLE, 
Commodore, United States Navy, President. 
SAM. C. LEMLY, 
Master, United States Navy, Judge- Advocate. 

I^AVY Department, 
Office of the JuDaE-ADvocATE-GENERAL, 

February 17, 1883. 
Eespectfully submitted, with the recommendation that the finding of 
the court be approved. 

WM. B. EEMEY, 

Judge- Advocate- General. 

Navy Department, February 17, 1883. 

The finding of the court is approved. 

WM. E. CHANDLEE, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

EIGHTY-FIFTH DAY. 

Navy Department, 
Washington, D. 0., Saturday, April 7, 1883—10.30 a. m. 
The court met pursuant to the adjournment of yesterday. 
Present, Commodore William G. Temple, United States Navy, presi- 
dent ; Commander Frederick V. McNair, United States Navy, member j 
52 J Q* 



818 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and Lieutenant Eichard Wainwriglit. United States Navy, judge-advo" 
cate. 

The record of the proceedings of Friday, April 6, 1883, the eighty- 
fourth day of the inquiry, was then read, and after correcting clerical 
errors, was approved. 

The court was then cleared for deliberation, and agreed upon the fol- 
lowing report : 

In obedience to the order of the honorable Secretary of the Navy, dated 
March 29, 1883, the Court of Inquiry of which Commodore William G. 
Temple, IJuited States Navy, is president, reassembled at the Navy 
Department, at 12 o'clock m. on Friday, the 30th instant, for the pur- 
pose of completing the investigation of circumstances of the loss in the 
Arctic seas of the exploring steamer Jeanette, and the death of Lieu- 
tenant Commander De Long and others of the officers and men, &c. 

Having concluded the examination of the survivors of that vessel 
who have recently returned from Siberia, the court have the honor 
herewith to report its further proceedings, with the testimony, and, 
after mature consideration of the evidence adduced, find that no modi- 
fication is requsite in their conclusions reported February 12, 1883. 

WILLIAM G. TEMPLE, 
Commodore, United States Navy, President, 
EICHARD WAINWEIGHT, 
Lieutenant, United States Navy, Judge-Advocate. 

And the doors being reopened, the court then, at 11.50 a. m., ad- 
journed to await the further orders of the honorable Secretary of the 
Navy. 

WILLIAM G. TEMPLE, 
Commodore, United States Navy, President. 
EICHAED WAINWEIGHT, 
Lieutenant, United States Navy, Judge- Advocate. 

Navy Department, 
Office of the Judge-Advocate-General, 

April 23, 1883. 
Eespectfully submitted, with the recommendation that the finding of 
the court be approved. 

WM. B. EEMEY, 
Judge- Advocatee- General. 

Navy Department, 
^ April 23, 1883. 

The finding of the court is approved. 

WM. E. CHANDLEE, 

Secretary of the Navy. 

I also offer in evidence the joint resolution of Congress under which 
the Naval Court of Inquiry was appointed. It is as follows : 

JOINT resolution instructing the Secretary of the Navy to convene a court of 
inquiry to investigate as to the circumstances of the loss of the exploring steamer 
Jeannette 

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States 
of America in Congress assembled. That the Secretary of the Navy be 
requested to convene, as soon as practicable, a court of inquiry to in- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 819 

vestigate the circumstances of the loss iu the Arctic seas of the explor- 
ing steamer Jeannette, and of the death of Lieutenant-Commander De 
Long and others of her officers and men, including an inquiry into the 
condition of the vessel on her departure, her management up to the 
time of her destruction, the provisions made and plans adopted for the 
several boats' crews upon their leaving the wreck, the efforts made by 
the various officers to insure the safety of the parties under their imme- 
diate charge, and for the relief of the other parties, and into the general 
conduct and merits of each and all the officers and men of the ill-fated 
expedition, and to submit the finding of such court of inquiry to Con- 
gress. 

I would like to ask if any gentleman of the committee knows whether 
Congress ever took any action upon that report. 

The Chairman. I have no information that they didj I do not think 
they did. 

John P. Jackson recalled, and examined as follows: 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question (submitting a paper). Will you refresh your recollection as 
to whether or not you made any report, or learned any facts from the 
sailors, in regard to Lieutenant Danenhower's conduct during the gale, 
and if you find that you did si ate to the best of your recollection what 
the sailors said to you on that subject? — Answer. What they told me 
seems to have been embodied in the letter to the Herald of April 26, 
1882. 

Q. Will you please state to the committee what that is? — A. (Bead- 
ing :) 

Though deprived of his legitimate command, which was intrusted by Captain De 
Long before leaving the vessel to Engineer Melville, he (Lieutenant i)anenhower) 
was permitted temporarily to assume the command of the boat daring the severe 
gale that separated the three boats when so near the land at the Lena's mouth, and 
all the men saved with him join in the assurance to me that without him they must 
inevitably have perished. His work with his defective sight during that memorable 
retreat was grandly and nobly done. 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. What is that paper you are reading from ? — A. An extract from 
the Herald. 

Q. Where did you get it 1 — A. It was given to me by Judge Arnoux. 

Q. Is that in your handwriting ? — A. It is not. 

Q. Where is your original manuscript ? — A. I do not know -, in the 
Herald office, I suppose. This is copied from the Herald. 

Q. Have you any means of knowing that outside of this piece of 
paper *? — A. No ; the general idea seems to be correct, that I should 
have written it at the time. The words seem to me to be what I wrote. 

Perry §. Heath sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Where do you reside ? — Answer. In this city. 

Q. What is your profession 1—A. Newspaper correspondent. 

Q. How long have you been associated with the press ?--A. About 
fourteen years. 

Q. Do you know Dr. Collins ? — A. I do. 

Q. Where did you first meet him ?— A. I met him about the 18th of 
November, 1882, I believe. 



820 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. Where ? — A. At ttie Eiggs House. • 

Q. Did you there have an interview with him f — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. About how long was the interview f — A. It may have lasted an 
hour or an hour and a quarter. 

Q. Did you announce yourself to him as a reporter ? — A. Yes, sir ; I 
so introduced myself. 

Q. At first, was any one present at the interview ? — A. I think not ; 
nobody recognized as being a party to the interview. 

Q. And subsequently, did any person come in, and if so, who 1 — A. 
After Ave had talked 20 or 30 minutes. Judge Advocate Lemly, of the 
Navy, came in. 

Q. And about how long a time did you three remain together in con- 
versation 'I — A. From 30 to 40 minutes, I should judge. 

Q. Did Dr. Collins say anything to you or to Mr. Lemly, in your 
presence, as to what his purpose was ? — A. He did. 

Q. Please state what he said on that subject ? — A. I have a copy of 
the interview with me, if I may be allowed to refer to it to refresh my 
memory. 

Q. Certainly ; refer to anything that refreshes your recollection. — A. 
(After referring to a paper.) He told me that the object of his visit 
here was to preserve the memory of his brother. 

Q. And did he say anything about how he was going to do it ? — A. 
He did — by bringing out certain facts before the court of inquiry then 
in i^rogress. 

Q. Did he make any charge against Captain De Long, and if so, what 
did he say of him ! — A. He may have brought some charges against 
Captain De Long incidentally, in connection with Engineer Melville. 

Q. Did he express any opinion about Captain De Long — did he say 
anything of him ? — A. He said that the misery of his brother was the 
fault of Captain De Long. 

Q. In what way did he say that was ? — A. By the ill-treatment of his 
brotlier by Captain De Long. 

Q. That is what he told him?— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And did he also say anything about Captain De Long's ambition 
and desiring to write a book ? — A. He did. 

Q. What did he say about that ? — A. He said that Captain De Long 
was ambitious to publish a book about the expedition, and his brother 
intended to do the same thing, and that from that fact there arose a 
jealousy between Captain De Long and his brother. 

Q. Did he say anything in regard to pensions, and if so, what! — A. 
Towards the latter part of the interview he spoke about the matter 
coming before Congress. He said that he had heard there would be 
bills offered in the House for the relief of some of the survivors of the 
Jeannette, and also for the widow of Captain De Long. He said that 
he supposed that Lieutenant Danenhower was incapacitated by the 
trip and could not serve in the Navy, and presumed that he would be 
placed on the retired list by special act. • 

Q. And what did he say about these pensions — that he would take 
any means to oppose them ! — A. He said that he would oppose any 
move that was made in Congress to pension Mrs. De Long. 

Q. Now what did Lieutenant Lemly say in the course of that conver- 
sation, that you recollect? — A. What Lieutenant Lemly said, I believe, 
referred to the investigation that was then pending and about the facili- 
ties that would be afforded him to bring out anything that he wished 
in the investigation. 

Q. Did Lieutenant Lemly in the course of that conversation say that 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 821 

lie would not bring out anything that would reflect on the dead ! — A. 
I do not think he did. I do not remember anything of that kind. 

Q. Did Mr. Collins say anything farther about Lieutenant Danen- 
hower at the latter part ? — A. I asked him something about Lieutenant 
Danenhower's attitude toward the crew, I believe, and he thought that 
Lieutenant Danenhower was an officer acting under Captain De Long, 
and therefore could not be held responsible for anything that was done. 

Q. Going back — did he say anything about Mr. Melville being the 
original cause of the trouble *? — A. He did. 

Q. What did he say on that subject "? — A. The reflections cast upon 
Mr. Melville were more severe thau upon any of the rest of the officers. 
I asked who was responsible, in his opinion, for the death of his brother, 
and he thought that Engineer Melville was more responsible, I believe, 
than anybody else. 

By Mr. Curtis: 

Q. You had never seen Dr. Collins before, had you? — A. I think not. 

Q. He had no previous acquaintance with you whatever *? — A. No, 
sir. 

Q. Of what paper were you the correspondent *? — A. The interview 
that I had with him was reported to the Critic of this city. 

Q. And you had been in conversation with him on the subjects con- 
nected with the expedition before the arrival of Lieutenant Lemly ? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. You did not go there with Lieutenant Lemly ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Where did the interview take place ? — A. In the writing-room at 
the Eiggs House. 

Q. And after the arrival of Lieutenant Lemly you did not thirik you 
had any particular interest in his conversation with Dr. Collins ? — A. 
Yes. Lieutenant Lemly joined in the same line of conversation that we 
had up to the time of his arrival, and we kept up the same line for some 
time. I think that he repeated, himself, the material i)oints of his inter- 
view to Lieutenant Lemly. 

Q. You were not requested to go there by Lieutenant Lemly 1 — A. 
No, sir. 

Q. And you introduced yourself to Dr. Collins, and of course you 
were not introduced as coming with Lieutenant Lemly, because you 
came before him? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Now, in the matter of these pensions. You are not aware that Dr. 
Collins has in any way opposed any pension being granted to Mrs. De 
Long, are you ? — A. I do not know that he has. 

John W. Danenhower recalled and examined, as follows : 
By Mr. Arnoux: 

Question. Did you hear the testimony of Mr. Jackson yesterday? — 
Answer. Yes, sir. 

Q. I wish to call your attention to one or two points in connection 
with his testimony. I will ask you, did you ever know, or did you ever 
hear, that Mr. Melville had shied sticks at the natives or in any other 
way had abused or ill-treated them ? — A. I never saw and never heard 
of Mr. Melville doing such a thing, and from my observation during 
the time we were at Geeomovialocke and on the subsequent occasion 
when I met him with the natives, he always treated them kindly and 
well, and during our stay at Geeomovialocke the natives frequently 



822 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

used to come into the hut and share our food with us, and come in the 
evening to call. 

Q. Mr. Jackson also understood from some of the parties or had the 
impression that there had been a demand for too many fish made, or 
something to that efiect. Will you please state what was the fact in 
regard to that? — A. The fact in regard to it was that the exile, Ya- 
pheme Kopelloflt', used to go and get the fish — as a rule he went — and he 
was a very shrewd, sharp fellow, and he was encouraged to get the largest 
and best fish he could. On some occasions Bartlett went, and perhaps 
some of the others were sent for the fish. On one or two occasions there 
was some quarreling about the size of the fish, and Bartlett came back 
on one occasion and reported that he had quite a trouble with Nicolai 
Shagra, and when Shagra had thrown him some geese in a disdainful 
sort ot a way, Bartlett threatened to shy them at his head, as related be- 
fore this committee. I remember that instance perfectly. 

Q. Did you ever see the fish, and if so, how much did the fish weigh 
that you received? — A. Mr. Melville invented a steelyard. It was a 
stick of wood with a sliding weight attached. A pint is a pound the 
world around, and he had taken a pint of water for a standard of weight, 
and I remember on one occasion he weighed the fish and weighed the 
deer-meat. We had four fish in the morning, and on one occasion they 
weighed fifteen i)ounds before they were cleaned, and we remarked, 
" That seems to be a good deal for 12 men for a meal, 15 pounds of 
fish," but that was all we had ; no salt, no bread, nothing but fish. The 
fish, as a rule, I think, ranged from three to four pounds weight, and I 
think Jackson is mistaken when he said they weighed six pounds 
apiece. Later on, when we had a great run of fish, I have seen the al- 
lowance weigh as much as 25 pounds. But the fish we received in 
September, before this run of fish took place, weighed from three to 
five pounds apiece, and the general weight of these four would not be 
more than 15 pounds. 

Q. What was the general attitude of the natives toward you ; hos- 
tile or friendly ? — A. The natives seemed friendly, and there- was only 
one occasion when the slightest hostility was shown. I wanted to give 
a man named Gabrillo Pashin, who had been very kind to me, a i)air of 
foot-nets that I had, and this Yapheme called me aside and whispered 
they w ould do for trading with. I reported that to Melville, and he said 
that looked very bad ; that the natives were going to keep us there 
until we gave up everything we had for food. 

Q. Some of the witnesses who have been here have commented upon 
the harsh and profime language of Mr. Melville. What have you to 
say on that subject? — A. On some occasions I have heard Mr. Meville 
use profane language, but I tbink it has been exaggerated before this 
committee. Melville was the kind of a man that would swear at a man 
prettj" lively one minute and an hour or two afterwards he would do the 
same man a favor. Some men appreciate that kind of thing j others do 
not. But I think that Melville's profanity has been exaggerated before 
this committee. 

Q. Do you know anything of Anjou's survey at Siberia? — A. All I 
know is that the charts that were prepared and made have what they 
call a legend on one side, and under this legend it says, " Tbis chart is 
made up from the surveys of Anjou, Von Wrangel, and others," stating 
a date on which these charts were made, which was common to the 
charts we had. 

Q. Those were the charts you had on board at or before the time the 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. ' 823 

vessel went down in the ice ? — A. Yes, sir j and we had the benefit of 
Anjou's survey. 

Q. Captain Hempstead this morning spoke about docking the ship. 
What have you to say on that subject? 

Mr. Curtis. I object to that becausethetestiraony of Captain Hemp- 
stead has been stricken out. 

The Chairman. His evidence was ruled out so far as the retreat was 
concerned, and no further. 

A. I would state that the Jeannette was provided for the contingency 
of docking the ship. She had ice saws. We also had explosives on 
board and electrical apjjaratus for exploding them, and also had good 
ground tackle and hawsers and everything necessary to secure the ship 
in a dock. I have read and heard frequently of ships being docked in 
the Greenland seas in what is called the ice foot. The ice extends along 
the shores, and is iiermanent ice. The English expedition docked the 
Alert, which is lying at 'New York now ; but I have never heard of a 
ship being docked in the ice pack. The circumstances were such that 
when first nipped in the ice she could not have been docked. She could 
have been docked that evening we entered the ice. There was some 
chance of docking her then ; but after the young ice formed I think 
there was no chance for docking the ship, and the ship was essentially 
in a dock, as it is called. The weather remained quiet and still and the 
ice formed rapidly until the early part of November, when the ship broke 
adrift and she afterwards brought up in young ice, and that same ice 
continued about her until the day of her destruction, and I have often 
heard the people say, '^ We are, as it were, in an island of ice, and this 
island is our protection. Now, as long as this ice will keep off the en- 
croachments of the outside ice we are all right ; it is our protection ; 
but when this ice breaks up then the danger will come." And that 
proved to be the case. We were docked in an island of ice naturally. 

Q. How high were your decks above the ice? — A. That was different 
at times. In the month of January, 1880, when the fore foot was twisted 
and the stem injured the ice on the starboard side was uj) as high as the 
ship's rail. I did not see it. I was down below in my berth when this 
occurred. That was the time the ship was heeling over to the starboard 
and the ice was said to be up even with her rails. When the ship was 
actually crushed the ice on the port side was crushing under her bilge 
and she was lying away over and the ice was lying 8 feet thick in that 
vicinity, with here and there a lump ranging somewhat higher than that. 

Q. When she was on an even keel how high was the deck of the 
ship? — A. Not over 6 feet, and probably a good deal within that 
height — 4 feet probably, the deck. 

Q. When you entered that ice and got nipped, as you have expressed 
it, it had been anticipated that you would continue your voyage ? 

The Witness. Continue our exploring voyage f 

Mr. Arnoux. Yes, that the October gales would open the ice so that 
you would continue on and reach Wr an gel Land? — A. 1 have learned 
that since reading Mrs. De Long's book; but the captain made the re- 
mark at that time that we were in our winter-quarters actually at that 
time. 

Q. That was after y ou had got firmly fastened in ? — A. Yes, after the 
ice had got firm about us. 

Q. At the time you were steaming in you were working for Wrangel 
Land? — A. Yes, we were working to the west-northwest. 

Q. In regard to Mr. Collins's charge of the scientific apparatus. Did 
you state anything about the electric apparatus ? — A. Yes, sir. 



824 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Q. I wish you would tell the committee in regard to it. — A. There 
was an Edison electric light furnished, and I understood Mr. Collins to 
say that it was through his intervention with Mr. Edison, as a friendly 
act on the i)art of Mr. Edison, he being an acquaintance or friend of 
Collins. That is what I understood Collins to say at the time. There 
was a small Baxter boiler on board that was carried for the purpose of 
running this light. On the voyage up the electrical apparatus, or 
dynamometer, I believe it is called, got wet. Collins took charge of it 
and started the light. The idea was to put the light at the masthead 
and illuminate the surroundings for a good moral effect on the men. 
It was said by scientists in the United States that it would enliven the 
officers and crew and have a good moral effect. They got to work after 
the deck-house was put tip to arrange that light and start it going. 
They got up steam, and Collins was directing, and he put the thing 
in motion before it was dry, as alleged at the time, and the dynamometer 
was injured so that it could not be used, and it was a matter of com- 
ment and censure at the time, and I think that they improvised the 
Baxter boiler for distilling water afterwards in the course of the voy- 
age. That is all I know about it. 

Q. Now, did they, as matter of fact, have the use of the electric light ? — 
A. No, sir 'j the machine was broken down from the word go by putting 
it in motion too soon, as it was claimed. 

Q. Now, what in regard to the telephone ? — A. I do not know anything 
positively about the telephones, except that I used to see Mr. Collins 
working with them at first, and afterwards I saw Mr. Chipp at work 
with them. He completed and rigged a telephone. I think the only 
time the telephone was used was they had a wire attached leading from 
the forward part of the vessel to the cabin, and there was some talking 
done there. But the telephone wires were thin copper wires, and the 
snow would break them down. The telephone outfit was made by the 
direct advice of Professor Graham Bell, as I know, at the time, but the 
snow would break the wires down and it proved ineffective. 

Q. Then, if I understand you aright, whatever value there was to it 
was due to the labor of Lieutenant Chipp. Is that correct ?— A. Well, 
I am not qualified to state that positively, sir. There was a good deal 
of figuring between the captain, Mr. Collins, and Lieutenant Chipp on 
the telephone business. 

Q. Considerable has been said by different witnesses about the disci- 
pline of Captain De Long. What have you to say on that subject ? — 
A. I thought the discipline of the Jeannette was rigid, but it was al- 
ways kindly administered, and I thought that the rules and regulations 
for lighting, heating, and ventilating the ship and the exercise of the 
officers and men bore rather hard upon us, but it was very good, and 
subsequent results proved it. The captain was always kind in his treat- 
ment of the men on board the ship. I uever heard him use a cross 
word to them. As a matter of comparison, if I may state it, there were 
two whale-shii)s beset in the ice to the southeast of us a day or two 
later. Those whaling vessels have a different organization from an ex- 
ploring ship. They are more on the communistic order. They go in 
on shares, and the relation between the crew of the ship and the offi- 
cers is quite different from what it is in a regular organized expedition. 
Those ships drifted, as best we can learn, right around Wrangel Land, 
and their crews perished, and the dead men were found in ^he cabins. 
We have direct evidence of the loss of both those ships. They did not 
have this rigid discipline we had, it is fair to state, because that does 
not exist in whaling ships. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 825 

Q. When you say '' expedition" you mean expeditions organized un- 
der the United States Navy regulations ! — A. Or any navy, sir; and it 
is fair to presume that if these whale-ships had as good discipline, as 
good sanitary measures as the Jeannette, that perhaps some of them 
would have come out, and when they reached the coast of Siberia some 
of them would have lived. 

Q. You mean if they had been equally as disciplined they would have 
been able to make as successful a retreat as you did ? — A. Yes, sir ; I 
think so ; it is fair to make that deduction. 

Q. And you think that the difference is due to a difference of disci- 
pline ? — A. Yes ; and I think another great point was due to the dif- 
ference of discipline and sanitary measures, and i:)articularly the water 
supply and the diet scale. 

Q. I believe I asked you to express your opinion of the different of- 
ficers when you were on the stand before "1 — A. Some of them, sir. 

Q. Did I recollect to ask your opinion in general of Captain De 
Long ? — A. No, sir ; you never asked my opinion about him. 

Q. Will you please to tell me your opinion of Captain De Long as an 
officer and a gentleman ? And if I have omitted to ask about any of the 
others you will exi^ress your opinion about them also. — A. I consid- 
ered Captain De Long was an intelligent man and of high moral tone, 
and that he was fair-minded. I consider that Captain De Long was cool 
and self-possessed in danger, and that he was very persevering and 
hopeful in difficulties, and that he was possessed of great fortitude in 
meeting his fate as he did. I have nothing to say against Captain De 

LODg. 

Q As I understand it, one act you have criticised of Captain De 
Long was the fact that he gave the command of the third boat to Mel- 
ville instead of giving it to you! — A. I think that Captain De Long 
treated me very badly and unjustifiably in that respect. 

Q. I say that is the only thing you criticised ? — A. I have never made 
any complaint against Captain De Long except in conversation in Si- 
beria, and I was very bitter and resentful at that time. 

Q. 1 say that is the only criticism that you have made about Captain 
De Long ! — A. Yes ; that is the only criticism I would make on him. 

Q. Is there any other officer that I omitted to ask you about with 
respect to whom you would like to express an opinion, or any other 
person ? — A. I have spoken of Mr. Melville and of Dr. Ambler. Mr. 
Chipp was a very gallant and efficient officer. I would like to state 
that Mr. Dunbar was one of the most trustworthy men in the exi^edition, 
faithful and conscientious. I would like to state that the men of the 
expedition were as fine a body of men as could be collected, and the 
safety of the party was due to their efforts on the ice in pulling through 
the boats and the sleds during those forty or fifty days' travel over the 
ice, and I have always, on all occasions, tried to give them that praise. 

Q. Did you have anything to do with the provisioning of the ship ! — 
A. Yes. 

Q. Was she amply provisioned ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. You had sufficient for all the time you were on the ship ? — A. 
Well, I would like to qualify that. I spoke too rapidly. You said ample. 
Li quantity she had sufficient, but I had quality in my mind. Cap- 
tain De Long took great care in the provisioning of the shij), but un- 
happily it turned out badly as I have testified before the court. 

Q. And some of the provisions were thrown overboard 1 — A. From the 
time we left San Francisco they began to be thrown overboard. 

Q. You never were forced to eat any of those provisions which were 



826 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

not considered wholesome? — A. I have seen some people rebel against 
some food on the cabin table that others eat and without any complaint. 

Q. But there was a sufficient supply all the time ? — A. I think there 
was. I have heard the men say that there was a sufficient supply, too. 

Q. And were you not asked before the vessel started to suggest any 
article of food that would be necessary or desirable for the expedition ? — 
A. I do not remember any definite statement j no, sir. In coming around 
from France, I would state that the captain directed me to make out a 
list of provisions for three years for thirty -three men, with a basis of 3 
pounds of solid food per day for each man. He furnished me with cer- 
tain lists of canned goods and other things from large houses in London 
and New York. I remember Thurber & Co., of New York, and Camp, 
Day & Co. I was to make out this provision list, which I did, subject 
to his supervision, of course, and I gave that to him. I was ordered 
out to San Francisco to assist in refitting the ship, and the provisions 
were procured at New York and forwarded to San Francisco. 

Q. Provisions were ordered according to the list that you had sug- 
gested, in substance, were they not ? — A. I think they were, and I think 
that additions were made. I think that Captain De Long used those 
very same lists when he gave his orders. 

Q. Now, is there any other thing in regard to which you wish to make 
any statement ? — A. I should like to make a statement of about three 
minutes to the court. There seems to be some wrong impression about 
me. The impression was that I was dragged over the ice. 1 am very glad 
to say that I was never carried an inch over the ice, and that I was 
willing and anxious to work. When I arrived in Siberia I met Mr. 
Jackson and I gave him a detailed account of the expedition. Mr. 
Jackson read to me what I had dictated and he had made some correc- 
tions to smooth it out, which was perfectly right, and 1 appreciated it. 
Mr. Jackson said to me just before leaving that I would see something, 
or that I would be very much i^leased with the interview when I got to 
America. I had some curiosity to know what it meant, but I restrained 
it. When I arrived at Liverpool Governor Packard, who was the con- 
sul there, congratulated me on this interview and the statements therein, 
and in the introduction was written the statement put on the record 
this morning about the men joining in saying that they would have 
been inevitably lost if I had not been there. I came home and found 
that editorials had been written and sermons preached on the subject of 
that boat voyage, and that a poor broken-down officer had taken charge 
and brought the party through safely. I remained quiet until I came 
before the Court of Inquiry, and I told the same story that I told to Mr. 
Jackson, and the Court of Inquiry rendered the report in the words that 
*<during the gale the professional services of Lieu tenant Danenhower, who 
was on the sick list, were called into requisition, and he is entitled to credit 
for skill in the management of the boat as well as for the subsequent 
navigation to the shore." Now, I wish to say this was based on the 
testimony of the seamen, and on the statements of Melville and his 
cross-examination. I have never attempted to pose before the country 
as a hero and as having saved the men's lives. Even in my own state- 
ments on the lecture platform I have said that during the gale I was 
very happy to be of assistance and render some return for what the 
men did for me in dragging my food and clothing over the ice, and I 
have endeavored on all occasions to give these men credit for what they 
have done, and I have never tried to take that credit from them. I wish 
to state that, to correct wrong impressions that have been made here 
against me. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 827 

By Mr. OURTIS: 

Q. You spoke about provisions. As matter of fact were not large 
quautities of provisions thrown overboard at San Francisco because 
they were rotten? — A. As a matter of fact some of the provisions marked 
Erie brand of beef were discovered to be bad when they reached Mare 
Island, just above San Francisco. While I was down at San Francisco 
on duty they were disposed of. I think they were taken back on the 
Toolies and thrown away there. I do not know what disposition was 
made of them. 

Q. Were there not 200 cases of provisions also left behind in San 
Francisco? — A. I do not believe there were. I brought down a whole 
lot in a sloop. 

Q. Who furnished the provisions to the Jeannette? — A. J. H. Leggett 
& Co., New York. 

Q. Who are they? — A. Wholesale grocers. I testified about that be- 
fore the Court of Inquiry. 

Q. You made the remark, and then qualified it, that the vessel was 
not amply provisioned. You mean to say that she was not provisioned 
in quality, do you? — A. In quality. 

Q. What have you to say about the quality of the provisions? — A. 
The flour and cofiee, and table articles, if I may call them the chief 
articles, proved good. The canned provisions evidently were too 
old. 

Q. Such as what? — A. Such as some of the beef and vegetables of 
different kinds, proved bad. In fact when we were stowing the ship In 
San Francisco we would have to discriminate. Sometimes we would 
find a bulged can. But that takes place even in merchant ships and 
Navy ships. If you get two dozen canned beef you have to look at 
them, and if a can is bulged a little you reject it because the gas is at 
work inside. 

Q. Who had charge of the purchases of the provisions ? — A. I know 
Captain De Long was in New York and superintended it. I was in San 
Francisco at that time at work on the ship. 

Q. Now, in reference to the electric apparatus. In what way was 
that kept on board the ship? — A. I think the electric apparatus was 
kept on deck until some of the coal had been expended and then I 
think it was stowed in one of the bunkers. It got wer, at all events. 

Q. Was not that the reason it did not operate successfully? — A. No, 
sir. If it had been dried out properly, if an efficient man had taken 
hold of it, he could bring it out all right. 

Q. Have you any practical experience in electric apparatus ? — A. I 
was torpedo officer for two years on board the Yandalia. 

Q. You are not prepared to speak in reference to that? — A. I am 
only prepared to speak so far as to say that if it is wet, damp, or swol- 
len, and you start it in motion by a belt from the steam engine you will 
rack it all to pieces. 

Q. How. did it become wet? — A. In Bering Sea, in a gale of wind. 

Q. That was before you attempted to use it? — A. Some weeks before. 

Q. Was not the telephone also affected by the gale? — A. No, sir. 
They were screwed up against the bulkheads. 

Q. For what purpose did you attempt to use them? — A. In the obser- 
vatory. If a man was in the observatory, and he wanted a relief, he 
would ring for it, or he would ring if anything happened. 

Q. And the telephone did not work very successfully ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. For what reason? — A. That I cannot say. I was attending to my 



828 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

duties at the time, and I knew that the captain and Mr. Collins and 
Mr. Chipp were all at work on it, and it was afterwards turned over to 
Chipp, and he had charge of it. 

Q. You have no doubt that Collins desired that the telephone and 
electric apparatus should work successfully, have you? — A. I have not 
the least doubt on that subject. 

Q. Speaking of this washboard ; do you think you could have carried 
the boat through that gale without that washboard? — A. We did not 
have any washboard. We had a boat-cover to improvise for weather- 
cloths. 

Q. Eesembling a washboard ? — A. No, sir; a washboard is put along 
the gunwale of the boat. We had cut a weather-cloth along the back- 
bone. It was stanchioned up at first, and they would strip. They were 
not braced ; you could not brace them very well there. 

Q. Do you remember if any member of the firm of Leggett & Co. is 
or was connected with any member of the expedition by marriage or 
otherwise ? — A. No, sir ; I know nothing about it. 

Q. You regarded Mr. Jackson's interview with you as friendly ? — A. 
Yery. We were on friendly terms. 

Q. You had the idea that Jackson desired to do you full justice? — A. 
Yes; I had no fault to find with anything Jackson has said or written. 
There appeared to be a contest about a matter, but on looking at the 
paper Jackson saw a mistake had been made. 

Q. You have nothing to recall in that interview that you had with 
Jackson ? — A. I have nothing to recall in the revised interview. When 
I got home I saw something that I thought needed some correction, and 
I corrected it. 

Q. You heard his statement of yesterday ? — A. Yes. 

Q. That the preface was his conclusion from the matter in the inter- 
view ? — A. You see he had been talking with the whole party before he 
Avrote the preface. 

Q. I know, but you heard him say that his statement in the preface 
w^as his own conclusion from the interview that he had had with you? — 
A. I do not know that he made that statement. It would be very nat- 
ural that he should do so. 

Q. Were you ever aboard a merchant ship ? — A. Yes, sir; I have been 
aboard merchant steamers. 

Q. As an officer ? — A. No, sir. Our voyage from France to San Fran- 
cisco was essentially a merchant voyage. It lasted six months. 

Mrs. Emma De LoNa sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux : 

Question. Where do you reside ? — Answer. New York City. 

Q. Were you the wife of Lieut. George W. De Long, the commander 
of the Jeanuette ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. When were you married to Lieutenant De Long? — A. In 1871. 

Q. At wbat point? — A. Havre, France. 

Q. Did you sail Avith Lieutenant De Long on the Jeannette ; and if 
so, from what port, to what port, and at what time ? — A. From Havre, 
France, to San Francisco, Cal. I think we left on the 15th of July, 1878, 
and reached San Francisco the 27th of December of the same year. 

Q. Did you know anything of the provisioning of the ship ? — A. I 
know that Mr. De Long looked at all the lists of provisions of all other 
Arctic expeditions, and endeavored to improve the bill of fare as much 
as possible J that he submitted the list to Mr. Bennett; that he made out a 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 829 

daily bill of fare and submitted that to Mr. Bennett, and I have Mr. Ben- 
nett's letter in which he approved of it. Mr. De Long's idea was that the 
men and officers should fare alike. I do not think that had been done 
before in any of the expeditions. I know that every effort was made to 
provide the very best provisions. Estimates Avere obtained from four 
different firms, Thurber & Co., and Leggett & Co., in ]New York, and Mar- 
shal E. Smith, of Baltimore, and Heath, Galup & Co., of San Fran- 
cisco. The estimates were sent to Mr. Bennett, and he cabled back (I 
have the dispatch) to take from Leggett & Co., and the provisions were 
purchased from Leggett & Co. They asked what quality of provisions 
would be required. They are wholesale grocers, and furnished two or 
three different kinds, and Mr. De Long said the very best. That I 
remember hearing him say. 

Q. So that you know your husband endeavored to secure the very 
best quality of provisions he could buyf — A. The very best he could 
buy, and he varied the bill of fare as much as possible. Of course, the 
ship was small, and the bulk had to be thought of 

Q. Do you also know of your husband's efforts to secure clothing for 
the men *? — A. Yes, and the men were all given fur clothing, which was 
made for them at St. Michael's while the Jeannette awaited the arrival 
of the schooner Fannie A. Hyde. 

Q. Did the men have any advance money ? — A. Yes, they had advance 
money, and also Mr. De Long paid clothing bills for them. I have a 
list of the expenditures. 

Q. Did he pay any advance money to Bartlett ? — A. Bartlett received 
$80 advance. Mr. De Long paid a bill of $20 clothing. The other 
money is put down as advance to Bartlett. 

Q. Was that $60 advance and $20 paid for clothing?— A. Sixty dol- 
lars advance and $20 paid for clothing. 

Q. Do you know Mr. Bennett's opinion in regard to the course to be 
taken and what was to be done in the ship? — A. Yes, the plan was to 
make an exploration by way of Bering Strait, as it had never been given 
a fair trial before. No former polar expedition had ever sailed that way. 
Mr. Bennett took the trouble to go to Gotha and converse with Dr. 
Peterman, and he returned from that trip very enthusiastic about go- 
ing to Wrangel Land. 

Q. Did your husband after the 10th of March, 1879, receive a letter of 
that date from Mr. Bennett's secretary, under Mr. Bennett's direction 1 
— A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Submitting a letter.) Did he receive this letter ? — A. Yes, sir; he 
received this letter. 

Q. During the time that you were on the ship Jeannette, from the 
time you left Havre until you reached San Francisco, were you familiar 
with your husband's views and knowledge of the Arctic? — A. Oh, yes. 

Q. Have you yourself also read the leading Arctic voyages ? — A. Yes ; 
I have read almost every voyage that has been published. 

Q. So that you have become familiar with the entire subject? — A. 
Yes, sir. 

Q. 1^0 w, from your knowledge as thus derived, and from your knowl- 
edge of the ship, what have you to say for her complete preparation for 
the voyage that was undertaken ? 

Mr. CuKTis. I hardly think the lady is competent to express an 
opinion. 

The Chairman. She can state the fact. 

Q. Did you remain in San Francisco until the time the Jeannette 
sailed ? — A. I accompanied my husband. He returned past and came 



830 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

to Washington and 'New York and then again went to San Francisco 
before the sailing of the vessel. 

Q. And you remained there until the vessel sailed ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. And were you familiar with all that was done in the way of pro- 
viding the ship for her expedition 1 — A. Yes, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. I think I have shown she is competent to answer the 
question. 

Q. Was the ship fully provisioned for the cruise at that time! — 
A. Yes, I think so. I think the very best that it was possible to do 
was done, and if any of the provisions were not good that was an acci- 
dent that would happen anywhere, in any household even. 

Q. After the return of the survivors did you see them all or most of 
them ? — A. Yes, I think I have seen every survivor. 

Q. Did you converse with them in respect to the retreat and in par- 
ticular in respect to what was done upon the delta ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Have you thus become familiar with all that was done by the sur- 
vivors from the time that they reached the delta until after the discov- 
ery of the body of Captain De Long and the other parties who perished 
with him! — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Having that knowledge, I will ask you whether in your judgment 
everything was done that could be done under the circumstances to 
save the life of Captain De Long and the others'? — A. I feel perfectly 
satisfied that everything was done that could have been, and I attach no 
blame to any one whatever. I think that Mr. Melville continued that 
search under great suffering, and I do not know anybody else who 
would have been as devoted as he was to it. I feel perfectly satisfied 
with all that he did. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will now read this letter or Mr. Bennett's secretary. 

(The letter was objected to, the objection overruled, and the letter was 
read as follows:) 

"SoMERHY Hall, Oakham, March 10, 1879. 

^' My Dear Mr. De Long : Mr. Bennett has received and carefully 
noted your letter of February 20, and as I am fresh from London, where 
I have bad some interesting interviews with Captains Markham and 
Hull, and Sir Richard Collinson, he has instructed me to reply to you, 
wishing you to consider this as though written by himself. He has al- 
ready cabled you about , and hopes you have had no trouble in get- 
ting rid of him, notwithstanding the first message to engage him. Sev- 
eral of the Arctic people here confirm some facts of which Mr. Bennett 

was aware, viz : That is an of&cious fellow, and would be more 

likely to damage the expedition than to help it. Though Mr. Bennett 

was inclined to overlook these faults at first and to secure , he 

subsequently decided that it would be a mistake to have him in any 
capacity, and cabled you to that effect. 

" Mr. Collins has already received orders to proceed to Washington to 
consult you and prepare himself for duty upon this expedition. His 
skill as a meteorologist and his general scientific knowledge will be 
useful to the expedition, and he will no doubt be able to assist you in 
making the arrangements, under supervision of the Secretary of the 
Navy, for the selection of the necessary people to attend to the scientific 
requirements in every department of research and record to be covered 
during the voyage. He will learn photography, and it would be well 
to have several others, such as surgeon, Mr. Chipp, Mr. Danenhower, 
and the scientific men do the same. Captain Markham told me that all 
the photographing done on the Nares expedition was done by officers who 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 831 

Lad bad only a fortniglit's study of photography before starting from 
England. Their photographs were remarkably good, and as Captain 
Markham said, it is useless to have a regular professional photographer, 
as he would be a useless burden during six months of the year and no 
more capable of making good pictures probably, at any time, than in- 
telligent officers who had acquired a knowledge of the business. In 
reference to the surgeon to be employed Mr. B. says he thinks Mr. Lip- 
pincott, of whom you write, would be a good man, and suggests your en- 
gaging him. Apropos of the photographs I forgot to say that the man 
Pach, who you say told you he was authorized by Mr. Bennett to be 
the photographer of the expedition, is an officious fellow, and has no au- 
thority whatever to do anything in connection with the expedition. 
Mr. Lougfellow is to accompany you, as Mr. Bennett told you, and he 
too will doubtless be able to do work as a photographer, besides keep- 
ing a general record of the expedition. 

"I am making inquiries about the soundiug-machine of Wyville 
Thompson, and I have also written to Paris to inquire concerning the bal- 
loon material, &c., as you request. Markham and Hull were not much 
inclined to put any faith in balloons. Markham said he would consider 
an exploration by that method as simple madness, as the balloonist would 
be unable to carry with him the means of returning and would be cer- 
tain to perish before he could get back. As a means of making observa- 
tions from a height above the vessel or its vicinity he thought a captive 
balloon might be useful, if not too difficult to carry and inflate. He did 
not think it would be of the slightest service in sledging. Neither 
Markham, Hull, nor Collinson believed sledging possible over the pack 
and hummocks of the region north of Bering Straits. Collinson said 
it would be impracticable to sledge anywhere west of Kelett Land. I 
have written a full report of my interviews with these gentlemen for 
publication in the Herald, and you will find the article in the Herald of 
one of the days soon after you receive this. 1 am also sending you the 
copy of a whaling journal which I had prepared for you in New Bedford 
last summer, as well as some proof-sheets of a work on exploration in 
Bering Straits region, prepared by Admiral Collinson. 

"Mr. Bennett is glad to hear that the Secretary will send a steamer to 
convoy you to the farthest practicable point, and he wishes you to con- 
vey his thanks to the Secretary for his kindness and for the active in- 
terest he has taken in the matter. 

'' Please let Mr. Bennett hear frequently about the progress of the 
preparations and everything relating to the expedition. He will write 
you soon. Hoping you are well, 
"I remain, sincerelv, yours, 

"S. S. CHAMBERLAIK^^ 

Q. Did you subsequently receive any letter from Mr. Bennett your- 
self? — A. Yes, sir. 
(The letter was offered in evidence, objected to, and ruled out.) 

By Mr. Curtis : 

Q. Do you know whether you or your husband recommended Leggett 
& Co. to Mr. Bennett? — A. I never had anything to do with recommend- 
ing anybody to Mr. Bennett. 

Q. Is it a fact that these things that were furnished to the seamen 
were charged against them — the clothing, &c. ? — A. Not the fur clothing. 

Q. Whose gift was that ? — A. Senator Miller, the president of the 
Alaska Fur Company. 

Q. It was his gift! — A. It was his gift or that company's gift. 



832 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

By Mr. Arnoux : 

Q. Did you have any conversation with Mr. Bennett in which he ex- 
pressed his opinion about the expedition? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. At what time was it that you had the conversation that you now 
refer to ? — A. The very same day that Mr. Danenhower returned from 
Siberia. Mr. Bennett was in New York, and I received a letter from 
Mr. Chamberlain, asking me if I would appoint an hour to receive him, 
and I appointed 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and Mr. Bennett called. 

Q. What was that conversation'? 

(The question was objected to, and so much as Mr. Bennett said to 
Mrs. De Long as to the matter within his own knowledge was allowed 
Mr. Bennett to be given.) 

A. This was of course our first meeting since the news had reached 
us, and we naturally spoke about the results. I said that I was sorry 
that more had not been accomplished,, that I had had as much desire as 
Mr. Bennett had that the pole, or very near it, might have been reached. 
Then I asked him about matters that he knew of that I did not, because 
he had received news from Siberia that I had not received. And he 
said, " Mrs. De Long, was Mr. De Long ever considered a martinet?" 
I answered, " No, he was considered a good disciplinarian, but not at all 
a martinet." " Well," he said, '' I have heard that he had three people 
under arrest, Mr. Collins, Mr. Kewcomb," and I have forgotten the 
name of the third one; *' but," he said, " don't think that I blame him 
for that, because I wished this expedition to be a military one so that it 
might have strict discipline, and I recognize that it is very necessary to 
have different discipline in the Arctic regions than what a man might 
have in open waters." He then continued and spoke about Bennett 
Island and that the men complained about going there and that it was 
natural enough for them, "• But De Long would not have been the man 
I took him for had he gone by any undiscovered land without landing 
upon it." He said, " I think that was the most natural thing in the 
world for him to do, and the proper thing." And then he told me about 
the manner of the death, that had -not yet been published. He had 
been annoyed at a great many of the statements that had been made, 
and resolved that this should be published when it came by mail, but he 
said he considered it the most heroic ending the world ever had known. 

Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Saturday, May 10, 1884. 
The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present and counsel on either side. 

M. D. Helm sworn and examined. 
By Mr. Arnoux: 

Question. Where do you reside ? — Answer. Li Washington. 

Q. Do you know or have you met Mr. Newcomb? — A. I have, sir. 

Q, Will you please to state what conversation you had with Mr. 
Newcomb relative to any act done by Mr. Danenhower? — A. I met Mr. 
Newcomb the day the party arrived in New York on the Celtic. I was 
with him the whole of the day, and had considerable conversation with 
liim. In the afternoon 1 took him in a coupe from the Fifth Avenue 
Hotel to the Fall Kiver steamer. In that conversation he spoke very 
complimentary about Lieutenant Danenhower and his skill in managing 
the boat during the gale. He attributed their safety to his excellent 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 833 

judgment and seamanship. I cannot give his exact words, but he spoke 
about having had a diflBculty with the lieutenant on board the boat 
during the gale, and he said he bore the lieutenant no ill-will; that he 
felt now that he was justified in what he had done. 

Q. That is. Lieutenant Danenhower was justified^ — A. Yesj that 
Lieutenant Danenhower was justified in what he had done. He spoke 
very strongly in his favor, and his exact language I think was this : I 
asked him, I think, if he would be willing to make another trip to the 
Arctic regions. He said that depended on circumstances. I asked him 
what circumstances, and he said with Lieutenant Danenhower to lead, 
he would go to any point on God's earth where there was one chance to 
get back. I think those were his exact words. 

By Mr. OUETIS : 

Q. You reside in the city of Washington ? — A. I do, sir. 

Q. Do you hold a public position ? — A. No, sir. 

Q. Are you a friend of Lieutenant Danenhower's ? — A. I have known 
him since 1875. 

Q. In conversation with this gentleman, l^fewcomb, did you notice 
any mental peculiarities about him? — A. I did not, sir. 

Q. Did you suspect that he was insane ?— A. I did not. I do not 
think he was insane. 

Q. Did you ever notice any indication of a very faulty memory on his 
part *? — A. I did not ; no, sir. 

Q. You did not consider it singular that a man should speak of an- 
other who had treated him in the way Lieutenant Danenhower did in 
the manner [N^ewcomb spoke of the occurrence ?— A. I certainly did not, 
because I had heard him several times during the day previous to other 
parties than myself speak of Lieutenant Danenhower in about the same 
terms. 

Q. How long have you known Mr. Danenhower?— A. Since 1875, 1 think. 

Q. Have you been intimate with him since?— A. I do not think I 
met him a dozen times since then until his arrival after the expedition. 

Q. No peculiarities of mind in Newcomb struck you?— A. They did 
not, sir. 

Mr. Arnoux. Mrs. De Long has found the letter in which Captain 
De Long was instructed to get the provisions at Leggett's. If there is 
no objection I will read that letter. 

No objection being made, Mr. Arnoux read the letter as follows: 

^' 75 EUE DE MoRNY, PARIS, April 29, 1879. 

^•My Dear De Long : I have received your various letters of April 

4th, 6th, 10th, and note all you say. In reply to the most pressing of 

your questions I cabled you yesterday through Mr. Connery approving 

your asking the Department for the provisions specified in your list, and 

asking the railway people for free transportation, adding that I thought 

you had better give the groceries contract to Leggett if you thought 

best, and asking if the $10,000 credit already sent you would be sufficient. 

I see no reason why the expedition should not accept any provisions 

which the Department may choose to give, nor do I think there will be 

any harm in your asking for them if you see fit. As to the railway com- 

pany, I see no objection either to your asking free transportation of 

I stores, &c. The expedition is, to a certain extent, in fact it is almost 

1 wholly a national afitair, and any assistance of this kind would be more 

I like an act of public spirit than a personal favor to me. If you will ask 

the questions I have not the slightest objection in either case. 

53 J Q'^ 



834 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

" 1 note what you say about the boiler difficulty, and I am much pleased 
■with what you did. I am perfectly satisfied that you have acted for my 
best interests in this and all the other matters pertaming to the expedi- 
tion As to the pemmican which was destroyed, and which you propose 
to replace, I consider it simply an accident, and don't want you to 
suffer any loss in consequence of it. Charge it to the regular expenses 

°^" I^o^tted^tTsay in my previous letters that I fully approve the bill 
of fare vou submitted to me. I think it very good. 

"In reference to Surgeon Neilson, you may say to him that 1 am wUl- 
ine to pav the extra premium on his insurance policy, supposing, ot 
course, that it is the customary percentage added to such policies in 
cases Vhere the holder subjects himself to personal "sk. As to an 
assistant surgeon, I approve your selection of young Dale for the expe- 

*^' "f have no duplicates of some of the Arctic books for which you ask, 
but as they will probably be of greater service to you than to me, you 
are at liberty to take Iny of them you like. Mr- Connery will send 
them to you ti'om the office, where they are now lying boxed up Some 
of them are very rare and were procured with great trouble in London 
"As to checking off the crew, &c., you may go ahead as you suggest, 
and get everything ready for June 1. You can always consult me 
by cable about any matter upon which you are in doubt, or about any 
emergency which may arise. By sending telegrams through Mr. Con- 
nery they will be promptly forwarded and come confidentially, as he 
has a private cipher for cabling. 

"Yours most truly, ^^ ^ ^ BENNETT. 

"PS _it may interest you to know that Sir Allen Young, whom I 
have seen several times lately, takes the greatest interest in everything 
nertainfng to the expedition, and that he expresses a high opinion ot 
vou perso^nally. At the request of the Prince of Wa es he recently in- 
vited me to Zner to meet the prince and Sherrard Osborne, and though 
Iwas^nable to go, it was a high compliment to the expedition and 
shwed how generally it is appreciated. Sir Allen Young desired me to 
keep bim informed of all the preliminary movements, and I tool the 
Uberty of showing him some passages from your letters, not of a private 
nature which were of interest to him. The feeling among Arctic people 
on S ^de is That perhaps we have struck a good thing and may draw 
Z grand prize. They watch closely, and I think jealously and anx- 
iousfv, ever^ytbtog connected with the Jeannettes doings. /-Tl^ey kn°w 
what t/teVhave done, but they don't know what may be done (by our 
route). <ij Q BENNETT." 

Mr. AENOUX. I now read a telegram from the Secretary of the Navy 
to Mr. Melville, and his reply: 

UNITED STATES OF AMEBICA: ^^^^ DePABTMENT, 

WasMngton, D. C, May 10, 1884. 
Pursuant to section 882 of the Revised Statutes, I hereby certify that 
thrrneTed are true copies of the originals on file in this Department, 

*Vdegram of the Secretary of the Navy, dated May 9, 1884, to Com- 
mander Scliley. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 835 

Telegram of Chief Engineer Melville in reply to the foregoing. 
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the 
seal of the Navy Department of the United States to he af&xed, at the 
city of Washington, this tenth day of May, in the year of our Lord 
one thousand eight hundred and eighty -four, and of the Independence 
of the United States the one hundred and eighth. 

[SEAL.] WM. E. CHANDLEE, 

Secretary of the Navy, 
[Telegram.] 

l!^AVY Department, 

Washington^ May 9, 1884. 
Commander Schley, 

Commanding Thetis^ St. John's, N~. F. : 
Mrs. De Long desires Melville informed that Bartlett testified that in 
April, 1882, in Siberia, he, Melville, told him not to give any informa- 
tion to Harber concerning what had been done, or where they had been, 
in the Lena delta search. Melville may telegraph any reply directly 
to Department. 

WM. E. CHANDLEE, 

Secretary. 

Eeceived at Navy Dept., May 9, 1884, dated St. John's, N. F. 

To Hon. W. E. Chandler, 

SecH^y Wavy, "FT., D, C. : 
Telegram rec'd. Bartlett lies. I detailed Bartlett for duty under 
Harber, and sent Harber a chart and letter of all my movements in the 
delta. Summons Harber to produce letter and chart. 

Ch'f Engineer MELVILLE. 

The Chairman. I have received the following letter from the Sec- 
retary of the Navy with regard to the copies of the journals of Captain 
De Long: 

"Navy Department, 

" Washington, May 10, 1884. 
" Sir : I herewith transmit copies of the journals and ice diary of Lieu- 
tenant-Commander Geo. W. De Long, the commanding officer of the 
Arctic Exploring Steamer Jeannette, viz : 

" JOURNALS. 

Vol. 1. July 6, 1879 to February 20, 1880. 
Vol. II. February 21, 1880, to August 22, 1880. 
Vol. III. August 23, 1880, to June 9, 1881. 

"diary. 

" One volume. June 11, to October 30, 1881. 

" These copies were made from the original journals and diaries of 
Lieutenant-Commander Geo. W. De Long, which were brought to 
Washington by officers of the Jeannette Expedition, and temporarily 
deposited in the Navy Department. The copies were made by clerks 
in the Department, and were carefully compared with the originals. 
The originals were then transferred to Mrs. De Long. As they are no 



836 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

longer iu possession of the Department, the usual formal certificate that 
the copies herewith are true copies of the originals on file in the Depart- 
ment cannot be given. 

"Very respectfully, 

"WM. E. CHANDLER, 

*' Secretary of the Navy, 
" Hon. Hugh Buchanan, 

" Chairman Jeannette Investigating Committee, 

^^ House of Representatives, Washington. D, CP 
(R. D. M.) 

Mrs. Emma De Long recalled and examined. 

By Mr. Arnoux: 

Question. Were you present at an interview between your husband 
and Mr. Collins at the Palace Hotel, in San Francisco ? — Answer. Yes, 
sir. 

Q. Did yon make the statement that the Washington Post interview 
was most faithfully and accurately reported "? — A. I did. 

Q. And that Mr. De Long's very words were used ? — A. Yes, sir. 

Q. (Submitting newspaper clipping.) Was this that I now show you 
the interview in the Washington Post, to which you then referred ? — 
A. Yes, sir; that is it. Mr. De Long was never interviewed but three 
times, and this was one of the three. 

Q. Was he interviewed by the Washington Post at any other time 
than this one ? — A. Ko. 

Mr. Arnoux. I will now read this interview. [Reading :] 

THE polar passage — SKETCH OF THE PROPOSED BENNETT ARCTIC 
EXPEDITION — AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF AN OPEN 
POLAR SEA — A PASSAGE THROUGH THE BERING STRAITS— WHAT 
LIEUTENANT DE LONG HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE EXPEDITION. 

The North Pole, compassed with ice and snow, has always been an 
object of mystery. Numerous have been the futile attempts to pene- 
trate its icebound fastnesses, and amid the cold embraces of its ap- 
proaches lie the remains of Franklin, Hall, and other brave explorers. 
The latest expedition proposed is that started by James Gordon Ben- 
nett, who is to send the Jeannette from San Francisco on a voyage to 
the pole. Lieutenant George De Long, who is to command the party, 
was met yesterday by the Post, and questioned concerniug the pro- 
posed trip. The lieutenant is apparently thirty-eight years of age, of 
fine physique, and at first sight impresses one with the belief that he is 
fully competent for the task he is about to voluntarily undertake, while 
his cheerful tone and manner are, of themselves, enough to thaw the 
ice-floes which bar the long-sought route. 

"So you mean to solve the problem of the open Polar Sea?^' said the 
Post." 

"Yes, sir," replied the lieutenant, as his blue eyes brightened. 

" Tell me something regarding the expedition," said the Post, as it 
settled itself in an easy chair, iu the gentlemen^s quarters, at the Eb- 
bitt. 

" There is but little to tell as yet, for the law only passed Congress a 
few days ago, and we have not attempted to do anything further. I 
am now waiting on the Secretary of the Navy." 

" What about the vessel ?" 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 837 

" She is now lying at the Mare Island navy-yard, near San Fran- 
cisco." 

" Is she in good condition F 

'' Yes ', in perfect order, and amply provided for the journey." 

" Has she a history f 

" She was built by the Bri^iish Government, and by it sold to Sir 
Allen Young, an Arctic explorer, who fitted her out for service in the 
Polar regions, to which locality she has made three trips — the first in 
search of the Sir John Franklin expedition, and the other two to carry- 
supplies to the English expedition which started, but broke down, 
several years ago. On two of the tri^js Sir Allen Young was in com- 
mand." 

" Then she is seaworthy f^ 

'^ Perfectly so. I brought her from Havre, or rather London, to this 
country, and I am satisfied that she is competent for the journey." 

" Will you please tell me the exact status of the expedition f' 

" By the terms of the act just passed by Congress, it is to be abso- 
lutely under the control of the Secretary of the I^avy." 

" Then it is a Government expedition *?" 

"No, not exactly. The entire expenses, including the purchase and 
fitting out of the vessel and the pay of the men, is borne by Mr. James 
Gordon Bennett ; but in order that it might sail under proper auspices, 
and that discipline may be maintained, the act of Congress was passed. 
By its terms the Secretary of the Navy assigns such officers and men 
as are willing to be detailed for the service, and the ordinary discipline 
of the Navy will thus be assured." 

"Has the list of officers yet been agreed upon*?" 

"No, sir 5 the only one beside myself is Master Danenhower, of this 
city, who came over with me in the vessel. The other officers have been 
talked over, but not definitely decided upon." 

" What will be the entire complement ?" 

"About thirty- three men in all." 

" Do you take any scientists or specialists ? " 

"No; I think the American Navy can furnish officers with sufficient 
talent to procure all the scientific information tlie expedition can de- 
velop. It may be that some specialists will be invited, or permitted to 
accompany us, but they will be simply accessories, and will not have 
any independent functions. In other words, the expedition will be 
under my absolute control, subject only to the orders of the Secretary 
of the Navy." 

" How long do you expect to be absent "?" 

" We will provision and equip for three years, and unless we have 
success sooner, will probably remain away that time." 

" When will you start V^ ^ 

" On or about the 15th of June." 

" Have you selected the route ?" 

" Yes. That has been decided upon. Wo surely go by way of Ber- 
ing's Straits, a route heretofore almost entirely unused by Arctic navi- 
gators." 

"Have you much experience in service of this kind *?" 

" I was the navigator of the United States steamer Juniata on her 
tour to the relief of the Polaris expedition, but that only occupied the 
summer months; consequently, I do not know anything of the Polar 
winter." 

" The vessel will, of course, be thoroughly equipped?" 



838 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

" Yes. She will be furnished with all the appliances which the ex- 
perience of former expeditions can suggest.'^ 

" Is that all you can tell me?" 

'' A^bout all. I am now here by order of the Secretary of the Navy, 
but he is so busy that it will be several days before we can have a 
proper consultation. After the preliminaries are arranged it will take 
some time to fix the details." 

'' When do you leave here T' 

" I will remain East until about May, when I will go to San Fran- 
cisco, and superintend the loading of the stores and equipments, which 
I expect to have completed so that I can start June 15." 

^' Don't you want to go," said the lieutenant, with a smile. 

" No, sir," said the Post emphaticallj', as it wrapped itself in its 
ulster, and explained that a Polar wave in Washington was all the 
Arctic weather it wanted to experience. 

The following papers, previously offered in evidence on behalf of 
Jerome J. Collins, are admitted in evidence b^^ the committee : 

THE NEW YORK STORM- WARNINGS. 

To the Editor of the Times : 

Sir : I have received a private letter from Mr. Scott, at the head of the 
Meteorological Office in London, to the effect that these "New York 
storm-warnings" are really made up in New York, and are deduced 
from the comparison of the logs of ships arriving there, and that he 
was acquainted with the forms and papers used for the purpose. This 
being the case, I readily withdraw my previously expressed sui)position 
that these storm- warnings were concocted in London ; but at the same 
time I may say, with Admiral Symons, that it is a pity the energetic 
exertions of Mr. Gordon Bennett and of Mr. Collins in New York 
should be so little understood and appreciated in this country by the 
'general public, and that it is highly desirable so laudable an effort to 
secure some knowledge of the advent of storms on oar coasts should be 
more fully understood and recognized. If Mr. Collins could be induced 
to repeat in this country, as he did in Paris, the viva voce description of 
the system adopted in his office, it would go far to enlighten the public 
and to secure a more just appreciation of his efforts. 
I am, sir, 

ALFRED S. CHUECHILL. 

The Mount, ISunninghill, Staines^ November. 17. 



[Association Frangaise pour I'Avancoment dos Sciences. — Fond6e en 1872 — Reconnue 
d'Utilit6 Publique en 1876. 76, Rue de Reunos.] 

CoNGRi:s DE Paris au lyc^e Saint-Louis, Boulevard St. Michel. 

Paris, le 25 Aout 1878. 
A Monsieur JiiROME Collins, 

Chef du Bureau Mdteorologiqiie du New Yoric Herald. 

Monsieur : Nous vous serious bien reconnaissants si vous vouliez venir 
exposer il la section de Meteorologie du Congr^s de I'Association fran- 
^aise Porganisation du service m^t^orologique que vous dirigez au New 
York Herald. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 839 

C'est une question des plus importantes, et je m'y int^resse d'autant 
plus moi-meme que j'ai moi-meme organist un service analogue en 1877, 
mais d^s que j'ai eu annonc6 la premiere tempete veuant d'Am^rique, ^ 
I'aide d6s telegrammes de Boston et de Terre-Neuve, Le Verrier a 
^touffe cette entreprise, ainsi que je Pai iudique dans la preface de la 
brochure que j'ai eu I'honneur de vous envoyer. 

Yeuillez agreer, Monsieur, Passurance de mes sentiments les plus dis- 
tingues. 

H. TAEEY, 
Secretaire de la 7. section. 

Stances au Lycee Saint-Louis lundi et mardi matin a 9 heures. 



Paris, 11 septembre 1878. 

9 heures, matin. 
A Monsieur Eyan, 

representant dv New- YorJc Herald a Paris : 

Monsieur : Les interessantes communications que M. Jerome J. Col- 
lins, directeur du bureau meteorologique du New- YorJc Herald a bien 
voulu faire le mois dernier aux deux Oongres meteorologiques reunis a 
Paris ont raviv6 dans le public I'interet que j'attache a la belle entreprise 
scientiflque fondee ^ New- York par votre genereux directeur, M. Ben- 
nett. 

Les chefs des services meteorologiques officiels, ainsi que vous avez 
pu le remarquer au Oongres international du Trocadero, ne paraissent 
pas admettre que les predictions du New- Yorlc Herald reposent sur des 
bases scientifiques serieuses, et si le Bureau meteorologique de France 
leur donne la publicity du Bulletin international, il a soin de faire ob- 
server que c'est '•^atitre de renseignemenV et n'en tient pas compte 
dans la redaction de ses avertissements aux ports et a Fagriculture. 

O'est au tort, a mon avis, et il serait vivement a desirer que vos utiles 
avertissements fussent mieux mis a profit; pour moi j'y attache d'autant 
plus d'importance, qu'en 1876 j 'avals fonde, avec le concours de M. 
Dallo«, un service analogue qui a fonctionne pendant quelques jours, 
mais que Le Verrier a fait supprimer, apres la realisation de la premiere 
prediction annon9ant Farrive a Valencia d'une tempete venant d'Ame- 
rique, dont j'avais eu connaissance par des telegrammes de Boston et de 
Terre I^euve. Quoiqu'il en soit, la derniere depeche meteorologique du 
New York Herald annon^ant, a la date du 9 septembre au matin "qu'un 
cyclone traverse en se moment I'Atlantique au sud du 40"^® degre de 
latitude e atteindra probablement les cotes d'Espagne, affectant celles de 
la France vers le 11, avec temps orageux dans la bale de Biscaye" va 
fournir une occasion de verifier de quel cote se trouve la verite. 

Je n'ai eu connaissance de ce telegramme que le 10 au soir par le Bulle- 
tin international qu'lia publie sans y attacher aucune confiance, ca il 16- 
legraphiait le 10 aux ports de Portugal et d'Espagne '^ Temps calme va 
continuer,'^^ et aux agricuiteurs du sudouest de la France " Continua- 
tion du beau temps.'' 

Apres avoir pris connaissance de la Carte du temps publiee le 10 
septembre par ce Bulletin, et 



840 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Blois (Loir-et-Cher), 57 rue Benys Papin, France. 

Monsieur le Ej^dacteur: J'ai toujours lu avec le plus grand 
interet dans les journaux, vos notes sur les perturbations de Fatmo- 
sphere. Je m'occupe aussi de cette grave question et depuis assez 
longtemps, et j'ai vu avec peine que la S. met6orologique de France 
(dont je fais partie) ne prenait point assez au serieux vos avertissements. 
Je ra'en suis plainte aupres de quelques uns de vos raembres, et je n'ai 
pas eu de reponse. 

Peut-etre qu'en ma qualit6 de femme, ces messieurs croiront-ils mes 
observations pueriles ; mais comme elles s'accordent tres souvent avec 
les votres, je suis simplement fachee du pen de foi de ces messieurs. 

Je vous ecris ceci sans les avoir consultds, et je viens vous prier de 
me dire si vous voulez recevoir mes travaux sur la Prediction des 
tempetes et autres, que vous pourrez confronter avec les votres. 

Je pense qu'on arriverait alors a d'heureux resultats dans Finteretde 
la science dont je parle, et de plus aux agriculteurs et navigateurs sur- 
tout. 

Dans cet espoir, agreez, monsieur le redacteur, I'expression de mes 
sentiments les plus distingu^s. 

VIOTOKINE GOUPIL, 
M. de la S. M. de France. 

P. S. — Yeuillez ra'informer si a New-York on re§oit I'Annualre des 
Longitudes avant le I®'' Janvier. 

Cet annuaire provient-il des observations am^ricaines ou d'Angle- 
terrre ? 

En France, il se public tard (ce qui est facheux). 



Nature, 30 Bedford Street, Strand, London, W. C, 

April 23, 1878. 
Dear Sir: In case I may not have done so already, I write to thank 
you in Mr. Lockyer's name for the valuable article you have sent on the 
Herald weather service. Mr. Lockyer is very grateful to you for it, and 
hopes to use it in an early number. 
I am yours, truly, 

JOHN S. KELTIE. 



No. 5124.] 

METEOROLOGf A OATALANA, M. UTRILLO Y MORLIUS, 

Barcelona, 12 janvier 1880. 

Monsieur: Desireux de faire progresser notre pays, et consid6rant 
tres utile pour cela la popularisation de la meteorologie, nous croyons 
que rien de meilleur i^our f rapper le sens du public que I'insertion, dans 
une feuille repandue comme la notre, de vos savantes d6peches sur les 
probabilites du temps j)rochain. 

Pour cel<% nous vous demandons I'envoi des d^peches concernant le 
nord de I'Espagne, a Padresse ci-dessous, et par r^ciprocite, vous 
recevrez (si vous le desirez) un bulletin deceunal avec les 616ments du 
temps. 

Croyaut que I'execution de ce projet est extremeraent facile, nous 
attendons confles du succes la depeche premiere annon9ant Parriv^e 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 841 

d'une dopressioii ou autre i^lienoinene aualogue, pour quel motif nous 
vous aclressons les plus expressifs remerciements anticip^s. 

M. UTEILLO Y MORLIUS, 
Chefs du service meteor ologigue du journal qicotidien " Diari-Gatala.''^ 

Adresse: (rieu d'autre) — 

M. UTRILLO Y MORLIUS, 

Barcelone (Espagne). 



Exposition Universelle de 1878 1 Paris. 

CONGEES INTERNATIONAL DE MEflSOROLOaiE BU 2i AU 28 AOV^T. 
CARTE PERSONELLE. 

M. Jerome J. Collins, New York Herald. 
No. . 



(Signature) JEROME J. COLLINS. 

Seances a 9 lieures du matin, palais des Tuileries, guichet des Lions, 
salle n'' 17. 

Seances a 2 beures J du soir, au palais du Trocadero. 

NoTA.— Cette carte ne dispense pas de Fobligationd'acquitterle droit 
d'entree a FExposition (art. 5 du Reglement general). 



Town Clerk's Office, 41 South Mall, 

Cork, i)th Aiiril, 1864. 

Jerome J. Collins, Esq., &c., &c., &c.: 

Dear Sir : At an assembly of council held yestcrda}^ a vote of thanks 
was unanimously passed to you (amongst others) for the satisfactory 
manner in which you discharged the duties of clerk of works during 
the re- erection of North Bate Gridge. 
lam, dear sir, yours, faithfully, 

ALEX. McCarthy, jr., 

Town ClerJc. 
Adjourned. 



Washington, D. C, Monday, May 12, 1884. 

The subcommittee met at 10.30 a. m., all the members thereof being 
present, and counsel on either side. 

Mr. Curtis, in behalf of Jerome J. Collins, read the following extracts 
from Captain De Long's journals: 

February 22d, /Sunday. — * * * Although the weather is terribly 
cold, everybody is encouraged to take exercise out on the ice. From 
eleven to one every day the berth deck is cleared and aired, and the 
men of their own accord take at once to the ice, tramping up and down 
near the ship, or wandering oft' looking for open water and seals or bear 
tracks. The officers are as ready to take a constitutional walk as could 
be desired, the cabin being thoroughly aired. * * * 

__^ J , * # * Before leaving New York^ at Collins's re- 



842 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

quest, I directed Green to make tliermometers with bulbs of the pris- 
matic colors, but, unfortunately, in transportation to San Francisco, 
four of the seven were broken, leaving us only red, violet, and black. 
The object of these thermometers (filled with uncolored sj^irit) was to 
determine tlie effect of the sun's rays acting through prismatic colored 
bulbs, and so obtain a scale of absorption. One of these (the violet) 
was exposed to the air to-day, and when our ordinary spirit thermom- 
eter read at midnight minus 53^, this Violet bulb read minus 47^.5. As 
this one has agreed very well with our standard mercurial at readings 
above minus 49^, it is possible that its present reading is nearer the cor- 
rect temperature than that of the ordinary spirit. * * * 

April 2ncZ, Friday. — The record of the observations of the black-bulb 
theremometer on the shiij's side at noon and midnight is discontinued 
in this journal for a few days because I had detected such an extraor- 
dinary difference between such readings and those of a white-bulb 
thermometer (secured alongside of it) at midnight, that I suspected 
someting wrong. I could never get a lower reading than 31o. Clean- 
ing away the coating of India ink of the bulb, the presence of a small 
air bubble was found, explaining the enigma. This bubble is of recent 
existence, but I cannot say for how many days back my record is unre- 
liable. I shall have a mercurial thermometer blacked and commence 
over again. 

* * * Eeally the sameness and monotony of this hoping and wait- 
ing are wearing upon me. Were we somewhat further north, we would 
not expect milder weather or a breaking up until much later, but in our 
position I think I am justified in expecting a let-up soon. * * * 

* * * Hourly meteorological observations are taken, it is true, 
and the ship's position daily obtained by sights, and then we have to 
stop. Magnetic observations of any value are impossible, because of 
our ever-changing i^ositions. Eough observations for the variations 
and dip are obtained, but they will serve only for convenient approxi- 
mate reference, and will have no exact scientific importance. The con- 
stant change of i)ositiou prevents any correct pendulum experiments 
from being made. No astronomical observations, except determinations 
of latitude and longitude, with sextant and artificial horizon, have been 
possible, because the erection of the observatory and the mounting of 
the instruments on the ice, in our situation, would have exposed them 
to loss should a break-up occur. Soundings are made daily, and speci- 
mens of the bottom obtained and preserved for future reference. Tem- 
peratures of the surface water are recorded every second day at the 
sounding hole, and that exhausts hydrography for us. At this temper- 
ature it is not practicable to add water-cups and sea-thermometers to 
our lead line, for it ices up so fast, and breaks so readily when frozen 
that we might lose cups and thermometers. Natural history is well 
looked out for. Any animal or bird that comes near the shij) does so at 
the peril of its life. 

* * * Whether these reflections are going on in the minds of 
^thers I do not know, for in any case they are not expressed, or any in- 
dication given of their being entertained. All our discussion, or rather 
conversations, for we do not discuss, include the ship as a prime factor 
in redu(;ing any Arctic equation to its simplest form. Our chief diffi- 
culty of reduction lies in the fact that there are so many unknwn quan- 
tities. 

May 2dth, Saturday. — One more day nearer the end of May, and I hope 
one day nearer the end of our imprisonment. A gloomy and dull day 
makes one moody and dispirited under these circumstances. If our 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 843 

latitude were only 84^ instead of 74^, I don't tbink anybody would mind 
tbe weatber, but we make a veiy poor sbowing for one season's work. 
However, tbe darkest bour is just before tbe dawn, a;nd wbo knows bow 
brijj;bt our dawn may be wben it comes * * * 

Majf 'dlst, Monday. — -Tbe last day of spring, and tben we sball bave 
summer before us. Let us liope tbat witb spring may end all trials 
and tribulations, and tbat we sball now start forward to tbe accomplisb- 
ment of some purpose. * * * 

June Ith^ Monday. — To-day our observations for position bave pro- 
duced a somewbat discouraging effect upon me. Tbe wind baving 
prevailed from tbe nortbwaid and westward, I was prepared for, and 
anticipated, being set to tbe soutbward and eastward, perbaps, S. E. ; 
but to my disgust my sigbts (latitude 14P 4.' ^1" N., longitude 177o 27' 
E.) sbowed tbat we bave been set seven and tbree-quarters miles to S. 
seven degrees W. Seven and tbree-quarters miles of our bard fougbt 
drift gone in a day. Had we gone east I would not bave minded 
it, for we always bave sometbing in tbat direction j but to go any 
furtber to tbe westward seemed like trying to walk tbrougb a stone 
fence. Tbere is plenty of water-sky around us, too, as if to tempt us 
witb a sigbt of tbe impossible. As tbe wind still continues from tbe 
nortbwardand westward, we must expect more soutbing by to-morrow; 
but it will be doubly bard if we make westing again, because it will 
seem tben tbat we bave got a start for tbe coast of Siberia, and tbere 
is notbing of bonor in tbat. Never mind, ''Tbe darkest bour is just 
before the dawn," and our dawn may be a brigbt one. * * * 

June 13th^ Sunday. — Tbe general gloominess is somewbat alleviated by 
tbe getting of observations for position, wbereby I determine we are in 
latitude 74o 3' 40'^ N., longitude 17Go 53' 45'' E., and bave drifted since 
tbe 9tb instant tbirteen miles to N. 6VP W. Not encouraging, eitber 
for tbe Pole or tbe IST. W. Passage; but quien sabef * * * 

June I4:th, Monday. — Mr. Collins was added to our sick-list last eve- 
ning — an attack of indigestion, or sometbing of tbat kind, wbicb is not 
serious enougb for alarm. Danenbower's case remains tbe same, and 
tbe doctor tells me notbing more can be done for bim until our return 
to tbe United States. To bring about any change in bis condition a 
very severe operation is necessary, and in our circumstances such an 
operation is not to be resorted to. Besides proper instruments, the 
surgeon ought to have an assistant, and the subsequent treatment of 
the patient requires the conveniences and appliances which a hospital 
alone can furnish. So far as the purposes of this expedition are con- 
cerned, Danenbower may be counted out entirely; and my plans and 
operations are therefore to be made without bis assistance or co-opera- 
tion. * *• * 

It is not a pleasant thing for me to realize that my work is thus in- 
creased, my care augmented, and the general strength and efficiency of 
the ship's company crippled by the action this officer saw fit to take 
without my knowledge or tbe knowledge of the surgeon. I find upon 
refl 'tion tbat 1 am very seriously crippled aft. In number we are 
eig.it all told. Danenbower is out of all consideration for any kind of 
work. The doctor is tied down to being medical attendant for Danen- 
bower. Melville has bad a disorder ever since tbe sled's journey toward 
Herald Island that will disable him in case of hard work or prolonged 
exposure. Mr. Dunbar came near pegging out last winter and can 
hardly be called A 1 even now. Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb are not 
seamen, leaving Chipp and myself for any exploration work and as 



844 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

sound for the hard woik of traveling should we be forced to abandon 
the ship. 

June IGfh, Wediiesday. — Observations to day place us in 73° 40^54^' 
N., and 177° 18' 15'' E., showing- that wo have drifted since yesterday 
thirteen miles to S. 18^ E. This is the hardest blow of all, and difficult 
to stand np under. Are we never to have a changed Our soundings 
to-daj^ are in twenty-five fathoms, so I suppose we are drifting towards 
some shoal on wliich our ice-field may bring up. I am too disgusted to 
make any more remarks on such a miserably resulting day. * * * 

* * * Discouraging, very. And yet my motto is, "Hope on, hope 
ever." A very good one it is when one's surroundings are more natural 
than ours ; but situated as we are it is better in the abstract than in 
realization. There can be no greater wear and tear on a man's mind and 
patience than this life in the pack. The absolute monotony ; the un- 
changing round of liours; the awakening to the same things and the 
same conditions that one saw just before losing one's self in sleep; the 
same iaces ; the same dogs ; the same ice ; the same conviction that to- 
morrow will be exactly the same as to-day, if not more disagreeable j the 
absolute impotence to do anything, to go anywhere, or to change one's 
situation an iota; the realization that food is being consumed and fuel 
burned with no valuable result, beyond sustaining life ; the knowledge 
that nothing has been accomi)lished thus far to save this expedition from 
being denominated an utter failure; all these things crowd in with irre- 
sistible force on my reasoning }:ower each night as I sit down to reflect 
upon the events of the day, and but for some still small voice within me 
that tells me this can hardly be the ending of all my labor and zeal, I 
should be tempted to despair. 

All our books are read, our stories related ; our games of chess, cards, 
and checkers long since discontinued. When we assemble in the morn- 
ing at breakfast we make daily a fresh start. Any dreams, amusing or 
l)eculiar, are related and laughed over. Theories as to whether we shall 
eventually drift N. E. or N. W. are brought forward and discussed. 
Seals' livers as a change of diet are pronounced a success. The temper- 
ature of the morning watch is inquired into, the direction and velocity 
of the wind, and if it is snowing (as it generally is) we call it a " fine 
summer day." After breakfast we smoke. Chipp gets a sounding and 
announces a drift E. S. E. or S. E., as the case may be. We growl thereat. 
Dunbar and Alexy go off for seals with as many dogs as do not run 
away from them en route. The doctor examines Danenhower and Iver- 
sen, his two chronic patients. Melville draws a little for this journal, 
sings a little, and stirs everybody up to a realization that it is daytime. 
Danenhower talks incessantly — on any or all subjects, with or without 
an audience. The doctor moralizes betwee]i observations; I smoke; 
Mr. Newcomb makes his preparations for dredging specimens; Mr. 
Collins has not appeared, his usual hour being 12.30 in the afternoon. 
Meanwhile, the men have been set at work; a sled and dogs are dis- 
patched for the day's snow for washing pur[)oses. The decks are 
cleared up, soundings made, berth-deck inspected, and work of paint- 
ing, scraping, or whatever is on hand commenced. The day's rations 
are served out to the cook, and then we commence to drift out on the ice 
to dig ditches, to look at the dogs, calculate the waste in the ice since 
yesterday, and the i)robable amount by to-morrow. The dredge is low- 
ered and hauled. 1 get the sun at meridian, and we go to dinner. 
After dinner more smoke, more drawing, more singing, more talk, more 
ditch and canal-making, more hunting, more work, more dog inspection, 
and some attempts at napping uniil four p. M., when we are all around 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 845 

for anytliing tliat may turn up. At 5.30 time and azimuth sight, post 
l-)Osition in cabin, make chart, go to supper at six, and discuss our drift, 
and then smoke, talk, and general kill time occui:>ations until ten p. M., 
when the day is ended. The noise subsides ; those whe can, go to bed; 
I write the log and my journal, make the observations for meteorology 
until midnight. Mr. Collins succeeds me four hours, Chipp him four 
hours, the doctor next four hours, Mr. Collins next six hours, I next 
two hours, Melville next two hours, and I end the day again, and so it 
goes. 

Our meals necessarily have a sameness. Canned meat, salt beef, salt 
pork, and bear meat have the same taste at one time as another. Each 
day has its bill of fare, but after varying it every day for a week we have, 
of course, to commence over again. Consequently we have it by heart, 
and know what we are going to eat before we sit clown at table. Some- 
times the steward startles us with a potato salad (potatoes now rotting 
too fast for our consumption), or a seal's liver, or a bear's tongue; but 
we generally are not disturbed in that way. Our bill of fare is ample 
and good, our water is absolutely pure, and our fresh bread is something 
marvelous. Though disappointed day after day we are cheerful and 
healthy, and — here we are. 

Everything looks unsettled about the weather to-day. We have some 
squalls, a little rain, a little snow, a little mist, plenty of water-sky, 
and, alas, plenty of ice. The temperature ranges between 33^ and 
3()o^ * * * 

* * * Owing to the accumulation of ashes and rubbish around the 
ship, the ice in that locality is rapidly wasting, and in consequence more 
and more of the ship's hull is being uncovered. Besides this there is a 
wasting going on in the ice-cradle which holds her, and this relief of so 
much weight allows her to rise more nearly to her i)roper flotation. 
This we see indicated by the daily difference of the water-level, and it 
averages nearly an inch a day. In an idle moment I appointed the 4th 
of July, the anniversary of the Jeannette's christening, as the time when 
she would again be afloat and under way, and I shall be the happiest 
man north of the Arctic Circle if such proves the case. Since our sup- 
ply of snow begins to be difiicult of access on account of the sloppy con- 
dition of the ice, which makes sledding bad, we to-day filled our tank 
on the spar-deck with water from the pools. The temperature is suffi- 
cient to prevent accident to our tank by any freezing. 

June 30th, Wednesday. — The month of June comes to an end, and 
leaves us, I am sorry to say, fifty miles S. 9^ E. of where we were at its 
commencement. W(i are, in fact, no farther north than we were 
between May 16th and 17th, and may be said to have accomplished 
nothing in six weeks — both cheerful and encouraging! Our position 
to-day is in 72° 19^ 41^^ N., and 178° 27^ 30^' E., and we have gone since 
yesterday S. 52^ E. the enormous distance of one mile ! I am almost 
disgusted beyond redemption. To stand still would be bad enough, 
but to go backward is worse. * * * 

July 1, Thursday. — * * * Our coal account shows that we have 
remaining fifty-six and one h alf tons. At all hazards I must retain thirty 
tons for keeping us warm and cooking and distilling next winter, so that 
I have just twenty-six tons that could be devoted to steaming in case I 
had a fair chance to accomplish anything. As our consumption per 
diem in steaming would be at least five tons, I have in round numbers 
five days' steaming. And with this I have to make the Pole, accomplish 
the K. W. Passage, or go back empty-handed. What an ending the last 
would be compared with our beginning — the yachts, the fort's salute, 



etc., etc. It makes mj heart sick to think of it. What a return for the 
expenditure of money ! What a realization of all my fond dreams and 
hopes ! 

To-day our men dug away the ice under and around our propeller 
well, hoping for a time soon to come when we can get the screw up and 
have a look at it. We still rise slowly, but there is j^et a large mass 
clinging to us. Melville tried the other daj^ to turn the screw shaft by 
jacking, but it was held too rigidly. 

July 2d^ Friday. — Another uneventful day, and such gloriously beau- 
tiful weather that our enforced idleness becomes terrible. A tempera- 
ture ranging from 34^ to 46.4^ and back to 32^, and ponds here and 
there to mock us with water that is too little for navigation and too 
salt for drinking — at all these we stand and look, and see one day more 
pass by without our having done a thing that is to our credit. * * * 

July 4:tkj Sunday. — In reality this is Monday, July 5th, because we 
have crossed the 180th meridian, and should have changed our date; 
but as I hope to get east again this summer I have seen fit to keep the 
old reckoning. A year ago to day we were in San Francisco and re- 
ceived a visit froui Lord Loftus, w4)ile on his way to Sydney as gover- 
nor of New South Wales. At dinner to-day we recalled that event, and 
the information we gave him about the difference between the magnetic 
and geographical i^oles, the former of which had been discovered by Sir 
James Eoss, " one of our fellows," &c., &c. * * * 

* * * Stuck in the ice — mired, in fiict, at 73° 24' N., it is hard to 
hope that we shall make any record worth comparing with any other, 
more particularly the English, who have made their mark at 83^ 20' 26'' 
— 399 miles from the Pole — our distance to-day from the same goal being 
990 miles. Being the first Sunday in the month we had, of course, the 
Articles of War and general muster preceding my inspection and divine 
service. 

July 5th, Monday. — Celebrated the anniversary of American Independ- 
ence by dressing ship with ensigns at mast-heads, and signals in a 
rainbow; and I hope American Independence will feel sufficiently com- 
plimented by its celebration in this place for the first time. The weather 
prevented me from determining the exact spot of the celebration by ob- 
servations. The latitude, 73o 26' 7" K, is all I could get. Thick fog 
and a searching mist made a wretched dav. The flags were all covered 
with rime and frost when hauled down, and will need several days' good 
sunning to be dried. 

July 6f/t, Tuesday. — All our time and attention were occupied to-day 
in collecting surface ice and thawing the same in our water-tank for 
drinking and cooking purjioses. The greatest care was exercised in the 
selection of the ice, but occasional!}' some would prove to have been dug 
too deeply, and would giv^e so much salt in its resultingfluid as to require 
rejection. As a general rule, the soft snow-like surface crust was suflfi 
cieutly fresh to make a potable element, but if by accident or careless- 
ness the spade struck into the underlying ice, a salty solution was the 
result. Dr. A^mbler and Chipp watched the matter closely and faith- 
fully, repeated tests being made of each barrelful of snow before empty- 
ing it into the tank, and I am satisfied that every precaution was taken 
to provide a sufficiently i)ure element. The change from distilled water 
to melted ice is a bold experiment, and only warranted by our zeal to 
save every pound of coal we can for possible steaming this summer, or 
keeping us warm next winter. To quicken the process of thawing, a 
steam pipe was led from the steam-cutter's boiler into the tank on the 
spar deck and the steam driven into the tank through it. As our tank 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 847 

holds four hundred gallons, I am anxious to accumulate that quantity 
rapidly, and shut down on all consumption of fuel except for the galley 
as speedily as possible. Parties going out to hunt return with the news 
that the ship is in the center of an island of ice about two and one half 
miles in diameter with a narrow canal running around it. 

July Ith^ Wednesday. — We succeeded in getting our tank filled to-day 
with a sufficiently pure water from melted surface ice, and I accordingly 
directed the distilling to be stopped. Thus we save sixty pounds of 
coal per diem, and give a rest to our engineer's department, which has 
been steadily employed in night and day watches all the winter and 
spring ; in fact, upon the firemen and coal-heavers has fallen most of 
the uncomfortable toil, for whether in distilling, or running steam- 
pumps, or repairing, they have not had an all-night in since November. 

Such little pumping as is required, about a dozen strokes every two 
hours, is done by the man on watch for the time being, and we have 
now little beyond the ship's routine except watching and waiting for an 
opening in the ice that vfill let us free. 

Nowhere in my life have I experienced or felt such a perfect silence 
as prevails in these icy wastes when the wind dies away. It is posi- 
tively maddening. Alter ten p. m., when all noise ceases on board ship, 
and the dogs are dozing away on ash heaps and dirty spots around her, 
one standing a. little distance apart and looking at the surroundings 
would feel inclined to believe that one life existed but his own. On 
such occasions I go a little distance off and ruminate over our past, and 
wonder as to our future; but to-night the silence was so painful as to 
easily induce me to go back to the cabin where my own kind could be 
seen and their voices heard. 

The running of the water over the fi.oes in long lanes has made regu- 
lar sluice ways through which the meltings run to find the sea-level. 
Our old sounding hole, about one hundred yards on the starboard quar- 
ter, offers an access to the sea, and several streams have scoured a way 
or had a way made for them. This running water has wasted the ice 
away until at the edges of the hole it is but two feet thick, and covered 
with six inches of water swirling about like a maelstrom. Through 
this we can see the seeming black cavern below, and in the monotony 
which hangs around us I almost feel tempted to jump down it to see 
where it goes to. * * * 

July 19^/i, Monday. — I cannot help thinking, as I turn over a new leaf 
and commence a fresh page, that I am wasting stationery in keeping a 
daily record of so unimportant matter as our daily life. Each night I 
am forced to admit that another day of our short season is shpping 
away without any result worthy of the spirit which conceived, and the 
enterprise which carried into effect, this present Arctic expedition. 
And the realization of our utter impotence to change our fate in any 
way makes such an admission doubly disagreeable. A bear in a trap, 
a bird in a cage, a ship in the ice, are alike held in bondage sharp and 
galling. * * * 

* * # Some day or other some one, myself perhaps, looking over 
these pages, will complain of their sameness and lack of interest. The 
popular idea is, no doubt, that the record of daily life in the Arctic re- 
gions should be vivid, exciting, and full of hair-breadth escapes, or en- 
joyable and profitable because of the acquisition of valuable information. 
If the popular idea is the correct one, how dull and weary and unprofita- 
ble will the record of our cruise have been ! I confess to so much disap- 
pointment and mortification that I am ashamed each day to make an 
entry in this book, and willingly defer it to the last moments before going 



848 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

to bed. What can I say that has not already been said over and over 
again ? Here we are, held fast in the ice, drifting south instead of north, 
powerless to change our movement an inch, hoping to-day that to-mor- 
row will bring a change ; realizing to-morrow, when it becomes " to-day,'^ 
that it is the same as yesterday wasj seeiug a summer (!) slip by with- 
out doing anything to retrieve our reputation or make us w^orthy of being 
numbered in the list of Arctic expeditions ; full of health and energy, 
with zeal to dare anything, and yet like captives behind bars. Add all 
these together, as making up the sum of one's sensations and expe- 
riences, and it will be seen that the surroundings are hardly favorable 
to glowing narrative or absorbing tale. 

So thoroughly do we feel that we are accomplishing nothing, that 
some of us tliiDk that the food we eat and the coal burned to cook it are 
utter and absolute waste. Of what avail are health and energy if we 
can make no use of them*? In the world we are not judged by what we 
can do, but by what we actually perform. In the case of an Arctic ex- 
pedition, judgment is passed on results and not on the zeal or intention. 
A ship having the North Pole for an objective point must get to the 
Pole, otherwise her best efforts are a failure. No matter what the diffi- 
culties, or troubles, or accidents, the failure to do the specified thing- 
stands out in bold letters. So with us. We started for the Pole ; we 
are beset in the pack in 71^ plus ; we drift northwest 5 our ship is in- 
jured, and we have to burn coal to save her -, we drift back southeast; 
we are passing our second summer more uni)rofitably than our first, 
for then we were moving. No matter how much we have endured, no 
matter how often we have been in jeopardy, no matter that we bring 
the ship and ourselves back to our starting-point, no matter if we were 
absent ten years instead of one — we have failed, inasmuch as we did 
not reach the Pole; and w^e and our narratives together are thrown 
into the world's dreary waste basket, and recalled and remembered 
only to be vilified or ridiculed. 

And yet I would not wish to be understood as implying w^e have given 
uj) the fight. We look for to-morrow with just the same faith and with 
as great expectations as we did on the 1st of June. But we do not 
spend to-day in idleness for all that. A full meteorological record is 
kept, soundings are taken, the dredge is hauled, specific gravities and 
sea temperatures are taken, astronomical observations made and posi- 
tions computed, dip and declination of the needle observed and recorded, 
experiments made with ice and snow and surface water, birds shot and 
skinned, seals hunted, mechanics employed, ship's routine carried out, 
etc.; everything we can do is done as faithfully, as strictly, as mathe- 
matically as if we were at the Pole itself, or the lives of millions de- 
pended on our adherence to routine. Not a word is said about going 
back. Occasionally a trip is proposed somewhere — to Paris, to Naples, 
to the West Indies — to come off " one of these days when w^e get back." 
We go on with the regularity of a man-of-war in port. We look u|)on 
this place— the pack — as a kind of Key West or Aspinw^all, dull as a 
hoe and dreary to stay in, but bound to con)e in sometimes in a three 
years' cruise in those neighborhoods. And Jack's pbilosophy, '^ It is 
all in a cruise, boys ; the more days the more dollars," comes in well 
apropos. 

What is in store for us it is impossible to anticipate. If we have not 
had our summer yet, we may hope to do something next month. If our 
summer has come and gone, then, alas, our chances are slim. If one 
could see into the future how much anxiety might be spared in the pres- 
ent. It is very hard to realize that all our hopes and expectations should 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 849 

result in a weary drift of two winters in the ice-pack, and it is difficult 
for a vivid imaginatiou to see anything else if this be the warmest 
weather we can have this year. * * * 

August 4:th, Wednesday. — One more day come and gone, and nothing 
accomplished. This is becoming gloomy, indeed. Are we never to get 
the ship free again ? Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, and our 
hope is surely deferred long enough, This is the month in which I ex- 
pected to do something, and no matter how little, and here we are, held 
as fast as we were in March. * * * 

It seems a certainty, therefore, that there is no expanse of open water 
east of us, and the ice is not slack enough to afford a i)assage. As day 
after day passes by, and no chance offers to accomplish anything, I feel 
my heart sink. To have zeal and energy enough to dare anything, and 
be held like a rat in a trap, seems the irony of fate. * * * 

August dth, Monday. — Observations place us in latitude N. 73^ 24' 
32'^, longitude W. ITG^ 39' 15'', a drift of one and seven-tenths miles N. 
22° E. since yesterday. We sound in thirty -nine fathoms — and the lead 
line shows no perceptible drift ; we have therefore come to a stand 
again, and unless something we know not of works in our favor, we 
shall probably zigzag again without aim or result. I cannot find 
words in any language which will express the sense of utter disappoint- 
ment, shame, and mortification with which I am filled, in seeing a sec- 
ond summer fade away with nothing accomplished. 

August lltli., Tuesday. — And so day by day our glorious summer is pass- 
ing away, and we are accomplishing nothing. It is painful beyond 
expression to go around the ice in the morning and see no change since 
the night before, and to look the last thing at night at the same thing 
we saw in the morning; and this has continued nearly a year already, 
and may continue — 1 To start out full of zeal and energy, and to re- 
ceive a stunning blow at the first step, is somewhat demoralizing. If 
we could only do something. Like Hamlet, I can say, '' Wouldst drink 
up eisil % eat a crocodile ? I'll do it " — And so I would, if by so doing 
I could change our position to one of usefulness. High as our tempera- 
ture is (St4o), foggy weather a daily occurrence, the most favorable oc- 
casions for getting rid of ice, except frequent and varying gales of wind 
to break it up and make openings, and yet here we are hard and fast, 
with ponds here and there two or three feet deep, with an occasional 
hole through to the sea. Is this always a dead sea? Does the ice 
never find an outlet <? * * * 

August 24cth^ Tuesday. — But a short time since and we were reveling 
in the enjoyment of a sun above the horizon the whole twenty-four 
hours; and to-night at midnight a lantern was necessary to read the 
anemometer. The thermometers, having bright metallic surfaces, are 
easily read without artificial light. For about two weeks we have had 
the cabin lamp lighted every evening at nine o'clock, the dark and 
gloomy weather we have had making it necessary. Alas, alas ! a sec- 
ond winter before us and nothing done. Our daily hunting parties are 
coming back empty-handed. Seals enough are seen and shot, but they 
sink almost at once and are lost. * * * 

Lest I have not mentioned it heretofore, I mention here that Mr. Col- 
lins discovered some magnetic particles (meteoric iron) in a lot of sand 

and gravel found on the ice two miles to the eastward by Mr. Dunbar. 

# * * 

Mr. Collins, on returning from the lead, about two miles ahead of the 
ship, reports that it is about one hundred yards in width. 
For a day or two there have been indications of land to the northeast, 
54 J q* 



850 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

clouds liang steadily there as over mountain peaks, and such birds as 
we have noticed moving south have come from that direction. * * * 
To-day numerous small flocks of phalaropes (perhaps one hundred all 
told) winged their way to southwest from northeast. * * * 

Observations obtained to-day show a drift siuce the 3d of twelve and 
one quarter miles to S. 28^ W. I suppose we may now say good-bye to 
the Pole or the Northwest Passage. With us it is now another winter 
in the pack or a failure. If we get the ship in open water again, it is a 
question of our ability to keep her afloat. 

At ten p. M. the eftect of the changed wind was heard in the motion 
of the young ice to southwest, which split and cracked with the old 
familiar noice as the heavy ice got under way. Mr. Collins, on coming 
in from the lead to the northeast, reported the ice in motion about 
eight hundred yards from the ship, dur trouble may commence earlier 
this year than last, therefore. 

September 7th, Tuesday. — Another day of refreshingly low tempera- 
ture, maximum 27°, minimum 16^; it is enoungh to make one heart- 
sick. This is worse than Weyprecht and Payer, for before a second 
winter stared them in the face they had a newly discovered land in 
sight, had landed on it, and looked forward to its exploration in the 
ensuing spring. We have seen nothing, done nothing, and, so far 
as human judgment can foretell or the human vision foresee, we shall 
see nothing, do nothing but battle another winter with the pack. 
* * * 

Sepf ember 12, Sunday. — One more week is added to the long and 
weary round of weeks which records our imprisonment and drift, and 
we seem as far from liberation as ever. There is nothing I know of 
more wearing than waiting — waiting without a chance of relief visible. 
Are we to be blamed if we find a year of such a life monotonous! Or 
is it to be wondered at that we do not welcome the beginning of a sec- 
ond year of the same thing I I say a second year, but not a last year; 
for as far as we can see ahead and judge of the future by the past, there 
is no good reason for this condition of things to change this side of eter- 
nity. We may pass away and our ship may be among the things that 
were, but I calmly believe this icy waste will go on surging to and fro 
until the last trump blows. But it is along lane that has no turning, 
and our troubles may be approaching a relief. I hope they are, for I 
am becoming weary of the load of cares and anxieties I have so long 
carried about. * * * 

* * * I dislike to dwell on the idea of abandonment, and even 
dislike preparations for such a step. We have come through so much, 
it gives me hope of our surviving more. As long as enough of the ship 
remains to shelter us it is preferable to camping on ice ; and I can con- 
ceive of no greater "forlorn hope" than an attempt to reach Siberia 
(say two hundred and forty miles) over the ice that surrounds us, and 
with a winter's cold sapping one's life at every step. Of course, if we 
were to lose our ship I would make the effort to get there, but the 
chances of success would be extremely problematical. * * * 

September 21.9^, Tuesday. — A day of magnificently bright weather, but 
also of low temperature. Maximum, 15^o ; minimum, 1 J^. Evidently 
we are going to have a cold winter. September only two-thirds gone 
and a temperature nearly zero. Each day our chances of liberation 
seem to giow fainter and fainter. It requires a disposition more san- 
guine than natural to gather any comfort, or indulge any hopeful senti- 
ment, while regarding the icy waste in which we are located. Alas, 
alas I the North Pole and the ISTorthwest Passage are as far from our 



J 



JEANNETiE INQUIRY. 851 

realization as they were the day the ship left Eiiglaiul ; aud my pleas- 
ant hope, to add somethiug to the history of xlrctic discovery and ex- 
ploration, has been as ruthlessly shattered and as 1 horoughly killed as 
my greatest enemy could desire. 

I frequently thiuk that instead of recording- the idle words that ex- 
press our progress from day to day I might better keep these pages un- 
written, leaving a blank properly to represent the utter blank of this 
Arctic expedition. * * * 

September 22r7, Wediiesday. — The early part of the day was marked by 
the lowest temperature so far in the month, 0.5^, but I shall not be sur- 
prised to find it go much lower before September, 1880, is a thing of the 
past. In fact I have ceased being surprised at anything. This kind of 
life begets a careless sort of feeling as to what may happen, aud a lazy 
belief that time is of no value w^hatever. Knowing that our surround- 
ings to-day are the same as yesterday, we see no reason for anticipating 
a change to-morrow. With, certain duties assigned for certain hours, 
we move along mechanically, satisfied we can do no more and naturally 
unwilling to do less. Deriving our motive power from the lood we eat, 
we perform the operations of breakfast, dinner, and supper as a duty 
rather than as an enjoyment. With even a liberal variety of food, we 
know exactly what we are going to eat and how much, and when w^e are 
going to eat it, and hence have no novelty in that respect. Eating, 
sleeping, and performing duties which are as regular as time and as in- 
variable as one day succeeds another, no calculation is necessary, no one 
heeds the arrival or departure of a new day or a new week. A prisoner 
in a jail has an advantage over us; for, knowing his sentence, he can 
fix the date of bis release, while we know ^' neither the day nor the 
hour." * * * 

October 31s^, Sunday. — Another week has come aud gone, and with 
it ends the month. Uneventful, and, so far as any results obtained are 
concerned, a clear waste of life. It is hard to feel satisfied even with 
our being still alive. That, after all, seems such a negative kind of 
thing — a living with no purpose, an existence without present tangible 
results, a mechanical supplying the system with food, heat, and cloth- 
ing, in order to keep the human engine running. 

I have often wondered if a horse driving a saw-mill had any mental 
queries as to why he tramped over his endless plank, and what on earth 
there was accomplished by his so doing. The saw was generally out of 
his sight, he perceived no work accomplished, he never changed his po- 
sition relatively, he worked on and on without advancing a foot, and 
ended his day's work in identically the same place at which he began 
it, and, as far as equine judgment could forecast, would do the same 
thing to-morrow and every other day thereafter. If that horse had 
reasoning faculties, I pity him, and appreciate now his thoughts and 
feelings. We are individually in that horse's position — we see no saw, 
we can detect no work accomplished, we move on without advancing a 
foot, we shall do to-morrow what we have done to-day and what we 
did yesterday, and we fill up with oats, so to speak, merely that the saw^- 
mill may not have to suspend sawing. This kind of life is worse than 
Mr. Mantalini and his mangle. With him life was "one deinuition 
grind," but with us it is ''one demnition blank." 

A man up here thinks a wonderful amount of nonsense, says many 
things which he would be surjirised at remembering hereafter, and, if 
he writes, commits to paper many absurdities which he will laugh at 
afterwards ; but to a physiologist, who could retain his own mental 
poise and strength uuder these circumstances, the study of human life 



852 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and characteristics developed by a residence of white men in the Arctic 
regions would give materials for a very readable volume. 

Measurements of the ice thickness to-day gave twenty- four inches, 
direct freezing since August 31st. Bright, pleasant weather until 9 p. 
m., when it became overcast, and a steady rise of temperature from 
minus 21° to almost zero. 

Inspected, according to Sunday practice, and found everything dry, 
warm, neat, and comfortable. We have neither cold nor moisture to 
complain of this winter, at all events. * * * 

* * * After muster we bundled out on the ice. It was all there 
fortunately, for with our i)resent temperature it might have melted. 
Minus 33°. (This is intended for keen irony, but like Danenhower's 
description of his foot-w^armer, ^' a hot brick, in the shape of a flat-iron, 
made of brass," it may sound somewhat vague and peculiar.) * * * 

January Isf, 1881, Saturday. — I begin the new year in this book by 
turning over a new leaf, and I hoi^e to God we are turning over a new 
leaf in our book of luck. The record on Jan nary 1st, 1882, '^No greater 
advance toward the Pole, or toward the accomplishment of some other 
object worthy of consideration," would be humiliating indeed. I am, 
of course, thankful and grateful for our preservation in many perils, for 
our continued good health, and for our undiminished zeal and enthu- 
siasm as manifested last night, when the men made the deck-house ring 
with their cheers at the end of my remarks; but I want to get on to 
achieve something to save us from disappointment and mortification. 

Melville and Dunbar sat up with me to see the old year out and the 
new year in. At midnight, when the men had finished a verse and 
chorus from " Marching through Georgia," eight bells were struck for 
the old year, three cheers were given for the ship, eight bells more were 
struck for the new year, and 1881 was thus officially inaugurated in the 
United States Arctic Steamer Jeannette, in latitude 73° 48' IsT., and 
longitude 177o 32' E. * * * 

* * * I can see nothing to be gained by ranging along parallel to 
the Siberian coast, and something may be gained by working to the 
eastward. If patience and long suffering, hope deferred and deferred 
again, anxiety and ambition, could give me foresight, how glad I should 
be — perhaps, for after all the yet unknown future may be worse than 
the known present. * * * 

* * * And so we go; the temporary hope that at last we are 
drifting somewhere was soon dissipated. So far as I know, never has 
an Arctic expedition been so unprofitable as this. People beset in the 
pack before have always drifted somewhere to some land, but we are 
drifting about like a modern Flying Dutchman, never getting anywhere, 
but always restless and on the move. 

Coals are burning up, food is being consumed, the pumps are still go- 
ing, and thirty three people are wearing out their hearts and souls like 
men doomed to imprisonment for life. If this next summer comes and 
goes like the last, w^ithout any result, what reasonable mind can be pa- 
tient in contemplation of the future? * * * • 

January 2i)th, Thursday. — A very cold day, but, owing to the absence 
of wind, not an uncomfortable one. I have made it a rule to suspend 
the enforced exercise from eleven to one whenever the temperature is 
below minus 30°, and in extreme cases of gales of wind have extended 
the suspension with warmer temperature. Though not enforced, the 
taking of exercise seems to be adhered to for an hour at least, under 
even these unfavorable circumstances. The thing is left to individual 
option. To-day, while the thermometer stood at minus 44.5°, officers 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 853 

and men were walking around on the floe as unconcernedly as if we had 
had a spring day common to the latitude of New York. It is a matter 
of congratulation thus far that we have not had a single case of serious 
frost-bite. * * » 

March 13th, Sunday. — Sunday comes in the ordinary coarse of events, 
and finds us still here or hereabouts. Inspection is made as a matter 
of routine, for things do not change much from day to day. The hoMs 
and store-rooms are showing large holes, and our provisions are steadily 
diminishing, with nothing to show for the consumption. We 'have been 
an expensive Arctic expedition in view of the results, for, like unworked 
horses, we have " eaten our heads off and have accomplished nothing." 

Divine service followed at 1.30. As an evidence of our vagaries in 
the Arctic we have taken to flying kites, Chii)p of a scientific kind for 
electrical effects, and the Chinamen of a fancy kind for their own amuse- 
ment, and in their enjoyment of the fun they amuse the whole ship's 
company. * * * 

March 2othy Friday. — Dressier has so far regained the use of his wrist 
as to be returned to duty. But as I am quite convinced that Chipp is 
overworked, and as he looks wretchedly thin, I have directed him to 
discontinue taking three A M. meteorological observations, and I shall 
hereafter take them myself. 

March 26th, Saturday. — And thus do we drag our weary length along, 
and seemingly no nearer a success. Is there never to be a change to 
this simply horrible monotony"? Soundings to-day in sixty-one fathomsj 
shght drift W.S.W. * * * 

* * * Hummocks large and small, ridges high and low, a rough, 
tumbled mass over which there is no path, and through which there is 
no road, and in the center of the picture a poor little ship buried to her 
rails in snow-drifts — a stranger in a strange land, indeed! As day 
adds to day the sameness becomes wearing, and after our long experi- 
ence of it, it is perfectly maddening. Sun above northern horizon at 
midnight. * * * 

' * * * J frequently wonder how long a body of men could stand 
this enforced monotony of existence without giving up altogether. 
There is no way of solving the problem except by our own experience, 
for we have had a greater amount of it thus far than any others on rec 
Old. My own sensations are tbose of unmitigated disgust, and I sup- 
pose the sensations of others are similar to my own. I do not care to 
commit to paper even my own ideas and feelings. The probabilities 
are that I shall never forget them, and that hereafter they will be 
pushing themselves to the front of my mind in spite of my efforts to 
keep them back. * * * 

May 16th, Monday. — Land! There is something, then, besides ice in 
this world. About 7 o'clock this evening Mr. Dunbar, who usuallj^ 
winds his way aloft several times a day, could hardly believe his eyes 
when they rested on an island to the westward. He called Chipp to 
look at it, and Chipp saw it was land sure enough, and sent Ericksen 
to inform me. I had just finished working out our x)Osition when the 
extraordinary news came, and was writing out the result: Latitude 7Go 
43' 20'/ K, longitude 161° 53' 45" E., a drift since the 14th of 5J miles 
to N. 160 E. Of course I dropped my books and ran up to the fore 
yard, and there, sure enough, 1 saw a small island one-half point for- 
ward of our starboard beam, the first land that has greeted our eyes 
since March 24, i880, nearly fourteen months ago. And our voyage, 
thank God, is not a perfect blank, for here we have discovered some- 
thing, however small it may be. Some fog is resting over it, and to the 



854 JEA^J^EtTE iNQtmt. 

liglit liaucl or northward of if, and we do not think we see all of out 
wonderful landfall. Bearings I take at once, and find otir island bears 
S. 780 45' W. (magnetic), or (the variation being 18° E.) N. 83^ 15' W. 
(true), bnt we can do nothing more. Its distance we cannot estimate. 
If low land comparatively, it may be 40 miles distant (see our idea 
of Herald Island's distance), and if high land 70 to 80 miles. But 
after a number of days, if we change the bearing of it to some ex- 
tent, I can comi)ute its distance, and determine if, and in what man- 
ner, we can land upon and take possession of and explore our dis- 
covery. Cooped up as we have been for over twenty months, we 
we shall enjoy getting our foot on solid earth or stone as much as if it 
were Central Park, for it will be a change. But whether it will be earth 
or stone we do not know of course. What this poor desolate island, 
standing among icy wastes, may have to do in the economy of nature I 
do not know, or in fact care. It is solid land, whether of volcanic ori- 
gin or otherwise, and will stand still long enough to let a man realize 
where he is. Moreover, this must be the spot to which the ducks and 
geese have been steadily flying, and if we can get some of them for a 
change to our canned meats, what a treat! And then bears must swarm 
on our island ! In fine, this island is to us our all in all. We gaze at it, 
we criticise it, we guess at its distance, we wish for a favoring gale to 
drive us towards it, and no doubt we would accept an assertion that it 
contained a gold mine which would make us all as rich as the Treasury 
without its debts. I believe most of us look carefully at our island be- 
fore we go to bed, to make sure it has not melted away. Fourteen 
months without anything to look at but ice and sky, and twenty months 
drifting in the pack, will make a little mass of volcanic rock like our 
island as pleasing to the eye as an oasis in the desert. 

Besides this stupendous island, the other events of the day sink into 
insignificance. 

* * * As we are somewhat crowded to keep up our three hourly 
meteorological readings I have directed that the three A. M. reading be 
discontinued. * * * 

* * * Should the ice break up around us, I want to know what 
are the prospects ; and so much knowledge can be gained by this visit, 
as well as the satisfaction of ])lanting our flag upon a newly discovered 
piece of the earth, that I think the risk of undertaking the journey is 
justified. During the afternoon, when the weather cleared up, I got 
good bearings, and I find Jeannette Island on our port bow (S. 11^ E. 
true) and Henrietta Island on our starboard bow (S. 51° W. true), veri- 
fying my belief that we are drifting toward the latter island, and head- 
ing between the two. My anxiety will be endless and unremitting until 
I get all hands under my wing again ; and I pray God so to aid them 
and guide us that no mishap may occur. 

Soundings in thirty-nine fathoms ; slight drift S. S. W., and a low 
temperature to close our month — 9°. Lauterbach restored to duty from 
sickness. * * * 

Thank God, we have at least landed upon a newly discovered part of 
this earth, and a perilous journey has been accomplished without dis 
aster. It was a great risk, but it has resulted in some advantage. 

Our sick-list now assumes quite a proportion. Chipp, Danenhower, 
Newcomb, Dunbar, Alexey, and, in addition, my head for a day or two. 
For one night, at all events, the doctor insists I shall not go out to the 
observatory, lest I take cold in the cut and erysipelas ensue ; but as 
soon as I get over the stunned and dazed sensations I have now I think 
I shall be as fit for Avork as before. * * # 



JfiA'NNEl'TE INQUIRE. 



855 



*:!!=* rj\'j^Q ^if.^ r^re as follows: Chipp is better, lie says; lias slept 
well, and feels briglit. Daneuliower goes around with bis game eye 
darkened, and does a number of things, but of course I can assign him 
to no regular duty. Alexey has had a bad night, and is quite sick this 
morning. Kuehne still remains shut up in his tent. During the fore- 
noon we were engaged in bagging as much tea, coffee, and sugar as 
possible, and in dividing the weights among our fiye sleds. This was 
completed by eleven A. m., and we then set to work to lash and secure 
the loads. 

The distribution of weights was as follows: — 



No.l. 


No. 2. 


No. 3. 


No. 4. 


No. 5. 


765 lbs I*eixiiiiica,ii 


720 P. 
40 A. 
36 L. 


720 P. 
40 A. 


720 P. 
40 A. 


720 P. 




40 A. 


36 lbs Liebi"" 


38 L 


61 lbs. C L. Sugar 






61 S. 


60 lbs. X. C. Sugar 










4 Bags Bread 


4 B. 
30 Coffee. 


4 B. 


4B. 

30 E. Coff. 
60 G. Coff". 


2 B.Br, 


30 lbs. G. Coffee 




90 lbs Tea 







10 lbs. X. C. Sugar 


















1,659 lbs. 


1, 318 lbs. 


1.252 lbs. 


1,342 lbs. 


1,325 lbs. 



July 3d, Sunday, — to get all our sleds and boats up to the beginning 
of the smooth ice, ayd then we halted for dinner. The sun now began 
to try to force its way through the clouds and fog, and it seemed to 
grow much colder. My thermometer being packed away, I did not 
verify my sensations. 

To avoid the wind as much as possible the boats were slued around 
across the wind, and we huddled under their lee while we ate our din- 
ner. Having placed Hags ahead farther than we had been able to go 
before dinner, I instructed Melville to move everything on to the last 
flag, while I went ahead to plant more. By 3.30 A. m. I had marked 
out a point which I considered a good two miles southwest of our last 
camp; and concluding this would be as far as we should be able to drag 
our loads, I sent word back by Dunbar to Melville, and ordered my in- 
strument box sent to the front. The sun was now showing at times, 
and the clouds and fog were rolling away before the N. N. W. wind. 
The barometer was at 30, and the thermometer at 27°, the latter ac- 
counting for the clearing weather ; ahead of us a smooth road extended 
for a mile, apparently giving good promise for to-morrow. The fog in 
rolling away disclosed a few cirrus clouds, promising good weather, 
and the low temperature seemed to insure our having the sun long- 
enough to get our wet clothing and sleeping gear dry. At 6.45 A. m. 
everything was up, and we pitched the camp. At 7.30 had supper. At 
nine A. m. read Articles of War, and had divine service. At 9,30 A. m. 
piped down. Everybody is briglit and cheerful, and apparently (except 
Ohipp and Danenhower) in excellent health. We have abundance of 
food, good appetites, sleep well, and, as Mr. Cole expresses it, he "seems 
to get more spring in him every day." My sights place us in 77° 31^ N., 
and 150^ 41' E., a change in i)osition since June 25 of thirteen miles 
S. 30O W. As our distance made by account is twelve miles, it would 
seem that we have had no current against us. But of course I cannot 
tell ; we may have been set down that much in three days by our north- 



856 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

erly winds, and therefore I must accept the position as simply showing 
where we are, and push on for the edge of the ice. 

Called all hands at seven p. M. Breakfasted at eight p. m., under 
way at nine P. M. Cliipp seems so much better that the doctor has 
concluded to stop his wliiskj^ for a day or two, to see if he can gain 
strength, or keep what he has, without it. By ten P. M. the wind was 
verj^ light from the southeast, temperature 25Jo, and a long, angry 
series of cirrus clouds and mare's tails extended from northwest to south- 
east. Beautiful summer temperature!! Having remained behind to 
work out my sights, I now, at ten P. M., hastened forward, and was able 
to fix upon a good place one and a fourth miles southwest for our 
dinner, and accordingly had things brought to that point. * * * 

* # * Q^^Y flags are all flying in honor of the day, though to me 
it is a very blue one. Three years ago to-day in Havre the Jeannette 
was christened, and many pleasant things were said, and anticipations 
formed, all of which have gone down with the ship. I did not think 
then that three years afterward would see us all out on the ice with 
nothing accomplished and a story of a lost ship to carry back to our 
well-wishers at home. My duty to those who came with me is to see 
them safely back, and to devote all my mind iind strength to that end. 
My duty to those depending on me for sui)port hereafter impels me to 
desire that I should return also ; but those two duties apart, I fancy it 
would have made but little diflerence if I had gone down with my ship. 
But as there is nothing done without some good purpose being served, 
I must endeavor to look my misfortune in the face and to learn what 
its application may be. It will be hard, however, to be known hereafter 
as a man who undertook a Polar expedition and sunk his ship at the 
77th parallel. Piped down at nine A. M. Called all hands at six p. m. 
Breakfasted at seven p. m. Under way at eight P. m. Three hundred 
yards from our camp we came to an ice opening one hundred and fifty 
feet wide, right in our way ; as we are now doubling our fleets, that is, 
dragging two sleds at a time, such an opening was a serious incon- 
venience. A small, thick floe piece was floating in the middle of the 
lead, and I hoped to get that pressed into service before any delay 
could occur. Sending for the dingy, I succeeded in getting this lump 
in tow, and ready for a flying bridge or ferry, while the other boats were 
coming up. Second cutter and two sleds were then carried across, the 
remainder being kept behind for a second load, and to avoid an acci- 
dent involving loss of provisions. However, everything got across all 
right. Soon after we had to make a second ferriage, and then a num- 
ber of bridges before we reached the hard ice which Dunbar and I had 
visited before our last camp. Ice which was connected then was all 
open and moving now, and it was not until one A. M., * * * 

* * * And now occurred the first serious breach of discipline 
among the crew since our commissioning, over two years, and on the 
l)art of a man whose conduct has been so uniibrmly beyond reproach as 
to make it the more surprising. It appears that Melville had placed a 
l)air of soles in the stern of one of the boats, and the shaking of the 
boat in dragging had shifted them on the sleeping-bag of Ed. Starr 
(seaman.) Upon halting to camp, Starr went to the boat, picked up 
the soles, and flung them some distance on the ice, in a temper. Mel- 
ville informed him they belonged to him, and ordered Starr to pick 
them up, at the same time saying, "Don't do that again." To the order 
Starr paid no attention, but growled something about wet soles and his 
sleejnng bag, and he did not care whose they were. Hearing Melville 
rei)eating his order, and Starr making argumentative and sulky replies, 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 857 

I went to tlie scene, and to my surprise found Starr sbowino- ro inten- 
tion to pick up the soles, but continuing to speak in a surly and disre- 
spectful manner. I at once ordered hitn to stop talking^, and to obey 
Mr. Melville's order. He paid no attention to either order but contin- 
ued bis rummaging in the boat; and his growl continued, " A nice 
l)hice to put wet boot soles," etc., etc. And it was only upon my three 
or four times repeated order to pick up those soles that he did so. But 
to my order to keep silent he i)aid no obedience till he apparently had 
uo more to say. I ordered him to stand npart from everybody, and in 
a few moments asked him if he had anything to say in explanation of 
his conduct, — disobedience of Mr. Melville's orders, and disobedience of 
the orders of his commanding officer. He had nothing to say beyond 
mildly offering a statement that he did not know Mr. Melville was 
speaking to hii.i, which, to say the very least, is preposterous. I at 
once i)ut him off duty. 

Piped down at nine A. m. Called all hands at six p. m. Break- 
fasted at seven p. m. A clear bright evening and calm. Upon looking 
to the southwest a land-like appearance was to be seen, and several 
declared they could also see the water. The sun at this hour strikes at 
right angles, nearly, to anything southwest, and consequently prevents 
clear views. But if we can hold this bright weather until four A. M. to- 
morrow, the sunlight will then be on our backs, and upon the supposed 
land and water, and we can have a good positive view. 

Under way at eight P. M. Crossed the lead near the camp, and swung 
along on a west- southwest course,as mentioned in my remarks at camping. 
During our sleej), however, several small openings had occurred in the 
large ice floe, and we found ourselves obliged to bridge. It was not 
until 12,30 A. M., * * * 

I to-day placed Mr. Newcomb under arrest, intending to bring him 
to trial by court-martial for — 

I. Using language tending to produce discontent among the men. 

II. When remonstrated with by Mr. Danenhower, using insolent and 
insubordinate language. 

It appears that at three P. M. on the 18th there was some slight com- 
plaint in No. 2 tent, about there being no su])i)er ordered. I ha<l con- 
sidered every one to si and in more need of sleej) than of cold food, 
particularly as it would have takeu fifty minutes to make coffee or tea, 
and hence had at once piped down. Mr. Newcomb, however, joined in 
the growl, and, as Mr. Danenhower states, made tlic remark that it was 
a pity (or it was a shame) that after men had been working so hard 
they must turn in without something to eat. Upon Danenhower re- 
monstrating, "It may be hard for the men who are working, but for us 
who are not working it is not hard, and we should not be the first to 
comi)lain," Newcomb replied, "I was not speaking to you, and I don't 
count myself in the same category with you." Danenhower told him 
he had said enough, and to stop. Newcomb replied, "l^To, I will not 
stop; I take orders from Bartlett, and not from you." And further 
along, that the crisis had come, that the issue must be met — "You 
have made yourself disagreeable," &c., &c. * * * 

July 2M,, Saturdaij, had everything across in safety on the hard ice, 
and halted for dinner. Turned to at 1.20 a. m. and went ahead. The 
fog seemed inclined to lift, and we could see a point showing, which, 
from its bearings, K. 40° W. (magnetic), I judged to bo, the point which 
yesterday bore N. 50° W. (magnetic). Shaped a course to carry us to 
the left of it. We came to some good hard ice again, after crossing one 
bad mess, and I hurried along a good mile and a half to a high ridge, to 



858 Ji^ANNEtTE iNQtrmv. 

watcli with Mr. Dunbar the reappearance of land. Upon the ridge we 
began to see a headland working out from the fog and bearing N. 84^ 
W. (magnetic), and apparently good ice leading to it. Almost calm at 
four. At 5.10 A. M. halted and camped, having, I consider, made an 
advance of two and a half miles west-northwest, since breaking camp 
yesterday evening. 

The fog now almost uncovered the island and enabled me to deter- 
mine that the land was one island and not two, as I for some time sup- 
posed. The bearings of its extreme points were S. 82° W. and N. 27^ 
W., both magnetic. Other bearings will appear in the sketch which I 
have directed Mr. Collins to make. I do not think it is now five miles 
distant, and a long, low point of land, sloping to the ice, I think some 
what nearer. Mwgniticent weather, calm and cloudless, save for a few^ 
streaks of cirro-s;ratus clou Is. Sutificient mist and fog rest over the 
top of the land to hide whatever is in the background; but several 
have said they saw high rolling land back from the cliffs, which are 
shown in the sketch. Broiling hot sun, though the thermometer reads 
27°. Got a Sumner, and deteruiined our position to be in latitude N. 
76° 4(K, longitude E. 15 1° 25', a change of position since the 16th of 
twenty-eight and a halt miles to S. 88° W. Soundings, twenty and a 
half fathoms; rapid drift to westward. 

Piped down at nine A. M., but I remained up until noon to get a 
meridian altitude; latitude resulting 70^ 39' 15''. So my Sumner was 
very nearly exact. In fact we are drawing in so rapidly upon the land 
all the time that 1 dare say my Sumner is quite exact. Called all hands 
at six p. M. ; under way at eight P. M. Bright, nearly cloudless weather ; 
an appearance of land to the southwest. * * * 

Before getting under way got fresh bearings. The extreme i)oints 
were found to bear as follows : S. 87° W. and N. 18° W., both magnetic, 
and the low point at which I headed, west (magnetic). Though the 
weather was bright and pleasant, a fog-bank was in the eastern horizon 
and threatened to advance upon us. In order to give this new island 
a chance to see the "Stars and Stripes'' before the fog shut in, our 
colors were displayed. 




I>pii!iett l-slaiid, discovered by Captain De Long and party. 

For one and three quarters of a mile we advanced over a good road, 
and tiien came to an opening with large and small blocks of ice, but 
yet water enough to permit a ferry. The ice was all in motion, and as 
everything might change favorably before we were ready to cross, no 
useless labor was indulged in by getting ready bridges or ferrying 
])ieces. At 11.50 p. m. all our sleds and boats were up. At ten the fog 
had covered us and shut in the land, while an easterly breeze sj^rang 
up that changed our sensations from those of uncomfortable heat to 
those of uncomfortable cold though i)robably the temperature remained 
unchanged. 

If Chipp or Melville got through all right they would naturally send 



back to look for us, and these two men may have been on some such 
errand. At all events, we are too much fagged out to do anything more 
without some sleep, and I shall stay in this hut all night. * * * 

August 8tJi, Monday. — Called all hands at six. Breakfasted at seven. 
Wind S. S.W. Temperature 28^. Turned to at eight and commenced 
to drag the sleds and boats across the floe to a lead on the south side. 

Just as were engaged in getting ready Mr. Danenhower came to me 
to ask " what was his status in the whale-boat." I replied, '' You are 
on the sick list, sir." He said, " Who has charge of the boatf I re- 
plied ''Mr. Melville." " And in case of our separation f he asked. " In 
that case," said I, " Mr. Melville has written orders to command the 
boat and what to do with her." " Am I under his orders?" he asked. 
I replied, " Yes, so far as it may be necessary for you to receive orders 
from him." He said, " But that puts me under the orders of a staff 
officer." I said, " You are unfit to take command of the boat yourself. 
You cannot see." He said '^ I can see, and I am perfectly able to per- 
form my duty." I said, " Mr. Danenhower, you are on the sick list, and 
so long as you remain on the sick list you will be assigned to no mili- 
tary control or direction whatever." He asked, " Why can 1 not be 
put in a boat with a line officer f^ I replied, " Because I have no line 
officer to put in the boat with you, and because I have seen fit to make 
the present arrangement of the party in boats." He then said, " I re- 
monstrate against being kept on the sick list." 1 said, "That is non- 
, seusical." He said, " Why, sir,, have 1 not the right to remonstrate f I 
replied, "Your remonstrance is ill timed, and 1 consider your raising 
these points at this time in the light of an annoyance. You should 
have thought of all these things long since and they might have been 
avoided. I have had the anxiety of your care and preservation for two 
years, and your coming to me on these points is simply an annoyance." 
He said, "I have remonstrated in respectful terms." I said, " Very 
well, sir, and your remonstrance has no effect. I will not assign you 
to duty until you are fit for it, and that will be when you are discharged 
from the sick list. I will not put other people's lives in jeopardy by 
^committing them to your charge, and I consider your urging me to do 
so at this time, particularly in our circumstances, showed but little judg- 
ment, and is very unofficer-like conduct." He asked, "Am I to take 
that as a private reprimand f I replied, " You can take it as any- 
thing you please. Your raising these points at this time under our cir- 
cumstances shows but little judgment, and is very unofficer-like con- 
duct." * * * 

August 2'ist, Sunday. — Called all hands at five; breakfasted at six. 
Mr. Danenhower used disrespectful and discourteous language to the 
doctor, telling him that he did not want to see him, that he wanted to be 
off the sick list, &c., and intimating that if the doctor wanted to see him 
he could come where he was, &c. I sent for Mr. D. after breakfast, and 
informed him he was discourteous and disrespectful to the doctor j that 
he was giving me annoyance and trouble, and that it must cease. D. 
takes the ground that he is ou the sick list in obedience to my orders } 
that lie is fit for duty, and is prevented from performing it; that he is 
kept from duty while he is as fit to perform it as a dozen others who are 
on duty ; that he must take his stand now or never, &c. I told him he 
must conform to my views ; that he must obey such directions as he re- 
ceived from the doctor in regard to his medical treatment and sanitary 
condition, and that when the doctor represented him as fit for duty he 
would be assigned to duty, and not before ; that his position was not a 



SCO JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

good Olio, and be must no longer make any manifestation based on tbat 
position, but must act in accordance with the stand I have taken. * * * 
Monday, Sep'emher 2(jth. — A disagreeable tiling occurred now by 
wbicli 1 placed iJ^inderman under arrest, and intend preferring charges 
agjiinst liim. He has for a long time been short and surly with me, 
and has bad a bad habit of answering me as he would a shipmate. He 
loses his temper quickly, and growls incessantly if doing anything which 
is not exactly according to his ideas. I warned him the other day, 
when I tried to build a raft, that he was not doing right. To-day 
he kept growling and muttering over the raft while Imilding it and 
making the first trip. Seeing from my side of the river that some de- 
lay was occasioned by an apparent looking for a place shoal enough to 
avoid wading, I called out to him, ''Let the people wade across, and you 
hurry back with the raft." To which he made no response, except say- 
ing loud enough for those around him to hear, and for me too, unknown 
to him, "Oh, weUl hurry back." When he came back he commenced 
growling about the raft being all adrift; about having no lashings, «&c. ; 
and when I caused him to stop, started off with the other men to bring 
more logs. When about twenty feet from me, he said in sufBciently loud 
language for others to hear, "I wish I was in hell, or somewhere else 
than here, by Jesus Christ." I then ordered him to the hut, telling him 
I should try him by court-martial. * * * 

Mr. Arnoux,in behalf of the respondents, then read the following ex- 
tracts from Captain De Long's journals : 

[From the Journal.] 

August 21sf, Thursday. — A busj^ day with us. Commenced to swing 
ship at nine A. M. for com})ass deviation. At one P. M. commenced re- 
ceiving stores from Mr. Newman, consisting of our fur clothing, forty 
dogs, five dog sleds, forty sets dog harness, snow-shoes, tanned seal- 
skins, dressed beaver skins, tweh^e sleeping bags, sixty nine pairs seal- 
skin boots, seven pairs deer-skin boots, twenty-two i)airs water boots, 
seventy-eight pairs blanket socks, thirteen dressed skins, two dressed 
wolf-skins, fifty-two double squirrel jumj^ers, twenty single squirrel 
jumpers, four light squirrel jumpers, three tame deer-skins, fifty deer- 
skin pantaloons, twelve hair-seal pantaloons, one undressed deer-skin, 
four dressed beaver skins, one baidera, twenty cakes, 2,290 lbs. com- 
pressed dog food, etc. The made up garments have been mt;nufactured 

from the skins, and ten blankets we sent on shore upon our arrival. 

* # * 

Septemhef 2d, Tiiesday. — On our course from eight last evening until 
seven this morning — N. W. (at which time were about one hundred miles 
from the southeast cape of Wrangel Land). But at the last-named hour 
made the ice pack ahead, and extending as far to the westward as we 
could see. During tlie forenoon watch we ran through a lot of loose 
ice, making a true north course as well as possible. At 11.30, being 
through the loose ice, were confronted by the solid pack, which headed 
us oft* to the N. E. true during the afternoon watch while we were skirting 
it. 

At noon sounded in twenty-four fathoms, thick blue mud and shells. 
A tine S. E. breeze had sprung up by this time, to which we made all 
sail, and were slipping along six knots while coasting the pack. Being 
headed oft' to N. E. true, and increasing our distance from Wrangel Land 
instead of diminishing it, I decided, at nine P. m., to bank fires, save coal, 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 861 

and let her go under sail for tlie night. Stopped engines, therefore, at 
9.50. To-day, having bright sunlight all day, were able to locate our 
position by observatton. Latitude 69° 10' N., longitude 176o 6' 30'^ W. 

September 3(7, Wednesday]. — A lively day. At one A. M. sighted the 
iee ahead and on tlie weather bow. ilauled sharp by the wind, but be- 
fore we could get steam had closed in on the ice, strikiug it easily with 
our port side, and we lay there until we had steam enough to crawl oft*. 
No damage done. Found we had drifted into a bay in the ice. Hauled 
off to the eastward and southeast. 

At daylight the weather became thick and foggy. Sighted a barque 
to the S, E. under all sail. Had her in sight for three hours, when we 
lost her in the fog. At her nearest she was four miles distant, and we 
were too anxious about finding a decent opening in the pack to run 
down and speak her. At eight A. M., there being nothing but ice in 
sight, except to the S. E. where we had come from, I concluded to put 
the ship into a likely looking lead in the pack opening towards the N. W. 
We accordingly worked along in this lead, keeping a general N. W. di- 
rection until 3.10 p. M., when it became so foggy and the ice so closely 
packed that we stopped and planted an ice-ancbor in a convenient floe. 
Meanwhile, at noon we got soundings in twenty-eight fathoms (blue 
mud), and towed the dredge, adding some star-fish to our collections. 
At 4.30 the fog lifted a little and we got under way, working to north- 
ward true until 5.30 p.m., when we again anchored to a floe, the fog be- 
coming impenetrable. Calm with thick fog up to miduigbt. At seven 
p. m. sounded in thirty-eight fathoms (blue mud). Tired with my day 
in tbe crow's-nest. 

IScptemhcr 4:thy Thursday. — The day opens calm and with a thick fog. 
Still at anchor to the floe. We observe a gradual closing in of large 
floes around us, and a seeming drift of small pieces to the southeast 
through the small water spaces. Tbe rigging is one mass of snow and 
Jrost, presenting a beautiful sight; but as we aie more interested in 
progress than in beautiful sights it has but little charm for us. The pack 
ice surrounding us seems to have a uniform thickness of about seven 
feet ; two feet being above the water. It is somewhat hummocky, but I 
do not observe any hummock greater in height than six or seven feet. 
jS^ew ice has made around the ship during the night, the temperature 
standing at 29° during the night and up to eight A. M. Sounds as of 
surf heard to southeast indicating open water in that direction. 

At two P. M. the fog cleared away, and we spread fires at once and got 
under way. The greatest amount of water space seeming to be to the 
northeast we made our way in that direction generally, and at 4.30 we 
succeeded in getting out of tbe pack into tbe open sea ; that is, com- 
paratively open, because the i^ack extended from southeast around by 
west to north, while only to the eastward was there open water. Upon 
reaching this open water we passed a drifting tree that seemed to have 
been torn up by the roots, but, more important still, land was sighted 
at 4.30, bearing W. I^. W. true. From the reckoning we have been able 
to keep of our position, this land is Herald Island, discovered and 
landed upon by Captain Kellett, of H. M. S. Herald, in 1849. Not car- 
ing to put the ship in the close i)ack which appeared to the northward 
of us and lose sight of Herald Island without advancing materially, I 
slowed the engines and kept the ship turning round in circles for the 
night, just clear of the ice. According to our position we were about forty 
miles from Herald Island, and as it was very much distorted by mirage 
we could not make a closer estimate of the distance. Wind dogs around 
the sun at setting, but a beautiful moonrise gave promise of a fine night, 



862 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

September oth, Friday. — A clear aud pleasant day throu^iiout, with 
light northerly breeze. At four A. M. spread all fires and got a full head 
of steam, aud entered the pack through the best looking lead in the 
general direction of Herald Island. For the first two hours we had but 
little trouble in making our way, but at six A. m. we commenced to meet 
young ice ranging from one to two inches in thickness in the leads, and 
seemingly growing tougher as we proceeded. We ground along, how- 
ever, scratching, and in places scoring and cutting our doubling, until 
8.40 A. M., when we came to pack ice from ten to fifteen feet in thickness, 
which of course brought us up. Anchored to the floe to wait for an 
opening. 

During the forenoon there were several occasions when we distinctly 
saw land beyond and above Herald Island, as w^ell as to the southwest 
of and beyond it. I should at first have been inclined to think that the 
land above and beyond Herald Island was a kind of false island made 
by the mirage ; but as the land seen to the southwest of Herald Island 
was in the shape of high sugar-loaf snow-topped mountains with clearly 
defined edges, such as could not have been caused by mirage, for there 
were no hummocks in our floe horizon to be thus distorted, I am 
strengthened in my belief that we realy saw the land. Its distance is 
impossible even to estimate. Looking across the ice disturbs one's be- 
lief in his accuracy in measuring distances by the eye. For instance, 
on board ship we generally agree as to the distance of an object at sea; 
but here in the ice no two estimates correspond. We put the distance 
of this land seen beyond Herald Island at various limits, ranging be- 
tween forty and one hundred miles ; and though since sighting Herald 
Island last night we have steamed towards it twenty miles, one half 
the estimated distance, but few of us agree as to its distance now. We 
range from ten to forty miles. At one p. m., seeing another chance to 
make a mile or two, we got up steam and worked ahead through thin, 
new ice, and between detached pieces of floe. At four we anchored 
again to a floe, and banked fires. Our sides, on the doubling, are scraped 
bright, and scratched and cut to some extent, but they are the scars of 
honorable wounds received in action with* the ice. 

September Gth, Saturday. — This is a glorious country to learn patience 
in. I am hoping and praying to be able to get the ship into Herald Isl- 
and to make winter quarters. As far as the eye can range is ice, and not 
only does it look as if it had never broken ui^ and become water, but it also 
looks as if it never wonld. Yesterday I hoped that to-day would make 
an opening for us into the land; to-day I hope that to morrow will do 
it. 1 suppose a gale of wind would break the pack up, but then the 
pack might break us up, and that is not to be desired. This morning 
shows some pools of thin ice and water, but as they are disconnected, 
and we cannot jumi) the ship over obstructions, they are of no use yet 
to us. A thick fog hangs over everything even the island. A light 
northerly wind, with a steady barometer and a temperature ranging 
between 23° and 32o. 

At one P. M. the fog lifted, and we saw a chance of making about a 
mile toward the island. Spread fires again and commenced forcing our 
way," ramming wherever we w^ere opposed, and with good eff'ect. Of 
course, ramming a ship through ice from ten to fifteen feet thick was 
impossible, but wherever a crack or narrow opening showed between 
two floes, even of that thickness, we could by judicious ramming, and 
backing and ramming again, shove them apart enough to squeeze 
through. Our steam-winch did good servicej for we could easily snub 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 863 

the ship's head ioto a weak place wheu we did Dot have room to turn 
her with the helm. At 4.20, however, we had come to solid floes again, 
and as the thick fog again shut in we came to with our ice-anchor. 
Wishing to save even the coal we used with banked fires, until a good 
chance presented itself for going ahead, I let the fires die out. This 
evening three bears came down to about a mile from the ship, but fled 
upon being seen and chased by our hunters. Served out snow-goggles 
to all hands, with orders to wear them. 

Sejytemher nth, Sunday. — A day of complete rest in every respect. 
The day begins with snow, clears, becomes and ends foggy. Ice mov- 
ing a little, the ship seemingly moving to N. W. At ten A. M. muster 
the crew, read the Articles of War, and hold divine service. At twelve 
got soundings io forty fathoms, blue mud. In the watch from eight to 
midnight, exi^erienced a slight pressure on the starboard beam, shoving 
the ship up on a tongue of ice on the port side and listing her to star- 
board about five degrees. 

September Sth, Monday — At 1.30 this morning the ship righted again. 
Thermometer ranging between 22^ and 28^. Forenoon foggy ; after- 
noon clear, ^o sign of a lead in any direction. The northerly winds 
seem to have cemented the ice into one enormous pack. Soundings at 
noon in thirty-six fathoms, blue mud. The ship has evidently moved 
since yesterday, when we had forty fathoms. In the first watch the ship 
heeled again to starboard about 9^, and jammed the rudder hard a-star- 
board. 

Lest at any time the question be asked why I do not unship the rud- 
der and screw at this time, I will record here my reasons. Our rudder 
is unusually strong and heavy, and, though it is a simple matter to un- 
ship it, it will be an exceedingly difficult matter to ship it again unless 
we have plenty of open water under the stern. If I trice up the screw 
now, ice will surely form in the clutcli and prevent the screw from get- 
ting back in place. If I expected the ship to remain in this spot all 
winter, these reasons would have less weight. But as I consider it an 
exceptional state of the ice that we are having just now, and count upon 
the September gales to break up the pack, and perhaps open leads to 
Herald Island, I want the ship to be in condition to move without de- 
lay. Besides, I am told that in the latter part of September and early 
part of October there is experienced in these latitudes quite an Indian 
Summer, and I shall not begin to expect wintering in the pack until this 
Indian Summer is given a chance to liberate us. * * * 

September 20th, Saturday. — The doctor informs me this morning that 
he has made, during the night, experiments on the berth deck, to deter- 
mine the amount of carbonic acid while the men were asleep and breath- 
ing the atmosphere of the deck. The experiments were made with what 
is known as the " wet jar," and the result was as follows : In every thou- 
sand volumes of air there were two and thirty-tw(5 hundredths (2.3246) 
volumes of carbonic acid, which, reduced to a percentage, shows .23246 
per cent. The records of the expedition of the Alert and Discovery 
show .436 per cent, on the berth deck of the Alert on February 29, 1876, 
and .482 per cent, in the wardroom on January 18, 1879, both observa- 
tions being made under the very worst circumstances of housing and 
confinement. While, therefore, our showing is a very favorable one in 
comparison, still it is a, bad one, for we are only in September, with a 
temperature mild enough to leave open every access to the fresh air. 

To experiment still further in this matter and to prevent the will- 
ful or accidental closing of any doors or the sky-light of tbe berth decky 



864 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

aud to eudeavor lo prevent any serious amount of carbonic acid in the 
wardroom and cabin, I issued to-day orders in regard to the ventila- 
tion of these apartments. While these orders are being carried into 
effect, experiments will determine their efficiency in accomplishing the 
desired result. 

The measurements taken by the doctor to determine the cubic air 
space per capita show that we are deficient in that respect also. The 
berth deck is only 78 cubic feet, the wardroom 180, the cabin rooms 
333, and the entire cubic air space of the cabin amounts to 1,500 feet. 
In the Alert the cubic air space per man w^as 107, and in the Discovery 
140. The comparison is again unfavorable. The cubic air space will 
be incieased for the men when we come to build our deck-house, and I 
hope the carbonic acid gas will largely disappear in that edifice. 

All these things, and the disappointment at having accomplished so 
little the first season, give me enough to think about. There is nothing, 
however, but patience and earnest effort to improve matters that will 
avail me anything, and to these two things I must devote myself. * * * 

BILLS OF FARE FOR PRECEDING WEEK. 

Articles marked with an X were given to officers' ouess only. Pepper, salt, molasses, vinegar, mus- 
tard, and sauces not mentioned. 

Wednesday, September 24, 1879. 

BREAKFAST. 

Beef 8 lbs. 

Pota toes 20 

Fresh bread 11 

Batter 2-^^ 

Coffee 2-j\ 

Sugar 2^V 

DINNER. 45^i3g^ 

Pork 33 lbs. 

Beans 16 

Tomatoes 10 

Potatoes 5 

Pickles 2iS^ 

Flour for duif 16 

Raisins - 4 

Hard bread 13 

"99S 

SUPPER. 

Bear meat 18 lbs. 

Peacli butter 3^ 

Green gages X 3 

Potatoes 15 

Tea 1 

Sugar • H6 

Butter 2tV 

Fresh bread 11 

55ig 
Total number, 33; total weight, 200t;\-; average per man, 6 lbs. 1 oz. 

Th iirsday, Septevihcr 25th. 

BREAKFAST. 

Haddock X 4 lbs. 

Corn bread X ' 12 

Pork 7 

Potatoes ir> 

Coffee ,, , ,-.-. ---- ,-.- 4k 



JEANNETTE aNQUIRY. 865 

Sugar 4^ lbs. 

Milk i 

Bread 15 

Butter 2tV 

6311 

DINNER. 

Bear meat 24 lbs. 

Soup 7 

Pork 4 

Corn 12 

Potatoes 12 

Hard bread 5 

64~ 

SUPPER. 

Mutton 7i lbs. 

HamX 3 

Potatoes 12 

Peach butter X li 

Dried apples , 3^ 

Butter 2tV 

Sugar 4i 

Tea 2tV 

Milk i 

Bread 15 

51i 
Total number, 33; total weigbt, 178^^; average per man, 5^ lbs. 

Friday, September 2Qth. 

BREAKFAST. 

Codfish 12 lbs. 

Mackerel X 4 

Hominy 7 

Potatoes 15 

Bread 10 

Sugar 3t% 

Coffee 4t2^ 

Butter 1 

Milk i 

56| 

DINNER. 

Salt beef 32 lbs. 

Tomatoes 10 

Potatoes 15 

Hard bread 8 

Flour 3 

Pumpkin X 1 

Lard 1 

Sugar 2 

Milk 1 

Split peas 8 

Bacon 2 

83 

SUPPER. 

Bear meat 18 lbs. 

Potatoes 15 

Prunes 5 

Bread - 10 

Tea 1 

Sugar 3t^ 

Milk i 

Butter 1 

531t 
Total number, 33 ; total weight, 193t^ ; average per man, 5 lbs. 13 oz. 
^55 J Q* 



866 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Saturday, Sejyiemher 27th. 

BREAKFAST. 

Beef 8 lbs 

Potatoes 20 

Sjigar 4tV 

Milk ^ 

Coffee 411 

Butter 1 

Bread 10 

48t^ 

DINNER. 

Beef soup lU lbs. 

Mutton 15 

Macaroni 4 

Tomatoes . ^ 6 

Cheese 2 

Potatoes , 10 

Hard bread 10 

59 

SUPPER. 

Beef 8 lbs. 

Kidneys X 2 

Potatoes 15 

Quince butter * 5 

Bread 15 

Tea 1 

Sugar A^ 

Milk i 

Butter 1 

51,\ 

Total number, 33; total weight, 158^; average per man, 4 lbs. 12f oz. 

Sunday, September 28th. 

BREAKFAST. 

Beef 8 lbs. 

Oat meal 7 

Potatoes 15 

Bread 10 

Sugar iis 

Coffee 4-^ 

Butter 1 1 

Milk i 

~49H 

DINNER. 

Ox-tail soup 12 lbs. 

Roast bear 26 

Pork 4 

String beans 12 

Potatoes 10 

Beets 4i 

Jelly i 

Hard bread 1 

Rasins 3 

Flour (duff) 16 

89 

SUPPER. 

Mutton 8 lbs. 

Potatoes 15 

Damsons 6 

Pears X 2 

Flour 6 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 867 

Yeast powder i lbs. 

Ginger i 

Bread 15 

Sugar 4-i\ 

Tea i 

Milk i 

Butter 1 

59^V 
Total number, 33; total weight, 197];f ; average per man, 6 lbs. 

Monday, September 29th. 

BREAKFAST. 

Beef - 6 lbs. 

Mutton 3 

Bread 20 

Sugar 4-6^ 

Butter 1 

Coffee 4^ 

Milk i 

Potatoes 5 

DINNER. 

Mutton brotb 12 lbs. 

Roast beef 14 

Tomatoes 6 

Okra 4 

Potatoes 15 

Hard bread 5 

56 

SUPPER. 

Bear steak 20 lbs. 

Potatoes 15 

Bread 15 

Sugar 4,^ 

Butter 1 

Milk i 

Tea 1 

Dried apple " 5 

61x% 
Total number, 33 ; total weight, 161^ ; average per man, 4 lbs. 14 oz. 

Tuesday, September 30th. 

BREAKFAST. 

Bacon 13 lbs. 

Hominy 7 

Potatoes 15 

Bread 10 

Coffee 4f| 

Butter 1 

Sugar 4tV 

Milk i 

55t% 

DINNER. 

Beef soup 12 lbs. 

Boast bear 26 

Pork 4 

Potatoes 15 

Hard bread 5 

Onions ; 3 

Gooseberries X li 

Lard | 

Flour 1 

68 



868 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



SUPPER. 

Beef 8 lbs. 

Potatoes 15 

Bread 15 

Tongue X 3 

Tea 1 

Sugar 4-^ 

Milk.: ^ 

DuckX H 



48tV 
Total number, 33; total weight, ITl^fV; average per man, 5 lbs. 3 oz. 

DAILY ROUTINE. 

September 6th to September 2l8t. 

4 A. M. Call ship's cook. 

6 Call all hands. Coffee. 

6.30 Turn to. Clean decks. Wash clothes. Break ice in fire-hole. 

Execute morning orders. 
7.30 One watch to breakfast. 

8 Other watch to breakfast. 

8.30 Turn to. All hands on deck when any particular work to 

be done ; otherwise one watch only. 
10 Report berth deck ready for inspection. 

During forenoon the watch to prosride ice or snow for making 
water, and attend to general work. 
11.30 Soundings. Water temperatures at bottom and every fifteen 

fathoms, &c. Calculation of sea densities at same depths. 
11.45 Lower dredge through fire-hole. 

12 M. Watch below to dinner. 

12.30 p. M. Relieve watches and other ^^atch to dinner. 
1 Turn to all hands, or one watch at work if necessary. 

Haul up dredge; examine and bottle contents. 
4 Relieve watch. 

5.30 Watch below to supper. 

6 Relieve watch ; other watch to supper. Watch peel vege- 

tables. Collect all buckets and put them on quarter-deck 
near fire-hole. 
8 p.m. Out galley fire; boatswain and carpenter report.- Set 

anchor (?) watch of one man, watch lasting two hours. 
8 Put out berth-deck lamp. 

From September 22 to 30th the routine was changed to the following- 
extent : 

7 A. M. Call all hands, ship's cook being called at 5 a. m. 

One watch to do the work before breakfast. 
6.30 P. M. Out galley fire. 

7 Boatswain and carpenter report. 

# * # # * # * 

October Sth^ Wednesday. — In order to give the doctor more time to 
devote to preparing medicines for sledge journeys, and upon his repre- 
senting that he thought he had more than his share of the meteoro- 
logical work, and that he did not get sufficient sleep, I modified my 
meteorological order of August 7 so as to relieve the doctor of observ- 
ing from eight P. M. to midnight, and assigned the first half of that 
watch to Chief Engineer Melville, keeping the last half myself. * * * 

October 16thj Wednesday. — Already we are beginning to experience 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 869 

Ibe moisture between decks common to Arctic- ships. Although I was 
careful to have the cabin lined in England with felt, and the pooj) deck 
covered at Mare Island with three thicknesses of canvas, the upper 
thickness painted, my room shows beads of condensed vapor on every 
plank of the ceiling, and I suppose it will soon show in other places. 
I have shufc off the after part of the cabin, and thns reduced the space 
to be heated. This after part is so cool that passing into it from the 
cabin is like stepping into a cold bath, but yet it is generally dripping 
with moisture. The temperature at which the cabin and berth deck 
are kept is 50o. The watdroom is as yet perfectly dry, and as it is 
used for sleeping only I have not considered it necessary to light a fire 
in that stove. The berth deck remains dry and comfortable. Of course 
there is difiiculty about proper ventilation and keeping down the car- 
bonic acid gas, but I am hopeful of being able to make everything as 
satisfactory as possible. Whenever I see a chance to improve matters, 
I do so. The deck-house is finished excepting the felt lining. * * * 
To insure a proper changing of air on the berth deck I issue an order 
to-day to clear it daily from 1,30 to 4.30 P. M., and open all hatches and 
doors leading to it. To occupy the men profitably during that time the 
watch below is armed with Snyder rifles and turned out to hunt for seal 
and walrus. 

October 17th, Friday. — Oollins's birthday. Bear caught in trap, but 
escaped, leaving a lock of his hair as a souvenir. Nindemann got a 
seal, and Aneguin added another to our larder. We have now seven 
seals hanging in the rigging, which will in turn serve for as many din- 
ners, while their own blubber may serve to cook them. 

October ISth, Saturday. — To our surprise, the cook. Ah Sam, came 
to-day and asked for a gun ^'to go shoot a seal." He was furnished 
with a Snyder rifle and ammunition, and he started off quite gayly. In 
about an hour he returned, the most astonished and startled Chinaman 
out of China. At his first shot the gun had burst, tearing up the bar- 
rel, fortunately near the muzzle, so that he received no harm, but his 
mental demoralization was complete. The probability is he let the 
muzzle slip in the snow at some time, and the end of the bore got 
choked; hence the bursting. 

October 20t]i, Monday. — Highest temperature, 160; lowest, 3^° — the 
lowest recorded thus far. 

October 21st, Tuesday. — The thermometer commenced at 4^^, and at 
noon had fallen to zero for the first time this cruise. It continued to 
drop, however, at 8 p. m., standing at minus lO.Jo (light W. wind), 
whence it commenced to rise, ending the day at minus 4^. For the first 
time since the 10th we have clear and i)leasant weather with bright 
sunshine. Our days have become painfully shorter, the sun setting to- 
day at 3.45 p. M. Our views of him have l3een so rare that we missed 
him greatly, and even when he does come now his stay is short. Be- 
tween noon and three p. m. we had a pleasant treat, thanks to the clear 
atmosphere and the sun's low altitude. We distinctly saw land again, 
and unlike any we had seen before. From the deck it appeared like 
three islands, but on going aloft we were able to discover connecting 
land. The whole may be one large island with three peaks. The high- 
est and clearest defined peak bore S. 28^ W. (true), and may be from 
sixty to one hundred miles distant. By 4.30 the atmospheric refraction 
was very considerable, and it lifted into view a high mountain, saddle- 
peaked, and bearing S. 24^ W. (true). Along the horizon was a layer 
of ch)uds 1^ in elevation, above which the saddle peaks showed clearly. 
At seven p. m., with the thermometer at eleven degrees below, our 



870 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

liquid steering compasses froze, and we removed them to the cabin, 
placing a boat compass in the deck house to keep a record by. The 
effect of this cold snap is to close up water spaces like magic. While 
out with the dogs this afternoon where had been oi)en water, [ could 
almost see it freeze harder and harder. Temperature, minus 8^. 

October 22d, Wednesday. — Chipp and myself are beginning to experi- 
ence the effect of cold in our rooms, everything kept hanging against 
the ship's side and forward bulkhead freezing fast to them. 

October 23d, Thursday. — From 8.30 to 0.30 P. M. had our first experi- 
ence of paraselene — three mock moons at right angles to the real moon 
(owing to the moon's low altitude the fourth or lower mock could not 
be seen). Around the real moon was also a hazy arch. 

October 24:th, Friday. — To save the men's hands while hauling in the 
lead-line, we rigged to-day two standards alongside the fire-hole to sup- 
port a reel, and fitted the reel with two wooden handles. 

October 25th, Saturday. — To day served out fur clothing to the crew, 
and got on deck two stoves ready for putting in deck-house. Our stew- 
ard, Charles Tong Sing, is sick since last evening with nausea. I hope 
and think it is a slight indisposition merely. He is invaluable, and 
does more work than would tire two men. * * * 

In accordance with the various orders issued yesterday, the winter 
routine, beginning on November 1, will be as follows : — 

6 A. M. Call executive officer. 

7 Call ship's cook. 
8.30 Call all hands. 

9 Breakfast by watches. 

10 Turn to, clear fire-hole of ice, fill barrels with snow, clean up 

decks. 

11 Clear forecastle. All hands take exercise on the ice. 
11.30 Inspection by executive officer. 

12 M. Get soundings. 

1 p. M. One watch may go below. 

2 Fill barrels with snow. Clear fire-hole of ice. 

3 Dinner by watches. 

4 Galley-fires out. Carpenter and boatswain report depart- 

ments to executive of&cer. 
7.30 Supi^er by watches. 

10 Pipe down. Noise and smoking to cease in forecastle, and 

all lights to be put out, except one burner of bulkhead 
lantern. Man on watch report to the executive. 

During the night the anchor watch will examine the fires and lights 
every half hour, and see that there is no danger from fire. All buckets 
will be kept on the starboard side of the quarter deck, ready for use in 
case of fire. * * * 

Dr. Ambler handed me to-day his report of the medical examination. 
He considers the examination as very satisfactory. Of the thirty three 
persons on board, the general condition of twenty-three is pronounced 
"excellent," of eight " good " (I am among this party). To my sur- 
surprise, however, seven say they do not get enough to eat, or some- 
times do not get enough -, of these seven, four are in the cabin mess. Of 
these four, two have enough in quantity, but as some things are not 
cooked in a shape to their liking they do not eat the full ration. The 
remaining two have neither sufficient in quantity, nor liking for some 
articles served. 

I give the bills of fare and weights of articles of food (see Appendix 
D), and I believe that both in quantity and variety it is superior to any 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 871 

previous Arctic experieuce. The surgeon expresses liis opinion that it 
is all that is necessary in both respects. However, rather than any one 
should consider himself as underfed, I shall probably increase the 
rations. If we could only get a clear day we should probably find our- 
selves much nearer to land than we have been heretofore. * * * 

November 24-th, Monday. — It has come at last ; w^e are broken adrift 
from our floe. Suspecting what the continued action of this S. W. 
wind would be, T made sure to have all the dogs securely housed on 
board ship before I went to bed last night, /. e., before I lay down in mj^ 
clothes to get some sleep. At five p. m. I was aroused by a preliminary 
pressure under the bow. Turning out I reached the deck-house top in 
time to see a very severe nip, which started our port bulwark planking, 
the ice being already piled higher than our port rail in some places. 
The ice under the bow was piled up as high as our figure-head, and the 
l^ressure in this direction was increasing. A floe piece with a wedge 
shape had pierced " our " floe, and was exerting its force bravely. The 
ship creaked and groaned. Something had to give, for the pressure 
from ahead and abeam was very great. Suddenly the ship lifted by 
the stern, the wedge advanced, and our floe was split, and the port 
pressure decreasing we were afloat on an even keel once' more. The 
port floe moved slowly to the N. E., and we followed it, our snug cradle 
of two and a half months being split and shattered, and no longer our 
refuge and our strength. All our effects being long since removed we 
had nothing to bring in but our gang-plank, which was soon accom- 
plished. Throughout the day we remained nearly in the same place, 
resting at one time against one floe, and at other times against another. 

The S. W. wind blew, with a velocity between twenty and twenty-six 
miles an hour, changing occasionally to W. S. W. j towards midnight it 
moderated to fifteen miles an hour. The barometer steadily rose from 
28.95 to 29.63. The highest temperature was plus 2.5° ; the lowest minus 
50. The air was filled with falling and drifting snow all day. Sounded 
at noon in twenty -two fathoms, and observed our drift to be to the north- 
ward and eastward. 

November 25fh, Tuesday. — The S. W. wind piped up again after mid- 
night, and blew with a velocity varying from twelve to twenty miles 
until eleven A. m., when it went to west, remaining there until midnight, 
blowing with a velocity varying between twelve, seven, and three miles. 
The barometer rose rapidly from 29.64 to 30.32 — so rapidly, in fact, that 
I am suspicious of it, and inclined to look for some more bad weather. 
Highest temperature minus 3^.5 ; lowest minus 12°. Bright moonlight 
and starlight. Sounded at noon eighteen and one-half fathoms. 

To day has been one of the most anxious and exciting days we have 
yet had. At 6.15 a slight pressure on the port bow commenced hostili- 
ties. At 9.15 a very heavy squeezing on the i^ort side started our bul- 
wark i)lanking, and pinching down under us heeled the ship 3° to port. 
At ten A. M. the pressure ceased, and we were left floating upright in a 
small lead of open water, and adrift as far as any floe ice w^as concerned. 
For a time I was undecided what to do. There was no floe near us large 
enough to anchor to securely, and the chance of another pressure com- 
ing while the ship was tied up and unable to give to it was too unsatis- 
factory. If the ship were free when the ice moved she would go along 
with it ; if she were tied up she might have to stand the brunt in a very 
unfavorable position. As it was, she lay in a kind of canal a little wider 
than her own length, and ready for action ahead or astern. I concluded 
to let her remain so and watch for results. At five p. m. I noticed that 
she commenced floating stern first through the canal. About a mile 



872 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

astern (E.) was a large patch of open water, and from ahead (W.) the 
broken floe pieces were gathering away and coming down upon ns. At 
a little bend in the canal her stern took the floe and held fast, while her 
bow payed around as i^rettily as if we were casting under jibs. No 
sooner had she got stern to the wind than the advancing ice was upon 
ns, and we were pushed, forced, squeezed, driven through this mile of 
a canal amid a grinding and groaning of timbers and a crashing and 
tumbling of ice that was fearful to look at. Still we sailed on, and in a 
half hour or so were sent out into the opening beyond where our speed 
decreased, and drifting over toward a thin floe we ran our bows into the 
young ice and held fast, heading S. Though we moved at no time with 
greater speed than, say, two knots an hour, our passage through that 
sluiceway of running ice was enough to make one's hair stand on end, 
and each ot us heaved a sigh of relief when it was over. If we had in 
the morning planted an ice-anchor to a small floe, I am convinced this 
pressnre would have torn us aw^aj^ from it, and the stream of flowing 
ice might have jammed us across this canal and given us some injury, 
even if it had not climbed on board. Having a bright moon, nearly 
full, we could see, and that was a great comfort. I could not help think- 
ing how much worse it would have been on a dark night, when we could 
have heard all this trouble and yet have seen nothing. What one can 
see he can, to some extent, prepare for ; but it is the unseen danger that 
strikes the most terror to the heart. A man must be a hard unbeliever 
who does not recognize a divine hand in these wonderful escapes. * * * 

The usual monthly physical examination of officers and men was be- 
gun to-day. I shall notice with much interest the result. I can see no 
change for the worse from ordinary observation. We have at times 
been troubled by not getting pure snow for drinking and co; king pur- 
poses; and as this may continue until we have a heavy snow-fall (for 
our distilling is not perfect), I shall commence to-morrow the issue of a 
ration of one ounce lime-juice to every officer and man each day. * * * 

We are beginning to appreciate other discomforts. Our distilling 
with the Baxter boiler is not successful, the resulting water being too 
salt for healthful use. The salt is due to two causes : First, the boiler 
receives its water from a tank whick is filled from the top of the deck- 
house by drawing water in a bucket from a hole cut in the ice alongside 
the ship. If greatest care be not exercised (and what sailor will exer- 
cise it with the thermometer 25° below zero?) water is slopped over 
the distilling coil, also on top of the house, and trickles down into the 
water barrel. A very little salt-water trickling down spoils a half day's 
distilling, and as we are able to distill only enough to meet our daily 
wants (say forty gallons), it is a serious matter. It has taken us some 
days to discover that trouble, and now we will remedy it by rigging a 
pan to catch drip. Second, the boiler is so shallow that when the pump 
is started to feed it, if the pump by accident be started quickly, the 
pressure in the steam space is so suddenly relieved that the water bubbles 
up and goes over salt to the water barrel through the coil. The same 
effect is caused by admitting too much steam into the coil; and if we 
do not admit enough, the coil freezes up and bursts, as it has done sev- 
eral times. If we bring the coil down inside the deck house, the tem- 
perature will not be low enough to condense enough steam for our daily 
use, and there we are. We have almost scraped the floes bare to get 
snow enough to melt for washing purposes. The resulting water is very 
salt, and it was the use of that water which brought on diarrhoea. How- 
ever, Melville has set to work to improve the distiller, and he rarely 
misses a complete success. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 873 

We also begin to feel the darkness. Four hours' daylight is not 
much. We have not even the moon now to bear us company. We do 
not suffer of course, and I notice no diminution of appetite. Everybody 
rallies around the table at meal times, and is as cheerful as usual. But 
it is unnatural for us to have this enforced close companionship, and we 
seem to get in each other's way. We are warm and comfortable, but 
we would like to be able to go " somewheres." We cannot go out and 
walk in the dark with any object except exercise, and our two hours' 
walking match Irom eleven to one seems to supply enough of that. We 
read and sntoke, and growl at the stove when it does not throw out 
enough heat, or at the cabin door when it lets in too much cold. The 
uncertainty of our remaining quiet in the ice for an hour at a time pre- 
vents the erection of our observatory, and the taking of interesting as- 
tronomical and magnetic observations. We are able to make our hourly 
meteorological observations only. Our suspicions of the moving of 
the ice seem to have communicated themselves to the dogs, who come on 
board regularly to sleep 5 in fact some of them march up the gang-plank 
as methodically as we do when it strikes two bells. A few of them, 
however, remain on the ice to make us chase them, when the ice breaks 
up, and we are on the anxious seat. * * * 

Melville has made a complete success of the distiller, and now we get 
our water pure. But it takes two pounds of coal for every gallou of 
water, and that expenditure will ruin us if we have to keep it up. 
Snow, snow is what we want. 

The sheet-iron cover to the forward skylight, though acting as a par- 
tial condenser for the berth deck, does not keep it dry, and we shall 
have to resort to extra felting. * * * 

If life within the Arctic circle were perfect comfort, everybody would 
be coming here. We must be thankful that our discomforts are no 
greater. Everybody is in good health and in good spirits. There are 
individual cajses of feeling the time hang heavily, and of being mentally 
" out of sorts" ; but this arises, I fancy, from the non-realization of an 
impossible scheme of Arctic cruising and life rather than from any ef- 
fect on the general health. Excepting Mr. Dunbar and Mndemann no 
one has passed a winter in the Arctic before. Mr. Dunbar's experience 
has been limited to a winter in Cumberland Gulf, where his ship was 
in a snug harbor, and communication could be had and was had with 
the natives. Mudemann's experience covers one winter in the Polaris 
in Thank God Harbor, and his terrible winter-drift on the ice-floe and 
miraculous rescue. For the rest of us it is our first experience: and 
when we add to our wintering in the pack, with all its uncertainties 
and terrors, the knowledge that we attained no high latitude our first 
season, made no discoveries, so far as we know have made no useful 
additions to scientific knowledge, we cannot help feeling that we are 
doing nothing toward the object of the expedition, and are consuming 
provisions, wearing out clothing, and burning coal to no purpose. 
However we cannot tell what may be in store for us, and in our ignor- 
ance it is better to hope for good results than to pass our lives in fear- 
ing bad ones. * * * 

Well, here we are in the pack. So far, with tw^o exceptions, we are 
in good health. The two exceptions are Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Dun- 
bar. Mr. Danenhower has an inflammatory trouble with his left eye, 
which obliges him to keep it blinded, but is of no very serious charac- 
ter. Mr. Dunbar has caught a bad cold which has run him down con- 
siderably, and as he says he never was sick before it seems to depress 
his spirits to be ailing now. Some of us are troubled with extreme 



874 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

sleeplessness, myself, probably, worst of all, or, at least, as badly. My 
work not being- over until one P. M., at which time I retire, I rarely 
get asleep before 3.30, and sometimes not until four A. M. 1 avoid nap- 
ping as a rule during the day, but it seems to make no difference. The 
lack of sufficient exercise may be the cause of our wakefulness. As au 
electrical celebration of the shortest day in the year, we had a display 
of auroras far exceeding- in quantity, and, perhaps, also in quality, any 
efforts in that line. * * * 

At three A m. we had a lunar circle showing faint mock moons, the 
lowest mock moon very bright. Through the real and two lateral mock 
moons a curved line passed toward tbe horizon. At nine P. M. a blood- 
red halo around the moon. Early daylight at 8.14 A. M. Sounded at 
noon in 30J fathoms. Owing to the low temperature and strong wind 
blowing, I suspended for the day the operation of my regulation mak- 
ing everybody leave the ship and exercise on tbe ice from eleven A. M. 
to one P. M. 

At three P. M. everybody sat down to a capital dinner, and afterward 
we got ready for the minstrel performance in the evening. Our men 
had rallied from their failure to get up one for Christmas, and seemed 
determined to make this entertainment good enough for both occasions. 
During the day invitations were sent aft, accompanied by programmes. 
At 8.30 one of the men came to the cabin and invited us into the deck- 
house. Entering, we found a nice little stage erected with drop-cur- 
tain, footlights, etc., and tastily decorated with flags. The performance 
commenced with a minstrel variety, jokes and conundrums sandwiching 
in with the songs. One conundrum was excellent (pointing to one of 
the stanchions of the deck-house): '' Why is that stanchion like Mr. 
James Gordon Bennett ? Because it supports the house." Sweetmau's 
songs were very good, and Kuehne's violin solo was fine indeed, espec- 
ially when one takes into consideration the fact that a seaman's life does 
not serve to render the fingers supple and deicate. Mr. Cole gave us a 
jig with all the gravity of a judge. One of the features of the evening 
was the reading of a prologue composed by Mr. Collins, in which each 
one of the crew was made the subject of a rhyme in turn. Alexy and 
Aneguin gave us native dances, and the latter an imitation of a song 
sung by our Chinamen. The Chinamen gave us their native song, and 
a sham fight with knives and a pole, winding up by imitating with much 
contempt Alexey's and Aneguiu's manner of singing and dancing. 

Instead of shadow ])ictures we had tableaux vivants, '' Nei)tune " (Cole 
turning a wheel, our broken spare one, mounted on a camp ^stool) ; " Sail- 
ors mourning over a dead marine" (two sailors mute with grief over an 
em])ty brandy-bottle) ;. "A glimpse at Vulcan" (our prize blacksmith, 
Dressier); ''Queen Ann" (Aneguin — Anne Gwyne — Queen Anne); " Is 
that a bear 1 seef (Alexey with dog, aiming at some unseen object) ; 
''Mars" (man on crutches); "Taking an observation" (man drinking 
out of uplifted bottle), were all capital. When, the performance over, 
we broke up at eleven o'clock, we all felt satisfied alike with the ship, 
the minstrels, ourselves, and the manner in which we had celebrated 
the first day of the year of our Lord 1880. * * * 

January 5th, Monday. — This morning the doctor came to me and rep- 
resented that Danenhower's case w^as of a very serious chaiacter, and 
that there was great danger of his losing the sight of his left eye. 
Owing to the necessity for shielding the eye from all light, it would be- 
come necessary for Mr. Danenhower to remain in his room in total 
darkness, and it was feared that this might affect his general health 
and depress his spirits. I am much distressed at the news, for Danen- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 875 

hower is highly prized by all of ns, and by his efforts has kept us many 
an hour from moping. He is now shut out from all participation with 
what is going on, and we can do nothing but go down occasionally and 
sit with him in the dark and talk with him. He is cheerful enough 
himself, however, and, having great force of character, has made up 
his mind to accept the situation and fight it out patiently. * * * 

Everything was carried on regularly, quietly, and systematically 
There was no excitement and no confusion. If we had to leave the ship, 
our sledges were ready on the poop packed with forty days' provisions, 
our boats were ready to lower, and we had the two dingys mounted on 
their sleds. Everybody had his knapsack and sleeping-bag ready, and 
our records and papers were in condition to seal up in a box, but* thank 
God we had no occasion to experience that emergency. Temperature 
slowly rises to minus 44o. Early daylight at 6.50. Clear and pleasant. 
Bright moonlight and starlight. Considerable ice movement during 
day, and continuous heavy pressure. 

January 20th, Tuesday.— A very disagreeable feature in connection 
with our trouble is, that we have a sick man on our hands (Danenhow- 
er), and his being unable to help himself, in case of an extraordinary 
emergency, makes it a cause of serious anxiety to me. The doctor was 
suddenly taken ill last night with a bilious attack, and for a time I was 
quite alarmed about him. But this morning he seems to be on the 
mend. Mr. Dunbar is not strong yet, his recent sickness seeming to 
have added twenty years to his age. 

While we are in this uncertain state, there is not much rest for Chipp, 
Melville, or myself 5 and among the men, Nindemann, Cole, and Sweet- 
men seem to be as unwilling to take rest as ourselves. The last named 
is not very strong, and I fear would not stand a heavy strain. But 
Mudemann seems to know no such thing as fatigue. We do not gain 
much on the water, but then the water does not gain on us. The aux- 
iliary steam-pump has been moved from the engine-room to the old 
galley-room, and secured in place against the berth deck bulkhead. 
Several repairs were made to it, such as fitting new valves, &c., but we 
had not finished running the line of piping to it from the main boiler by 
the time the day closed. A connection will be had with the main boiler 
through the steam -whistle pipe. As soon as we got the auxiliary pump 
in place we attempted to run it by the Baxter boiler, but the pump was 
too much for it, taking away all its steam almost immediately. The for- 
ward bilge-pump is worked by the watch, and at times we get the 
water down so low that ten minutes' pumping and ten minutes' spell 
keep the water in check. The flow of water aft to the engine-room is 
freer, enabling the steam-pump to be run fifteen minutes in every half 
hour, giving a breathing spell to the men. The boiler-pump exhausts 
into the bilge, and the feed water is taken from the bilge, all the sea 
cocks being frozen fast in their seats. 

We cannot expect to free the ship by the hand-pumps alone, and are 
Avaiting for the aid of the auxiliary steam-pump. It may seem strange 
that so long a time is required to get this in operation, but our difficul- 
ties are enormous. To take a steam-pump down, move it, and put it 
together is a long job alone, without speaking of running steam-piping, 
all of which has to be fitted. Every man has been worked up to the top 
notch of his strength, whether in engine work, at the pumps, or carry- 
ing provisions aft 5 and though there seems but little described on this 
page, the day has been spent in harder work than falls to the lot of 
most men.. Still everything is done quietly and with precision, and 
aided by Chipp and Melville, whose superiors the navy cannot show, 



876 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

with tbeir uiitirinc;- energy, .s])lendid jiulgmeiit, and fertility of device, I 
am cootident of Jjciisg" able, to do all that mar. can do to carry on the ex- 
pedition to a sate termination. * * * 

JMuch hard work falls upon two men, Nindemann and Sweetman. 
These two have to take tu' ns abont in standing- in the water in the fore 
peak, bnilding the bnlkhead across it. Nindemann seems strong enough 
for everything, but this kind of work tells on Sweetman, and i have 
once or twice feared that he wonld break down. Whisky is served out 
to them once every four hours, and a generous supply of food and cof- 
fee is made for such other men as have night work, and I thus try to 
keep everybody u]) to Ids strength. Chipp and myself take twelve 
hours' watch each, looking out generally for work, and watching the ice 
(carefully for enierger.cies. This is like living over a powder-magazine 
with a train laid ready for tiring. Melville, when he does go below, in- 
stead of sleeping, lies awake })laiining some new means of pumping a 
ship by steam, which will be more economical than the main boilers. 
Daneidiower is, of course, out of the case altogether. * * * 

Danenhower's case is again becoming very disquieting. The contin- 
ned confinement is telling on his general health, and his failing to im- 
prove under treatinent worries him greatly. Being of a very sensitive 
nature, he feels that he is iK)t doing any duty for the expedition, and 
that worries him. We try to encourage him all we can. He accepts oar 
kinds words at their full value, but knovvs they do not in any way alter 
facts. The doctor is very ai^xious about him, and speaks of the stub- 
bornness of the case and the x)robable necessity of another operation. 
j\Iy anxieties are beginning to crowd on me. A disabled and leaking 
ship, a seriously sick officer, and an uneasy and terrible pack, with a 
constantly-diminishing coal pile, and at a distance of 200 miles to the 
nearest Siberian settlement — these are enough to think of for a life- 
time. * * * 

March 2^7, Tuesday. — The usual monthly examination of the officers 
and men by the surgeon was continued and completed, and his report 
handed in. Our condition, upon the whole, is satisfactory. The sur- 
geon says, •' I consider that the crew have stood the hardships incident 
to a winter in these latitudes very well ; there has been no case of seri- 
ous disease among us up to this time that could be referred for its origin 
to our sojourn in the Arctic regions." Of the eight officers, the condi- 
tion of one is excellent, of six good, and of one fair. Of the twenty- 
three men and two natives, the condition of twenty is excellent, and of 
the remaining five good. The ouly serious case is that of Mr. Danen- 
hower, whicli drags along from day to day. Another operation was 
l)erformed on his eye to-day, and no doiTbt others will be necessary at 
short intervals. * * * 

March 14, tSunday. * * * At one P. M. read divine service in the 
cabin. 

It is, perhaps, worthy of record here that since October 1st we have 
used but eighteen tons of coal for heating the entire ship and for cook- 
ing, and, also, sometimes distilling, and that since January 19th it has 
required eighteen Ions to pump the water out of the ship. The comfort 
of this latter part is, that whereas we used 11,000 pounds, nearly five 
tons, to do our ])umi)ing the first week of the leak, we are doing the 
work with 1,84;") pounds now, thanks to Melville's skill and devotion to 
dut3\ * * * 

* * * In a few days I shall relieve Ohipp of the extra duty of 
taking sights, and shall make daily observations, when possible, for 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 877 

position to determine the extent and character of our drift, and its con- 
nection with the direction and force of the wind. * * * 

A change in the routine is made for the spring and summer. When 
we are moving again some modifications will occur. 
April 2d, Friday, — Daily routine, commencing April 1st, 1881 : 

5.00 A. M. Call ship's cook and cabin steward. 

5.45 Call executive officer. 

7.00 Call all hands. 

7.30 Breakfast by watches. 

8.30 Turn to; clear up decks ; clear fire-hole; get soundings, &c. 

9.00 Watch below to go hunting. 

9.30 Clear forecastle ; open doors and scuttle for ventilation 

until 11.30; iuspection by executive. 
11.00 Hoist the recall flag at the fore. 

12.00 M. Dinner by watches. 

1.00 P.M. Turn to; watch below to go hunting. 

5.00 Hoist recall flag at the main. 

5.30 Supper by watches. 

6.30 Turn to. 

8.00 Boatswain and carpenters report the departments. 

9.00 Open forecastle doors, and partly open scuttle until morn- 

ing. 
10.00 Lights out in forecastle ; noise and smoking to cease. 

By this new routine we still have but two cooked meals a day. The 
tea water for supper is boiled on the fire in the stove in the cabin and 
berth deck as heretofore since November 1. This arrangement will 
hold good as long as we keep the stoves going. But as I shall stop 
them as soon as we can safely (not comfortably) do without them, in 
order to save every lump of coal, some other way of boiling the tea- 
water has to be devised. While Melville and I were talking it over to- 
night, we thought it would be possible to make a little fire in the observ- 
atory stove down in the fire-room each evening, which would boil all 
the tea-water together. But it suddenly flashed into his mind that as 
we should be pumping by steam as long as the coal lasted, we could 
boil the tea- water by steam also. And with him to think being to 
act, the whole thing is un fait accompli. If we can get along with 
pumping by the Baxter engine alone, we may have a little trouble in 
thus boiling the water by steam, because the steam- room is so shallow 
that salt spray is lifted and carried along with the steam, and would 
mix with our tea-water. If we are using the steam-cutter's boiler con- 
tinuously, there will be no difficulty, for as it has a steam-drum on top 
of the boiler all danger of lifting salt spray is eliminated. How we 
may have to use it and the Baxter together, or only one of them, will 
appear a little later. 

We took out the port forward bilge-pump to-day, and put it down the 
fire-room hatch into the fire-room bilge, cutting a hole on the after side 
of the hatch coaming on the starboard side for the pump delivery. 
When it is secured in place we shall move the Baxter engine and boiler 
down to the fire-room, and connect them by gearing somewhat similar 
to that now in use for the pump brake. Then, the Baxter and steam- 
cutter's boiler being side by side — the one delivering water on the spar 
deck, the other delivering water through the side — -we shall open the 
forward flood-gates and let ail the water come aft into tire-room. If the 
Baxter can pump all the water, we shall save tlie coal now consumed 
by the steam-cutter's boiler ; if the steam-cutter's boiler can do the work 
we shall save the coal now used by the Baxter. At all events, if one 



878 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

alone caunot do it, we may light a fire under the steam-cutter's boiler 
in time to get tea water for supper, and pump with it also, say twelve 
hours, using the after bilge-pump by hand occasionally, if necessary, and 
thus save the coal now burned in twelve hours by this little boiler. 

I mention these items minutely, to show how carefully we are watch- 
ing our coal pile and making every pound do its work. I suppose any 
sensible person will admit that the propriety of pumping by steam is 
unquestionable. Under ordinary circumstances of a vessel at sea spring- 
ing a leak, hand pumping for a long period to make a port is to be ex- 
pected. But here in the Arctic seas, where for more than two months 
we have been leaking, and when for perhaps two months more we may 
be fast in the ice, the situation is quite different. Supposing that we had 
resorted to hand-pumping, very probably one-half of the ship's company 
would have been on the sick list by this time, or if not sick, at least 
wore out ; and had any accident crushed the ship and forced us to 
abandon her, in what condition would the crew have been to march two 
hundred miles over the ice, dragging heavy sledges, to the nearest set-, 
tlement? * * * 

April 5th, Monday. — And now one would imagine that we had arrived 
at the end of our resources for saving coal without resorting to hand- 
power. But it is not so. Some days ago, in thinking matters over, I 
recollected having seen pumps run by windmills, and upon consulting 
Melville as to the practicability of making the necessary machinery on 
board ship I was gratified, but (knowing his genius and unfailing read- 
iness to adapt the means to the end) not surprised, to have him say, 
"Can do it." He thought out all the details, and has immediately com- 
menced working drawings for the construction of the windmill bilge- 
pump. He calculated that with a wind of velocity equal to five miles 
an hour, we can have a mill that will do the work now done by the 
altered main engine bilge-pump run by the steam-cutter's engine. Of 
course when we have no wind we must pump by hand if we wish to save 
coal, but the number of hours of calm in a month has been so small that 
I think we can safely take the chances for the future. * * * 

Considering that we are all (excepting Danenhower) in such perfect 
health; that our scale of food contains so nmch fresh bread and canned 
vegetables, with milk, butter, and other anti-scorbutics ; that we have 
so many fresh potatoes, sixty pounds each week ; and that one of our 
three barrels of lime juice is now consumed (since December 6, much 
sooner than I anticipated), 1 have decided, ujjon consultation with the 
surgeon, to reduce our consumption to an issue of the regular ounce on 
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I think it would be difiicult to 
mention a more healthy crew in Arci'ic experience than we are, after 
our winter of damp, cold, anxiety, and danger. Before long these things 
will be of the past, and we shall forget them in our expectations of the 
future. * * * 

April 18th, ^Sunday. — Another week gone, and but a few miles nearer 
the Pole than we were last Sunday. The winter is "lingering in the 
lap of spring" with a vengeance. If the spring lingers in the lap of 
summer in like manner, our progress in any direction is very problem- 
atical. One needs an inexhaustible fund of patience under these cir- 
cumstances, and an amount of hopeful anticipation not called for in 
lower latitudes. Each night when I write up my journal, I am strongly 
impressed with the fact that I have made no valuable addition to it, 
and yet each night I hoped for something better on the morrow. Much 
as I have written here, it conveys no idea of the extent of the thinking, 
which cannot be recorded i^roperly. No plans can be definitely formed 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 879 

in our situation. Much depends on what is presented to us from day to 
day as the ice breaks up (if it ever does), the condition of the leak at 
the time, and our ability to handle the ship under canvas with her neces- 
sarily bad trhn. When the time comes action will be takeu, based gen- 
erally on the feeling that a fight should never be given up while tliere 
is a chance of the slightest success. 

At ten A. M. I inspected the ship, finding everthing assuming tidy 
and ship-shape appearances, and being impressed with the fact that if 
anything more were put in the fire-room the engineer's force would have 
to move on deck. Then divine service was performed. Our Sunday 
dinner is always something looked forward to with pleasure. All win- 
ter we have had roast seal or roast bear, with cranberry sauce, maca- 
roni, potatoes, pickles, bread, a soup, of course, duff, coffee, and choco- 
late, and always a glass of ale, or porter, or sherry, as the case might 
be. I do not think our bill of fare could be much improved. * * * 

Everything being in place, the windmill was attached to the shifted 
bilge-pump to day and set to work. The wind was hardly strong enough 
to enable it to work this large pump, the mill occasionally hanging fire 
on the center. As it was originally intended for a pump of boiler tubes 
three inches in diameter, making it work a pump six inches in diameter 
was hardly a fair trial. We were calling upon the pump for four times 
as much work as it was designed to perform. However, with slight 
change, we believe we can make it work this pumx), and so save the 
time and labor necessary to make a three-inch pump. The change sug- 
gested by Chipp is to remove the canvas sails and substitute tin ones, 
which, being but little heavier, will stand flatter and offer more resist- 
ance; and this is put in train, the dozen of empty tin boxes on the floe 
being used as a stock. * * * 

April 2Stk, Wednesday. — By three p. m. the windmill was in place, 
and connected with the shifted bilge-pump in the corner of the fire-room 
hatch. The sails made of sheeting having been found to possess too 
little surface, and to sag in too much, bad been removed, and in their 
places fans made of sheet tin (utilized from our empty coffee and sugar 
tins) had been secured with wire stops. So well did the new rig work, 
that at eight p. m. we stopped pumping forward by hand, opened the 
starboard flood-gate, and allowed all the water to come aft. Up to mid- 
night the windmill was working admirably, enabling us to save a little 
coal on the steam-cutter rig, which is now used for distilling only. To 
provide for light wind Melville commenced to-day the construction of 
a pump of boiler tubes, also to be worked by the windmill. To deter- 
mine by experiment which will be the most economical of fuel — the Bax- 
ter or the steam-cutter's engine — I directed Melville to use the Baxter 
hereafter for distilling and unavoidable steam pumping. 

Chipp has been hard at work of late making fuses and torpedoes, in an- 
ticipation of our needing them for our future operations. We have plenty 
of powder for blasting purposes, and Chipp, with his torpedo experience, 
has manufactured the necessary weapons. Mr. Dunbar has earned 
among us the reputation of making a mile, according to his reckoning, 
as near two. judging from our feelings, as can be. Last fall, upon the 
occasion of killing some walruses, he came back for a boat, and as he 
said the distance was about a mile, the doctor, Melville, and myself 
started with him, a team of dogs dragging the boat on the sled. We 
ran the best three miles I ever saw, and were pretty well used up before 
we got to the end of his mile. To-day,' when he .started out, 1 got him 
to carry a pedometer hitched to his pocket. On his return be said he 
thought he had gone about three miles in allj but I could see in his face 



880 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

he felt he was saying too much — that he ought to have made it less. 
The pedometer read five miles. Kule: Multiply Mr. Dunbar's estimate 
by two, and then judge whether you are game to hold out. * * * 

May 3d, Monday. — Our first case of eyes damaged by snow occurred 
to-day in Mr. Dunbar. The man of most experience, and generally the 
greatest care in such matters, is the first to go under. His is not a serious 
case however, and he will be around in a day or two. His eagerness 
to try my Winchester led him to wander around looking for bears more 
than was prudent. 

May Uh, Tuesday. — Our experience on this cruise may not only be of 
advantage to ourselves but it may serve to accomplish an improvement 
in some articles of Arctic outfit. On one occasion when Melville and I 
sat looking at our stove and wondering if it could not be made to an- 
swer more than one purpose (for so economical have we become that 
nothing seems valuable for future equipment that cannot do at least 
two things), the question came up as to whether a stove might not be 
made to distill water as well as keep a room or cabin warm. Melville 
promptly said yes, it could be done, and that even our cabin stove 
might be made to distill, with some additional fittings, a small quantity 
of water; but that the necessity of arranging those fittings, so that the 
salt or scale might be removed as it accumulated, would involve such a 
disproportionate amount of gearing for the result gained, with so much 
additional consumption of fuel, that we would not be as well off as with 
our present distiller, especially as we have to pump by steam. Kecur- 
ring to the subject to-day I asked him to give me his plan of such an 
apparatus as would heat and distill with the greatest economy, for some 
possible Arctic ship in the future. I am so convinced that he has 
solved a great probleui and produced an incalculably valuable article 
of outfit, that I would be almost sufficiently ready to undertake another 
Arctic voyage for the express purpose of proving it. 

Should we be so fortunate as to return without having had the scurvj^ 
break out among us, I think it will be because we had pure water to 
drink, for I do not think that our situation is thus far any less preju- 
dicial to general health than the Tegethotf's or De Haven's Expedition, 
both of which wintered in the pack and were afflicted with scurvy to a 
considerable extent. But inasmuch as the Nares' Expedition were con- 
suming water which was pure (according to the nitrate of silver test, 
as testified to by Dr. Moss), and yet broke down with scurvy, there may 
be some other cause to affect us which we have yet to learn (and avoid, 
for we do not want the proof by experience). 

It is very hard, and almost impossible to get men to understand the 
importance of this matter (when I say men 1 mean the average seaman 
before the mast). Last fall when I was straining every nerve to keep 
snow water from being drunk after we found it becoming impure, and 
burning coal more precious than diamonds, to distill with the Baxter 
boiler, some outrageous things would occur. Though the men knew 
that diarrhoea had been caused by impure water, and that it would con- 
tinue while such water was used, no judgment could be discerned in 
some of them. For instance, as the supply of distilled water was just 
equal to the demand for drinking and cooking, it would not be quite 
cool at all times, and though a moment's exposure of a tin pot to the 
outside air would have cooled it more than enough, goodness knows, a 
man would fill his tin cup half full of snow before dipping it in the 
barrel, not only making his own potful impure but spoiling more or less 
the water in the barrel. Of course that was stopped, the barrel headed 
up, and a faucet inserted, and the fireman on duty put in charge of it. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 881 

AgaiD, the cook fiDdiiig the suow water, for cleaning dishes, etc., i>leas- 
aut enough to the taste, would add much or little to the tea water as 
the distilled water was more or less scant. This could be stopped and 
was stopped. To him the idea of necessary quantity was more impor- 
tant than any over-sensitiveness as to quality. These merely illustrate 
the lack of judgment. 

Now the difficulty arises about insuring the wearing of snow-specta- 
cles. They are inconvenient, and to some unpleasant, but none the less 
important and necessary. Though they may not entirely prevent snow- 
blindness, they will guard against it longer than an uncovered eye, and 
make its effects less painful and lasting. I see that human judgment 
will lead the average seaman to prefer certain snow-blindness to a prob- 
able freedom from it, and hence I shall issue a stringent order on the 
subject. * * * 

Tests for carbonic acid at 10 p. M. on the berth-deck give 1.69 vol- 
umes per 1,000, or .169 per cent. A very good showing for people living 
under our circumstances. * * * 

The bright weather we are having is very cheering. An uninter- 
rupted sunlight the whole twenty-four hours is a great treat, and would 
be fully appreciated if we could only avail ourselves of it in carrying 
the ship farther I:^. in open water. Every day parties are out on the 
hunt, and I find that there is more or less complaint about soreness of 
the eyes. My stringent order about wearing snow glasses whenever 
more than two hundred yards from the ship seems to be faithfully 
obeyed, and I have no doubt that their use, though not an infallible 
way of avoiding snow-blindness, will, nevertheless, so mitigate the 
severity of the complaint as to prevent any one being laid up. * * * 

June 21 s^, Moyiday. — The advent and departure of another day to re- 
cord, and except that it is the longest day in the year to some people 
(though not, of course, to us, since we have the sun the whole twenty- 
four hours), it is hardly worth recording. Observations show us that 
we have drifted, since the 19th, eleven and three-tenths miles to S. 68^ 
E. Discouraging, very. And yet my motto is, ^'Hope on, hope ever." 
A very good one it is when one's surroundings are more natural than 
ours J but situated as we are, it is better in the abstract than in realiza- 
tion. There can be no greater wear and tear on a man's mind and 
patience than this life in the pack. The absolute monotony ; the un- 
changing round of hours ; the awakening to the same things and the 
same conditions that one saw just before losing one's self in sleep ; the 
same faces ; the same dogs 5 the same ice ; the same conviction that 
to-morrow will be exactly the same as to-day, if not more disagreeable; 
the absolute impotence to do anything, to go anywhere, or to change 
one's situation an iota ; the realization that food is being consumed and 
fuel burned with no valuable result, beyond sustaining life; the knowl- 
edge that nothing has been accomplished thus far to save this expedi- 
tion from being denominated an utter failure ; all these things crowd in 
with irresistible force on my reasoning x^owers each night as I sit down 
to reflect upon the events of the day, and but for some still small voice 
within me that tells me this can hardly be the ending of all my labor 
and zeal, I should be tempted to despair. 

All our books are read, our stories related ; our games of chess, cards, 
and checkers long since discontinued. When we assemble in the morn- 
ing at breakfast we make daily a fresh start. An 3^ dreams, amusing or 
peculiar, are related and laughed over. Theories as to whether we shall 
eventually drift N. E. or E. W. are brought forward and discussed. 
Reals' livers as a change of diet are pronounced a success, The temper- 
56 J Q* 



882 JEANNETTE ^ INQUIRY. 

alure of the morning watch is inquired into, tbe direction and velocity 
of the wind, and if it is snowing (as it generally is) we call it a "fine 
summer daj." After breakfast we smoke. Chipp gets a sounding and 
announces a drift E. S. E. or S. E., as the case may be. We growl 
thereat. Dunbar and Alexy go off for seals with as many dogs as do 
not run away from them e7i route. The doctor examines Danenhower 
and Iversen, his two chronic patients. Melville draws a little for this 
journal, sings a little, and stirs everybody up to a realization that it is 
daytime. Danenhower talks incessantly — on any or all subjects, with 
or without an audience. The doctor moralizes between observations ; 
I smoke ; Mr. Newcomb makes his preparations for dredging specimens ; 
Mr. Collins has not appeared, his usual hour being 12.30 in the afternoou. 
Meanwhile the men have been set at work ; a sled and dogs are dispatched 
for the day's snow for washing purposes. The decks are cleared up, 
soundings made, berth-deck inspected, and work of painting, scraping, 
or whatever is on hand commenced. The day's rations are served out 
to the cook, and then we commence to drift out on tbe ice to dig ditches, 
to look at the dogs, calculate the waste in the ice since yesterday, and 
the probable amount by to-morrow. The dredge is lowered and hauled. 
I get the sun at meridian, and we go to dinner. After dinner more 
smoke, more drawing, more singing, more talk, more ditch and canal 
making, more hunting, more work, more dog inspection, and some at- 
tempts at napping until four p. M., when we are all around for anything 
that may turn up. At 5.30 time and azimuth sight, post position in 
cabin, make chart, go to supper at six, and discuss our drift, and then 
smoke, talk, and general kill-time occupations until ten p. m., when the 
day is ended. The noise subsides 5 those who can go to bed ; I write 
the log and my journal, make the observations for meteorology until 
midnight. Mr. Collins succeeds me four hours, Chipj) him four hours, 
the doctor next four hours, Mr. Collins next six hours, I next two hours, 
Melville next two hours, and I end tbe day again, and so it goes. 

Our meals necessarily have a sameness. Canned meats, salt beef, salt J 
pork, and bear meat have the same taste at one time as another. Each 
day has its bill of fare, but after varying it every day for a week we 
have, of course, to commence over again. Consequently we have it by 
heart, and know what we are going to eat before we sit down at table. 
Sometimes the steward startles us with a potato salad (potatoes now 
rotting too fast for our consumption), or a seal's liver, or a bear's tongue; 
but we generally are not disturbed in that way. Our bill of fare is ample 
and good, our water is absolutely pure, and our fresh bread is some- 
thing marvelous. Though disappointed day after day, we are cheerful 
and healthy, and — here we are. * * * 

July 6thy Tuesday. — All our time and attention were occupied to-day 
in collecting surface ice and thawing the same in our water tank for 
drinking and cooking puri)oses. The greatest care was exercised in tbe 
selection of the ice ; but occasionally some would prove to have been 
dug too deeply, and would give so much salt in its resulting fluid as to 
require rejection. As a general rule, the soft snow-like surface crust 
was sufficiently fresh to make a potable element; but if by accident or 
carelessness the spade struck into the underlying ice, a salty solution 
was the result. Dr. Ambler and Cbipp watched the matter closely' and 
faithfully, repeated tests being made of each barrelful of snow before 
emptying it into the tank ; and I am satisfied that every precaution was 
taken to provide a sufficiently pure element. Tbe change from distilled 
water to melted ioe is a bold (experiment, and only warranted by our 
zeal to save every pound of coal we can for possible steaming this sum- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIEY. 883 

mer, or keeping us warm next winter. To quicken the process of thaw- 
ing, a steampipe was led from the steam-cutter's boiler into the tank on 
the spar deck, and the steam driven into the tank through it. As our 
tank holds four hundred gallons, I am anxious to accumulate that quan- 
tity rapidly, and shut down on all consumption of fuel, except for the 
galley, as speedily as possible. Parties going out to hunt return with 
the news that the ship is in the center of an island of ice about two and 
one-half miles in diameter, with a narrow^ canal running around it. 

July Itli^ Wednesday. — We succeeded in getting our tank filled to-day 
with a sufficiently pure water from melted surface ice, and 1 accord- 
ingly directed the distilling to be stopped. Thus we save sixty pounds 
of coal per diem, and give a rest to our engineer's department, which 
has been steadily employed in night and day watches all the winter and 
spring; in fact, upon the firemen and coal-heavers has fallen most of 
the uncomfortable toil, for whether in distilling, or running steam- 
pumps, or repairing, they have not had an all-night in since NoA^em- 
ber. * * * 

So thoroughly do we feel that we are accomplishing nothing, that 
some of us think that the food we eat and the coal burned to cook it 
are utter and absolute waste. Of what avail are health and energy if 
we can make no use of them ? In the world we are not judged by what 
we can do, but by what we actually perform. In the case of an Arctic 
expedition, judgment is passed on results, and not on the zeal or inten- 
tion. A ship having the North Pole for an objective point must get to 
the Pole, otherwise her best efforts are a failure. No matter what the 
difficulties, or troubles, or accidents, the failure to do the specified thing 
stands out in bold letters. So with us. We started for the Pole; we 
are beset in the pack in 71° plus; we drift northwest; our shij) is in- 
jured, and we have to burn coal to save her ; we drift back southeast; 
we are passing our second summer more unprofitably than our first, for 
then we were moving. No matter how much we have endured, no mat- 
ter ho w^ often we have been in jeopardy, no matter that we bring the 
ship and ourselves back to our starting point, no matter if we were ab- 
sent ten years instead of one — w^e have failed, inasmuch as we did not 
reac% the Pole ; and we and our narratives together are thrown into the 
world's dreary waste-basket, and recalled and remembered only to be 
vilified or ridiculed. 

And yet I would not wish to be understood as implying we have given 
up the fight. We look for to-morrow with just the same faith and with as 
great exi)ectations as we did on the 1st of June. But we do not spend to- 
day in idleness for all that. A full meteorological record is kept, sound- 
ings are taken, the dredge is hauled, specific gravities and sea tempera- 
tures are taken, astronomical observations made and positions computed, 
dip and declination of the needle observed and recorded, experiments 
made with ice and snow and surface water, birds shot and skinned, seals 
hunted, mechanics employed, ship's routine carried out, etc.; everything 
we can do is done as faithfully, as strictly, as mathematically as if we 
were at the Pole itself, or the lives of millions depended on our adher- 
ence to routine. Not a word is said about going back. Occasionally a 
trip is proposed somewhere — to Paris, to Naples, to the W^est Indies — 
to come off " one of these days when we get back." We go on with the 
regularity of a man of-w^ar in port. We look upon this place — the pack 
— as a kind of Key West or Aspinwall, dull as a hoe and dreary to staj^ 
in, but bound to come in sometimes in a three years' cruise in those 
neighborhoods. And Jack's philosoi:)hy, "It is all in a cruise, boys; 
the more days the more dollars," comes in well aproiDos. * * * 



884 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

August 29th, Sunday. — Another week come and gone, and here we are 
yet. Of course it is for the best that we are here, else it would not be 
the case; but, oh! how hard, and, in fact, impossible it is to draw any 
consolation from it. Our situation seems unchanged, and its continu- 
ance inevitable. Although I have been buoyed up during the last two 
weeks by the mildness of the temperature, and its probable wasting 
eflect on the ice, even that comfort is removed now by a fall in the tem- 
perature early this morning, and the appearance of young ice on the 
surface of our ponds which did not disappear until near noon. Al- 
though passing a second winter in the pack is not a pleasant thing to 
contemplate, 1 do not think an officer or man shrinks from it because • 
of the danger to be incurred, or the discomfort to be endured. 

But we cannot help asking ourselves the question, ''Shall we be any 
more successful when it has passed 'l Here we have been nearly a year 
drifting with the ice to and fro, and we are about one hundred and forty 
miles K. N. W. of where we started. Let us suppose a year from now 
we are still one hundred and forty miles north of our position today 
(latitude N. 73^ 41^ longitude W. 177o 13'), or say K 76° 30^ We 
shall then be 800 miles from the Pole, and 500 miles from a Siberian 
settlement, with a disabled ship, no fuel,*and perhaps as immovably 
jammed as now. Supposing our progress were in the same successive 
manner the next year, and so on, in six additional years we should 
reach the Pole. But what is the use of figuring it up — a man might as 
well attempt to demonstrate by mathematical calculation the day of his 
death. Let us deal with the present. 

The long continuance of foggy, damp weather, and the extent to 
which our men were obliged to be in the water while sawing ice, have 
led to the accumulation of a large quantity of wet clothes. In order to 
dry them 1 have ordered a fire on the berth deck, which, commencing on 
Friday, continued yesterday and to-day. This makes a sad expenditure 
of coal (145 pounds), but it is necessary for health and comfort that peo- 
ple should wear dry clothing. Sweetman continues his work of altering 
the deck-house for our possible winter's detention, and as he always 
makes a thorough finish of anything he undertakes, the altered house 
is as much like a new one as possible. He is as invaluable a carpenter 
as he is desirable as a cheerful shipmate, and I cannot be too loud in his 
praise. His exertions, with those of Nindemann, down in the fore peak 
on and after January 19th will always remain indelibly fixed in my mind. 

Inspection and divine service took place as usual on Sundays. We 
sounded in thirty-seven fathoms, a drift to N. N. E. being indicated by 
the lead line. Light southerly breezes four miles an hour, freshened by 
midnight to ten miles, and yet a temperature at one time as low as 28.3° ! 

Have Behring Strait and the ocean south of us closed thus early? If 
so, by what accident shall we find water north of us? Fog, mist, and 
drizzling rain as usual, but I managed to get some fair sights, showing 
our position obtained yesterday to be reliable. 

The outlook from the crow's-nest is dreary enough. Ice, ice, ice! In 
the little basin or valley in which we are numerous rivulets and pond- 
holes may be seen ; but beyond what was once our encircling mountain 
ridge twenty to forty feet high, and now a ragged mass of confused 
chunks, is a seemingly endless ice desert, with a black pool here and 
there, but no leads, no channels, no avenues of advance or retreat. * * * 

ISeptember 1th, Tuesday. — Another day of refreshingly low tempera- 
ture, maximum 27^, minimum IG^; it is enough to make one heart-sick. 
This is worse than Weyprecht and Payer, for before a second winter 
Stared them in the fiice they had a uewly-disoovered laud in sight, had 



i 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 885 

landed on it, and looked forward to its exploration in the ensuing 
spring. We have seen nothing, done nothing, and, so far as human 
judgment can foretell or the human vision foresee, we shall see nothing, 
do nothing but battle another winter with the pack. If the coming 
winter's temperature may be judged by that of the earl^^ fall, we are in 
for some hard experience. However, never say die! Who can tell what 
Providence has in store for us*? Dark as our future seems to be, the 
light may be getting ready to shine through. * * * 

We have again arrived at the end of sufficiently pure ice for cooking 
and drinking, and as I was regretfully obliged to order the resumption 
of distilling, the steam- cutter's boiler was again called into use. A large 
patch of crimson snow was found about one-half mile ahead of the ship, 
and a handkerchiejfful brought in by Mr. Dunbar. I have had a quan- 
tity of it put away in a jar for carrying to the United States. Our 
liquid compasses seem very sensitive to cold weather. This morning 
the spirit was found oozing out around the edges of the glass covers. 
I had the compasses removed from the binnacles and stowed below. 

September 12th, Sunday. — One more week is added to the long and 
weary round of weeks which records our imprisonment and drift, and 
we seem as far from liberation as ever. There is nothing I know of 
more wearing than waiting — waiting without a chance of relief visible. 
Are we to be blamed if we find a year of such a life monotonous? Or 
is it to be wondered at that we do not welcome the beginning of a sec- 
ond year of the same thing*? I say a second year, but not a last year; 
for as far as we can see ahead and judge of the future by the past, there 
is no good reason for this condition of things to change this side of eter- 
nity. We may pass away and our ship may be among the things that 
were, but I calmly believe this icy waste will go on surging to and fro 
until the last trump blows. But it is a long: lane that has no turning, 
and our troubles may be approaching a relief. I hope they are, for I 
am becoming weary of the load of cares and anxieties I have so long 
carried about. 

At ten A. M. I inspected the ship, and after this read divine service 
service in the cabin, with Ohipp, Melville, Dunbar, and the doctor as 
my congregation. Although there is no fear of my taking up a collec- 
tion, a larger attendance is rare. * * * 

The thing that gives me more concern and anxiety in connection with 
our winter preparations is the readiness for a sudden abandonment of 
the ship in case of disaster. This is exceedingly difficult to arrange for. 
To place sleds and boats, or sleds only, on the ice, and pack them ready 
for use, involves the danger of losing them should a sudden opening 
occur. If we keep the sleds packed on board ship, the quick debark- 
ing of such heavy weights would be difficult, if not impossible, without 
damaging them seriously. If we do neither, but have everything handy 
for heaving over the side, and pack afterwards, our emergency may be 
so sudden that we shall not have time to save anything. In any case 
the imi)ossibility of being ready for anything and everything is settled. 
~^o matter which plan might be adopted, our emergency, if it came, 
might make me wish I had adopted another. So as feasible a plan as 
any will be to have sleds, boats, provisions, dog harness, sleeping-bags, 
knapsacks, etc., as accessible as possible. Stick to the ship as long as 
she will stick to us, and when she is ready to leave us t>ry to be a little 
readier to leave her. I dislike to dwell on the idea of abandonment, 
and even dislike preparations for such a step. We have come through 
so much, it gives me hope of our surviving more. As long as enough 
of the ship remains to shelter us it is preferable to camping on ice; and 



886 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I can conceive of no greater "forlorn hope" than an attempt to reach 
Siberia (say two hundred and forty miles) over the ice that surrounds 
us, and with a winter's cold sapping one's life at every step. Of course, 
if we were to lose our ship I would make the effort to get there, but the 
chances of success would be extremely problematical. Divine service 
was performed after inspection. * * * 

* * * I nearly forgot to mention a very pleasing occurrence, the 
discharge of Kaack from the sick-list and his return to duty. It is not 
only a gratifying result to him, but well worthy of mention in connec- 
tion with the general condition of health of all hands. As his injury 
consisted of a broken bone, any defect in his coDstitution arising from 
his life in the ice would make itself apparent by a slowness in healing. 
If, for instance, anything in his food, drink or surroundings had given 
him a scorbutic taint, an infallible ])roof would have been given by the 
bone of his arm uniting slowly or badly. But the process of union has 
gone on regularly and promptly, and the doctor tells me the cure has 
been effected in the same time that would have been necessary if the 
accident had occurred on shore in the ordinery course of events. 

Another proof is presented in the gunshot wound of Alexey. This 
healed i)romptly, and the hand is as serviceable as ever. And if fur- 
ther proof were necessary, we can refer to Danenhower's case. For nine 
month's has he been under severe treatment, involving operations, con- 
finement in a dark room, deprivation of exercise, and at times shorten- 
ing of diet. But tho.igli weak and emaciated, he is as free from scurvy 
to-day as if he had remained in America. In all our trials we have 
something still to be thankful for. * * * 

The new location of the deck-house gives daily more and more satis- 
faction with respect to dryness, for it is marvelously clear from all 
moisture. But we must now w^atch for a new enemy, carbonic acid. 
The doctor tests it regularly every Sunday night, and his last experi- 
ment shows too large a quantity for perfect health. It will be by our 
constant efforts only that we can accomplish a proper condition of 
things, in spite of these two great enemies — moisture and carbonic acid. 
Sailors, as a rule, confound ventilation with draft, and though they will 
unhesitatingly and without noticing it live, eat, and sleep in an evidently 
impure atmosphere, they promptly complain of cold when a change of 
air is permitted. With a stove on our berth deck lighted during the 
day, and the one in the galley-room lighted during the night, with the 
deck-house covering the entire deck, there can be no question of a 
XJroper amount of heart being distributed. By keeping the forward sky- 
light always uncovered, and the occasional opening of the berth-deck 
doors during the day for ingress and egress (not to speak of the deck 
being cleared for inspection), the accumulation of moisture in the air of 
the deck is carried up into the deck-house and deposited on its cold roof 
and sides. So far, we are fortunate. But a fresh supply of air must 
be given the berth deck from time to time, and we find that the occa- 
sional opening of the deck-house door does not accomplish. this. There- 
fore I have directed the trap door in the roof of the deck-house over 
the skylight to be kept open six inches or so whenever a snow-storm is 
not raging, and in order that the carbonic acid may not bank up on the 
atVr ])art of the berth deck, the berth-deck doors are ordered to be 
opened, and kept oi)en after ten p. M. Promptly the complaint of being 
cold is made, though the air does not move along the berth deck a mile 
an hour, 1 am sure. But, by serving out some seal-skin blankets, addi- 
tional cover is given, and the comi)laint ceases. As a further effort to 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 887 

reduce carbonic acid, since last Sunday's observations T have ordered the 
berth-deck doors opened at and after nine p. M. 

Beginning on September 1st, I have instituted the j^ractice of serving 
out two ounces of rum once a week, generally Wednesday night, to all 
hands. This 1 consider a good thing, not only because it conduces to 
sociability, but because it breaks the monotony, and gives something 
to look forward to. This, and two glasses of sherry at dinner on Sun 
day, constitute the extent of our tippling. What a country this is, and 
how monotonous a life we lead, may be inferred from the fact that two 
ounces of rum every Wednesday are looked forward to as a change and 
excitement. 

October 15th, Friday. — Desiring to get some idea of the amount of air 
passing through the berth deck, I took a pocket anemometer down there 
at eleven p. m. and obtained the following results : 

Starboard door sill =60 ft. per minute, in (i. e., from aft forward). 
Port door sill=99 ft. per minute, in {i. e., from aft forward). 
Skylight hole=96 ft. per minute, up (^. e., from aft below). 
Open air=570 ft. per minute. 

Temperature at berth deck 49^ Fahrenheit. Temperature, open air, 
10O.5 Fahrenheit. * * * 

OetoherSlst, Sunday. — Another week has come and gone, and with it 
ends the month. Uneventful, and, so far as any results obtained are 
concerned, a clear waste of life. It is hard to feel satisfied even with 
our being still alive. That, after all, seems such a negative kind of 
thing — a living with no purpose, an existence without present tangible 
results, a mechanical supplying the system with food, heat, and cloth- 
ing, in order to keep the human engine running. 

I have often wondered if a horse driving a saw-mill had any mental 
queries as to why he tramped over his endless plank, and what on 
earth there was accomplished by his so doing. The saw was generally 
out of his sight, he i)erceived no work accomplished, he never changed 
his position relatively, he worked on and on without advancing a foot, 
and ended his day's work in identically the same place at which he be- 
gan it, and, as far as equine judgment could forecast, would do thesame 
thing to-morrow, and every other day thereafter. If that horse had rea- 
soning faculties, I pity him and appreciate now his thoughts and feel- 
ings. We are individually in that horse's position— we see no saw, we 
can detect no work accomplished, we move on without advancing a 
foot, we shall do to morrow what we have done to-day and what we did 
yesterday, and we fill up with oats, so to speak, merely that the saw- 
mill may not have to suspend sawdng. This kind of life is worse than 
Mr. Mantalini and his mangle. With him life was "one demnition 
grind," but v/ith us it is one "demnition blank." 

A man up here thinks a wonderful amount of nonsense, says many 
things which he would be surprised at remembering hereafter, and, if he 
writes, commits to paper many absurdities which he will laugh at after- 
wards. But to a physiologist, who could retain his own mental poise 
and strength undei* these circumstances, the study of human life and 
characteristics developed by a residence of white men in the Arctic re- 
gions would give materials for a very readable volume. * * * 

The doctor handed in his report of medical examination. Several 
cases, such as Danenhower and Kaack, are exceptional, and have re- 
ceived special mention. Of the rest of us the doctor finds nothing wrong 
except a general want of tone and less vigor than last year. As this 



888 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

is exactly what would result from our life of enforced monotony and 
prolonged absence from land, there is no surprise to be manifested. 
Generally we feel strong and well, but have, as a rule, lost flesh. The 
small change of temperature during the summer months compared with 
our spring and fall cold weather, and the short time that the respite en- 
dured, have not been enough to allow us to spring up to anything like 
a normal condition. And we are again called upon to endure cold 
Aveather before we have had a decent chance to recover from our last 
trial. No doubt we shall be able to put in this winter as safely as last 
winter, so far as our health is concerned, so long as we have the ship as 
our home. But if we are turned out on the floe by disaster, we shall not 
be as well able to stand the exposure as we should have been this time 
a year ago. * * * 

November 1th, Sunday. — It is idle to speak longer of the coming and 
going of weeks — it is record enough when I mention the coming and 
going of months. The arrival of the first Sunday in the month involves 
the reading of the Articles of War and the mustering of the crew. The 
reading is conducted with all the seriousness and decorum that would 
prevail in a frigate ; and the clause providing that ^' all offenses com- 
mitted on shore shall be punished in the same manner as if they had 
been committed at sea," is delivered with as much impressiveness as if 
we were in a port full of sailor temptations, instead of being in a howl- 
ing wilderness of ice. I think many of us look back to a " shore" as 
some memory of our childhood, or a previous existence in another 
sphere. That this world should be anything but pack ice is a tax upon 
even extraordinary credulity. 

After muster we bundled out on the ice. It was all there fortunately, 
tor with our present temperature it might have melted. Minus 33°. 
(This is intended for keen ironj-, but like Danenhower's description of 
his foot warmer, "a hot brick, in the shape of a flat-iron, made of 
brass," it maj^ sound somewhat vague and peculiar.) The sun having 
left us yesterdaj^, we had the i)leasure of judging where he was by a 
bright red tint in the sky, above the horizon. Just to think that there 
were people at that moment in our longitude, with the sun in their 
zenith, who were not happy and no doubt complaining bitterly of the 
heat. They have no more use for heat than we have for cold. 

Inspection showed a perfectly dry and fairly well ventilated berth 
deck. I say fairl}^ well if compared with perfect ventilation, but re- 
markably well if compared with Arctic ships in general. Divine serv- 
ices followed at 1.15 p. m. * * * 

December 31st, 1880, Friday. — The last day of the year and I hope all 
our trials and troubles have gone with it. 

The men had a celebration from eight to ten p. M. in the deck- 
house, very good minstrels and single acts making an acceptable pro- 
gramme. * * * 

Everybody was bright and cheerful, and the performance closed by 
all hands singing the " Star Spangled Banner." For the sake of saying 
something cheering to the men, I then made a few remarks to the effect 
" that we were about to turn our backs on tlie old year and our faces to 
the new ; that this cruise, like every event in life, might be divided 
into two parts, that which has been and that which is to be. During 
the past sixteen months we bad drifted 1,300 miles, far enough, if in 
a straight line, to reach the Pole and beyond it ; but we were only act- 
ually 220 miles northwest of where we were first beset; we had suf- 
fered mishap, and danger had confronted us often; we had been squeezed 
and jammed, tossed and tumbled about, nipped and pressed, until the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 889 

ship's sides would have burst if they had not been as strong as the 
hearts they held within them ; we had pumiDed a leaking ship for a year 
and kept her habitable; we were not yet daunted, but were as ready to 
dare as ever. We were all here, in good health, &c. We faced the 
future with a firm hope of doing something worthy of ourselves, worthy 
of the enterprise of the gentleman whose name was so closely con- 
nected with the expedition, worthy of the flag which floats above us, as 
by the blessing of God we would, and then we could go back to our 
homes, and with pardonable pride exclaim in the future, " I, too, was a 
member of the American Arctic Expedition of 1879." * * * 

February 5th, Saturday. — Observations to-day place us in latitude 74^ 
49', longitude 171o 49' E., a still further drift of thirteen miles to KW. 
I confess I am considerably^ disappointed, for, flattered by the Increase 
of soundings, and the rapidity of drift indicated by the lead line, I was 
in strong hopes of finding our latitude to be 75°. We no doubt have 
been further north than 74° 49', and are set back somewhat by the NW. 
wind of yesterday evening, though our lead line to-day, in showing 
forty fathoms, indicates no drift, and our lost ground cannot amount to 
much. 

However, " Every cloud has a silvery lining," for, to console us, we 
had the sun on our horizon to-day at noon. The last time we saw it was 
on November 10th, 1880 (being then, as on the 9th, raised above the 
horizon at noon by extraordinary refraction), and our night has there- 
fore been of eighty- seven days. It is worthy of mention, however, that 
the sun disappeared on the 6th of November, did not come above the 
horizon on the 7th and 8th, and that our night might fairly be called 
ninety-one days, as against seventy one of last year. Well, we are all 
here, thank God, and as hopeful and reliant as ever. We all look more 
or less bleached out, and the doctor says we all look care-worn to some 
extent. But I do not think any men could lead the life v\^e have led for 
seventeen months, of peril, uncertainty, disappointment, and monotony, 
without showing traces of its effects. * * * 

To our unspeakable astonishment the lead line gave fifty -seven fath- 
oms, and a sticky mud at the bottom, with a very rapid drift E. by S. 
Can it be possible that we have left the Siberian shoals and are on the 
border of a Polar Ocean? I almost expected to see the ice melt! Our 
soundings were at ten a. m., and at 6.30 we established her position in 
740 59' and 171^ 57' E., a drift since yesterday morning of fourteen and 
seven-tenths miles S. 70^ E. These occurrences make this a note- 
worthy day. Magnificent weather, sky absolutely cloudless after nine 
a. m. * * * 

Danenhower pulls along just the same, sometimes better and some- 
times worse. There is no reason to hope for his improvement until he 
can be operated on ashore, and no reason to fear unless we should be 
turned out of the ship and he should fail to stand the exposure and 
hardship of ice life. * * * 

March 22d, Tuesday. — The doctor communicated to me to-day some 
matters in relation to Mr. Danenhower's case, which I consider proper 
to enter here at length. The doctor considers that the diseased eye is 
in such a condition that no improvement wdll take place in it unless a 
very serious operation is performed, though no assurance can be given 
that this opeiation will be successful. Still, under favorable circum- 
stances of surroundings, appliances, and hospital treatment the opera- 
tion would be considered advisable, and no hesitation would be felt. 
Here, however, the situation is unfavorable. The doctor has no i)roper 
instruments in the first place -, and finally, if any mishap should occur 



890 JEANNLTTE INQUIRY. 

by which we were turned oat oq the ice without a ship, the eye would 
be ill a worse condition and would siifier more than if let alone. For 
as it now is, it can be kept at least from growing worse. Danenhower 
can see with one eye, the right ; is in fair physical condition ; is not 
absokitely helpless ; and, in the event of disaster, stands a better chance 
of safety than if he were disabled by an operation of which the ulti- 
mate benefit is more or less doubtful. I have no hesitation in approv- 
ing the doctor's views, and in asserting that Danen bower's case is best 
dealt with in leaving it judiciously alone. 

It would be difficult to find a more perfect day than we have had. 
Light airs, clear sky, a bright sun, and hard, firm walking, go to make 
up an Arctic Paradise. So bright and warming was the sun that the 
temperature, minus 39o, was forgotten ; and after walking long enough 
to get the blood in circulation, such a glow of heat was felt as tempted 
me to throw off my fur coat and continue without it. I did not do it, 
however, for no doubt I should have had my enthusiasm cooled. I see 
very clearly we shall have to comeback to snow spectacles before long. 
Such a dazzling diamond dust as the floe x>resents under the action of 
the sun's rays is too trying for long endurance. And yet the sun has 
only 150 or so altitude. Sunset G.39, and considerable daylight even 
at midnight. * * * 

March 23d, Wednesday. — This month seems to hold on with cold 
weather very steadily, still minus 39o. We had very much warmer 
weather last year at this time, though of course it should be remembered 
that we have not had. as great a degree of cold at any one time this 
year as last. HoAvever, the air was so dry, the breeze so light, and the sun 
so intense that we do not complain of to-day, for it has seemed delight- 
ful. With the sun above the horizon for lourteen hours, strong twilight 
for six hours more, and even a dawn light at midnight, we can no longer 
be oi^prcssed by darkness. It is so hard to realize that we are unable 
to go ahead. What would we care for labor if we could only accomplish 
something by it? Nineteen months of inactivity and failure is a long 
time and a severe trial, but I am satisfied we have all the zeal and energy 
needed to make a dash when we are given the chance. * * * 

March 25^/i, Friday. — Dressier has so far regained the use of his wrist 
as to be returned to duty. But as I am quite convinced that Chipp is 
overworked, and as he looks wretchedly thin, I have directed him to dis- 
continue taking three a. m. meterological observations, and I shall here- 
after take them myself. * * * 

Inspection and divine service as usual. 

May iGth, Monday. — Land! There is something then besides ice in 
this world. About seven o'clock this evening Mr. Dunbar, who usually 
winds his way aloft several times a day, could hardly believe his eyes 
when the}^ rested on an island to the westward. He called Chipp to 
look at it, and Chipp saw it was land sure enough, and sent Ericksen to 
inform me. I had just finished working out our position when the ex- 
traordinary news came, and was writing out the result : Latitude 76° 
43^ 20^' N., longitude lOlo 53^ 45'^ E., a drift since the 14th of five and 
a half miles to N. IG^ E. Of course I dropped my books and ran up to 
the fore-yard, and there, sure enough, I saw a small island one-half point 
forward of our starboard beam, the first land that has greeted our eyes 
since March 24, 1880, nearly fourteen months ago, and our voyage, 
thank Cod, is not a perfect bhmk, for hei;g we have discovered some- 
thing, however small it may be. Some fog is resting over it, and to the 
right hand or northward of it, and we do not think we see all of our 
wonderful landfall. Bearings I take at once, and find our island bears 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 891 

S. -780 4:5' W. (magnetic), or (tlie variation being 18o E.) N. 83° 15' W. 
(true), but we can do nothing more. Its distance we cannot estimate. 
If low land comparatively, it may be forty miles distant (see our idea of 
Herald Island's distance), and if liigb land seventy to eighty miles. But 
after a number of days, if we change the bearing of it to some extent, I 
can compute its distance, and determine if, and in what manner, we can 
land upon and take possession of and explore our discovery. Cooped 
up as we have been for over twenty months, we shall enjoy getting our 
foot on solid earth or stone as much as if it were Central Park, for it 
will be a change. But whether it will be earth or stone we do not know 
of course. What this poor desolate island, standing among icy wastes, 
may have to do in the economy of nature I do not know, or in fact care. 
It is solid land, whether of volcanic origin or otherwise, and will stand 
still long enough to let a man realize where he is. Moreover this must 
be the spot to which the ducks and geese have been steadily fl^^ing, and 
if we can get some of them for a change to our canned meats, what a 
treat ! And then bears must swarm on our island ! In line, this island 
is to us our all in all. We gaze at it, we criticise it, we guess at its dis- 
tance, we wish for a favoring gale to drive us towards it, and no doubt 
we would accept an assertion that it contained a goldmine which would 
make us all as rich as the Treasury without its debts. I believe most of 
us look carefully at our island before we go to bed, to make sure it has 
not melted away. Fourteen months without anything to look at but ice 
and sky, and twenty months drifting in the pack, will make a little 
mass of volcanic rock like our island as pleasing to the eye as an oasis 
in the desert. 

Beside this stupendous island, the other events of the day sink into 
iDsignificance. * # * 

May 236?, Monday. — I am sorry to be obliged to record the addition 
of Chipp to our sick-list. For a long time past he has been in poor 
condition, growing thin and weak, but insisting on going about and at- 
tending to his duty. He has strong dislikes to medicines and medical 
treatment, and would not believe he stood in need of either. Being 
overruled in that respect by me, he did take a tonic prescribed by the 
doctor ; but of course, as it was taken unwillingly, under protest, no 
good was experienced from its use, and it was discontinued. ISlow nat- 
ure asserts itself and he is so reduced, by reason of his failure to eat 
enough, and so nervous and restless, because of continued loss of sleep, 
that it is simply impossible for him to keep up, and he is forced to his 
bed. The doctor hopes to have him around in a few days, but I am not 
satisfied that a few days can repair the damage already done. Consid- 
erable fall of soft, large snow-tlakes. 

May 24:th, Tuesday. — The first thing I heard upon arising this morn- 
ing was that more land was in sight, and the next thing was that the 
ice was very slack, with many large lanes of water. The strong appear- 
ance of land on the 20th, towards midnight, proves to have been land 
in reality, another island being added to our discoveries, somewhat longer 
(if not less distant) than our first named. Upon going up to the crows- 
nest I had a good view of both islands and of more water than we haA^e 
seen since September, 1879. In consequence of the subsidence of the 
wind, the ice has become very slack, and numerous long openings or lanes 
have occurred, varying in width from twenty to one hundred feet and 
in length from one-eighth mile to three miles. Unfortunately for pur- 
poses of navigation they are not connected, and though having a gen- 
eral northwest and southeast direction, do not lead to anything. Just 
at this moment I would be contented if by any means I could get the 



892 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

ship into one of these islands for a temporary breathing spell, and a 
chance to get some game for onr supplies ; but, unfortunately^, I can- 
not saw through thirty miles of ice or blast that amount out of my way. 
The lanes of water are very tantalizing, for they indicate what might 
be done if there were more of them. They seem to be in our neighbor- 
hood only, or within a radius of five miles, while the islands are thirty, 
and say forty miles oft — and from that five miles radius to the islands 
the ice is as close and compact as ever. ^ * * 

Our engineer's force are occupied in putting together the windmill 
pump and getting it ready for the summer's work. Chipp is still quite 
weak, and in consequence obliged to keep his bed. I have taken everj^ 
precaution to keep his surroundings as quiet as possible, muffling chair 
legs, not striking the ship's bell, &c., and he has had a peaceful day in 
consequence. * * * 

May 30th, Monday. —I have decided to send a party to try to make a 
landing on Henrietta Island. Tired of waiting for a chance to get ob- 
servations to determine its position, I accept twelve miles as its probable 
distance southwest and a half west, true. Though I know the traveling 
will be heavy, I hope that by sending two officers, four men, fifteen 
dogs, with a sled jukI light dinjry (for ferriage), and seven days' pro- 
visions, as the only heavy weights, they will be able to accomplish my 
object — landing, leaving a record of our condition, and perhaps bring- 
ing back a good sui)ply of birds. Having but one commissioned officer 
available, Melville, he must take charge of the party. With Chipp and 
Danenhower both on the sick-list, they can neither be sent nor left in 
charge of the ship if I go myself, as is my strong desire. The doctor 
cannot go, for his steady sick-list puts him hors concours, and my re- 
sponsibility for the ship and the safety of all hands will not permit me 
to leave lier in charge of Mr. Dunbar, the only sailor man in the cabin 
besides myself fit for duty. Consequently I make out orders for Mr. 
Melville to go in command, and to take Mr. Dunbar, ISTindemann, Erick- 
sen, Bartlett, and Sharvell with him, and to start to-morrow morning. 
The weather continues good, with light winds, and barometer rising to 
30, and 1 think we are drawing in toward the island all the time with 
the shix). Such arrangements as I have made for them and their return 
I will write out in full to-morrow. To-day I had Sweetman remove the 
porch from the starboard side of the galley, and I set the men to work 
digging a trench around the ship. * * * 

May 31.s'f, Tuesday. — At nine a. m., everything being ready, the sledge 
partj^, in charge of Melville, started. Mr. Dunbar, Nindemann, Erick- 
sen, Bartlett, and Sharvell composed the personnel, and the following 
the material : 

15 clogs. 6 sleeping-bags. 

42 lbs. American pemraican. 10^ lbs. sardines. 

21 lbs. pigs' feet. 42 lbs. mutton-broth. 

42 oz. lime jnice. 5;^ lbs. coffee. 

1 McClintock sled. 2| lbs. tea. 

1 McClintock dingy. 5^ lbs. chocolate. 

1 tent. 10| lbs. sugar. 

5 tent-poles. 2 rubber blankets. 

210 lbs. English pemmicati. G packed knapsacks. 

42 lbs. bread. 2 rifles. 

1 cookiug-stovo and mess-gear. 2 shotguns. 
Sextant, artificial liorizou, priHiiiati(! compass, opera-glass, ensign, medicine, &c. 

We all assembled on the ice, and, of course, cheers were exchanged. 
Away they went merrily enough until they came to an ice opening, 
where they were obliged to make a ferriage. Here some of their dogs 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 893 

ran away and returned to the ship, but I sent them back at once, and 
followed up the sled until they made a new departure. I watched them 
frequently from the crow's-nest, and at six p. m. I saw them about five 
miles from the ship, evidently halting for a rest. Of course, I sent lime 
juice, and moreover I started them with eleven gallons fresh water; and 
besides having Dr. Ambler prepare medical advice and suggestions, I 
directed Melville frequently to rest his party, to look out for snow-blind- 
ness, and to avoid using surface snow and floe ice. Should the distilled 
water give out during the trip to the island, he was directed to scrape 
the broken-down crystals from the tops of old hummocks. From the 
moment of his departure a large black flag, eleven feet six inches square, 
was to be kept flying at the main, and he was frequently to take bear- 
ings of it. Shouldit shut in thick after he had been away forty-eight 
hours, one of the whale guns or the brass j)iece will be fired everj^ four 
hours, and in clear, bright weather, from and after the third noon from 
his departure, a tire of some material giving plenty of smoke will be 
made at meridian. He is not to remain at the island more than twenty- 
four hours, and is to do as much as he can in carrying out my written 
orders. 

Of course, there is some risk in this trip. But the weather remains 
good, light northerly winds prevail, and our drift seems to be directly 
towards the island. I want to know whether there is any bay in which 
I can place the shii^, and perhaps remedy her leak ; whether there is any 
animal or bird life with which I can replenish our waning stock of 
provisions ; and whether, in the event of disaster, we can fall back upon 
this island as a place to live, and make a Iresh departure for the Sibe- 
rian coast; whether there is any more land in sight from its summit; 
and very particularly what is the appearance of the world beyond, 
whether interminable ice or a chance of water. Should the ice break up 
around us, I want to know what are the prospects ; and so much knowl- 
edge can be gained by this visit, as well as the satisfaction of planting 
our flag upon a newly discovered piece of the earth, that I think the risk 
of undertaking the journey is justified. During the afternoon, when 
the weather cleared up, I got good bearings, and 1 find Jeannette Island 
on our port bow (S. 11° E. true) and Henrietta Island on our starboard 
bow (S. 510 W. true), verifying my belief that we are drifting toward 
the latter island, and heading between the two. My anxiety will be 
endless and unremitting until I get all hands under my wing again ; 
and I pray God so to aid them and guide us that no mishap may occur. 

Soundings in thirty-nine fathoms ; slight drift SSW., and a low tem- 
perature to close our month — 9°. Lauterbach restored to duty from 
sickness. 

June 1st, Wednesday. — What next? The doctor informs me this 
morning that he is of opinion that several of our party under his 
treatment are suffering from lead poisoning. Newcomb is quite 
under the weather with severe colic, and Kuehne is about 
the same. Alexey is complaining in a similar manner, and 
our steward is very ill indeed. The doctor says he is a little disturbed 
also, and Ohipp has had a sharp touch of it. No less than six people, 
and the sledge party yet to hear from. Suspicion was first directed to 
the water, for as all joints about the distiller are red-leaded to make 
-them tight, we fear that some of the lead was carried over with the 
steam and deposited in the receiver. This, unfortunately, cannot be 
entirely avoided, though it may be reduced. Then I examined all ves- 
sels in which drinking water is carried or tea and cofl'ee made, and I 
put out of eoromissiou all having any solder patohesj substituting iron 



894 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

vessels lined with porcelain. But upon examining our tomatoes they 
were found to show traces of lead in larger amounts than the water, 
and the doctor Ihiiiks that the distemper, if I may so call it, is due to 
our large consumption of that vegetable. The acid of the tomato acts 
chemically upon the solder used in the tins, and the dangerous mixture 
is formed ; and since we have had tomatoes every day for dinner sub- 
sequent to May 4th, it is assumed that we have become largely dosed 
with lead, and some of us have had to succumb. Inasmuch as we all 
eat tomatoes, the exemption of the majority is due to their greater ca- 
pacity for lead, I suppose, for no good reason presents itself to my 
mind. It has transpired that the steward, who is the worst case, is re- 
markably fond of this vegetable, and eats of it unsparingly. Of course 
we have eaten tomatoes four times a week ever since our commission- 
ing, and until May 4th without any bad result, but that does not prove 
anything. A very interesting question here cgmes in. Our canned 
fruits have, I believe, similar chemical action upon the lead soldering, 
and no doubt we are absorbing more or less lead all the time. Now, 
does this chemical action begin at once or at the end of two years? A 
very important question to an Arctic expedition, for of what use is it 
to secure exemption from scurvy for two years if disabling le.id poison 
finishes you in the third year ? The doctor says each severe attack 
may be mitigated by medicine, but a continued absorption of the lead 
will produce palsy, and that would certainly be a i)erplexing disease to 
deal with in an Arctic ship. If the chemical action begins as soon as 
the tomato is canned one is in danger at all times. However, as we 
stood the vegetable four times a week, I order a return to that issue to 
see what effect will be produced. * * * 

June 3<:7, Friday. — Nothing yet to be seen of Melville and his party. 
Taking all things into consideration, I do not expect him before to-mor- 
row night or Suudaj^ morning; but though neither of these times are 
here yet, I cannot help the constant uneasiness which I experience. 
Henrietta Island was in plain sight all day, and we are assuredly clos- 
ing in on it. Bearings of the south end, S. 52^ W. (true), and of the 
north end !S. 61° W. (true). I fix our position to-day in latitude 77^ 13' 
N., longitude 158^ 12' E. ; and by the change of bearing since May 24th, 
I fix the south end of the island in latitude 77. 8^ N., longitude 157^ 43' 
E., and that makes it eight miles distant. Our drift since May 25th has 
been S. 74° W. nineteen miles. 

We discovered this morning that the ice under the stern was domed 
up and cracked, and we came to the conclusion that the ship was trying 
to rise in her bed. To facilitate this operation, and to prevent too much 
strain being brought on her keel which prolongs under the rudder, the 
men were set to work digging away the ice. It was a tough job, for it 
is as hard as flint, and clings like an old and tried friend. Here and 
there the mark of the fiber of the wood shows in the attached ice, and in 
several i)laces the oakum has been torn out of the seams when the ship 
has been raised a little. * * * 

June r)th, Sunday. — At G a. m. Manson, the man on watch, informed 
me that the traveling party was in sight. Going out on deck, I could 
see the silk fiag here and there appearing among the hummocks as the 
sled advanced through the ice. I ordered our colors to be shown, and 
the men to be turned out to receive the travelers, and then hastening 
out on the ice tried to fire the whale-gun as a signal to our peo])le that 
they were seen. After failing once or twice, I left the gun in charge of 
the men who had come on deck, and came on board. As I reached the 
mainmast I heard a slight explosion, and, anxious to know whether it 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 895 

was our guu or a sliot from the returning party, I was rusbing up on 
the bridge, when crash! I got a terrible I3I0W on the head. Forgetful 
of the windmill^ in my anxiety for the travelers, 1 had rushed up in time 
to get a blow from one of its wings flying before a ten.mile wind. Stunned 
and confused I crawled back, while the blood sprinkled on the ladder 
and quarter-deck, and the quartermaster ran toward me in alarm. 
Feeling that my head must be cut, I called the steward to get me some 
water in a basin, and when he came I told him to see what was wrong. 
He looked at my head, and exclaimed, '' Oh my! great big hole!" upon 
which I concluded 1 wanted the doctor's opinion, loath as I was to dis- 
turb him and add to his already great care and anxiety. When Dr. 
Ambler came up in the cabin, I learned that I had my head cut open in 
a four-inch gash, &c. Stitching and plastering followed, and then I 
resumed my scrutiny of the returning party. 

To my relief 1 could count six people, and all hands seemingly had 
come to a halt. As soon as possible, I sent out Mr. Cole and the star- 
board watch to meet them and help them in. At 8.50 a. m. along came 
the sled, drawn by the dogs and three of the six travelers. Melville 
and Sharvell had remained with the boat, and Mr. Dunbar was carried 
part Avay and walked part way, and reached the ship snow-blind. 
He was disabled at noon on the third day out, and led or carried thence- 
forth. Melville sent me the following' message, on receipt of which I 
sent the port watch in Sweetmau's charge with a spare sled, and, ac- 
companied by the doctor, I went forward shortly after. By 0.40 a. m. 
I had them all on board, worn and tired, it is true, but no one disabled 
but Mr. Dunbar. 

Melville's message : 

10.30 a. m. — I have just broken the sleigli runner, dismounted my boat, and am in 
the midst of a heavy jam of ice. Please send another sled at once. Landed on the 
island 5.10 p. m., third day out. 
Eespectfully, 

MELVILLE. 
To Lieutenant De Long, 

Commanding Jeannette. 

The party landed on the island on Thursday, June 2d (Friday, June 
3d), hoisted our silk flag, took possession of the island in the name of 
the Great Jehovah and the United States of America, and, agreeably 
to my orders, named it Henrietta Island. They built a cairn and placed 
within it the record which I sent with them, and made as much exam- 
ination of the island and search for vegetation as their limited stay 
would permit. The island is a desolate rock, surmounted by a snow- 
cap, which feeds several discharging glaciers on its east face. Dovekies 
nesting in the face of the rock are the only signs of game. A little 
moss, some grass, and a handful of rock were brought back as trophies. 
The chffs are inaccessible, because of their steepness. The ice between 
the ship and the island is something frightful. Eoad-digging, ferrying, 
and its attendant loading and unloading, arm-breaking hauls, and panic- 
stricken dogs made their journey a terribly severe one. Near the island 
the ice was all alive, g^nd Melville left his boat and sui)i)lies, and carry- 
ing oidy a day's provisions and his instruments, at the risk of his life 
went through the terrible mass, actually dragging the dogs, which from 
fear refused to follow their human leaders. If this persistence in land- 
ing upon this island, in spite of the superhuman difficulties he encoun- 
tered, is not reckoned a brave and meritorious action, it will not be from 
any failure on my part to make it known. * * * 



896 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Thank God, we have at least landed upon a newly-discovered part of 
this earth, and a perilous journey has been accomplished without dis- 
aster. It was a great risk, but it has resulted in some advantage. 

Our sick list now assumes quite a proportion. Ghipp, Danenhower, 
Newcomb, Dunbar, Alexey, and, in addition, my head for a day or two. 
For one night, at all events, the doctor insists I shall not go out to the 
observatory, lest I take cold in the cut and erysipelas ensue; but as 
soon as I get over the stunned and dazed sensations I have now I think 
I shall be as fit for work as before. * * * 

June 10^/t, Friday^ ship's date (June 11th, Saturday, correct date). — 
At 12.10 a. m. the ice suddenly opened alongside, and the ship righted 
to an even keel. Called all hands at once, and brought in the few re- 
maining things on the ice. The ship settled down to her proper bear- 
ings nearly, the dralt beiug eight feet eleven inches forward, and twelve 
feet five inches aft. A large block of ice could be seen remaining under 
her keel. At the first alarm the gate in the water-tight bulkhead for- 
ward was closed, but the amount of water coming into the ship was 
found to decrease, a small stream trickling aft being all that could be 
seen. 

There being many large spaces of water near us, and the ice having 
a generally broken up appearance, it was concluded to ship the rudder, 
to be rendy for an emergency awaiting the moving of the ship. After 
some trouble in removing accumulations of ice around thegudfteons the 
rudder was shipped, and everything cleared away in the wake of the 
booms and yards for making sail. 

As well as could be judged by looking down through the water under 
the counters, there was no injury whatever to the after body of the ship. 
As soon as possible a bow line and quarter line had been got out, and 
the ship secured temporarily to the ice which remained on her starboard 
side as nearly in the same berth as she could be placed. By looking 
down through the water alongside the stem on the port side, one of the 
bow straps near her forefoot was seen to be sprung ofi', but otherwise 
no damage could be detected. It was assumed by me that the heavy 
ice which all along bore heavily against the stem had held the plank 
ends open at the garboards, and that as soon as the ship was able to 
move from the heavy ice the wood ends came together again, closing 
much of the opening and reducing the leak, the water-line, or rather 
water-level, being below the berth deck. No difiSculty was anticipated 
in keeping the ship afloat and navigating her to some port, should she 
ever be liberated from the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean. 

Sounded in thirty-three fathoms, bottom mud. Eapid drift WSW. 

June nth, Saturday, ship's date {June 12th, Sunday, correct date). — 
At 7.30 a. m. the ice commenced to move toward the port side, but alter 
advancing a foot or two came to rest. Employed one watch in hauling 
heavy floe into a small canal on the port bow, to close it up, and receive 
the greater part of the thrust. 

The ice at ten a. m. had advanced toward the port side until these floe 
pieces had received the tbrust, and everything quieted down again. 
The situation of the ship and her surroundings may be seen below. 

At four p. m. the ice came down in great force all along the port side, 
jamming the ship hard against the ice on the starboard side other and 
causing her to heel ICP to starboard. From the snapping and cracking 
of the bunker sides and starting in of the starboard ceiling, as well as 
the opening of the seams in the ceiling to the width of one and one- 
fourth inches, it was feared that the ship was about to be seriously en- 
dangered, and orders were accordingly given to tower the starboard 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



897 



boats, and liaul them away from the ship to a safe position on the ice- 
floe. This was done quietly and without confusion. The ice, in com- 
ing in on the port side, also had a movement toward the stern, and 
this last movement not only raised her port bow, but buried the star- 
board quarter, and jamming it and the stern against the heavy ice 
effectually prevented the ship rising to pressure. Mr. Melville, while 
below in the engine-room, saw a break across the ship in the wake 
of the boilers and engines, shov»ang that so solidly were the stern and 
starboa-rd quarters held by the ice that the ship was breaking in two 
from the pressure upward exerted on the port bow of the ship. The 
starboard side of the ship was also evidently broken in, because water 
was rising rapidly in the starboard coal bunkers. Orders were now 
given to land one-half of the pemmican in the deck-house, and all the 
bread which was on deck, and the sleds and dogs were likewise carried 
to a position of safety. At 4.30 there was a lull in the pressure, and it 
was assumed for the moment that the ice had unitetl under the ship, 
and being as close together as it could come would occasion us no 
further injury, and that we might be able to take care of the ship yet. 
The ship was heeled 22^ to starboard, and was raised forward 4^ &', the 
entire port bow being visible also to a height of 4,' &' from the forefoot. 
(In the early morning we had been able to see through the water down 
alongside the stern on the starboard side, and we could see that the 
forefoot was bent to starboard about a foot. This would indicate that 
the pressure received on the 19th January, 1880, \vas from port to star- 
board, instead of the other way, as we then supposed.) But at five p. 
m. the pressure was renewed and continued with tremendous force, the 
ship cracking in every part. The si)ar deck commenced to buckle up, 
and the starboad side seemed again on the point of coming in. Orders 
were now given to get out provisions, clothing, bedding, ship^s books, 
and papers, and to remove all sick to a place of safety. While engaged 
in this work another tremendous pressure was received, and at six p. m. 
it was found that the ship was beginning to fill. From that time for- 
ward every effort was devoted to getting provisions, etc., on the ice, and 
it was not desisted from until the water had risen to the spar deck, the 
ship being heeled to starT^oard about 30o. The entire starboard side of 
the spar deck was submerged, the rail being under water, and the water- 
line reaching to the hatch-coamings. The starboard side was evidently 
broken in abreast ol the mainmast, and the ship was settling fast. Our 
ensign had been hoisted at the mizzen, and every preparation made for 
abandoning, and at eight p. m, everybody was ordered t6 leave the ship. 
Assembling on the floe we dragged all our boats and provisions clear of 
bad cracks and prepared to camp down for the night. Took an account 
of stock and found the following : 



4,950 lbs. pemmican, American. 
1,120 lbs. bard bread. 
260 gals, alcobol. 
100 lbs. cut loaf sugar. 
400 lbs. extra crew sugar. 
100 lbs. tea. 
94|: lbs. mutton soup. 
176 lbs. mutton broth. 
150 lbs. Liebig'sext. beef. 
252 lbs. canned chicken. 
144 lbs. canned turkey. 

36 lbs. green corn. 
12-^ lbs. pigs' feet. 

32 lbs. tongue. • 

42 lbs. onions. 

57 J Q* 



18 lbs. pickles. 
120 lbs. chocolate. 
36 lbs. cocoa. 
205 lbs. tobacco. 
48 lbs. veal. 
44 lbs. ham. 
150 lbs. cheese. 
210 lbs. ground coffee. 
60 lbs. whole coffee. 
75 bottles malt extract. 
i barrel lime juice 
2,000 rounds Remington ammunition. 
1 gal. whiskey. 

1 gal. brandy. 

2 gals, whiskey. 



898 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



2 gals, whiskey in lime juice. 

7 bottles braudy. 

First cutter. 

Second cutter. 

First whale-boat. 

Iron dinghy. 

McClintock dinghy. 

6 tents. 



Sleeping-bags. 

33 knapsacks packed. 

5 cooking-stoves. 

3 boat sleds. 

4 McClintock sleds. 
2 St. Michael's sleds. 

2 medicine chests and medicine. 



At midnight piped down. 

June 12th, Sunday {or Monday June \Wi). — At one a. m. were turned 
out by tbe ice opening in the midst of our camp. Transported all 
our gear and belongings to a place of safety, and again piped down at 
two a. m., leaving a man on watch. At one a. m. themizzen mast went 
by the board, and the ship was so far heeled over that the lower yard- 
arms were resting on the ice. 

At three a. m. the ship had sunk until her smoke-pipe top was nearly 
awash. 

At four a. m. the Jeannette went down. First righting to an even 
keel, she slowly sunk. 

The maintop mast fell by the board to starboard, then the foretop- 
mast, and finally the mainmast, near the main truss, when she finally 
sank ; the foremast was all that was standing. 

At nine called all hands and breakfasted, after which collected all 
the clothing, arranging it for distribution. Beside the contents of the 
packed knapsacks and the clothing in wear, we find we have the fol- 
lowing : 

28 over- shirts (woolen). 
24 drawers. 

27 under-shirts (woolen). 
24 sack-coats. 
8 overcoats. 



20 trousers (cloth). 
8 fur blankets. 
18 woolen blankets. 
13 skin parkies. 



And they were divided among all hands as required, much of it being 
in excess. 

Latitude 77° 14' bl" N., longitude 154o 58^ 4:5" E. Crew engaged in 
various occupations ; getting sleds all ready for boats, changing sleep- 
ing-bags. Everybody seems bright and cheerful, with plenty to eat 
and plenty of clothes. Even music is not forgotten. Lauterbach ser- 
enaded us to-night with a mouth harmonica. Set up a work-tent for 
my use. Kei)t silk flag flying. Wind NE. 5 force, from two to three 
miles. Temperature about 23^ all day. All visit wreck. Find one 
chair on the ice, and some oars and spare planks. Set watch at ten p. 
m. Chipp better. Danenhower lively. Alexey 'Aplenty good." At 
9.45 p. m. read Divine service. * * * 

We are, of course, leaving behind us many provisions, and our two 
dingys, as well as one St. Michael's sled. As our progress will neces- 
sarily be slow, I am of the opinion that each encampment for a week 
after our start will be near enough to our present location to enable us 
to send back a dog sledge each halt, to bring forward our supplies for 
the succeeding twenty-four hours. In this case we shall not break in 
upon our packed sledges. * * * 

U. S. Cutter Jeannette, 
On the Ice, Lat. N. 77° 18', Long. E. 153° 25', 

Arctic Ocean, June 16, 1881. 
ORDER. 

We shall start to the southward at six p. m. Friday, June 17th (Saturday, June 18th) 
and our traveling thereafter is to be done between six p. m. and six a. m. 
The order of advance will be as follows : 
Ist. All hands drag the first cutter. Dogs drag the No. 1 sled. 



I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 899 

2d. Starboard watch drag the second cutter. Port watch drag the No. 4 sled. Dogs 
drag the No. 2 sled. 

3d. Port watch drag the whale-boat. Starboard watch drag the No. 3 sled. Dogs 
drag the No, 5 sled. 

Alexey's three dogs will drag the St. Michael's sled. Kuehne, Charles Tong Sing, 
and Alexey to report to and accompany Lieutenant Chipp. 

The daily routine will be as follows : 

Call all hands 4. 30 p. m. 

Breakfast 5.00 " 

Break camp 5.40 '^ 

Underway 6.00 << 

Halt ..: 11.30 " 

Dinner Midnight. 

Pack up 12. 40 a. m. 

Underway : 1. 00 " 

Halt, pitch camp , .. 6.00 " 

Lime juice 6. 00 " 

Supper 6.30 '' 

Set watch, pipe down, turn in 7. 00 " 

Course S. by E. one-half E. (magnetic). 

Before lighting any alcohol lamp, the stove is to be placed in a hole in the snow to 
prevent loss of heat, and a passage way cut to supply air for the flames. The cooks 
will be changed every Saturday. They are to get meals as rapidly as possible after 
each halt, going at once to St, Michael's sled for alcohol, and to be sure that the alco- 
hol tin is tightly closed up before returning it. Particular care must be taken in getting 
ice and snow for cooking. The tops of the highest hummocks only must be used, and 
scraping is not to go more than an inch below the surface. It will be the duty of the 
man whose next turn comes to cook to collect the snow or ice, and assist the cook of 
the week. 

The work of unloading and reloading will be done by the remainder of each sled 
crew. As long as it is possible to do so, the St. Michael's sled will be sent back each 
morning to bring up provisions now in this camp, in order that we may not have to 
break in upon our sled stores. But when we do commence upon our loaded provis- 
ions the following will be the ration table : 

BREAKFAST. DINNER. SUPPER. 

4 oz. pemraican. 8 oz. pemmican. 4 oz. pemmican. 

1 oz. ham. 1 oz. Liebig. 1 oz, tongue. 
3 pieces bread. i oz. tea. ^ oz. tea. 

2 oz. coffee. f oz, sugar. f oz. sugar. 

f oz. sugar. 1 oz. lime juice. 

i lb. bread. 

GEO. W. DE LONG, 
Lieut. U. S. Navy, Commanding Arctic Expedition. 

* # * * * * * 

Dinner at noon. At one p. in. piped down — all hands lying down to 
get some sleep before starting. 

At five p, m. called all hands again, and as soon as possible had sup- 
per, or, as it ought to be called now, breakfast. Broke camp at 5.50 p. 
m., and though six was the time for starting it was 6.20 p. m. before we 
got under way. All hands started with the first cutter, while the dogs, 
managed by Aneguin, attempted the No. 1 sled. The cutter went 
easily enough, but No. 1 sled was more than a match for our dogs. Oc- 
casionally stopping, we lent a hand to start the sled from a deep rat, 
and, finally, seeing the necessity of more force, I detached six men from 
the cutter and went back with them to help the No. 1 sled, and to this 
the origin of our day's trouble maybe referred. When I sent Mr. Dun- 
bar ahead yesterday it was to plant flags for our first day's journey, and 
upon his return I could see but three flags, and supposed there were no 
more. Melville accordingly dumped the provisions at this third flag, as 
the end of our day's journey. Upon the cutter reaching the third flag 
Melville wanted to stop, but Dunbar informed him there was a fourth flag, 



900 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and that that was the end of the first day's journey. Of course I could 
not be everywhere in a road one and a half miles long; and Melville, in 
his uncertainty about my wishes, had to be guided by Dunbar's idea, so 
that the first cutter, instead of halting by our i)ro visions, was carried 
on beyond them, to my extreme annoyance when I learned of it. 

Meanwhile the six men and myself went back to the No. 1 sled, and 
by almost superhuman exertions got it along a quarter of a mile, and 
then seeing Chipp and the hos])ital sled hanging behind waiting for it, 
I sent him ahead with the invalids to go after the first cutter. The six 
men and mj'Self then got the second cutter and whale-boat along to where 
we had left No. 1 sled, and while wondering what kept Melville and the 
men away so long (they should have been back long since) I saw that 
Chipp had come to a standstill. Hastening toward him I found that 
the ice had oi)ened, and that our remaining effects would have to be 
unloaded and ferried over. 

Here was a nice fix. Sending back at once for the light dingy, I got 
Chipp and the hospital sled over, and sent him on to hurry the cutter 
party back. Time was slipping away, and all that the six men and 
myself could do, with the assistance of the dogs, was to get the second 
cutter and whale boat, with No. 1 and No. 2 sleds, as far along as the 
ferry. 

By ten ]). m. the first cutter party returned, and we at once launched 
the two remaining boats, hauled across and got them upon the ice on 
the other side. To avoid unloading the sleds, a road was sought and 
found liigher up, when, by filling in with some large pieces of ice, we 
managed to get an uncertain way of crossing the opening lead. While 
so crossing we doubled under the right runner of No. 1 sled, and had to 
sto[) lest we should ruin it. No. 2 and No. 5 each broke a runner, the 
tenons of the upright breaking short off. And in fine, by the time we 
had crossed this lead, Saturday, June 18th, 12.10 a. m., we had three dis- 
abled sleds, were already an hour late for our dinner, had our provisions 
half a mile further on, and the mess gear and sleeping gear of No. 1 
sled a half mile further still. However, there was no help for it. So, 
buckling to our two boats, we started on, and by 1.30 a. m. had reached 
the black tiag and our provisions. Here I ordered a halt, and dinner 
cooked. On the way ba(^k from the lirst cutter the doctor had encoun- 
tered Chi|)p and the invalids hobbling along, pretty well exhausted, 
and after administering a dose of whisky to Chipp, had recommended 
him to stop at the third ilag, where the provisions were. But to make 
our confusion more com[)lete, he had not done so, but had continued on 
to the first cutter. Hence 1 had to move all hands on to him or bring 
him back to us. Deciding the latter to be most feasible, 1 sent Erickseu 
ahead with a dog sledge to bring No. I's mess gear back, and with orders 
for the invalids to come back riding upon the dog sled, if they could not 
walk. (During the advance with the first cutter, Lauterbach had dou- 
bled up with crami)s, and was left where the cutter stoi)ped, in Newcomb's 
charge. Lee frequently was falling down, also suftering with cramps, 
for which we can assign no cause excei)t lead poison.) Well, I got all 
hands 'together by two a. m. and ate dinner, except No. 1 sled, which did 
not get (liniu^r until three a. m. 

As soon as two, three, four, and five sled crews finished dinner, I sent 
Starr, Bartlett, and some dogs with St. Michael's sled back to our old 
(^anq) to bring forward provisions; and Mr. Cole, with the remainder of 
our dogs ahead, to bring back hosi)ital sled. And when No. 1 finished 
dinner 1 took all remaining hands and went back to the ferry, unloaded 
entirely our broken sleds, and from the two sound ones removed every- 



I 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 901 

thing but pemmican and alcohol ; and then, eight of us to each sled, we 
dragged them up to onr camp, reaching it by six p. m. Cole, mean- 
while, had arrived with the hospital sled, and Ericksen took his dogs 
and went forward for No. I's tent and sleeping gear. At seven we had 
supper, and at eight a. m. set the watch, and piped down, a weary lot 
of mortals. Weather all day overcast. 

Temperature at eight p. m. 21°. Wind northeast. Weather overcast, 
and very raw and damp. The fog seems to i)enetrate to the bone. All 
hands seem bright and cheerful. None of us are stiff after our hard 
work, strange to say, and have slept splendidly. The sick are as fol- 
lows : Chipp used up about the legs ; has slept some, but only in the 
early part of the da^'. Alexey, better; steward, better; Kuehne, bet- 
ter. 

Got up the first two sled loads and one broken sled by 9.30 j). m., 
and immediately sent oft the relief party for two more sled loads. Sent 
Mr. Dunbar ahead to the southward again to make out a road, and our 
first party set to work repairing our sleds. Found to my unpleasant 
surprise that the whale-boat's sled was broken in the after cross-pieces; 
dismounted the boat and set about repairs. 

Our experience thus far in traveling has not been very encouraging. 
We have had such terrific roads, such soft and deep snow, and such 
ugly icy openings, that our difficulties have been increased. The neces- 
sities of the case have led to overloading the sleds, and though they 
would have gone well enough on smooth ice, the snow would stop these 
or any other sleds — twenty-eight men and twenty-three dogs laying back 
with all tiieir strength could only start our sixteen hundred pound sled 
a few feet each time ; and when sliding down a hill it would ijlunge into 
a snow-bank, it was terrible work getting it out. Though the tempera- 
ture was between 20° and 25° we were in our shirt-sleeves, and perspir- 
ing as on a hot summer day. I see very clearly that we must run with, 
lighter loads, and go over the same ground ofteuer. I hoped to be able 
to advance our boats and provisions in three separate hauls, but I must 
be satisfied if we now do it in six. * * * 

I have changed our procedure to the following : Chipp, Danenhower, 
and the other sick go along with the medical sled under the doctor's 
charge, and reaching our halting place, stop there. Melville, with the 
men, conduct the boats and sle«ls to the front, and I load and dispatch 
dog sleds and bring up the rear. This programme would have worked 
very well had not the ice opened alter Melville got the second cutter 
and No. 1 sled to our new camp ; and consequently, when I, to relieve 
Ericksen, ran forward with the two dog sleds, we had a hard time in 
getting across the 0})ened place. However, we got across and to the 
camp at noon, and I ordered dinner to be prepared for twenty-six, while 
I took back enough for the remaining seven, myself included, intend- 
ing to eat it at our old camp. To my surprise, however, 1 met Melville 
half way with the whale-boat, which disarranged my plans somewhat. 
I called a halt, sent Melville with his men on to their dinner, ordered 
dinner to be prepared tor my party of seven at the whale-boat, and going- 
back to the old camp brought up to the whale-boat a load of pjrovisions. 
This brought us to one a. m. 

June 20^/i, Monday. — As soon as dinner was ready at the whale-boat 
we sat down to it, having the unprecedented luxury of a board for a 
table. Just at one I heard Melville arrive at the camp, the last yo-heave- 
yup of Niudemann announcing that fact. At two a. m. we turned to 
and went back for the sled load of bread, while Ericksen went on to 
the cami>. When we got as far as a crossing place beyond the whale- 



902 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

boat, thougli there was a smooth road and no provocation, our McOlin- 
tock sled broke down, to my unmitigated disgust, one runner doubling 
under completely. We unloaded the bread and hitched on to the whale- 
boat, but could only get her as far as the crossing place. Here Melville 
and liis party hove in sight, and they took the boat away in good style, 
leaving me to guard the bread. Soon Ericksen came along with his empty 
sled, and upon his return trip with a load, I sent the broken McClin- 
tock sled to the carj^enter's hands. When Melville got into camp he 
went to work i)itching tents by my order, and Wilson unloaded ^o. 3 
sled and brought it back with the dogs to me. We then loaded one- 
half of the bread, and by some filling in where the ice had opened we 
got it safely home. Bartlett then went back for the remainder, and got 
it up by five a. m. Ericksen by this time had made one more trip, and 
I now relieved him and Leach, sending back Boyd and Johnson for one 
more load before supper. Having left some leaking tins of alcohol in 
our old camp, I sent back an empty boat-breaker to be filled from them. 

Supper at six a. m. Mr. Collins was added to our list of ineffectuals 
to-day with " a stitch in his breast," but seems all light again at supper. 
Last night we were somewhat inconvenienced in our tent by a wet lower" 
blanket, and my sleeping-bag got wet. The snow and ice thaw from the 
heat we generate, and flow over our rubber blanket. With the snowy 
weather we have no chance to dry it, and have to take it as it is. Lime 
iuice 7.30 a. m. Pipe down eight a. m. at first cutter's camp, only one 
and one half miles from our first starting place of Friday, the 17th. 

Called all hands at six p. m. Breakfasted at seven p. m. It has been 
raining steadily for the last eight hours, and I find the temperature up 
to 350, and the wind still from NE. Not caring to expose anybody to 
the weather, I sent around word that we should not start until the rain 
let up ; and during the remainder of this day we sat around in our tents 
wet and uncomfortable, hoping for a change, and wishing for a little 
sun to dry our sleeping-bags. 

At no time of the year is traveling worse than at present. In the 
winter or spring months it is, of course, cold and comfortless, but it is 
nevertheless dry. In autumn or late summer it is favorable, because 
the melted snow has all drained off the hard ice, and the traveling is 
excellent. But just now the snow is soft enough to sink into, and prog- 
ress is almost impossible. And when a rainy day sets in, one's misery 
is complete. Even the dogs cower under the boats for shelter like hens, 
or snuggle up against the tent doors begging for admission. One com- 
fort we have is, that this rain will melt and pack the ice, and, should a 
cold snap follow, freezing will make a good road. 

On shore the pattering of the rain on the roof has a pleasant sound 
to those withfn, but out here it is far from pleasant. No fires, of course, 
except for cooking, and no place to dry clothes, and little streams of 
water, trickling down on you from the tent ventilating holes, make your 
own wetness more wet. 

These halts and long camps have shown me that several of our party 
have been carrying more than I can permit. It is astonishing how many 
"little things that don't weigh anything" have crept in, and it is equally 
sur[)rising how great is their aggregate weight. I shall have one more 
clearing out before leaving this camp. * * * 

By 8.30 p. m. Melville and his party and the two advanced dog sleds 
have come back to camp, having left the first load at the crack in the 
ice mentioned this morning, it having widened as I feared during our 
sleep. By nine the second installment was sent along, and by 9.30 the 
camp was broken, and the whale-boat, with two more dog loads, under 
way. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 903 

Mr. Dunbar and two men remained ahead to trj^ to get a large piece 
of ice down to bridge the opening. I had instructed Melville, in case 
Dunbar had managed to bridge the opening, to get all our traps through 
the gap, and as he did not return for the first cutter, I concluded this 
was being done. At 11.30 p. m. Leach and Ericksen arrived from our 
old camp with the dog sled and half the remaining provisions, the bal- 
ance being left with the dingy some distance back. As I was anxious 
to get forward to see the state of things ahead, I sent Ericksen and 
Leach back with three dogs for the dingj^ , and placing No. I's mess gear 
in the dog sled, I started on with three more dogs. This brought us 
to— 

June 22^, Wednesday. — I hardly had gone one-fourth mile when I 
came to an ice opening, and in spite of my strongest efforts the dogs 
scattered across some lumps, capsized the sled, dragged me in, and sent 
all my mess gear tiying, having accomplished which, and reached the 
other side themselves, they sat down and howled to their hearts' con- 
tent. 

Floundering across, I managed to collect my scattered property and 
get it safely over, and then righted and dragged out the sled. As soon 
as resistance was removed, away went my dogs again. Keaching the 
ice opening which had occasioned the delay at one a. m., I found Melville 
afloat and adrift on an ice-island with all boats and sleds, nothing having 
been got through the gap. I shouted to him to start dinner, and I 
w^ould join him later when the dingy came up. But he managed to get 
a cake of ice dragged to me, and I ferried across with my dog team and 
mess gear. At once we set to w^ork getting floes in place as bridges, 
and before sitting down to dinner we had two sleds and a lot of dog 
loads through the gap on to the heavy ice beyond. At 1.30 sat down 
to dinner, and at two Ericksen and Leach arrived with the din >"y. At 
2.20 a. m. turned to and ran the whale-boat and second cutter through 
the gap. Then sending Melville back with the party for the first cutter 
Ericksen, Leach, and myself pushed on tv/o dog teams with pemmican 
and bread as far as the flag w^hich I left a load at yesterday. When 
we got back to the gap the doctor and the sick were adrift, the ice hav- 
ing opened out during our absence. Dragged cakes of ice down and 
made a crazy bridge over which the sick walked, and then we got the 
medical sled across, and after bridging, dragging, digging, and filling 
in by six a. m. we had everything, first cutter included, through the gap 
and on the hard ice. 

Melville had to launch the first cutter and paddle her part of his way, 
but he got her up in time to take a share in the work of the rear-guard. 

At 7.30 a. m. we had supper, and a more tired and hungry set of mor- 
tals could not be found. 

And so we got ready to bag, having come along about a half a mile in 
ten hour's hard work. At nine a. m. piped down. * * * 

June 2oth, Saturday, found us getting ready for dinner, to which we 
sat down at one a. m., turning the hands to at two a. m. At midnight 
I had got a meridian altitude, which to my amazement gave me a lati- 
tude of N. 77° 46'. There was no mistake in the observation, and I 
went over my figures a half dozen times to find any error. But each 
time 77° 46' was the result. I overhauled my sextant, but that was all 
right, and my amazement increased. To start in 77° 18' N., travel south 
a week, and then find one's self twenty-eight miles further north than 
the starting-point is enough to make one thoughtful and anxious. For 
a long time I ])ondered, and for the moment was inclined to attribute 
the strange result to some extraordinary refraction j but upon looking 



904 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

back at my rejected Sumner of tbe 23d I found that the intersection 
gave 770 46', and so was more anxious than ever. At 4.30 a. m. and 
7.30 a. m. I got another Sumner, and this, plotted, gave me 77° 43' for 
a latitude. My rough means of making a skeleton chart accounted in 
part for the difference from the lower meridian altitude. More anxious 
til an ever, I determined to sit up until noon and get the upper meridian 
altitude before committing myself to plans for the future. 

This day's work has not been as satisfactory as yesterday's. We 
have advanced about three-quarters of a mile. Ice openings bothered 
us, and it was not until 8 a. m. that we had our supper at camp. 

The weather was calm and foggy until the beginning of the day, and 
then it cleared rapidly away as the temperature fell to 22^, and a light 
west air sprung up. By 8 a. m. the temperature was 28^, and the west 
air continued freshening to a light breeze. The sky, was one-half cov- 
ered with cirro cumulus clouds moving east. 

We camped on an old piece of ice, and here we were soon brought to 
a stand. Tlie country to the southward of us is terribly wild and broken. 
Mr. Dunbar, whom I sent ahead to reconnoiter, reports that it is such 
a jam and so full of holes that he could not crawl over it. However, 
nil desperandum. Got soundings in twenty-five ftithoms. 

Ohipp has become alarmingly weak. After walking one-third of a 
mile to the halting-place for dinner, he was completely exhausted, and 
though he remained on or in his bag until six a. m. (seven hours after), 
he was unable at first to get on his feet when we tried to take the hos- 
pital on to camij. Being assisted to stand, he was clearly unfit to walk, 
and to his great mortification was compelled to accede to our request to 
be carried on in a dog sled. How are we to get him through *? 

At noon I obtained a meridian altitude, and this gave me latitude 
770 42', and of this at least there is no doubt. My Sumner of this morn- 
ing was accurate, and my midnight observation was out only by the 
greater refraction of such a low altitude. I therefore accept the situa- 
tion, and shall modify my plans to this extent. Instead of making a 
south course I shall incline more to southwest, for as the line of our 
drift is nortliwest, a southwest course will cross it more rapidly than a 
south one, and bring us quicker to the ice edge. * * * 

June 21th, Monday^ one a. m., found us about a quarter of a mile fur- 
ther, and we halted for dinner. Turned to at 2.15 a. m., and from this 
time to seven a. m. we had the hardest time we have yet had. We suc- 
ceeded in advancing only half a mile further south-southwest, making 
one and a quarter miles in eleven hours' steady work. Just after leav- 
ing our halting place, we had another opening to cross twenty feet in 
width, and while we tried bridging it it opened twenty feet more. After 
great exertion we succeeded in dragging in three large fioes for bridges, 
and by herculean eftbrts got our sleds and boats over, launching first 
and second cutters. Drifting about one eighth of a mile further, we 
had another i(;e opening about sixty feet wide, and to bridge this we 
had literally to drag an ice island thirty feet wide and hold it in place. 
Hardly had we done this when the lead widened, and we had to scour 
around for more huge blocks to make them serve our purpose. There 
seems to be general slackness to the ice, aud a streaming away without 
any resistance. It is hardly late enough to find leads of any length, 
but there are openings enough to give us serious trouble. 

To work like horses all day for ten or eleven hours and to make only 
a mile is rath<T discouraging; and the knowledge that we are very 
likely going tliiee miles norlhwest to every mile We make southwest 
keeps me anxious. Melville and the doctor are the only ones to whom 



• JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 905 

I have communicated our latitude, and to them I intend it shall be con- 
lined, for, no doubt, great discouragement, if not entire loss of zeal, 
would ensue were such a disagreeable bit of news generally known. I 
dodge Chipi), Danenhower, and Dunbar, lest they should ask me ques- 
tions. 

Thus far everybody is bright and cheerful, and singing is going on 
all around. I hope our good health and spirits may long continue. 
Supper at 7.40 ; piped down at nine a. m. Found upon arrival in camp 
that the runner of the second cutter's sled was beginning to double un- 
der, so we dismounted the boat and left the relashing to be done by the 
successive men on watch. * * * 

June 29th, Wednesday. — At 1.30 turned to. Eight at our feet we had 
some road-making to do, and then we came to some very old heavy ice, 
dirty and discolored with mud, with here and there a mussel shell, and 
with a piece of rock on it, which, as it was similar to that on Henrietta 
Island, I carried along. Going ahead with dog sleds and Mr. Dunbar, 
we suddenly came to water, and peering into the fog it seemed as if we 
bad some extensive lead before us. Going back hurriedly I sent the 
dingy ahead for an exploration, but, alas ! it was fruitless. The favor- 
able lead which we thought we had turned out to be another wretched 
oi)ening seventy five feet wide, which we had to bridge. B}^ great good 
fortune a large piece was handy, and by hard hauling Dunbar, iShar- 
vell, and I succeeded in getting it in place, and a fortunate closing of 
the lead a foot or two jammed it in as a solid bridge. Unfortunately, 
openings w^^re occurring in our rear, and we had more bridging to do 
there. 

Never was such luck, ^o sooner do we get our advance across a lead 
than a new one opens behind it, and makes us hurry back lest our rear 
should be caught. By the time we have got a second sled ahead, more 
openings have occurred, and we are in for a time. These openings are 
always east and west. By no means, seemingly, can we get one north 
and south, so that we might make something by them ; and these east 
and west lanes meander away to narrow veins between i)iled up masses, 
over which there can no road be built, and between which no boat can be 
got. It is no uncommon thing for us to have four leads to bridge in half 
a mile, and when one remembers that Melville and his party have to 
make always six and sometimes seven trips, the amount of coming and 
going is fearful to contemplate. Add to this the flying trip of the dog- 
sleds, and the moving forward of the sick at a favorable moment, and 
it is not strange that we dread meeting an ice opening. 

This very old and hard ice is beyond doubt what Sir George Nares 
calls '' paleocrystic." I measured one place and found it thirty- two feet 
nine iuches thick, and where it is not mud-stained it is rounded up in 
hummocks resembliug alabaster. Over this we sledded and dragged 
well enough, though it was, as the men said, " a rocky road to Dublin." 
I encountered one piece which was sixteen feet thick, and I am almost 
inclined to think was a single growth, for not a line of union of layers 
could be seen. * * * 

The sick being far enough convalescent to do without the doctor's 
steady presence, I assigned him to-day to the road and bridge-making ; 
his force consisting of Mr. Newcomb and Lee. Alexey will now run with 
a dog sled helping Aneguin. Called all hands at 8 p. m. Breakfasted 
at nine p. m. Under way at 10.30, repairs keeping us back. * * * 

At 9.30 a. m. pii)ed down. Everybody is bright and cheerful, and ap- 
parently (except Ohipp and Danenhower) in excellent health. We have 
abundance of food, good appetites, sleep v/ell, and, as Mr. Cole expresses 



906 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

itj lie ^' seems to get more spring in him every day." My sights place us 
in 770 31' ]Sr., and 150^ 41' E., a change in position since June 25th of 
thirteen miles S. 30° W. As our distance made by account is twelve miles, 
it would seem that we have had no current against us. But of course T 
cannot tell ; we may have been set down that much in three days by 
our northerly winds, and therefore I must accept the position as simply 
showing where we are, and push on for the edge of the ice. * * * 

July 4:th, Monday, — At 1.45 a. m. halted for dinner. At three sharp 
set out again, and though some little confusion was imminent because 
the Walrus took the wrong road, we avoided all serious delay, and by 
6.20 a. m. had advanced everything one mile more, making the, to us, 
unprecedented distance of two and one-fourth miles southwest in eight 
hours and twenty minutes. For the last one fourth mile our course lay 
over some beautiful hard ice parallel to a narrow lead, and we were able 
to send two sleds ahead at a time, and the second cutter and whale-boat 
together, making the first cutter our only '-all hands" haul. This re- 
duced the number of trips from seven to four, a great saving — though 
possible only for short stages, because such work soon exhausts the 
men's breath. Having been sixteen days under way, we have sensibly 
reduced the amount of our provisions hauled on the dog sleds, and in 
consequence the dog sleds get home some little time in advance of the 
boats and heavy sleds. I have therefore ordered the bags to be removed 
from the Walrus, and the top tier of bags from the ^' bread sled," assign- 
ing them to the quick-running dog sleds, and in this manner T hope to 
lighten the heavier sleds so as to enable the men to haul two sleds at a 
time. While the after-dinner work was going on, Mr. Dunbar and I 
went ahead to look for a road for to-morrow. At the camping place we 
seem to have come to the end of the heavy, smooth floe over which the 
last half of yesterday's, and both portions of to- day's work was done. 

The narrow lead which I mentioned as running parallel with it for 
the last one-fourth mile separates it from some disconnected pieces of ice 
of last winter's formation, extending for about a mile, and then we seem 
to come to some old ice again. The prospect is not bad 5 I find we are 
not consuming our daily ration — one pound of pemmican — nor have we 
ever done so; and, strange to say, the dogs do not sometimes eat theirs. 
We all like it amazingly, eating it cold three times a day, like cake, out 
of our hands, but yet we seem to have enough on less than a pound. 

Our greatest comfort, morning and evening, is Liebig's Extract, or 
beef-tea. Our daily allowance of one ounce per man is sufiicient to give 
us a i)int morning and evening, and I know of no more refreshing and 
comforting thing up here than this same warm drink. Some tents take 
the whole ounce at dinner, but we in No. 1 prefer it when we get up, 
and when our day's work is done. 

I find, also, that one pint of alcohol is necessary for each tent each meal 
to cook coffee, beef- tea, or chocolate, as the case may be, and to melt enough 
snow and broken-down ice-crystals for drinking water. This, I am sure, is 
in excess of former sledge travelers, but as yet I can see no way of reduc- 
ing it. Supper at 7.15 a. m. Our flags are all flying in honor of the day, 
though to me it is a very blue one. Three years ago to-day in Havre 
the Jeannette was christened, and many pleasant things were said, and 
anticipations formed, all of which have gone down with the ship. I did 
not think then that three years afterward would see us all out on the 
ice witli nothing accomplished, and a story of a lost ship to carry back 
to our well-wishers at home. My duty to those who came with me is to 
see them safely bac^k, and to devote all my mind and strength to that 
end. My duty to those depending on me for support hereafter impels 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 907 

me to desire that I should return also; but tliose two duties apart, I 
fancy it would have made but little difference if I had gone down with 
my ship. But as tbere is nothing done without some good purpose being 
served, I must endeavor to look my misfortune in the face, and to learn 
what its application may be. It will be hard, however, to be known 
hereafter as a man who undertook a Polar expedition and sunk his ship 
at the 77th parallel. Piped down at nine a. m. Called all hands at six 
p. ra. Breakfasted at seven p. m. Under way at eight p. m. Three 
hundred yards from our camp we came to an ice opening one hundred 
and filty feet wide, right in our way; as we are now doubling our fleets, 
that is, dragging two sleds at a time, such an opening was a serious in- 
convenience. A small, thick floe-piece was floating in the middle of the 
lead, and I hoped to get that pressed into service before any delay could 
occur. Sending for the dingy I succeeded in getting this lump in tow, 
and ready for a flying bridge, or ferry, while the other boats were coming 
up. Second cutter and two sleds were then carried across, the remainder 
being kept behind for a second load, and to avoid an accident involving 
loss of our provisions. However, everything got across all right. Soon 
after we had to make a second ferriage, and then a number of bridges 
before we reached the hard ice, which Dunbar and 1 hail visited before 
our last camp. Ice which was connected then was all open and moving 
now, and it was not until one a. m., 

July ^th, Tuesday, that we had everything in sufiicient security to sit 
down to our dinner. The snow was falling quite heavily in large flakes, 
and we rigged up oar rubber blankets from the boat's rails to protect 
us, making our dinner-halt look li]?:e a small country fair, as some of the 
men said. I could not help remarking that there were many people 
under canvas in Hobokeu to-day picnicking, who would like a little of 
the coolness we were now having, but it seemed to provoke a desire to 
exchange places with them, and I said nothing more. * * * 

A gloomy, disagreeable day, and unless we want soaking wet jackets 
we must stay under our tents. As soon as breakfast was over I sent 
word around that no start would be made until the weather improved. 
We are evidently having a SW. gale, an unusual thing in our experi- 
ence of two years, and it would be a matter of pleasant interest, were 
it not also a subject of much anxiety, to remain quiet and see where it 
would drift us. This wet day and consequent halt come in opportunely, 
for the men are enabled to repair their worn and leaking moccasins. 
Our sleeping-bags^ alas! are again wet, and, in fact, it is a miracle when 
they are dry. If we keep wet this way all the hair will come out of the 
bags, and we shall lie down on the bare skiu. Up to midnight the wind 
tore around us in tierce gusts, threatening to blow our tents away, while 
the rain beat down almost steadily. Though cold and damp, if not 
to say wet, we were in tolerable comfort, because sheltered. The dogs 
crouched under the boats, or whatever else afforded a shelter, while we, 
human beings, stayed within doors. The wind continued at SW. true 
(all directions in this journal are true); the barometer fell to 29.30 at 
36°, and the temperature rose to 33^. If this blow does not sweep us 
to the northward again, which I very much fear it will do, it will' do us 
good in two ways : break up the ice and improve our traveling. * * * 

While waiting for everything to come up to the first ferry, I was much 
struck with the unusual appearance of the clouds to the southwest, 
which gave more indications of water than anything we had yet seen. 
Calling Mr. Dunbar's attention to them, he expressed his opinion that 
such clouds did not hang over ice. Climbing to the top of a hummock, 
twenty feet above the water level, and examining carefully with a glass. 



908 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

I saw nnraistakable land and wafer. It now appears that this was the 
land seen yesterday. At all events it is land, sure enough, and water, 
too. What it may be no one can say— whether newly discovered land, 
or (our longitude being out) some portion of Siberia. It can hardly be 
any one of the Liakhoff Islands. 

Another pleasant feature is our course, southwest being a straight 
line to it. My change from south to southwest may therefore be a wise 
act, resulting in our speedier liberation. Judging by ordinary distances 
I should say the land is ten to fifteen miles distant ; and as I could see 
quite a large expanse of water, with long streams of detached ice, it may 
be that once at the margin of this ice-field through which we are now 
toiling we may have open water to the Siberian coast, thus verifying 
some part of the statement of Kussian explorers. We have exploded so 
many theories of other people that it will be hard to nuike us believe that 
we can have left the ice behind us short of the Arctic circle. 

One month ago to-day our ship went down, and I do not see any one 
the worse for the work that has fallen to us since. That it is hard work 
there can be no dispute. It is conceded by everybody to be the hardest 
work they ever did. The drag, drag, the slips and jerks, the sudden 
bringing up of the hauling belt across the chest, are fearfully trying; 
and the working with pickaxes through flinty ice makes every bone 
ache. From the looks of the weather at camping, I judge we are in for 
a southeast blow. The sky is overcast, a nasty fog shuts in everything. 
If we have a southeaster we may be blown miles to the northwest before 
we can get to this land or water. * * * 

Supper at 7.30 a. m. Nobody under our conditions could write very 
fully all the occurrences of a day, and I am very glad before turning in 
each morning to remember even as much as I write. The hundred trials 
and difficulties in getting along, the heavy hauling, etc., are regular, 
and once mentioned need no rei)etition. Ko doubt, one of these days I 
can more satisfiictorily describe our march over the frozen ocean, but 
just now these rough notes must suffice. Sounded in twenty-three fath- 
oms ; muddy bottom, rapid drift SE. Piped down at nine a. m. Called 
all hands at six p. m. ; breakfasted at seven p. m. ; fresh NW. wind j 
barometer, 30.05 at 40°; thermometer, 31° ; cloudy and foggy; under 
way at eight p. m. Immediately we had to ferry all our things across 
from the island on which we camped to the one alongside of it, and from 
there to adjoining ones, and at 12.30 a. m., 

July ISthj Wednesday, we had only made one-half mile good, reaching 
then a strip of ice about a mile long Halted for dinner, and at 1.50 
went ahead again. Traversed this one mile piece, and then came to an 
opening about two hundred feet wide, separating us from an ice-island, 
which on tbe opposite side was near enough to a floe piece to make 
access easy. By great good luck there were three large cakes floating 
along this two hundred foot opening; we seized on them, dragged them 
into position for a bridge, and were thus able to proceed without much 
delay. Beyond them was a long, flat floe one-half mile in extent north- 
east and southwest, and probably five miles northwest and southeast. 
As we only took so much of it as was on our course, the one-half mile 
was all that we traversed, and at G.35 a. m. halted andcamiied, satisfied 
that our one and three-fourths miles were well made. While the boats 
were being brought up, Mr. Dunbar and I took the dingy and went 
down the lead at which our fioe terminated, to see what it promised. 
It resulted in nothing except giving me a high hummock from which 1 
could see well arouid me. I at once made up my mind that to go on 
our course to-morrow would be impossible. For not onl^^ did we have 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 909 

a fearful lialf mile of repeated ferryings before "we reached good ice' 
again, but tbe unloading of the boats, and a whole day, would be thus 
involved. By going across the lead due west we Lad a level floe run- 
ning west southwest for two miles, which then connected with good ice, 
and would enable us to resume our course southwest. This I decided 
to be my plan of action on again breaking cam]>. Eeturning to our 
camping place I again saw the curious-looking clouds noticed in the 
southwest on the 11th, and looked anxiously for the same land and 
water then seen, but was disappointed. Shortly after Mr. Dunbar came 
to me and said he saw the open water. After some looking in vain, I 
at last saw it, with ice-streams in it, but no land, and judging from rela- 
tive distances and my range of view, I think it was inside of eight miles 
southwest. The weather since midnight had been dull and gloomy. 
Large ponds, larger than any we had yet seen, were crossed, and more 
lay beyond us. These, and the remarkable looseness of the ice, led us 
to infer that we were near open water. As a good clear horizon would 
decide this question beyond doubt at any time, our foggy weather is 
all the more deplorable before camping. * * * 

July l()f/i, Saturday. — By 12.30 a. m. we had made a good mile from 
our camp, and halted for dinner. The weather continued bright and 
pleasant, and a few cirrus clouds were all that could be observed. The 
island shows more plainly than yesterday, but no water could be seen. 
At two a. m. resumed our march, and advanced everything another good 
half a mile by 5.30 a. m. Here there was but a poor place to camp, and, 
as I was closely occupied with getting sights, I sent Mr. Dunbar ahead 
to choose a place. He informed me that a quarter of a mile ahead there 
was a good place, and that, though there had been several leads open, 
they were now closed, and we might sled right over. I gave the order, 
therefore, to go ahead, and returned to my work of a Sumner. As I 
have to carry my instrument box on a dog sled, my movements and 
those of the sled do not correspond, and I generally have to send to the 
rear to get my box brought up, and keep by it during the interval be- 
tween sights to prevent it getting out of my reach. Mr. Dunbar had 
gone ahead to get a good hummock to look for the water. Much time 
elapsed without Melville coming back for the second fleet, and I could 
not understand why. Finally I rushed ahead, with my sextant in one 
hand and my artificial horizon in the other, and at last found the cause 
of the delay; the ice had opened again, and left us in a fearful mess. 
The dog sleds had got over and discharged, but could not get back, and 
Melville was trying to get his two sleds out of the snarl in which he 
found himself. I saw we were in for a time, and so it was ; for not until 
nine a. m. did we get all our traps into camp, requiring; three hours for 
wJiat we expected to do in one. However, we are consoled, for Mr. Col- 
lins shot a seal meanwhile, the dingy got him, and we have another 
luxurious supper ahead. 

Previous to getting sights, I had a mishap which was annoying. 
Going to the top of a hummock to take a look at the land, Mr. Dunbar 
and I had to go out of the road and jum}) some rather wide openings. 
Going was all right, but jumping across a four-foot opening the ice broke 
under me as I jumped, and I went into the water up to my neck. My 
clothes held me up for a moment, and Mr. Dunbar grabbed me by the 
hood, as he thought, but by the whiskers principally, as I realized, for 
he nearly took my head ofl'. My knapsack was away to the rear, and I 
sent Johnson back for it when I reached the dingy. However, I soon 
got dry clothes on, and, thanks to the bright sun, my wet ones were 
soon drying. By capsizing of a dog sled \ve lost 270 pounds of pemmi- 



910 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

can. Mr. Newcomb sliot a bird new to us— a Mollemokki. The event of 
the day, however, was the seal — a fine, large, fat one, giving us food 
and boot grease. Not much less in importance was the appearance of a 
walrus— the first one seen by us in a very, very long time. Though 
fired at and hit by Mr. Collins and Kindemann, he remained under water 
finally after many reappearances. * =* * 

If we can get on this land, we shall, at all events, know that we are 
stationary, and that the wind w^ill not carry us around aimlessly. Un- 
less the Liakhoff Islands are incorrectly charted, this land is not one of 
them, for the northern point on the chart is still south of west consider- 
ably of our position on the 16th. If there ever was open water north 
of these Liakhoffc' Islands, as stated by Wrangel, Anjou, and Heden- 
strom, we may get to it from the south side of this land. ^' A bird in 
the hand is worth two in the bush," and I will head for what I can 
plainly see, instead of bearing away across a shifting sea of ice for 
something which I cannot see. * * * 

July 2lst, Ihursday. — At one a. m. the tents came along, and the 
cooking stoves, and while the cooks pitched camp and prepared dinner, 
Ohipp took the rest of the men back and brought forward the dingy, 
with Avalrus meat enough for supper. At two a. m. dinner was ready, 
alcohol being used as fuel. Eain still continued in squalls, and the ice 
in front of us was moving before the moderate northeast gale. Clearly 
this was a case of a lost day, and I accepted the situation. 

At 5.30 a. m. the land showed quite plainly between W. SW. and a 
half W., and W. by N. Soundings in twenty -two fathoms, and a rapid 
drift W. SW. (two points to right of leeward). Supper at seven a. m., 
and as our bags were the most comfortable things we had at our dis- 
posal, we, in No. 1, crawled into them at eight a. m. Piped down at 
nine a. m. During the sleeping time the wind tore around our tents in 
fierce gusts, threatening to pull them out and whirl them away. Eain fell 
from time to time. Called all hands at six p. m. Breakfasted at seven 
p. m. Ice still moving in the lead. Laud in plain sight, and much 
nearer, too, extending from S. 87° W. to N. 56^ W., both magnetic. 
Wind strong from east, but moderating somewhat. 

The confusion before us was such that I dared not risk trying to cross 
anything. Large blocks, small lumps, and lloebergs were moving along 
to the southward, and occasionally a large piece, seemingly free, would 
suddenly be shot up in the air as it was squeezed by larger ones, or its 
submerged portions became freed from overriding masses. If one of 
our sleds had been caught in such a predicament, or one of our boats, 
the result would not be doubtful. The wind seemed inclined to freshen 
again, and going ahead was out of the question. A quarter of a mile of 
this living, movini>- ice would hold a Goliath back. 

Looking further north we saw the most promising place yet, which 
seemingly offered an easy transit across the narrowest part of this ice 
channel. Sending Mr. Dunbar ahead to pick out the road, I hurried 
back to bring up the sleds, and at 9.35 p. m. we commenced our first 
forward movement. Some little pick-axe work gave us a fairly good 
road, though three jams were threatening to relax and leave water gaps 
every movement. In fact, hardly had we got the boats through than 
one of them opened. Meanwhile a cold fog had shut us in and hidden 
the islaiul from our sight. 

July 22^, Friday. — As but one' sled or one boat could be hauled at 
one time through the passageway above described, it was one a. m. be- 
fore our last boat was through, and we halted for dinner. We were on 
a good piece of hard ice, lumi)y, but giving fair traveling. This was 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 911 

separated from a much larger piece of hard, old, smooth ice by another 
ugly mess, which we could get over if it held together ; but it was 
threatening to open at any moment. * * * 

Before getting under way got fresh bearings. The extreme points 
were found to bear as follows : S. 87^ W. and N. 18o W., both magnetic, 
and the low point at which I headed, west (magnetic). Though the 
weather was bright and pleasant, a fog-bank was in the eastern horizon 
and threatened to advance upon us. In order to give this new island a 
chance to see the " Stars and Stripes " before the fog shut in, our colors 
were displayed. 

For one and three quarters of a mile we advanced over a good road, 
and then came to an opening with large and small blocks of ice, but 
yet water enough to x^ermit a ferry. The ice was all in motion, and as 
everything might change favorably before we were ready to cross, no 
useless labor was indulged in by getting ready bridges or ferrying 
pieces. At 11.50 p. m. all our sleds and boats were up. At ten the fog 
had covered us and shut in the laud, while an easterly breeze sprang 
up that changed our sensations from those of uncomfortable heat to 
those of uucomfortable cold, though probably the temperature remained 
unchanged. 

July 24:th, Sunday. — At 12.20 a. m. we sat down to dinner by the 
opened ice. Some little excitement was created by the appearance of 
a seal, which Mr. Collins killed ; but it sank before the dingy could 
reach it, and thus our luxurious supper faded away. At 12.50 a. m. 
turned to ; the ice had been alternately moving east and west during 
dinner, but had now subsided, leaving a lane 50 yards wide of clear 
water between us and a neighboring hard floe. I at once decided this 
to be a case for floating boats, and as soon as I had run a line across in 
the dingy and Mr. Dunbar had secured its end, the boats were iu turn 
drawn over. The first cutter upon arrival was emptied, and used to 
ferry dogs, dog-sleds, and loose packages, and in one and a quarter 
hours everything was across. Then we proceeded for a short distance, 
three quarters of a mile, and were again confronted by an ice-freshet. 
Large blocks were being swirled around and carried first west and then 
east j leads were opening and closing every moment ; water-lanes opened 
now where a moment before a good road appeared, and such a state of 
activity as we have not before seen. Beyond this lay a stretch of good 
hard ice, and better than that a lead of water on our course west (mag- 
netic), and fifty to one hundred feet wide, while extending as far as the 
fog would permit us to see, which, it is true, was not far. But the 
sliding, shifting mass, before alluded to, bothered us exceedingly -, though 
there were three dog-sled trips for each sled, and four trips for the men, 
a new way had to be fouud each time, going and returning, and it was 
not until 6.40 a. m. we got all things over and camped. Mr. Collins, 
however, at 6.30, shot a seal, and we know that to-morrow we shall have 
a seal for supper. The land showed just once, about 5 a. m., and we 
are seemingly quite close to our point. It still bears west, but hardly 
had we seen it than down shut the fog thicker than ever. * * * 

July 25th, Monday. — Sent Dunbar ahead, across an ugly mess. He 
and doctor go together. Strike hard ice, and at its edge they see low 
point, through fog, one eighth mile distant, bearing west. Turn to at 
1.45 a. m. Very ugly time crossing mess. Little or nothing accom- 
plished in distance by six a. m., our usual supper time. Conclude to 
work all night. Land suddenly shows plainly, and we seem about one 
mile from it. Moss plainly seen on the face of the cliffs. Go ahead at 
eight a. m., and from that time to noon, frightful work -, ice opening, 



912 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

swirling, swinging us off from land, separating our things in spite of us. 
Eain sets in and continues in showers. Get our things together and 
dine at 12.45 p. m. Getting our reckoning straight at the expense of 
rest. Under canvas to avoid rain. Apparently we are drawing into 
a bay making an indentation on south side of island. Eain ceases. 
Turn to at two p. m. ; go ahead. Simply fearful work which I can never 
forget, and ending at six p. m. in a fog which hid everything. Got on 
a piece of good ice and pitched camp. Bear meat for supper. Twenty- 
four hours since we commenced work. Wind SE. Temperature 30.5o. 
Tired, cold, wet, hungry, sleepy, disappointed, and disgusted ; but ready 
to tackle it again to-morrow. Piped down at nine p. m. This affords 
me a chance to return to our natural way of living, working by day 
and sleeping at night. 

July 26th, Tuesday.— Dunng the night I was frequently awake, and 
could hear the wind getting up, and occasionally the rain pattered 
down. As I gave everybody a good long rest, it was eight a. m. before 
all hands were called. I then found a northeast gale blowing, a thick 
fog, and only unsatisfactory glimpses of the land now and then obtain- 
able. The ice to the eastward of us was all in motion, and much water 
and drift ice pieces lay between us and the land. Several of the watch 
declared that during the night, when they saw the land, it was much 
nearer than when we camped ; and Mr. Collins, who turned out during 
the night, said we were in front of the valley, and he could see clear 
water between us and an ice-foot, or strip of ice next the land. The 
situatioD, I think, is as follows : 




A. Out position. B. Ice rapidly driftins; to SW. before wind. 

JS. East end of south side island. G. Water and drift-pieces. 

W. West end of south side island. -D. Ice-foot or strip of fast ice. 

1 think we are far enough under the lee of the point east to escape 
drifting with the ice pressing down along the island, and passing the 
point east, even if w^e are not in an eddy so created, and thus pushed 
in closer to the land. As nothing can be seen clearly, it would be folly 
to move into a i)robably endless confusion, and I shall therefore wait 
until some plan can be safely carried out. 

I do not think I shall ever'forget yesterday. Such a time of difficulty 
and vexation can be experienced nowhere else. Such a shifting of ice 
and opening of leads! Hardly had we commenced to move our things 
along what seemed a fair road, than the road broke uj^ ; ice broke under 
us, ice slid away from us, ice moved to the right, when we wanted to 
go to the left, and vice versa, and each installment of provisions got 
safely across was considered by me as barely rescued from destruction. 
And all this time the land, not one-half mile off, was tempting us by its 
solidity, and appealing to our desire for rest by its moss-covered hills 
and slopes. At eight A. m. yesterday, when we concluded to go on, 
and worked for twenty-four hours, so many good roads, each leading 
seemingly directly on shore, i)resented themselves, that I was embar- 
assed in a choice. In fifteen minutes they had fallen to pieces, and be- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 913 

came puzzling masses of ice and water. There was no question that 
when I gave it up at six p. M., everybody was used up, and could not 
possibly have gone further. Everybody was wet up to his knees, stiff 
legs and cramps annoyed us until we had been an hour or two in our 
bags, and we were too tired, in fact, to get the rest we stood so much 
in need of. However, we are all right again this morning, and none 
the worse off, better off, in fact, for if we had not put in the twenty-four 
hours in full, we should have been out in the heavy drift ice, and pro- 
bably miles away from the land by the time this gale is over. 

At noon the fog broke away and showed the land for a few moments. 
We were exactly as I had supposed and indicated by the sketch on the 
preceding page. The pressure of the ice in swinging off the east point 
has backed us in toward the bay, and between our floe and the land 
there is about two miles of water nearly clear of ice. Jammed against 
our floe are a number of large blocks and hummocks, offering serious 
difficulty to any attempt to launch our boats. On the off* side of these 
hummocks the sea is breaking considerably. The wind tears around 
us in fierce gusts. I^o. 6 tent has been twice blown down. We shall 
see what the state of affairs is after dinner. Dined at 12.30 p. M. luxu- 
riously on bear stew. 

By 1.30 the land was again in fog, and otherwise the situation was as 
before. My desire was to go ahead, but prudence told me to wait until 
the weather moderated. The barometer is still falling, the rain beats 
down from time to time, and nothing can be seen through the fog. I 
decide to wait for an improvement, and then I shall push on in the 
second cutter and try to land some provisions. 

During the afternoon the ice scene was constantly changing. At one 
moment ice seemed to reach from our floe to the land ; at another time 
lanes of water were seen, and once our floe was left as an island, while 
it would have been possible to launch a boat and reach the shore. I 
confess 1 was tempted to try it, but I realized that the whale-boat could 
carry nothing more than her crew safely until her garboards were re- 
paired, and that it would take six or seven trips of the two other boats 
to carry our effects. The whale-boat has leaked badly each time she 
has been floated, and the weather to day (the first chance for repairs) 
has been such that Sweetman could not handle his tools. Before I 
could have got one boat in the water ice shoved in between us and the 
land, and we were once more helpless. It seems as if Providence were 
directing our movements, for the floe upon which we camped last night 
is the only large piece of ice to be seen j all else is confusion and trouble. 
Had I gone farther, or stopped short of this place, it is hard to say 
where we should be now. 

We are moving west slowly, about a mile or a mile and a half from 
the land, and are now (seven p. m.) abreast a large glacier, whose broken 
edge (it may be twenty feet high) we can see with a glass. I have 
watched carefully all day for a landing-place, but not one has shown. 
The coast is either steep cliff or glacier, and neither is a successful 
landing-place. The barometer is now at a stand — I think 29.63 at 33^— 
and, though rain is occasionally falling, and the sky is dark and threat- 
ening where the fog does not hide it altogether, I am in hopes the 
weather will improve during the night. Supper (bear stew) at six p. m. 
Piped down at nine. 

July 27thy Wednesday.— C Silled all hands at six. Breakfasted at seven. 

The wind has veered to E., and is dying away. A thick fog continues, 

hiding everything fifty yards distant. The barometer is rising— 29.67 

at 360, the temperature is 28o.5, from which two things I anticipate 

58 J Q* 



914 JEAN^ETTE INQUIRY 

clearing weather. Meanwhile we remain where we are. " Hope de- 
ferred maketh the heart sick." Patiently and hopefully have I waited 
all the forenoon for a clearing, bat still, at one p. M., does the fog hang 
about us impenetrably. The barometer still ^es up (29.72 at 38°), and 
the temperature is 30°. 

Soundings in sixteen fathoms water, and I am afraid we have drifted 
down abreast the point west, and are too far west to hope for any ben- 
efit from the bay in which yesterday we shoaled our water to thirteen 
fathoms, in which case we are now beginning to open the west face of 
the island. This will be the last forlorn hope for open water in this 
neighborhood. 

And yet there is much to be thankful for ; everybody is in excellent 
health, in spite of our terribly hard work; the appetites are something 
wonderful to think of, and our sleep is sound and unbroken. Forty-one 
days of our march over the frozen sea have had no bad effect. Our 
bear is so nearly consumed that for supper w'e have only half our usual 
ration to serve out. (In five meals we have eaten about 250 pounds 
bear meat. The gross weight was probably 450 pounds.) The only 
trace our marching shows on us is tender feet, and that probably arises 
from their being so often wet. Wading through pools would make wet 
feet if our foot gear was changed every hour. * * * 

At 6 p. M. had supper. At G.45 the fog lifted a little, and showed us 
the land, seemingly about half a mile off". We have drifted along shore 
since last evening, and have left on our right hand the glacier which 
we were in front of last night ; but ahead of us, and apparently extend- 
ing in to the land, was a very heavy lloe of blue ice, separated from us 
by a few insignificant openings. Such a chance was not to be lost. All 
hands were at once turned to, and at 7.15 we went ahead with all four 
sleds, officers dragging also, and then bounced along the boats, and in 
one hour we had everything on the heavy floe. This we now found to 
be one and one halt miles in width upon going over it, and we were 
still separated from the laud by a half mile of broken ice, water lanes, 
etc. I at once made up my mind that it could not be done to-night, 
and that 1 had better devote a day to it. 

The wind had veered to ESE., was blowing fresh, and rain began 
to fall steadily, and when, at 10.45 p. m., just inside the blue floe edge, 
I gave the order to camp 1 think 1 did a very prudent and sensible 
thing. 

July 2Sth, Thursday. — Called all hands at seven. Breakfasted at 
eight. Windy (ESE.), foggy, and disagreeable. Land in sight at 
times. We have gone a short distance to westward. Temperature 29^. 
Under way at 8.50 A. M. Sent Mr. Dunbar ahead, and after a while we 
succeeded in crossing the broken ice which had stopped us last night. 
Here we had a small floe, across which we speeded. The fog now shut 
in impenetrably, and I feared we were in for a troublesome time. Mr. 
Dunbar returned, however, and informed me, that after crossing this 
floe we should find large ice blocks, with only two-foot openings, and 
that these extended to the ice foot, or fast ice, and that, moreover, he 
had climbed up on the ice-foot, and advanced one hundred yards over 
it toward the land. This was too good a chance to lose, and away we 
went. But though we made all haste, and got over our last ferry, and 
across the small floe in splendid time, when we reached the further 
edge we found everything fallen to pieces, and more water and rapidly 
moving ice than we could undertake. Much of the moving ice looked 
like small bergs broken off from a glacier foot, and from the rounded 
lumps of ice on top, and their almost straight edges, I am inclined to' 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 915 

tbiuk they were icebergs. By 12.30 p. m. we had everything up on the 
lloe edge, and halted for dinner. 

The sun now tried to break through the fog, and I hoped for a clear 
ing; but at 1.30 p. m., when we turned to, the fog was as thick as ever. 
The situation had improved somewhat, for another floe piece had now 
come along, and a few loose pieces offered a convenient bridge. Away 
we went, but the floe piece was a small one, and we soon reached its 
edge. Here was another confusion, but we could make out a larger floe 
ahead. Everything was embarked on an ice-cake for a ferry-boat, and 
a hauling line run to the floe. By great effort we got our piece clear 
by four p. m. and commenced to haul over. Suddenly everybody gave 
a shout, "Look !" Away up over our heads 2,500 (?) feet towered the 
land, and we were sweeping past it like a mill stream. Hurriedly 
sounded in eighteen and one-half fathoms. Soon our floe was reached. 
Away we jumped our sleds and boats, and, seeing two or three large 
cakes nearly together, ran everything rapidly over until we at last stood 
at the base of the ice- cap. It was a narrow squeeze, for the men with 
the tents and remaining loose provisions on their shoulders had hard 
work to run fast enough to get on the last cake before the other cakes 
were swept away. Now that w'e were on the last cake our situation 
became critical. We could not get up on the ice-foot, for ten feet of 
water and small lumijs intervened, and we were sweeping along by it 
at the rate of three miles an hour. Our cake was none of the strongest, 
and in the swirling and running masses and small bergs I feared we 
should be broken up and separated. It was an anxious moment. The 
southwest cape of the island was not half a mile away, and this was 
our last chance. Over two weeks of dragging and working to reach 
this island seemed about to be thrown away. I soon noticed our cake 
begin to turn around, and saw that it might be whirled into a kind of 
corner against the fast ice, where, if it remained long enough, a land- 
ing might bt'. effected. " Stand by," was the order now, and with sled 
ropes in hand we waited the trying moment. Soon our cake caught 
and held. "Now is the time, Ohij^p ! " I shouted, and away we went. 

One sled got over on the rough ice-foot all right ; a second nearly 
fell overboard; the third did fall overboard, dragging in Oole; and a 
piece of ice had to be dragged in by sheer force to bridge for the fourth. 
When I started the St. Michael's sleds they seemed to stick somewhere. 
Watching our cake closely, I saw signs of it giving way. "Away with 
the boats !" — but how ? Nindemann sang out that he thought we could 
float the boats below, and haul them over. No sooner said than done, 
and down they went into the water. The men were hurried from the 
sleds to the boats, and I saw the first cutter just beginning to haul out, 
when away swept our ice-cake, carrying Melville, Iversen, Aneguin, 
and myself, with six dogs. Wilson had carried one load of dogs over 
in the dingy, but he could not get back for the remainder. Ohipp was 
on the ice-foot with the boats, and I knew he could look out for them, 
and I felt pretty certain we had saved everything. For ourselves, on 
the drifting ice-cake, I had some little anxiety, but one corner of our 
cake, fortunately, soon after" drifted near a fast berg, and by making 
a flying leap through the air, we escaped in safety. At last! But 
though standing still we were not ashore. The ice foot extended out 
from the land, and was a confused mass of piled up ice-blocks and 
ridges — honey-combed, cracked, and broken — and presenting a sim- 
ply impassable road for travel with sleds. Glad enough was I to get a 
solid foothold anywhere, and I gave the order to camp at 6.30 p. m. 
(our first sled having got on the ice-foot about five), everything being 



\)16 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

hauled in as near to the land as possible, say fifty feet from it. Kocks 
were occasionally slipping down and falling into a little stream of water 
at the foot of the cliff, the stream being where the thawing of surface 
ice has left a channel about four feet deep. 

The face of the cliff" was literally alive with dovekies. Supper at 
7.30 p. m. At 8.30 p. m. all hands were called to muster and, led by 
me, everybody waded or jumped or ferried over to the land, where 
we held on as well as we could to the steep slopes of debris, while 
our colors were displayed. When all had gathered around me I said, 
^' I have to announce to you that this island, towards which we have 
been struggling for more than two weeks, is newly discovered land. 
I therefore take possession of it in the name of the President of the 
United States, and name it Bennett Island. I now call upon you to 
give three cheers." And never were three more lusty cheers given. 
With great kindness three were then given for me. 

I now change the date to the correct one, and record that at 8.30 p. m., 

July 2dfh, Friday, I added Bennett Island to American soil. Our 
landing cape I name Cape Emma. Piped down at nine p. m.; fresh E. 
wind, thick fog ; ice off" shore rapidly moving west. The birds kept up 
a fearful chattering all night, but we slept well in spite of it. 

July 30th, Saturday (correct dates hereafter). — Called all hands at 
seven. Breakfasted at eight, and at nine a. m. turned to. Our plan of 
operations for our stay was put into execution as follows : 

Chipp, Nindemann, Ericksen, Lee, Bartlett — Tidal observers. 

Collins — Sketches, and general collection of facts. 

Newcomb — Natural history, flora, and fauna. 

Dr. Ambler — Geological work, and collection of facts. 

Dunbar — Looking for game, etc. 

De Long — Astronomical observations, barometer, compass variations. 

Crew generally — Getting murres^ eggs, drift-wood, flowers, and other 
specimens. 

Before noon I had received moss, scurvy-grass, grass, tufa, lava, cry- 
olite C?), yellow flowers (curious differences in these flowers), amethysts; 
and in the afternoon I received from Mr. Dunbar two eggs of murres, 
large as hens' eggs, and spotted. And at three p. m. Johnson brought 
in a piece of reindeer horn with moss on it. Dunbar made a small col- 
lection of drift wood, but saw no way of getting a lodgment on the isl- 
and, and no signs of game. Latitude at noon 76° 38' 17'^ N. Barome- 
ter- 29.80. Temperature 31o. 

During the forenoon the tide was ebbing, and though the wind was 
W., the ice was driving along to the westward at a great rate. Large 
floes brought np against our ice-foot for a moment with ajar that caused 
it to tremble, but it stood firm, and the floes split and broke and swept 
along. The pressure was tremendous. 

The collections are coming in so rapidly that I can but just notice 
them by a woid. Melville found a vein of bituminous coal, and brought 
a large lump. Doctor found down from some fox or rabbit, also rock 
tripe, mosses, and more flowTTs; nine dozen murres and dovekies 
brought in up to four p. m. Drift- wood accumulating. One piece 
chipped with an axe at the lower end like a fence-post; another burned 
on end. We have collected enough fire- wood for two meals, and with 
a coal-mine " handy by" and birds in thousands, we need never want 
for a warm meal. 

The geological formation of Bennett Island is thus described by Dr. 
Ambler : " It is certainly of volcanic origin. It is composed of trap- 
rock : a species of feldspathic rock, igneous rock with silica caught up 



'1^ 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 917 

trap-rock witli globules of silica ; trap-rock containiDg 
globules, which rock beiug broken shows the globules of the darker 
color sticking in the matrix, while the portion of the mass knocked oft' 
will show a complete mould or bed. The globules are about the size 
of a pea, receive a bright polish from the finger, and are soft enough 
to be cut with a knife; silica, very light stone, tufa, I think, of a light 
brown color, spongy in appearance, as if blown up by gases; lava of 
difterent colors, varying from a yellowish-brown to a dark green ; clays 
almost the color of bricks ; debris from the sides of the cliff being dis- 
integrated portions of this red seemingly baked clay. 

'^The face of the cliff (Cape Emma) is in six terraces of igneous 
rock, separated by other strata imposed, of the red clay stuff which 
contains most of the silica. The amethyst was found in a matrix of 
quartz imbedded in the trap-rock. The stalagmite and stalactite were 
found upon breaking open a mass of trap-rock, found lying on the 
beach, and could be easily removed by the finger. The stratification 
is horizontal; fossils seen. There is also a white stone with very much 
the appearance of gypsum. There are two varieties, one occurring in 
tabular masses, with glistening sides when held in the light, and the 
other of a dull, opaque white, and in rounded masses which show the 
action of water. Both varieties can be cut with a knife, and form an 
opaque white powder, which effervesces upon applying nitric and acetic 
acids." 

The bituminous coal is abundant, and burns readily. Melville thinks 
it has from fifty to sixty per cent, carbon, but to-morrow he will experi- 
ment further, and I will note his remarks. 

Unfortunately, the forenoon and afternoon were both cloudy and 
fogg}^, and I could get neither time-sight nor azimuth. A landslide 
occurred at 6.30 p. m., large masses of rock and red clay being hurled 
down from the summit of Cape Emma. 

From our observations of tides to-day, it w^ould seem that the flood 
comes from the westward. Birds for supper at seven p. m. 

Measured the water at various distances from the foot of the cliff' — 
50 feet, 7 feet deep ; 100 feet, 12 feet deep ; 150 feet, 16 feet deep ; 200 
feet, 28 feet. Our ice-foot is kept in by grounded iloe pieces, or bergs 
broken off from the foot of the glacier on the south face. Wind very 
light; northeast airs; barometer at nine p. m. 29.84 at 37° ; tempera- 
ture 30°. The tide measurements were made by a i)ike-end stick (a 
paddle with a chisel end) stuck in the bottom ice, and held in rigidly 
against the face of a rocky cliff' (Eudder Point). The graduations are 
to inches — half inches, and quarter inches, being estimated by the ob- 
servers. The first reading was taken at 10.26 a. m. by my watch, and 
subsequent readings hourly.* 

July Slsty Sunday. — Called all hands at seven. Weather cold and 
foggy- Mr. Dunbar having expressed a wish to go along the south 
side of the island, and it agreeing with my desire to know more of that 
section, 1 this morning gave him permission to take Alexey, Aneguin, 
five dogs, and a dog sled, and remain away forty-eight hours for that 
purpose. He will start after dinner, carrying provisions, lime-juice, 
sleeping-bags, knapsacks, arms, and ammunition, and a compass, glass, 
and measuringline. I have instructed him to take all possible bearings 
and sketches, and if he is able to get up a hill-side to look carefully 
southwest for land. At two p. m. he started, to be back by or before 
noon on Tuesday, August 2d. 

* For this and subsequent measurements see Appendix H. 



918 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The bird-hunters were out a^ain this afternoon, but with rather poor 
luck. They barely got enough for supper. The birds are becoming 
shy, and at the first rock hove down from above fly out in clouds and 
keep on the wing. Hundreds and perhaps thousands remain in the 
niches and crevices, but they are out of reach and out of sight. Mel- 
ville experimented with the coal to-day, using a stove built of stones. 
The fire burned until choked with its own ashes. The result gave fifty 
per cent, of combustible matter, though of course we could make no 
quantitative analysis. The shale and slate burned with it giving ferth 
a gas like coal gas or petroleum gas. No sulphur evident. The coal 
was merely the out-croppings of a vein extending down the mountain 
side abreast the camp, and picked oft' easily ; and further back, or deeper, 
the coal was no doubt better. Hematite, from which brown metallic 
])aint is made, was also found. 

Dinner at one, supper at 7.30. All three meals to-day have been of 
murres, old and young. Delicious food ! For a change from stew, 
our ordinary way of cooking, we in No. I had them fried for supper in 
bear's fat, and a more luxurious meal I do not recollect having had. I 
must here note that our water supply is obtained from streams running- 
down the mountain side, sweet and fresh. 

At 8.30 p. m. read Divine service ; at nine piped down. 

August Ist^ Monday. — Called all hands at six. Breakfasted at seven. 
Wind W., light. Upon mature consideration I have decided to send 
Chii)p with the second cutter and six men to have a look at the west 
side of the island. Upon walking out to the Rookery yesterday, I saw 
a more distant cape through the fog, and bearing N. 31^ E. (magnetic), 
Eudder Point bearing S. 10^ W. (magnetic), and Ericksen and Kaack 
walked out to it and said it was only three miles distant. The ice foot 
breaks off, however, just beyond Eudder Point, and a stretch of water 
takes its place, making in to some little amount of beach. Beyond the 
distant cape Ericksen said the land trended more to the eastward and 
was lower, and I am of the opinion that if Chipi) is successful with 
bearings and soundings on his journey we can make a very fair chart 
of the island. Mr. Collins accompanies Chipp to make sketches, etc. 

At ten the party started, all hands dragging the second cutter along 
beyond the Eookery ; but upon arrival near the edge of the fast ice, 
instead of the stretch of water along shore, the broken pack wasjammed 
in close. Chipp here halted his party to wait for a change, while the 
rest of us returned to camp. I sent Mr. Newcomb out this morning 
to see what effect ten -shot cartridges would have on the birds. Before 
noon he had got forty, but the birds were extremely shy, and he could 
not command a choice of position from his perch on the dizzy cliff's. 
He had a narrow escape after firing his last shot — a large piece of cliff' 
tumbled from the place he had barely left. We dined at twelve on 
pemmican, reserving the birds for supper. 

Excei)t supper the night of our arrival and breakfast the following 
morning, all our meals have been cooked with drift-wood. Chipp carries 
a gallon of alchohol with him, but he will of course avail himself of 
any drift-wood. Dunbar depends entirely on wood, because he will not 
leave the land-ice. 

Weather at noon still overcast and foggy, but I am in hopes of a 
clearing. I must get a longitude before leaving. Thursday, the 4th of 
August, is the day 1 appoint for our start toward the Siberian Islands. 
Calm. Temperature 29o. gent out a party after dinner to bring in the 
fire wood which Ericksen and Kaack piled up yesterday. The men sent 
out to bring back the wood report that Chipp had just started afloat 



i 



jejlnnette inquiry. 919 

with tlie secoijcl cutter. ]N"ewcomb came back at 8 p. in. with quite a 
collection. 

August 2^, Tuesday. — Called all hands at six; breakfasted at seven; 
peinmicau, etc. After breakfast sent out some bird-catchers. At ten 
a, m. Mr. Dunbar returned. From his report, verbally made, he has 
been about fourteen miles along the south face. He brought back some 
mosses, stones, and drift-wood, and an old bone which may have been 
that of a musk ox (?) or of a walrus. No game of any kind was seen, 
but traces of bears, foxes, Arctic hares (?), and grouse (?) were found ; 
bear-tracks and a bear's winter house, divided into outer and inner 
apartments at right angles, Arctic hare (?) wool, grouse droppings. 
The extinct volcano, which we saw to our right before landing, and 
which I supposed to be at the shore, was three-quarters of a mile back 
and about four and a half miles from our encampment. He saw two 
glaciers, and thinks they unite at the top. The further and larger was 
three miles across its face, and its edge was from fifty to sixty feet in 
height. This is the glacier abreast of which we were on the 26th, and 
upon which it would have been impossible to land. It certainly looked 
tempting then. 

Three hours after leaving camp he came to a valley through which a 
stream of water flowed. It was here that he found the musk ox (?) horn 
and a track of a bear. Here the ice foot ended, and he took to the 
beach, but finding the shore becoming bold and steep also, he came 
back half a mile and camped. He encountered at this place a large 
amount of drift-wood, a great mass of it sticking out of the earth like 
a dock fallen to decay. A hundred feet above the sea-level, and five 
hundred feet up the slope, was more of this drift-wood, probably car- 
ried there in the course of years by the gradual upheaval of the land. 
Next morning, August 1st, he left the sled and gear, and started with 
Aueguin and Alexey, and the dogs, to try to cross the mountain. After 
ascending about one thousand feet (at which point he i)icked up some 
marine shells) he was shut in by thick fog, and soon after returned. 
He next attempted to cross the foot of the big glacier, but after going 
about three miles was obliged to give it up. He found cracks in the 
glacier one foot wide, but widening belowj and he could hear the roar 
of water several hundred feet beneath him. Large i^atches of crimson 
snow were abundant on the ice-foot. 

A NW. gale has sprung up during the forenoon, and is blowing the 
ice off shore, where the land ice ends beyond the Eookery. Much water 
is, consequently, between us and the pack west and southwest, and 
Nindemann reports that from th^ Eookery he could see large lanes of 
water making to the southwest, and the ice was constantly separating 
to form new ones. Chipp ought to come back flying at this rate. 

Weather cold and very disagreeable. It is impossible to keep warm, 
and my feet have nearly frozen. Thick clouds are flying rapidly over the 
sky, and those people who have not seen nimbus clouds in the Arctic 
ought to be here to see the rain clouds and the ragged, threatening edges 
they show. I would Uke very much to get the height of this bluff in 
front of which we are camped. But though it is variously estimated 
from 1,800 to 2,500 feet, my sextant measurments only make it 300, and 
I shrewdly suspect that my sextant is nearer right than wrong. It is 
so positively dangerous to attempt to climb on account of the rottenness 
of the cliff, that if a man slipped he would inevitably break the barome- 
ter if not his neck. Aneguin had a narrow escape yesterday with Mr. 
Dunbar -, climbing a cliff after a bird, he slipped, and after sliding rapidly 



920 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

toward destructioiij just barelj^ caught with his nails and fingers as he 
was about goiug over a precipice to the glacier sixty feet below. 

The bird-hunters were unable to get a single bird, and in consequence 
we had our last birds for supper. Drift-wood enough was brought in 
to cook tomorrow, and enough remains behind to last one day more. 
During the evening rain fell occasionally. The wind still blew a gale, 
and though we were somewhat protected fierce gusts took us, threaten- 
ing to blow our tents away. The doctor is quite sick. The birds have 
not agreed with him, and pains, etc., are the consequence. Piped down 
at 9 p. m. Though I have marked the wind NW., it is possible that 
sweeiDing around these points may constantly change its direction. The 
wind may be mnch different from what I marked it, though judging by 
the elouds it is NW. 

August 3^, Wednesday. — Galled all hands at six ; breakfasted at seven. 
Strong wind yet from NW., with mist, fog, and occasional rain. Clear 
water for two miles off shore southwest ; ice beyond. Barometer, 29.73 
at 36*^ ; temperature 28^, at 9.13 a. m. This morning, high water. Bart- 
lett noticed that the highest tide-mark on the rock was one foot higher 
than the 3' 1" on our gauge. Of course it must be remembered that 
the zero of our scale is where it is stuck in the bottom ice. 

At 12.30 p. m. Ohipp returned, having been some seventeen miles along 
the coast. He brought back many stones, mosses, and some eggs, and 
Mr. Collins made some excellent sketches. But as Chipp kept a good 
diar^^he can hereafter make me a detailed report, and I need not itemize 
here. 

The weather during the day has been simply disgusting. Fog, rain, 
or mist as wet as rain, snow-hail — cold and Sharp gusts of wind. At 
six the wind was W. -, l3arometer 29.68 at 36*^ -, temperature 28^. Too 
fog'gy to see whether ice or water is next our ice-foot. 

August 4^/i, Thursday. — This is the day which I appointed for leaving, 
but it is ordered otherwise. During the night the wind increased to a 
gale again, and upon calling all hands at six a. m. we found ourselves 
shut in by fog, while a pitiless storm of rain, snow, and hail beat down 
upon us. Seaward nothing can be seen, but whatever there may be 
the weather is unfit to expose a dog, even. The wind where we are is 
about WNW. 

Filled out one of our blank records, to be left behind, in the following 
words : 

Bennett Island, Cape Emma, 

Lat. N. 76° 38', Long. E., 

August 4, 1881. 

This iwlaud was discovered on the 11th of July and landed npon, taken possession 
of and named on the 29th of July by the officers and men of the U. S. Arctic steamer 
Jeannette, which vessel was sunk by the ice on the 13th of June, 1881, in latitude N. 
770 15' and longitude E. 155° 0'. 

It is my intention to proceed from here at the first opportunity toward the New Si- 
berian Islands, and thence toward the settlements on the Lena River. We have three 
boats, thirty days' provisions, twenty-three dogs, and sufficient clothing, and are, 
moreover, in excellent health. We drifted in the pack ice from the 5th September, 
1879, to the date at which our vessel was crushed and sunk by the ice, and during 
that time discovered two islands. Jeannette Island and Henrietta Island, upon the 
latter of which a party landed. Jeannette Island, discovered May 21, 1881, is in lat- 
itude N. 7(3° 47', longitude E. 158° 56' ; Henrietta Island, discovered May 25, 1881, is 
in latitude N. 77° 8', and longitude E. 157° 45'. Excepting these islands we saw no 
land since losing sight of Herald Island in March, 1880. Having rested here a few 
days, we are now detained by a westerly gale, fog, sleet, and snow, and though at 
times we see much open water to the southwest we cannot yet say whether or not wo 
can take to our boats to resume our journey, or shall be forced to resort again to drag- 
ging everything over the ice. The ice travel has been very hard, and two miles a day 
made good has been our usual distance, though many trips back and forth have been 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 921 

necessary on account of our weiglits. The ice in this sea is similar to the ancient ice 
encountered by the Britisli expedition of 1875, north of Cape Joseph Henry. Wo have 
lost none of our original number, eight officers and twenty-five men, and have not 
had scurvy. 

GEOEGE W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant, U. S. N., Commanding U. S. Arctic Expedition. 

I do not remember ever to have passed a more disagreeable and nn- . 
comfortable day. Outside the tents the wind blew in such fierce gusts 
that it was hard to keep one's footing on the small pieces of ice left to 
us, while the driving snow and hail made it impossible to remain ex- 
posed. Inside the tents was wet and cold and dreary. Packed close 
as we were, all moving around inside was out of the question, and our 
feet were seemingly freezing all the time. Beating them on our ice floor 
only made them ache, and using sticks as a bastinado, though making 
our feet tingle, hardly added to our comfort. We could do nothing but 
sit and take it, brightening up a little when hot coffee at dinner and hot 
tea at supper thawed us somewhat. 

At seven p. m. the barometer had fallen to 29.55, at 34^, and was ap- 
parently on the stand, so I hope we may have a change by to-morrow 
moruiug. A prolonged delay here, unless followed by open water, would 
be a serious thing lor us. It would seem that 1 am not to get a time 
sight while here, for not once have I had an opportunity. 

The gale has loosened much of the rotten rock on the cliff abreast our 
camp, and during the day frequent showers of dirt and stones have fallen. 
Last night a terrific amount shot down and threatened to bury us. 'Eo. 
2 tent turned out to a man, but the rest of us took it quietly. In fact, 
after our experiences, we are prepared for everything and surprised at 
nothing. 

August 5th, Friday. — Called all hands at six a. m. Breakfasted at 
seven a. m. Wind moderating somewhat, apparently W. Barometer 
29.57 at 340. Temperature 28°. The clouds seemed inclined to break 
away, and the sun threatened to show through, but though I watched 
carefully during the forenoon there was no chance to get a time sight, 
such a mist, or rain or snow fell all the time, that my sextant and arti- 
ficial horizon were useless, from the streams of moisture on their glasses. 
Sent Mr. Dunbar to deposit our record in a cairn one mile east from 
Cape Emma. 

I, this afternoon, was forced to have shot ten of our poorest dogs, 
including Tom and Jim. We have now twelve left: Prince, Smike, 
Snoozer, Armstrong, Dick, Pilgarlic, Geyotack, Magalan, Kasmatka, 
etc. The amount of food these ten dogs eat is not compensated for by 
the work done, and I must think of human life first. The dogs were 
all worn out or subject to fits. 

The sun showed about 4.45, and I got fair sights, giving longitude E. 
148° 20', the best I can do under the circumstances. 

There is a berg outside of us aground in five fathoms, probably thirty 
feet out of water; sixty feet would be height of glacier foot. Barome- 
ter rising at eight p. m. 29.63, at 34o. Temperature 28°. We start to- 
morrow. * * * 

Sat down to supper at six p. m. on a hard ice floe, letting our loaded 
boats ride alongside. It was my desire to keep the twelve dogs we 
had on leaving Bennett Island, and if we could possibly carry them to 
bring them with us to the end. But on Sunday, when we were start- 
ing, four of them jumped from the boats, and time was too precious 
to stop and run after them. To-day four more, Smike, J. Armstrong^ 



922 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Wolf, and Dick, did the same thing, and though their doleful howl- 
ing could be heard long after we had stopped for dinner I could 
not spare the time to chase them, even if the crowded condition of our 
boats would have permitted their being carried. But as our boats are 
so heavily loaded that the slightest motion causes the water to wash in 
through the rowlocks, carrying dogs becomes a risk. Perhai)S the 
most sensible thing would have been to shoot them all, but, with the 
island so near, I thought if they escaped from us they might get back 
and perchance live. So that chance for life was given them. 

To-night, however, after carrying four dogs in the first cutter, I came 
to the conclusion that I was wrong so to lumber up the boat, and much 
to my regret (and to Ericksen's grief) Prince was one of the two vic- 
tims led off to execution. Pilgarlic was the other. We now have two 
of our original forty — Snoozer and Kasmatka — and these two I shall 
keep until it becomes perilous to do so. * * * 

August 15th, Monday. — Called all hands at five. Breakfasted at six. 
Wind NE. ; temperature 26^.5. The wind had moderated considera- 
bly, but snow was falling in thick flakes. Some sign of a good lead 
showing to the westward, I sent Mr. I )unbar out to look at it, and upon 
his return he reported that it trended to the northward. Nothing re- 
mained, therefore, but to drag everything across the floe to where the 
lead was seen yesterday p. m. At 7.15 we commenced, and it was a 
fearful job. The ice was very much wasted, and had numerous holes 
extending through to the sea. So much siiow had fallen during the 
night that these holes were covered by it, and the first warning any one 
had was his going in up to the waist. However, we got across by go- 
ing a crooked, roundabout track, but it was 10.15 before we got our 
boats floated, loaded, and ready to start. Then we were much both- 
ered with new ice and the thick sludge which the snow had made, and 
at one time I had to resort to hard tracking. But at twelve, when I 
came to for dinner, I considered we were two miles south of where we 
started after breakfast. While waiting for dinner Mr. Dunbar shot a 
seal, which not only gives us a good supper, but also provides the two 
dogs with a meal. At 1.15 went ahead again. During the forenoon I 
had been much bothered by the sun not showing, and the wind suddenly 
shifting from NE. to SE. But during the afternoon the ^un showed 
occasionally, and I was able to keep a knowledge of our course. 

There was very little water indeed, so little in fact, and so much 
young ice, as to make me more anxious than I care to show or record. 
With our i)rovisions running low, and no islands or open sea in sight, 
each day finds me more and more anxious. Over two months of this 
care and anxiety is very wearing. * * * 

Auf/nst ISth, Thursday. — Galled all hands at five. Breakfasted at six. 
Calm ; temperature 25°. Before starting out a seal was shot and se- 
cured. Under way at 7.10, but had such hard luck that by 9.30 we had 
made only one mile west. Young ice botliered us very much, and though 
we broke it through with i)oles, our progress was necessarily slow. I 
tried tracking the boats, but that Avas no better. One man fell in the 
watel" through the treaclierous snow-crust and got wet up to his shoul- 
ders. Two openings that I tried to get through closed just as I got my 
bgw entered, and 1 had to back out hurriedly. The ice was moving to 
and fro in no definite direction and seemingly under great pressure. 
At 9.30 1 was regularly brought to a stand, and at ten we commenced 
to get our seal dinner ready. At 11.30 dined. Tlie clouds broke away 
a little, and a light NW. breeze sprang up. At 12.30 p. M. made a 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 923 

fresh start, the ice opening up rapidly before increasing wind 5 strange 
to say, the openings were west southwest and southeast. I took the 
first named. • 

To my surprise the openings were closing rapidly, and the ice was in 
violent motion. Twice I narrowly escaped leading everybody into a 
trap. When we could finally keep away to southwest, it was only for 
a short time; and, though we ran along merrily before the strong 
breeze, we had made only six miles southwest by five p. m., when the 
water came to an end, and I had to come to. The wind now freshened 
to a gale, thick snow fell, the barometer was at 29.52 at 31°, and the 
temperature 25°; and, wisely or not, as the future will show, I decided 
to remain where we were for the night. No water which we could use 
was in sight; and sledding is yet out of the question ; and, though God 
knows I am anxious to proceed, I do not see how I can. 

Our last ration of bread was served out to-night. Since two days 
ago our ration of Liebig has been reduced to half an ounce per diem. 
Since Friday we have coffee at breakfast only, and tea the other meals. 
Dismounted No. 1 sled to carry inside. 

August 19th, Friday. — The wind howled and tore around us until long 
after midnight. The ice was moving rapidly by our floe, and the sec- 
ond cutter's and whale-boat's men had to turn out and shift their tents 
farther ba<ik. Called all hands at five. Breakfasted at six. Light 
NW. breeze. Temperature 27^. Under way at 7.10, and by twelve 
had made ten miles on a south course good. At 9.20 we had come to 
so much open water that I believed the sea was close at hand. With 
a view of keeping under way all day, and perhaps all night I ran the 
three boats alongside a floe to lay in a supply of snow for cooking. 
This took twenty minutes or so, but we soon made it up in pulling and 
sailing. The wind was freshening a little, and we were going at about 
two and a half miles an hour. One of our sleds (No. 1) was dismounted 
and carried inside the boat, and the other was carried in the bows ; so 
we had none of the wearisome towing and impossible steering of yester- 
day. Chipp's sled was dismounted and laid across the stern of the 
second cutter, Melville's being across the bow of the whale-boat. I in- 
structed the boats to keep close to me, and away we went. Commenced 
getting dinner in our boats, going under sail alone while so doing, and 
at twelve, just as we were sitting down to dinner, I saw the second cut- 
ter lower her sail and the crew hurriedly unload the boat. We had 
just come through a somewhat narrow passage between small floes, and 
J supposed it had narrowed too much to let the boat through. 1 rounded 
to and directed the whale-boat to do the same, and we secured to a floe 
and finished dinner. The wind had now veered to NE., and ice seemed 
to come down upon us on all sides. I could not get back to Chipp to help 
him without being caught, and he could not get to me. From noon to 
three P. m. he seemed to be continually loading, unloading, dragging 
over ice, tracking and poling, so it was only upon his joining me at 3.30 
that I learned the trouble. 

The ice had closed on him, and, seriously enough, had stove a hole 
in the cutter's port bow. He at once dragged the boat out and repaii-ed 
her with a piece of Liebig box. When we stopped for snow I had a 
sounding taken, and we got nine fathoms water. I naturally supposed 
we were near the land, and that the everlasting fog alone prevented us 
from seeing it. At noon I got the lead down again and found fifteen 
fathoms, so I must choose between a wrong sounding (touching an ice- 
tongue) or the discovery of a shoal. 



924 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



I before remarked that tlie ice seemed to come around us like magic, 
aud that it was moving and swirling about as if in a tideway. As we 
proceeded the wind veered to the east, and we found ourselves working 
among loose streams of drift-ice, through which at times we could see 
the open ocean beyond. 

The streams obliged us to make a course about south-southeast, and to 
south and southwest pack edge could be made out, the ice behind it be- 
ing closely packed together. By 7.30 we had made about six miles 
good, our boats making so much leeway as to force us to steer much 
higher than I wanted to go. At that time I could see no land, though 
our view was exceedingly limited. But the sky looked very ugly, and 
our further progress might, in our loaded condition, be exceedingly 
risky. 

The second cutter had taken in a large quantity of water and needed 
emptying, and if we were at the open sea, as 1 believed, material changes 
and reductions ought to be made in the stowage of all the boats. Ac- 
cordingly I ran alongside the pack, unloaded, hauled out, and camped. 
Hardly had I done so than an east gale broke upon us, and it raged all 
the evening. Temperature 26°. Soundings in fourteen and a half 
fathoms (sandy bottom). 

August 20th J Saturday. — Called all hands at five. Breakfasted at six. 
Turned to at seven. Wind fresh, gale from east. Temperature 27°. Im- 
mediately upon turning to, commenced making our preparations for sea. 
This involved overhauling the boats, cutting up sleds, melting snow for 
water, distributing provisions, and making lists. 

The things carried in each boat appear below : 





SECOND CUTTER. 




1 mast and sail. 


8 sq. ft. cedar board. 


7i gals, alcohol. 


1 painter. 


1 day's wood, fuel. 


1 qt. whisky. 


15 fathoms small line. 


1 cooking stove. 


1 qt. brandy. 


3 lbs. spun yarn. 


1 doz. tin pots. 


H bottles lime juice. 


5 oars. 


1 doz. tin pans. 


7 cans (315 lbs.) pem. 


2 balers. 


2 brad awls. 


17i lbs. ham. 


2 paddles. 


2 large files. 


8 beef tongues. 


1 pike. 


3 saw files. 


4f lbs pigs' feet. 


14 spoons. 


2 gimlets. 


2i lbs. coffee. 


3 forks. 


2 nail sets. 


2 pkgs. matches. 


'1 dipper. 


1 punch. 


3 candles. 


1 tin dish. 


1 cold chisel. 


1 can-opener. 


1 glass bottle. 


1 pincers. 


2 oz. tacks. 


7 sleeping-bags. 


1 plane. 


1 piece putty. 


5 knapsacks. 


1 Bowdilch. 


1 lb. iron nails. 


1 bag moccasins. 


1 compass, out of ord. 


2 oz. copper nails. 


3 hanks twine. 


2 tents.' 


i lb. raw cotton. 


1| bbls. cotton twine. 


8 i)olcs. 


1 brace aud bitts. 


1 piece wax. 


2 rubber sheets. 


1 small hammer. 


1 roping needle. 


3 Remington rifles. 


1 hand hammer. 


1 roping x)alra. 


255 cartridges. 


1 cutting nippers. 


1 pap. harness needles. 


Boat box, viz. 


1 spoke shave. 


1 tiud. box, flints, steel. 


1 sq. ft. lead. 


3 cliisels. 


2 doz. wind n)atches. 


1 sq. ft. tin. 


88 lbs. sugar. 


1 boat-hook. 


1 snow knife. 


15if tea. 


1 boat cover. 


H lbs. salt. 


4| Liebig ext. 


2 saws. 


1 lb. tallow. 


1 pocket chronometer. 


1 broad axe. 


1 doz. fish-hooks. 


1 pocket compass. 


2 hatchets. 


2 fishing lines. 


1 binocular. 


1 rudder. 


2 spools of thread. 


1 drawing knife. 


1 yoke. 


2 screw-drivers. 


1 whetstone. 


1 tiller. 


9 gals, water. 





JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 



925 



WIIALEBOAT. 



4 oars. 

1 mast and sail. 

1 boat-hook. 

2 teuts. 

8 tent poles. 

1 day's fuel, wood. 

8 sleeping-bags. 
1 boat cover. 

1 bag foot gear. 
1 bag clothing. 

3 knapsacks. 
6 rowlocks. 

1 rudder. 
1 tiller. 
1 paddle. 
1 luff tackle. 
1 quart whisky. 
1 (part brandy. 

9 gallons alcohol. 
1 boat bucket. 

1 pike. 

3 small cedar boards. 



3 Remington rifles. 

1 shotgun. 

245 Remington rifle cart- 
ridges. 

2 cooking stoves. 
12 pots. 

12 pans. 
12 spoons. 

1 ax. 1 saw. 
10 men harness. 

2 rubber bottles lime 

juice. 
1 ru bber bottle for water. 

8 galls, water in kettles. 
1511 lbs. tea. 

2i lbs. coffee. 

9 lbs. ham. 

8 lbs. tongue. 

4f pigs' feet. 

5 Liebig extract. 

1 compass. 

1 pocket chronometer. 



9 cans (405 lbs.) pemmican. 
Boat box, viz: 

2 snow knives. 

3 candles. 

1 paper tacks. 
40 cartridges. 

1 flint, steel, tinder, and 

matches. 

2 fish lines. 

4 hanks heavy twine. 
2 balls cotton twine. 

1 palm. 

2 roping needles. 
1 lb. salt. 

10 lbs. sheet lead. 
1 ball marline. 
1 file. 
1 hatchet. 
1 lb. tallow 
1 lb. nails. 



FIRST CUTTER. 



7i lbs. ham. 

9 lbs. tongue. 

4f lbs. pigs' feet. 

7| lbs. Liebig extract. 

3:^ lbs. coffee. 
lOj^ lbs. sugar. 
20f lbs. tea. 

1 box chronometer (1630). 

1 pocket chronometer. 

1 pocket compass. 

1 sextant. 

1 artificial horizon. 

1 box medicines. 

1 boat cover. 

9 single sleeping-bags. 

1 single sleeping-coat. 

1 treble sleeping-bag. 

1 rubber sheet. 

2 sled covers. 
1 pickax. 

1 shovel. 

1 bundle sled lashings. 
15 fathoms small line. 

1 instrument box. 
Matches. 

1 dog. 
Boat box, viz: 

1 marlin-spike. 

1 pricker. 



2 rubber bottles lime 

juice. 
2 quarts brandy. 
1 quart whisky. 
4 tin cases books. 

1 tin chart case. 

2 opera glasses. 

2 cooking stoves. 
4 dippers. 

1 bucket. 

15 mess pans. 
13 mess cups. 
13 mess spoons. 
8 rubber bottles. 

2 Remington rifles. 
297 cartridges. 

3 Winchester rifles. 

226 Winchester cartridges. 
1 ensign. 
1 hatchet. 
1 hammer. 
1 pot grease. 
1 bag nails. 
1 bag tacks. 
1 snow knife. 

3 fishing lines. 

i doz. fish-hooks. 

4 sail needles. 

1 piece sheet lead. 



2 tins specimens. 
9 galls, alcohol. 
12 cans (540 lbs.) pemmican, 
1 mast. 
1 yard. 
1 sail. 
1 rudder. 
1 tiller. 

1 yoke. 
6 oars. 

2 boat-hooks. 

1 brad-awl case. 
1 boat sled. 

1 hammock. 

3 bags of clothes. 
11 men harness. 

2 tents. 

2 tent poles. 

2 demijohns alcohol. 
1 wrench, 

3 candles. 

1 spirit lamp. 

1 flint and steel. 

2 balls cotton twine. 

4 hanks hemp twine. 
1 palm. 

10 fths. 3" hemp. 
1 lead line. 

3 cedar boards. 



The people are distributed as follows : — 





FIRST COTTER. 


Lieutenant De Long, 


Noros, 


Dr. Ambler, 


Gortz, 


Mr. Collins, 


Dressier, 


Nindemann, 


Iversen, 


Lee, 


Alexey, 


Ericksen, 


Boyd. 


Kaack, 





926 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 





SECOND CUTTER. 


Lieutenant Chipp, 
Mr. Dunbar, 

Sweetman, 

Kuehne, 

Warren, 


Sharvell, 
Starr, 
Manson, 
Ah Sam, 
Johnson. 




WHALE-BOAT. 


Mr. Melville, 
Master Danenhower, 
Mr. Newcoml), 

Cole, 

Wilson, 


Tong Sing, 

Aneguin, 

Leach, 

Lauterbach, 

Bartlett. 



All this work kept us busy. During the foreuoon Boyd called my 
attention to land to the southwest, but after looking carefully with a 
glass I was not sure about it. At 2 p. m., however, it showed plainly 
enough, and extending between S. and W. (magnetic). 

There was no doubt in my mind that it was the island of New Siberia, 
but at 4 p. m. I got a time sight, and that settled it. Assuming a lati- 
tude of 750 30' N., I got 147° 50' E., and that rau through the western 
portion of the island. The ice has packed very heavily around us, and 
we are drifting west very rapidly. Close to the land is a lane of water, 
which will be all we want if we can reach it. 

I called Chipp and Melville into my tent this afternoon, and gave 
them information in regard to my plans for the future and such gen- 
eral verbal directions as to their boats, food, and other things as were 
advisable. Ordering them in all cases to keep close to me, I think, covers 
any other point; for if I am always at hand to refer to, they need no 
orders in advance, and if unfortunately we get separated things must be 
left to their judgment. In this latter case they will, without delay, pro- 
ceed to the Lena, and not wait for me or anybody short of a Kussian 
settlement large enough to feed and shelter them. 

The wind is moderating, and the barometer rising rapidly at six p. 
m., and I hope for good weather to-morrow, when, with God's blessing, 
I expect to start on our journey afloat. Kasmatka too clumsy and 
big — shot him. * * * 

August 28thy Stmday. — Called all hands at five. Breakfasted at 6.30. 
Wet fuel caused the delay. Light snow falling. Wind NW. Temper- 
ature 270. Seemingly more to the eastward in the brief glimpse we get 
of the land. Divine service at ten. The ice seemed to be loose, and 
here and there swirling around. Next the land quite a lead showed, 
and numerous unconnected ponds formed below us and it. Hope for a 
chance after all. At eleven Mr. Dunbar came to me and said he could 
see the open water to the eastward. Going to the top of the nearest 
hummock, I saw what I took to be the open sea; but shortly after, Mr. 
Dunbar came to my tent and informed me that it was land. Land it 
was, sure enough, and bearing K. 70^ E. (magnetic), while the extreme 
point of our old land bore south (magnetic). Apparently, then, we are 
between the two islands — Faddejew and New Siberia — and our being 
jammed is accounted for. In one respect we are better off, because 
nearer the Lena Eiver; but in another, I do not like it, because no one 
can tell how long we may be caught. 

And thus another weary day passed away. No seals to amount to 
anything, and as shy as if they had been hunted regularly. Our drift 
along the land, which was at one time quite rapid, slacked up by seven 
p. m., and the wind veered to N. Numerous lanes of water showed, but 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 927 

none wbich we could use. Temperature 25o. The wood being all burned 
we to-night had to commence again on alcohol to cook with. 

Being miserable all day without fsomething to smoke, I had tea-leaves 
to-night, and to my pleasant surprise got considerable comfort. Sound- 
dings in forty-four feet nuid and sand. Driftiug south. At eight p. m. 
the wind had veered to KNE. 

August 20th, Monday. — I have concluded that there is very little use 
in calling all hands at live a. m. day after day, when we have no chance 
to move along— and God knows the hours of waiting pass drearily 
enough without unnecessarily lengthening the days. Accordingly, all 
hands this morning slept on until 6.30, and when up we found that the 
ice seemed more tightly closed than ever. A mist and fog prevented us 
from seeing the land or anything more than a mile, but within that ra- 
dius no water could be seen. Temperature 20.5°, and light NE. air. 
Soundings in forty-four feet ; slight drift to leeward. 

At twelve Mr. Ohipp came to my tent and informed me of a lead 
making south along the west side of our floe. At once finished dinner, 
broke camp, and carried our provisions across the floe and dragged our 
boats. At one p. m. got under way, and proceeded south till 1.30, when 
we were brought uj). At three resumed our journey, making between 
east and southeast. until six, wlien we made south to south-southeast 
until 8.30, then, seeing nothing promising, I hauled alongside a floe, un- 
loaded, and hauled out. At 1.30 we had soundings in six fathoms, at 
four in four fathoms, and at 8.30 five fathoms. The ice was in one great 
swirl and flurry, and we narrowly escaped being crushed. Very rapid 
drift before the wind. I hope we are through the neck of the strait, 
and may go on to-morrow. 

August 30th, Tuesday.— GaWed all hands at four a. m. Broke camp 
and loaded the boats. Land in sight, extreme point bearing S. 46^ 
W. (magnetic). Now, what point is this '? Nothing can be seen of 
land more southerly than this, and we can hardly have come so far 
south during the night as to bring the southern end of Faddejew Island 
on this bearing. Soundings in five fathoms ; rapid drift southward. 
The ice was swirling around us at a great rate, and we were sweeping by 
the land (probably five miles distant) at a good speed. To launch and 
load boats in such a hell-gate was a ticklish thing, but I knew it would 
look less terrible when we were once among the ice-blocks and went 
ahead. 

At 4.50 we were under way. Got breakfast in the boats at 5,50. 
Weather bright and pleasant. Light, variable air. Making south course 
in streams of drift ice. Barometer 30.32 at 26°. Temperature 20^. The 
bright sun very warming and comfortable, and whilst we had it we forgot 
the low temperature. Soon, however, a fog spread over us and nearly hid 
the sun, and at once the weather seemed raw and wretched. At eleven 
a. m. the land was seen by me bearing west through the streams of ice 
in which we were steering south, and I at once decided to head for it. 
Our water spaces were growing larger and larger, and apparently we 
were at the edge of the ice at last, and at the open sea. I selected 
the best looking floe piece I could see, and ran alongside of it for five 
minutes to replenish the snow supply. Sounded in four fathoms, 
and headed immediately thereafter for the cape or headland seen 
on a west bearing. Until I can get sights, or have some other un- 
doubted proof of the correctness of my surmises, I can only think that 
the cape was Cape Peszowij. At two p. m. passed the last line oi 
ice between us and the land, and sounded in fourteen feet water one 
and a half miles fom the land. At 3.10 made the cape, but, to my sur- 



928 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

prise, upon getting to within fifty yards of the beach, my boat struck 
in the mud. Compelled to seek another place, I headed across the bay 
for the spot marked as Faddejew Hut ; but, seeing a nice looking place 
for a landing, at six p. m., I stood- in towards it. To my pleased eye 
there was presented a grassy or mossy slope for a camp, whole trees of 
drift-wood, and small snow piles which I felt confident did not contain 
salt; but alas! we struck the mud a hundred yards from the beach, and 
could do nothing. I lightened the whale-boat of all but two men and 
Melville, and sent her in to try and make a landing, then act as a ferry, 
but she struck fifty yards from the beach. We pulled away again, and, 
anticipating a night in the boats, we commenced to cook supper. 

But I then perceived further south a piece of beach which showed 
gravel and not mud, and I ordered Melville in to try it, relieving him 
of his men as before. To my great satisfaction he succeeded, and then, 
acting as a ferry back, he assisted us, and by 6.45 p. m. all of us were 
on good firm ground for the first time in two years. My relief was great 
after the strain of the past ten days, and the mental tension caused by 
the last two days' work. To get moss and grass under my feet again 
warmed me, and u)y freezing feet got back their usual temperature. 
We moved up on the mossy level back from the beach and camned, and 
our remaining dog, Snoozer, tore around in glee, chasing lemmings, 
whose holes were abundant, while we, human beings, more seriously 
sought for eatable game. Deer droppings were found quite fresh, pieces 
of deer horn, tracks of a hare, flocks of black geese, etc., and whole 
trees of Norway pine. Ponds of water were found on the level plain 
where we camped, and we promptly got rid of the salt snow water and 
laid in a fresh supply. 

Our last ration of lime juice ivas issued this morning. 

After supper hunters went out. Light SE. breeze. At eight i>. m., 
barometer 30.3i) at 30°; temperature 24°. Increased the ration of pem- 
mican to one and a half pounds per diem — three quarters at dinner, 
three eighths at breakfast, three-eighths at supper. * * * 

September 1st, Thursday. — At two a. m. sufiicient light for going ahead 
and seeing our way. Managed to get the first cutter and w^hale-boat 
around the edge of the bank by pulling and tacking, but we got so far 
ahead of the second cutter that she was lost to view. At six a. m. I 
ran alongside a grounded fioeberg (in six feet of water), and while we 
were waiting for the second cutter got breakfast. 

At 7.10 Ohipp hove in sight, and I got under way again. Before 
this, however, we had pitched tents for eating, and were nearly drowned 
out by the sea breaking over as the tide rose. Stood along good full 
with an ESE. wind. Barometer 30.42 at 41o. Temperature I do not 
know. On the port tack, and kept a man in the bows sounding with a 
tent-pole. Suddenly shoaled to three feet, and before I could get around, 
stuck fast. Whale-boat tried to drag me oif, ^>iit got me on a reef, and 
and we nearly filled the boat Avith water. Got off and proceeded with 
freshening wiiul and deepening water, on south southwest course until 
noon, southwest after eight, and at three, west-southwest. Increased 
water to forty-four feet, at twelve; five fathoms, at two; five and a half, 
at three; eight and a half, at four; nine and a half, at five; when hav- 
ing lost sight of second cutter, ran alongside floe to wait for her. We 
were making excellent time. The first cutter and whale-boat going at 
times five to six knots an hour. The sea was increasing somewhat, and 
unless we kei)t our boats going ahead full speed, the water would have 
come over our rails in too large quantities for our control; as it Wos, a. 
sea would come in occasionally, wetting us to the skin and forcing us 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 929 

to bail, as well as pnmp constantly. I almost welcomed some little 
streams of drift ice, for they gave smoother water under their lee, 
though presenting nothing large enough to hang on to while waiting. 
At four p. m. I saw a good-sized piece, and ran both boats up to it. I 
could see nothing of the second cutter, but I did see enough to make 
me anxious. The ice was coming in on us in all directions, much as it 
did on August 20th, and I feared we might again be caught. There 
was no ice around u.s large enough or safe enough to camp on, and noth- 
ing remained but to go on. I had full confidence in Mr. Ohipp's ability 
to take care of the second cutter, and I had no doubt he would soon 
overtake and rejoin us. At five, seeing a good large floe piece, T ran up 
to it, as before stated, got supper, and then camped and turned in. 

Being successful in keeping clear of the sand bank during the day, 
we did not see the island marked in the middle of the southern edge; 
in fact, I had given up all idea of making for it, and was now heading 
so as to keep clear of the sand bank, and make the south end of Kotel- 
noi Island. The distance was about seventy miles from the south cape 
of Faddejew Island, and though I could not tell how iar we had run 
last night before bringing uj) against the reef, I estimated roughly 
that by five p. m. we had run fifty miles of that seventy. The land was 
not yet in sight, though low-lying clouds from west southwest along to 
the right indicated its presence. Everybody was wet and cold, and we 
crawled into our bags with great content. Temperature 26^. Wind 
increasing and promising a gale. 

September 2^, Friday. — The wind remained at ESE., and was blow- 
ing a gale with snow, at five a. m., when all hands were called. Tem- 
perature 290, at seven. Nothing has been seen of the second cutter 
during the night. Soundings ten and a half fathoms. Rapid drift W. 
NW. But very little sleei) was obtained by anybody during the night, 
and we devoted the day to making up our deficiencies of two nights. 
The gale tore around us unheeded, and were it not for the second cut- 
ter's separation from us, it would have been comfort to me. But anx- 
iety and care seem to be my steady companions now, and they are 
doubled in intensity. 

During the afternoon Mndemann saw the land bearing from west to 
northwest, and he thinks seven miles distant. Tiie snow let up for a 
time, and occasional lulls were noticeable in the wind. At six p. m. 
the temperature Avas 29^. Thick snow again falling. Soundings four 
and a half fathoms water. Drift not so rapid. Lest Mr. Chipp and 
his party should be within a short distance unseen and unseeing, I^had 
a black flag prepared and hoisted at our mast-head as a signal. 

Piped down at nine p. m. So much ice has closed around us that it 
is hard to believe we came here through open water. Ko longer is the 
ice navigable for our boats, and a shift of wind alone can send it stream- 
ing away. To the westward it is held by Kotelnoi Island, and to the 
northward by the sand bank, and all the movement that is now taking 
place is simply the massing together. 

September 3cl, Saturday.— CoMed all hands at six. Strong breeze SE., 
though not a gale by any means. Nothing seen of the second cutter 
or her people. Temperature 29°. Soundings twenty-two feet water. 
Water in sight to north and northwest (probably the water to edge of 
sand back), and strong uppearance of land west to west northwest. 

Up to noon the wind moderated considerably, and the sun made sev- 
eral elforts to struggle through the clouds. I was in strong hopes that 
the gale was over, and that a favorable change of wind would occur. 
But after dinner the barometer commenced to fall again, and the wind 
59 J Q* 



930 jeannetTe inquiry. 

increased. By four p. m. a gale was agaiu blowing. The barometer 
liad fallen to 29.90 at 32°, and the sky was one dull, leaden gray. The 
land showed quite plainly. Seemingly mountains back of a coast line 
of the same height as that of Faddejew Island, viz, fifty to ninety feet. 
How far it is off I can only guess — it may be ten miles. What with 
my anxiety about the second cutter, and the uncertainty of our own 
future^ I am nearly worn out^ and the resumption or continuance of this 
southeast gale, which more closely packs the ice around us than ever, [ 
adds hour by hour to my care; 

But thank God relief came sooner than I expected. At 4.45 p. ra. 
Aneguin, Who was on the lookout, saw a sail and called us out. There 
the second cutter was sure enough, about half a mile off, skirting the 
edge of the ice to northward, where it had aj^parently grounded against J 
the sand bank. When she arrived abreast of us, she came to alongside | 
the ice and hoisted a black flag at her mast-head. 

At 5.50 Mr. Chipp and Kuehne came over the ice to us, and we had 
them to supper. They lost sight of us at three p. m. on Thursday, and 
soon after nearly filled with water. Hauled out, etc. For further de- 
tails, Ohipp will give me a written memorandum when we get ashore. 

I gave him the following letter : 

Saturday, September 3, 1881. 

My Dear Sir : I am very glad to see yon close to us agaiu, for I have l)eeu very 
anxious for forty-eight hours. When we commenced dropping you asteru on Thursday, 
the sea was running so high that I had to carry on sail to keep the water out of my 
boat until I could find a floe piece large enough to hold ou by until you came up. 

While waiting, we were beset as you see. If your boat and people are in a position 
of security, wait where you are until the end of this gale or a shift of wind enables 
us to join. My intention is to make at the first opportunity for the south cape of 
Kotelnoi, or a convenient landing-place near it on the southeast coast, and as soon as 
water is laid in and weather favors to go as far as Barkin (Lena delta) via Stolbovoi 
Island. The distance from south cape of Kotelnoi Island to Stolbovoi is sixty-five 
miles southwest by west, and from Stolbovoi to Barkin one hundred and twelve miles 
west southwest (see your chart). You will be prepared, after falling in with me, to 
send one man to the first cutter and one man to the whaleboat, for your load must be 
reduced so that you can keep up. 

Make every effort to keep withm sight, and, if possible, within hail at all times here- j 
after ; bat if by any mischance we should become separated again, make the best of J 
your way to the Lena River, and try to reach some settlement large enough to feed 'J 
and shelter your men before thinking about waiting for me. I do not think the laud 
is more than ten miles off". We came alongside of this floe in ten and a half fathoms 
water and have drifted into three and a half fathoms. 

I intend hereafter to keep a small black flag at the mast-head of the first cutter 
whenever the sail is not set. 

, Very respectfully, 

GEO. W. DE LONG, 
Lieut., U. S. Navy, Commanding Arctic Expedition. 

Lieut. C. W. Chipp, 

Executive Officer, Commanding Second Cutter. 



1 



To-day, at dinner, the whale-boat and first cutter fairly divided twelve | 
ducks (seven to me, five to Melville) which had been shot — two at Fad- I 
dejew Island, and ten vvhich were shot on the 1st inst. I knew the 
second cutter had one duck and three sanderlings, and I wished to keep 
our stock until we came together and could make a fair division ; but 
the birds had been washing around in the bottom of the boat, and I 
feared they would spoil. Hence a good dinner was made of them, and 
half a pound of pemmican per man. 

Chipp seemingly has run about thirty miles since ten this morning 
along the edge of the sand bank, and where he now is (about one mile 
north of us) he is in four feet of water, and can see the edge of the sand 
bank as far as eye can reach. From our camp we can see the land from 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 931 

west to northwest, and I am strongly in hopes that the water extends 
inside of the grounded ice even to the land. We are in twenty feet of 
water and not drifting, and I have arranged with Ohipp a signal for to- 
morrow morning in case I decide to cross the ice and float again in the 
shoal water, in which case I shall use his men to help. Fresh southeast 
gale still blowing. 

September 4:th, Sunday. — Called all hands at five. Breakfasted at six. 
Strong SE. wind. Temperature 27°. At 6.30 started ahead Ninde- 
mann, Bartlett, Iversen, Lauterbach, and Kaack, to cut a road good for 
boats, and then sent after them everybody with a bundle of some kind 
(sleeping-bag, box, or package) to cross to Chipp's camp.. Lee and I re- 
mained alone behind. At 8.30 started with the boats over the ice, but, 
owing to very rough road and hard dragging did not reach Ohipp's 
tent until one p. m. This has been, without exception, the hardest 
morning's work we have yet had, for as our boat sleds are no longer in 
commission, all dragging has to be done on the keel runners, and there 
is no protection for the bilges of the boats. The ice is massed in a very 
rough and confused pack, and sharp edges are innumerable. Long strips 
are peeled off the keel runners as we drag along, and the boats themselves 
get many a scratch. By placing the mast athwart-ship the rail, and 
lashing down to a thwart, sufficient leverage is obtained to keep the 
boat upright without much difficulty ; but it is the sudden drop from a 
lump into a hollow, or the slide and sudden bring-up, that starts the 
seams and does the damage. Holes between grounded floes are com- 
mon, and occasionally a man breaks through and falls in, and has to be 
run along to get dry clothes. So little food remains that I did not dare 
take it out of the boats and carry it by hand, lest a man falling in 
should lose a can of pemmican, which means a day's food for all hands, 
and consequently the usual heavy weights of the boats were increased. 
However, at one p. m. the water was reached, and we got dinner ready 
with all dispatch, sitting down at two. * * * 

Watching them closely, I saw they had no lack of water, and I took 
in my boat the seven belonging to the whale.boat, and drifted down 
toward them. 1 say I drifted, for we were so deep we dared not pole, 
and still less did I dare to sail. Soon I met the whale-boat coming 
back, and Melville reported plenty of water right up to the point. 
Gave him his people, and went on. The second cutter had rounded 
the point and came to against the beach and I ran in alongside her, and 
at 6.30 we all landed on the beach or sand bank, whatever it is, pitched 
camp, unloaded, and hauled up our boats. 

Now where are we? Snow squalls, fog, and thick weather generally 
prevented my seeing anything except that we had landed on a sandy 
spot, with lots of drift-wood, but whether an island or a low beach ex- 
tending from Kotelnoi Island I knew not. Dimly through the snow 
the loom of mountains could be seen to the westward, but whether dis- 
tant five miles or fifty I could not say. Everybody was wet and cold, 
running before the sea, with loaded boats, being no dry operation, and 
I was only too thankful to get a place for my people where we were at 
least secure, to care much for its geographical peculiarities. 

I had been in my wet clothes since falling overboard, and they clung 
unpleasantly to me, chilling me to the bone in spite of the ration of 
brandy which the doctor had given me when I was hauled out, and I 
was as anxious as anybody to get a fire made to stand in front of to 
dry by. Chipp said he saw thousands of ducks fly around a point as 
he came in, but though I at once sent Mr. Newcomb away with his 
shotgun, he at the end of an houi;, brought back only one gull and six 



932 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

miserable little san(lpi})es n-bout the size of a fly. While under way, 
be shot aud secured two ducks, aud I was anxious for more. The an- 
nouncement was made tliat deer droppings were here, and in anticipa- 
tion of what the barren spot might give us to-morrow, we sat down to 
a pint of beef-tea, six ounces of pemmican, and one pint of tea without 
sugar. By this time, we had a roaring tire going, however, aud, though 
choked by smoke and scorched by sparks, we stood around it and 
steamed ourselves into partial dryness. Some of the wood was marked 
with axe cuts and one piece was cut for a log house. 

The SE. gale blew harder than ever, and dark night shut in at nine 
o'clock. Standing by the fire, with my congregation holding wet stock- 
ings and other gear to dry meanwhile, I read Divine service at 8.30. 
Though it was the first Sunday in the month and the Articles of War 
were in order, I postponed them to a more favorable occasion. When 
anybody felt like it, he crawled into bed. 

September 5th, Monday. — Called all hands at six a. m. Breakfasted" 
at seven. More of a gale than ever, with blinding snow-storm. Wind 
ESE. Barometer 29.75 at 32°. Temi)erature 28.5o. No chance to 
send out anybody in quest of game, so we must eat our pemmican and 
wait for something else. I am more and more thankful that I have even 
a sand spit to live on, though I do not know where I am. Nothing can 
be seen through the thick snow but a dim outline of land to northwest 
and west, but near or far is a doubtful point yet. 

Mr. Collins evidently had a bedfellow last nigiiht, a lemming, "for when 
he went out of the tent this morning, one of these little creatures 
jumped out of the hood of his fur coat and burrowed his way into the 
sand like a flash. Johnson says he saw a moccasin track in the sand, 
which was made where none of us had yet been, and it was quite fresh ; 
and some wood around us bears fresh marks of axes. Can this place 
have been visited lately ? 

A fossil bone was picked up by the doctor last night. Finding nu- 
merous ponds along this saudspit, we, for a moment, supposed that we 
might find good water, but investigation i)roved that it was all very 
salt. The snow-tall this morning gives us a fresher supply, though in 
drifting over the sand before massing in banks, it collects an appreci- 
able amount of salt. 

Mr. Dunbar looks quite ill, and I am afraid has suffered more in the 
second cutter than he will admit. When we parted company with them, 
they had their hands full in bailing their boat, and when they ran along- 
side an ice floe and prepared to haul out, Chipp had to be passed out 
by hand, he was so cramped fi om sitting in the cold water. Chipp at 
once served out two ounces of brandy to each one, and Dunbar imme- 
diately threw his up and fainted. I have noticed that all the second 
cutter's people looked tired and strained, and several of them had 
swollen faces. When I get Chipp's account in detail, I can set all these 
things down. 

Anniversaries come around with queer comparisons. Tw^o years ago 
we were beset in the ship, near Herald Island, and to-day finds us on a 
sand bank. Which of the two situations is the preferable : To go back 
with the two years' experience to come, which we know we have had, 
or to go on with everything unknown before US'? I think I will pro- 
nounce in favor of the unknown as less gloomy than the known. To- 
ward noon the snow ceased, the wind moderated, and the sun made one 
or two efforts to shine through the clouds. Mr. Newcomb went out 
with his gun, but got only two ducks. . He brought back, however, the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 933 

antlers and skull of a deer, pronounced by Alexey to belong to a young 
deer. Perhaps wolves ate him. * * * 

At 6.30 sapper and camp. I climbed the hills andlooked for the land's 
end and the sea, but could see little on account of the fog. The Avater 
spaces seemed large, however, and that was one comfort. During the 
drag overland, I noticed Mr. Dunbar fall out and stagger to one side, 
when he sat down. I found upon inquiry that he had had another of 
his fainting spells, and the doctor tells me it is some heart trouble. This 
is indeed serious, for in the hourly excitements no one can tell what may 
occur to affect him. He has been directed to do nothing beyond steer- 
ing the second cutter. * * * 

September 12/7^, Monday. — Called all hands at five ; breakfasted at 
six. Fresh E. wind; temperature 31°. Under way 7.30; course, south 
southwest (true); 8.40 abreast north end of Wassilewski Island; 9.40 
abreast south end of Wassilewski Island; 11.30 came to alongside ice 
for dinner. Eun by estimation, sixteen miles. Soundings, four and 
three-quarter fathoms. Under way at 12.30. Eound to against ice at 
four. Whaleboat stove. Under way at 4.15; freshening east north- 
east breeze. At nine p. M. lost sight of whaleboat ahead ; at ten p. M. 
lost sight of second cutter astern; wind freshening to a gale. Step of 
mast carried away ; lowered sail and rode to sea anchor ; very heavy 
sea and hard squalls. Barometer falling rapidly. 

Sej^temher 13th, Tuesday. — Very heavy northeast gale all day until six 
p. M., when it moderated; very heavy squalls; tremendous sea. Boat 
shipping a good deal of water, she kept sea anchor abeam. At ten A. m. 
got out the sail and attempted to ride under the lee of it. After doing 
so very well fhr an hour, the sheet parted and we lost sail and yard. 
Barometer fell to 29.35 at 35°. In the afternoon made a sea anchor of 
oars and mast, and managed to ride out gale under their lee. After 
six p. M. wind and sea moderated rapidly; clouds broke away; moon 
and stars appeared, and auroral flashes. At eight p. m. set a jury sail 
made of a sled cover, and kept the boat away to the westward before 
the sea. 

Septemher 14^/t, Wednesday. — Wind ahead; sea moderating rapidly. 
Eising barometer. Towards noon the wind settled to about south. 
Boat making about a west (true) course of about one knot per hour. 
Nothing seen of either second cutter or whaleboat. Soundings in ten 
fathoms. Served out eight and a half pounds of ham instead of the 
pemmican rations at dinner. 

jSeptember 15th, Thursday. — Light south winds ; much swell but mod- 
erating rapidly. Ericksen got latitude at noon. My hands disabled 
since yesterday. Kept boat on port tack ; making nothing better than 
west under jury sail; eight and a half fathoms; sewed two parts of 
jury sail together. Very little progress, not one-half knot per hour. 

September Wth, Friday. — At four A. M. calm. Sounded in six feet of 
water. Galled everybody and got breakfast. At six got out six 
oars and pulled south. Seals numerous. Young ice met. At eight 
commenced to raise little lumps of land on port bow and ahead; at 
nine grounded. From this time until six p. M. struggling to get into 
water deep enough to float us sixteen inches ; more than a mile from 
shore. Waited for tide to rise, but there seemed to be only two inches 
increase. Land line running east and west, low and flat. Finally, at six 
p. M. ran up to a piled-up mass of thin scales of ice in eighteen inches 
of water, and hung on to it. Got ice from it for cooking. Ice and 
water much fresher than anything from the sea, 

September 11th, Satur day. ^-^Aftei a most miserable and uncomfortable 



934 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

uiglit called all hands at six and got breakfast. Barometer 30°. At 
eigbt slipped from ice and tried on tlie starboard tack. Grounded at a 
few hundred yards. Tried port tack. Grounded again. Struggled 
back to ice by eleven. Made raft. Got dinner. Decided to unload 
and wade ashore. At one loaded raft with tents, cooking stoves, and 
boat-box, and though it was buoyed with two breakers it took the ground. 
First load started at 2.45 — everybody except doctor, Boyd, Erieksen, 
and myself. Water knee-deep; land one and one-half miles off. Re- 
turned from first load at 4.15. Hauled boat farther inshore. Started 
second load (Collins and Sam remained behind disabled) 4.45. Second 
load landed and men back by G.45. Hauled boat another drag inshore, 
then say one eighth of a mile distant. Got her in to one-half of a mile 
distant. Then all got out and carried load ashore. I landed at eight 
P. M. Dark and snow-storm, but Collins had a good fire going. Sent 
everybody except doctor, Collins, Sam, Boyd, Erieksen, and self back 
for one more load, and at 10.20 had landed everything except boat, oars, 
mast, sled, and breakers. Got supper — two pounds pig's feet additional. 
Negus chronometer stopped at about eleven p. M., only eight hours after 
winding. Pitched camp, ^o watch set. Chronometer reads 7 h. 34m. 
6s. 

September IStli, Sunday. — Called all hands at eleven A. M. Got break- 
fast of tea and pemmican as soon as we could, and then the doctor com- 
menced overhauling us generally. Prepared to make a large fire to dry 
us. The ground under us has been so wet all night that we are soaking 
wet as a rule. Occasionally our underclothes are only wet in patches, 
bufas a rule we are wet, bags, clothes, and all. 

Sent out afternoon to the boat, and brought in the alcohol, all cloth- 
ing, boat-box, etc., and there was left nothing but the oars, mast, half 
lK)at cover, water breaker, etc. Had fires going all the time to drj^ our 
clothes. We must look our situation in the face and prepare to walk to 
a settlement. 

For dinner had seven pounds of bam instead of pemmican, and for 
supper soup made frojn two ptarmigan and two pounds pig's feet 
with two pounds ham instead of pemmican. Snow, hail, and sleet, and 
strong wind. Pii)ed down at nine. No watch set. Divine service at 
five p. M. 

September Idthj Monday. — Called all hands at G.30. Breakfast of tea 
and five pounds of tongue. This exhausts our canned meats, and now 
we have about three and a half days' rations, i^emmican and plenty of 
tea. 

I ordered preparations to be made for leaving this place after dinner, 
and as a beginning all sleeping-bags are to be left behind. Foot-nips 
may be made of them. List of things carried and left behind will be 
written in here : 

LEFT BEHIND. 

1 sextant. Medical box, viz. — 

1 artificial lioiizou. 10 rolls baudages. 

Mercury. 2 oz. opium. 

1 almanac, 1881. i lb. catliartic pills. 

1 useful table. 2 elastic trusses (double). 

1 Cbauvenet's Lunar and Eg. Alt. 1 case urinary iustruments. 

1 comparing watch. 1 small operating case (partial). 

1 cookiug stove. 1 roll lint. 

14 mess i)ans. 1 lb. cotton batting. 

1 cooking pot. 1 case sticking ])laster. 

1 cooking pan. 1 clinical thermometer. 

1 box rock specimens. Small tray empty vials. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 935 

THINGS TAKEN ALONG. 

2 pocket cases complete. 1 quart brandy. 

2 operating knives. 1 operating saw. 

2 small finger saws. • 1 hatchet. 
2^ jars carbolized vaseline (four oz. each). 1 pocket barometer. 

6 oz. glycerine. 1 pocket compass. 

6 oz. turpentine liniment. 1 thermometer case. 

2 oz. laudanum. 1 prayer book. 

2 oz. cathartic pills. 1 chart case. 

2 oz. diarrhcea mixture. 4 tin cases. 

1 oz. tincture capsicum. Log books. 

2 oz. carbolic acid. Papers. 
8 flannel bandages. Journal. 

I roll lint. 1 pocket chronometer. 

i roll plaster. 1 Winchester rifle. 

^ roll isinglass. 2 Remington rifles. 

15 Dover's powders. I small Winchester rifle. 
30 snip. zi. powders. 



During forenoon Alexey shot a large gull, whicli we made into soup 
for dinner, with our second drawn tea and six ounces pemmican. At 
2.45 went ahead, and at 4.30 stopped and camped. Loads too heavy, 
men used up — Lee groaning and complaining, Ericksen, Boyd, and Sam 
hobbling. Three rests of fifteen minutes each were of no use. Eoad 
bad. Breaking through thin crust; young ice everywhere. Occasion- 
ally up to knees. Conclude to send back log-books, stove, two alcohol, 
one tent, binoculars. Built a roaring big fire, and dried ourselves 
while we ate supper. Then sent Mndemann back with Alexey and 
Dressier to deposit log-books. They returned at nine P. M., when we 
all crawled into our tents and tried to sleep. Bright sun all the after- 
noon. Light south wind. Toward eight p. M. became cloudy, and 
wind backed to S. E. and freshened. 

September 20thj Tuesday. — Called all hands at 6.30. Slept better than 
I expected on our wooden beds. Woke up frequently to shiver with 
cold. Sick about the same, but no worse. At 8.05 got under way. 
Left Xo. 1 tent behind because we could not carry it. No. 6 tent is 
made of cotton, and sheds water better; and it is my intention to cut 
it at each end and use it as a coverlet for the fourteen of us. 

I found that our progress was terribly slow. The sun shone brightly 
and enabled me to keep an idea of our course, generally to the south- 
ward ; but so many x)onds with thin ice and mossy swamps intervened 
that we were making a queer traverse table. The most serious trouble 
was with Ericksen, who kept us all back as he hobbled along a foot at 
a time. Frequent rests did him no good, and at 11.05 I was compelled 
to halt the party, for he was done up. Four miles made good. Boyd 
and Sam did very well, though unable to carry any weights. Every 
one of us seems to have lost all feeling in his toes, and some of us even 
half way up the feet. That terrible week in the boat has done us a 
great injury. 

Ordered tea made and pemmican served out. We opened our last 
can (forty-five pounds), and in order to make it hold out as long as pos- 
sible, I so cut it that it must suffice for four day^s food. Then we are at 
the end of our provisions, and must eat the dog unless Providence sends 
something in our way. When the dog is eaten — ? 

I was much impressed, and derive great encouragement from an acci- 
dent of last Sunday. Our Bible got soaking wet, and I had to read the 
epistle and gospel out of my prayer-book. According to my rough cal- 



936 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

culatiou it was the fifteeoth Sunday after Trinity, and the gospel con- 
tained some promises which seemed peculiarly adapted to our condition.* 

During the forenoon we had almost got out of the ridges of drift- 
wood, and I began to be uneasy lest we should wander so far away from 
them as to jeopardize our tea and warmth. At 12.30 went ahead again, 
and almost immediately struck deer trades comparatively fresh. Elated 
beyond expression, I pushed ahead, following them, and heading about 
south, and soon came to large masses of drift-wood again. Three traps 
of some kind were here found, but whether to catch deer, wolves, or 
foxes I cannot say. A fog was rising from the southward, and I began 
to be in hopes that we were close to the river, when a shout from the 
rear caused me to notice that my party was straggling out too much. 
Upon their closing up I learned that Ericksen had lain down, desiring 
to be left. I rushed back, followed by the doctor, and by rating the 
man soundly for his folly, got him on his feet again and drove him be- 
fore me. But his condition is serious indeed, and he can neither keep 
up with us nor be carried. Eeaching anywhere in four days with him 
disabled is out of the question ; and it looks as if I must send the doc- 
tor and Kindemann ahead for assistance. 

Before getting Ericksen up to our halting place with the doctor, I 
went ahead to send Mndemann and Alexey on in the deer tracks, to 
see if we were close to a river mouth ; but upon reaching the place at two 
p. m., I found they had gone in chase of four deer which had appeared 
in my absence. While waiting for results built a fire. At three Mn- 
demann and Alexey returned, having seen a herd of seven or eight 
deer, but they were unable to get a shot. At 3.20 went ahead again. 
This time the doctor and I brought up the rear to prevent Ericksen 
giving up, and we succeeded in advancing him a mile by 4.20. Here 
we crossed what I consider a river mouth, from the enormous masses 
of wood piled up on its southern shore, and as I had instructed Mr. 
Collins, Nindemann, and Alexey to deposit their loads here, and pro 
ceed in quest of game, I announced this as the camp. If game can be 
obtained we are all right, but if not, here must some decision be made 
about sending forward for relief. 

At 5.30 hunters returned, saw plenty of tracks but no deer. Supper 
at six. Light southeast wind. Barometer 29.87 at 50°. Temperature 
29°. When we halted at noon for dinner a little snow bird flew around 
us and finally lighted upon my flagstaff which I carry. Mr. Collins 
immediately exclaimed, "That is good luck, caj^tain." Such small 
things even are noticeable in our kind of life. During the afternoon 
we saw what I took to be a gate-post, with slots for fence-rails; but 
Ericksen says it was a loggerhead for a grain -boat or vessel of that 
kind. 

Upon halting for supper we, of course, built a tremendous fire, for 
the cords of wood along the beach had no owner but ourselves. In 
front of this we sat and roasted, while our wet clothes steamed in clouds. 
Uur beds we made of logs, and our coverings of our blankets, and after 
we were all down our half of the cut tent was hauled over us like a tar- 
paulin over merchandise. Day's walk, five miles. 

/September 21st, Wednesday. — During the night snow fell heavily, and 
the Avind increased. Our tent cover blew away from us, owing to a 
mistake which we made of turning in with our feet to the fire and our' 
heads to the wind. Besides this, we were all frequently awake to 
shake, for I must confess it was a very cold bed. 

* The passage is iu Mattliew vi, 24 : " Take no thought for your life, what ye shall 
ejit, or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye siiall jiut on^" etc, 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 937 

At six I called all Lands. S.E. gale, snow, and fog. At 7.30 wo 
loaded up and went ahead until 11.30. Boyd and Sam made good pro- 
gress, and Ericksen did better than yesterday, but still it was terribly 
slow going 5 four miles was all that we covered in the four hours. I 
followed the heavy timber on the south bank of the river, though we 
saw no water except when thin ice let us through knee-deei) into swamp- 
grass and mud. On the northern bank there appeared no drift-wood. 
Numerous fox- traps were seen, some of them sprung. Deer tracks were 
seen in large number, evidently made by a large herd. 

At eleven Mndemann, whom I had sent ahead of everybody to look 
for game, came up to me and reported that we had reached a river one 
hundred yards wide, with good, smooth ice along the shore. We had 
been running about a southwest course, and this river was in the same 
direction; but now the line of heavy timber was on the north side, just 
away from us. This gave me no anxiety, however, for enough wood 
remained on our (the soutli) side to answer all our demands. 

At 11.20 I halted and ordered dinner, which we were a long time in 
getting, owing to wet matches, damp wood, strong wind puffs, etc. To 
reach the smooth river ice we had to leave the swamp and drop waist 
deep in snow. A fox-trap was close by with a fox's head in it, but the 
body had been eaten or cut off close to the neck. Our plan of using 
one ration of tea for all three meals has received occasional shocks j as 
for instance, to-day a small can of salt had been, I find, carried in the 
teakettle for want of a better place, and Lee has capsized it among the 
tea leaves. 

At one went ahead again, and at 3.30 came to a bend in the river 
making south, and to our surprise two huts, one seemingly new. In 
view of the action I am about to take, I decided to remain here, and we 
entered in and took possession. Distance made good six miles, this one 
hundred and first day since we lost our ship. Is this Tscholbogoje? is 
now an important question, for if this i)air of huts make a settlement, 
our chances of keeping on successfully are very slim indeed. Accord- 
ing to my account we are now thirty-five miles away from the next sta- 
tion ! ! and eighty-seven miles from a probable settlement. We have 
two days' rations after to-morrow morning's breakfast, and we have 
three lame men who cannot make more than five or six miles a day ; of 
course I cannot leave them, and they certainly cannot keep up with the 
pace necessary to take. 

When I saw these two huts — one evidently new, and both habitable 
and intended for a prolonged residence — 1 concluded that this was a 
suitable place to halt the main body, and send on a couple of good 
walkers to make a forced march to get relief. The two I selected were 
the doctor and ^Nindemann ; and I had a preliminary conversation with 
the former on the subject, giving him my views. He is to push on until 
he does come to a settlement, and can get back relief to us. And we 
are to remain here and try to eke out an existence with two days' rations 
drawn out to their fullest extent, and such chance game as may offer. 
Though loth to do anything which seems like abandoning us, he is 
willing enough to do anything that may give a chance for relief, and 
by to-morrow morning I shall have his orders perfected and my plans 
made. Go on we cannot just now, and here we can have at least heat 
and shelter. Seeing something across the river and further down that 
looked like a signal-post or a fish-frame, I sentMndemann along to look 
at it; and some hut-like objects to the eastward being seen, I sent 
Alexey over to look at them. This was at 4 p. m. A flock of five small 
ducks had been swimming around in the river, and several rifle shot8 



938 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

had been fired without effect. I had caused a strict search to be made 
around both huts for food of any kind, but nothing could be found. At 
six Nindeman returned. He found a gull in a trap and brought it in, 
but alas! it was rotten. The trap had been set for a fox or goose, and 
baited with fish. We ate our supper and crawled uuder our blaukets. 
Two good berths in the new hut gave bedsteads to the doctor, Colhns, 
Nindeman, and myself; and ordering the fire to be thrown outside, and 
the house shut up to keep the heat in, I consigned myself to sleep. 
At 8.30 Alexey had not yet returned, and though I was anxious to have 
no one away from me, I could not doubt he would safely return. At 
nine p. m. a knock was heard outside, and Alexey's voice asking, " All 
asleep inside f and in an instant I was up. Sticking his head in the 
door, Alexey said, " Captain, we got two reindeer, " and in he came bear- 
ing a hind quarter of meat. Sleep was at once forgotten. Fire was 
made, and cooking begun in both huts, and we consumed about one and 
one half pounds cooked meat each, finishing all that Alexey brought, 
except two tongues, before we cried enough. 

Alexey went toward these seeming huts, and found they were in fact 
huts, but very old. While walking around and beyond them he saw 
deer traces so fresh as to make him think the animals were close at 
hand. He was in doubt as to incurring a scolding from me if he stayed 
away, or to take the chances of getting meat. He decided he would try 
-for meat, and went on. Soon after a snow-squall he saw deer horns 
moving, and by strategy unsurpassed, crept upon a herd of fourteen, 
and at twenty-five yards' distance dropped two. The remainder at 
once left. Tickled to death, he cut off a hind leg, and cut out both 
tongues, and staggered in cold and wet. Well done, Alexey! The 
darkest hour ts just before the dawn. 

September 22rf, Thursday. — The hut remained warm until toward day- 
light, when it began to grow chilly. Called all hands at 5.30, and had 
a pemmican breakfast, and at 6.45 sent out Nindemann, Alexey, and 
five men to bring in our two deer. This, of course, changes my plans. 
We can now remain here a day or two to let our sick peoijle catch up, 
and while living upon deer meat on hand can search for more to cook 
and carry with us. The two remaining days' pemmican is shut up tight 
during our use of other food. Looking around our hut we can see 
traces of Kussians or other civilized beings. A rude checker- board, 
wooden forks, pieces of pencil, etc., and other evidences of the use of 
tools by somewhat skilled workmen. At noon light east breeze; tem- 
perature air 30°. Within the hut, at m^^ berth in front of the fire, the 
thermometer stood at 70°. 

At 1.50 Nindemann and his party returned, bringing in the two deer; 
seven hours' walking was necessary for them evidently. We imme- 
diately commenced getting dinner, and at three sat down to one and a 
half pounds each of fried steaks, liver, and heart. As soon as we were 
through dinner we had to commence preparing for supper, because in 
our limited stock of cooking utensils, a pot, frying-pan, and a pot cover, 
we can do but little at a time. Boiled down for two hours a lot of bones 
for soup, and served out one half i)ound meat for frying. At eight, 
therefore, we had soup, one and a half pints each, and a half pound 
fried meat, and at nine i)ut out the fire and went to sleep, saving our 
candle ends for some emergency. Tea was dispensed with also, because 
the pot was in use for soup. The sick seem to be improving. Boyd is 
on the rapid mend, Sam slowly, and Ericksen is no worse. 

This rest and food and shelter will no doubt restore their feet at the 
earliest moment, and I must simply wait and hoi)e. They cannot move 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 939 

now, and we are so well off for deer meat (probably one hundred pounds 
clear meat) that the necessity for separating- our party seems not a press- 
iug matter. 

September 2M, Friday. — Galled all hands about 6.30. Breakfast, three- 
quarters of a pound fried deer meat, one and a half pints tea, at eight. 

At noon, light S.W. breeze. Barometer, 29.80 at 55° ; temperature, 25°. 
Appearance of high land to the southward Dinner of soup and three- 
quarters of a pound fried meat. From the surgeon's report of the con- 
dition of the sick men, I have decided to move on to-morrow morning 
after breakfast. 

Took an account of our deer meat on hand. Meat free from bone, 
hfty-four and a half pounds; meat on the bone, fourteen pounds ; bones 
for soup, fifteen pounds. After we had served out twenty- two pounds 
Djeat on the bone for supi)er to-night, the fourteen pounds on the bone 
we shall have for breakfast in the morning, and the fifty-four and a half 
pounds clear meat we carry with us. 

At three p. m. we each had one pint soup made from marrow bones. 
At six p. m. had supper of tea, one and a half pounds meat on bones, 
and then set to work boiling down remaining soup bones for breakfast. 

September 24^/t, Saturday. — Galled all hands at 4.20 5 at 5.20 had soup, 
and at six tea and one pound meat on bones. Temperature 27. 5°; mild 
and pleasant. Gommenced preparations for departure at seven. Gom- 
pleted record [of movements of the party], placed it in tinder box, and 
lashed it up on house-post inside. Started the sick ahead under the 
doctor's lead at 8.05, and at 8.20 I brought up the rear with Gortz, leav- 
ing my Winchester rifle in the hut as a surprise to the next visitor. 

Followed along the bank of the river, rounded one creek and going 
across the ice of another, and i)roceeded until 11.20, by which time we 
had made good about three and a half miles to the southward, allowing 
for all crooks and turns. Passed the ruins of three huts. Upon 
rounding the creek, at the end of which these huts were situated, and 
reaching the river again, I was struck with the fact "that it was no longer 
frozen over ; quite a little sea was raised by the wind showing deeper 
water, and that the shores shelved rapidly outward. Discouraged at 
the slow pace at which the men staggered along under their loads, and 
worried by the exhausted looks which I saw at each rest, it seemed to 
me that if I could make a raft we might get along faster or at least more 
easily. I concluded to try it, and while halting for dinner selected 
suitable logs for our frame. After dinner went to work again, but why 
proceed. At 5.40 p. m. our raft, wretched and frail for want of lash- 
ings, was finished, and at the risk of losing all our things we embarked 
and tried to get it out in mid -stream to send it along before the wind 
under sail. But a strong ebb tide was now running, the wind had 
grown lighter, and our raft was firmly grounded. In disgust I aban- 
doned the whole thing, and we again loaded our backs and plodded on. 
I had sent the sick on with the doctor afoot, towards some huts which 
Alexey claimed he saw ; but upon catching up with them at 6.40 I could 
see no huts, and Alexey now thought "other side river stop," and I 
halted the party, made a fire, and got supper. Wood apparently ended ; 
all our trees being stuck in the banks and requiring much labor to get 
them out. Dried ourselves. One pound deer meat for dinner each. 

At ten made a rough bed of a few logs! wrapped our blankets around 
us and sought a sleep that did not come. Day's walk five miles. 

September 25thy Sunday. — A wretched night, no sleep, no rest, cold 
and stifit'. Galled all hands at 5.20 ; three quarters of a i^ound deer 
meat at 6.30. Started ahead at seven, and soon after crossed a 



940 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

creek, fortunately iced over. Good rogtl, and by 1125 had come 
1 think, six miles down the river. Halted for dinner. Eead Divine 
service. Made the unpleasant discovery that we had I nt eight 
pounds deer meat and two tongues remaining. Some error in weigh- 
ing before starting, or in serving out. Ate all for dinner. Went 
ahead again at 1.10, and, thank God, came in sight of two huts at four 
p. m. At 3.30 we had made four miles good, cutting off the nose of the 
face in the delta. Here we had to take the bluff, and the traveling was 
heavy, terribly so, still the pace was forced, and at 4.50, when the ad- 
vance got in, they had covered two miles more, making six miles for 
the afternoon, or twelve miles for the day. But recollecting that we 
had no sleep last night, it has been a hard day's work for us. I arrived 
at 5.50, having remained behind to drive up Lee. A great trouble to- 
day was the way in which our feet balled up. Occasionally breaking 
through the ice our boots got wet and then collected snow and surface 
crust readily, which froze at once and made a man's feet as large and 
unwieldy as if walking in sand bags. It is hard to make the chart recon- 
cile with the country in some instances. Though I left water in cutting 
across the neck and reached water after crossing, yet we were all the 
time on a smooth, frozen surface with a small timber line on each side, 
and in one place the road had all the appearance of a dried river bed. 
Here holes were encountered, into one of which I and several others 
tumbled to our waist. 

Fox-traps were seen every two hundred yards or so, baited with 
pieces of bird. Some of them were sprung, but most of them were all 
right. The plan seems to be to entice the fox within a pen by meat, in 
detaching which he dislodges a small upright and a log falls down on 
his back. One of our two huts had fallen to decay, and was uninhab- 
itable. The other was large enough to cover us all, but it was very 
dirty. Some deer horns showed that game had been caught, some 
mouldy scraps within showed that the meat had been eaten, and some 
wooden forks and plates showed that more civilized people than natives 
had lived in the hut. Several drying frames and fox-traps were around 
in the vicinity. The land bluff" was probably twenty-five feet high. Sup- 
per at 6.30 — tea and four-fourteenths of a pound of pemmican. Turned 
in at 7.30 p. m. 

September 2(jth, Monday. — Called cooks at 5.30. Breakfasted at 6.30 
(tea, four -fourteenths pound pemmican). Doctor's report not so good. 
Ericksen has an ulcer on the sole of his foot, and, though he can yet 
walk on it, in a few days it will be too bad for him to use it at all. 

At 7.30 set Nindemann and the men to work to build a raft for cross- 
ing the smaller stream, and sent Alexey along its bank for a mile or 
more to look for a chance means of fording or crossing on ice. ]N"o 
such crossingcould be found, and at ten, ourcrazy raft being ready, we 
coniinenced to terry over. 

The first party consisted of Mr. Collin.s, Alexey, and Lee, with Nin- 
demann and Kaack to ferry. They succeeded in reaching the other side 
by dint of hard i)addling ; for though the raft would stick in the mud 
six feet from shore, at ten feet no bottom could be got with a ten-foot 
pole. 

At 11.30 the raft was back and I attempted to send a second load of 
five passengers this time instead of three ; but it was too much, and I 
had to come down to three. 

At 3.45 p. m. got the last load (the surgeon and Ericksen, with 
Gdortz) over, and as soon as we could get our priceless lashings from 
the raft we had our dinner (^four-fourteenths of a pound pemmican aud 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 941 

tea). This leaves us exactly three meals more food and the dog. But 
still the uufalteriug- trust in God which I have had all along makes me 
hopeful that some relief may he afforded us. 

At 4.30 went ahead again, and by 6.55 had made fonr miles. Dark- 
ness was now aj^proaching, and I ordered a halt for the night. It is 
hard to tell whether we stopped on the river or not, for we came south- 
southwest and southwest ; and, according to my chart, the river should 
run west. We took a frozen stream south-southwest for the sake of the 
walking, and then cut " across lots " to what I thought was the river. 
But we shall see m the morning. Stood by for a cold night, and no 
sleep. 

September 27 tk, Tuesday. — After a cold and comfortless (and to nearly 
all hands sleepless) night, the cook made tea at daylight, a^nd at 5.05 
we had our breakfast— four- fourteenths pound pemmican. One more 
meal left. 

Last night at our supper one-half ounce alcohol was added to our sec- 
ond cup of tea, to our advantage no doubt, but it has nauseated me 
somewhat this morning. At six we were ready to start, but Mndemann 
saw reindeer, and I sent him and Alexey in quest of them. They were 
nine in number, and coming toward the river, or down the wind. 

Ericksen's foot in bad condition this morning. At eight we heard a 
shout and saw our two men on the eastern horizon. Sent five men out 
at once, and at 9.45 they arrived in camp, bringing a fine buck. Saved 
again ! Eleven deer seen — ten escaped. 

I need hardly say how great the relief was to my overstretched mind. 
Our last meal was on hand when I sent Nindemann and Alexey off, and 
had they failed we would have been obliged to eat it without advancing 
a foot, and with eight miles more to make before coming opposite to a 
possible settlement. Our provisions would consist of poor Snoozer. 

Nindemann and Alexej^ crawled around to leeward of the herd, until 
they went as far back nearly as our ferry of yesterday. Here they got 
within one hundred yards and fired, Nindemann's Winchester failing 
to explode, but Alexey's Eemiugton killing a fine buck — as much as five 
men could drag in. At 10.30 fourteen hungry men commenced eating 
fried deer meat, and I must admit we ate three pounds apiece before 
we were satisfied. Then I called a halt in eating, and weighed what 
remained. We found ninety-eight pounds clear meat, free from bone, 
nineteen pounds neck (for soup), and enough meat on the ribs to make 
two meals alone. Besides this, there were the soup bones, heart, liver, 
brains, and tongue— in fine, I think three days' rations, allowing one 
pound each for a meal. If ever Divine Providence was manifested in 
behalf of needy and exposed people, we are an instance of it. All that 
I need to make my present anxiety nU is some tidings of the other two 
boats and their occupants. 

The ulcer in Ericksen's foot has sloughed away so much of the skin 
as to exi)ose the sinews and muscles. The doctor fears that he may 
have to amputate one half, if not the whole, of both feet. 

At 12.30 went ahead, filled and comfortable, each of us, except Erick- 
sen, shouldering about fifteen pounds of meat, in addition to his ordi- 
nary load. The doctor and myself had each a set of ribs on our backs, 
and as we trudged along all of us presented a queer spectacle, somewhat 
of a nature to surprise our friends could they see us. By four p. m. we 
had advanced about three and one-half miles direct, but, by cutting 
across an angle we no doubt saved a mile more, making along the river 
a distance of four and one-half miles. Here, seeing lots of wood, and 
more beyond, and knowing how exhausted we were from want of sleep 



942 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. . 

last night and our Laving loads to-day, I called a halt, ordered supper 
(nine pounds neck, seven i^ounds fried ribs), and made preparations for 
rigging our tents against the bank as a kind of shelter to crawl under. 

We had had SE. winds all day and thick snow, but upon halting 
the wind seemed to back to the. east and grow very light. The river 
here seems to make a long stretch southwest. According to my reck- 
oning we are only four and a half miles from a point opposite Sagas- 
tyr. To-morrow will show whether I am right and whether Sagastyr 
is a settlement. May God grant it is. 

To our astonishment upon halting we found a moccasin print in the 
snow, extending from the water to the bluff. Alexey says it is about 
two days old. ' From the bluff we can see across the river three things 
which look like huts. 

September 2Sth, Wednesday. — Called cook at five. All hands at 5.55. 
Breakfast, soup (neck, ten pounds), ribs fourteen pounds, tea. Though 
last night was not so uncomfortable, for we were under the lee of a 
bank and had our tents laid over us, we did not get much sleep. For a 
few hours we laid stupid from sheer exhaustion, and the rest of the 
night we were kept awake by the cold, and the shift of wind right along 
the beach. Our breakfast was warm and refreshing, and we got away 
at eight. At 8.45, when I ordered the first rest, 1 was sure we had 
made a mile, and my surprise was great to find everybody fall asleep, 4 
myself included. We were evidently worn and jaded, and for every 
twenty minutes' march I rested ten minutes thereafter. We saw the 
tracks of two men walking along the beach the way we had come ; and 
at 11.10 we came to an old hut, which apparently (from fresh embers 
and meat scraps) had been used last night. Here the river made along 
bend to the right, and, anxious to shelter and rest my weary party, I 
halted for dinner. A considerable distance ahead of us on our side of 
the river, is another hut-like looking structure for to-night. 

After getting mj breath and resting a few moments, I took a look at, 
the situation and I was considerably nonplused. Before us ran a rivei 
south-southwest, and at right angles to it, or east-southeast, ran a sec- 
ond. We were therefore in a fork, and in any case had to cross a wid< 
(one-fourth of a mile) river before proceeding on our journey. This in- 
volv^ed a raft, and suitable timber was neither convenient or accessible,! 
even if we had lashings enough, which we have not. I sent Alexeyj 
along the streaui running east-southeast, and when he came back he 
said it turned up more to the northward and gi-ew wider. I am inclined 
to think we have reached the end of the delta, and that the reason whyj 
it does not correspond with my chart is because the shoals of sixty! 
years ago have become raised lands. Sagastyr, if there is such a place,] 
is five miles southwest from us, if I am right, and the tracks of the meu' 
seen this morning would point at their coming from there. 

If Chipp or Melville got through all right they would naturally sendl 
back to look for us, and these two men may have been on some suchl 
errand. At all events, we are too much fagged out to do anything morej 
without some sleep, and I shall stay in this hut all night. We had4 
dinner (ten pounds ribs, five and a half pounds heart and liver), and at 
1.10 p. m. set Nindemann, with Alexey and Gortz, to patch up the hut 
and make canvas door, while the rest were put at work gathering wood 
for our use and for a signal fire this evening. I intend to light a big 
fire outside the hut in hopes it may attract attention. 

At 5.30 we had supper (eight and one-fourth pound sbones for soup, 
one-half pound d6er meat), and immediately commenced lying down. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 943 

By eight p. m. I had got everybody turned in, our signal fire burning 
brightly, our hut closed up, and I went to sleep, worn out. 

September 29th, Ihur.sday. — One hundred and ninth day. Called the 
cook at six a. m. Fire had of course to be made, and at seven we sat 
down to breakfast : one half-pound of meat apiece and tea. 

At eight sent Alexey along the river running to the eastward in 
quest of game, and at the same time to look for a chance of crossing it, 
or for a bend in it looking to the southward and westward. The other 
men were put at work gathering fire-wood. Exceptions : INindemann, 
who was sent along the east river seeking for materials to build a raft ; 
Gortz, who was put to work erecting a flagstaff' for showing a black 
blanket, and in repairing our hut; and Boyd and Sam, who acted as 
our internal police, while the cook got water for dinner purposes. 

When I turned in last night I was in hopes that I should find ice 
enough here this morning to cross the river on, for though I think we 
have reached the end of the delta, I am not sure of it, and I do not like 
the idea of standing still. No boat, and no materials for building even 
a crazy raft. Water on both banks, and but few days' ]>rovisions. 
One does not like to feel that he is caught in a trap. Poor Ericksen's 
condition becomes more and more critical. The doctor tells me this 
morning that his foot is sloughing away very fast, and that unless he 
can very soon be given the care and medical treatment which only a pro- 
longed stay at a settlement will admit, his life is in danger. From the 
symptoms of a couple of days back the doctor fears lockjaw may inter- 
vene and carry him oft'; and in fact, it seems hard to see how he can 
recover in any case. If we could move on, and I forced him along, it 
would probably shorten his life ; if I remained here and kept every- 
body with me, Ericksen's days would be lengthened a little at the risk 
of our all dying from starvation. This is evidently a crisis in our lives. 
1 can do nothing more. We cannot cross the water until it freezes, or 
until we are ferried across it. I may be mistaken in our position, and 
we may be still twelve miles from the delta end. This river making 
to the east may be the river I thought we rafted over some days ago, 
and we may be that much out. Any raft that is built must be large 
enough to carry us all at one time, for in such deep water and strong 
winds there can be no coming back and forth ; and how can we secure 
enough logs together to float us, having only a few ends of lanyards 
from the men's bundles ? The doctor and Mr. Collins started out on a 
hunt, after breakfast, too, but beyond a ptarmigan or two they saw 
nothing. 

At twelve had dinner ; eight and one-fourth pounds bone soup, and 
seven pounds meat. At 12.15 Alexey and Nindemann returned, having 
eome together and proceeded in company about four miles along the river. 
According to Nindemann the river proceeds indefinitely east-southeast. 
Two miles from us they came to a two-man hut, which seemed to have 
been recently occupied. A portion of fish found there tasted to us 
fresh and good, both raw and cooked. About one and a half miles from 
us the river was freezing, and in a day or so might be fit to walk over; 
but no timber for a raft could be found. A few old deer tracks were 
seen, but no deer. JS'othing encouraging in this forenoon's work. 

I caused this morning a black flag to be displayed on poles lashed 
together, about twenty feet in height, but the weather is so thick I do 
not think it will attract anybody. A large gull was drawn toward it, 
and Alexey shot him, insuring us gull soup for supi)er. 

Parties out for wood after dinner. Alexey and Nindemann rigging 
fish-lines. Sam plucking and making ready gull. Cook chopping wood, 



944 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

and others repairing or patching our hut or their clothes. At six had 
supper, one half pint gull soup, one half pound fried meat. At dark 
built fires again on the point in hope of attracting attention ; but the 
attention of whom? At eight turned in. The wind moderated consid- 
erably, and backed to WNW., and as the water smoothed down I was 
glad to see ice form on both rivers. 

September SOth^ Friday. — One hundred and tenth day. Called the 
cook at 6 a. m. Breakfast at 6.50. Tea and one-half pound fried 
meat. Light west breeze. Barometer 30.10 at 65o. Temperature 16o.5 
at nine. The main river is covered over with a sheet of ice, and I 
have sent Nindemann to examine it for a crossing place. Our hut 
remains comfortable for the first hours of the night, but towards day- 
light it becomes so cold and uncomfortable that sleep is out of the 
question. Boyd and Sam are discharged from the sick-list to duty. 
Ericksen is no better, and it is a foregone conclusion that he must lose 
four of the toes of his right foot, and one of his left foot. The doctor 
commenced slicing away the flesh after breakfast, fortunately without 
pain to the patient, for the forward part of the foot is dead ; but it was 
a heart-rending sight to me, the cutting away of bones and flesh of a 
man whom I hoped to return sound and whole to his friends. May God 
pity us, and grant that this is the only mishap that is to attend the en- 
tire expedition. Now, of course, the man must be dragged, for his walk- 
ing is out of the question. At the present daily decrease in tempera- 
ture we shall not have to wait long for the freezing over of the river. 
Nindemann and Alexey upon their return report they crossed the east 
river about one and a half miles from here. 

At twelve had dinner; seven pounds stew, or one half pound each. 
I know this is not enough food per day, one and a half pounds, for I 
am certainly hungry, and do not have even the work of bringing the 
wood, which the men have. But our deer meat will last just three 
days at one-half pound a meal, and I cannot increase the issue. 

After dinner I sent Alexey on a deer hunt; Mr. Collins on a general 
short hunt ; the men for tire- wood, and Nindemann was put at making a 
sled-litter to carry Ericksen. The doctor thinks the latter cannot live 
unless we are fortunate enough to make a settlement within two or 
three days. Alas ! alas ! 

By six p. m. Mr. Collins and Alexey both returned empty-handed. 
Alexey had gone, he thinks, about nine miles, and saw nothing except 
old deer tracks. 

Supper, one-half pound deer meat and tea. Fire going on our signal 
hill as usual. All abed by eight p. m., our dirty hovel, unfit for a dog 
at home, seeming a palace, because of the shelter it gives. 

October 1st, Saturday. — One hundred and eleventh day, and a new 
month. Called all hands as soon as the cook announced boiling water, 
and at 6.45 had our breakfast ; one-half pound of deer meat and tea. 
Sent Niuderaann and Alexey to examine main river, other men to col- 
lect wood. The doctor resumed the cutting away of poor Ericksen's 
toes this morning. IS'o doubt it will have to continue until half his feet 
are gone, unless death ensues, or we get to some settlement. Only one 
toe left now. Temperature 18°. 

At 7.30 Nindemann and Alexey were seen to have crossed, and I im- 
mediately sent men to carry one load over. 

Left the following record : 

Saturday, October 1, 1881. 

Fourteen of the officers and men of the U. S. Arctic Steamer Jeannette reached 
this hut on Wednesday, September 28th, and having been forced to wait for the river 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 945 

to freeze over, are proceediug to cross to the west side this a. m. on their journey to 
roach some settlement ou the Lena River. We have two days' provisions, but having 
been fortunate enough thus far to get game in our pressing needs, we have no fear 
for the future. 

Our party are all well, except one man, Ericksen, whose toes have been amputated 
in consequence of frost-bite. Other records will be found in several huts on the east 
side of this river, along which we have come from the northward. 

[List of partv.] 

GEORGE W. De LONG, 
Lieutenant U. S. Navy, Commanding Expedition. 

At 8.30 we made the final trip, and got our sick man over in safety. 
From there we proceeded until 11.20, dragging our man on the sled. 
Halted for dinner; one-half pound meat and tea each. At one went 
ahead again until 5.05. 

Actually under way : 8.30 to 9.15, 9.30 to 10.20, 10.30 to 11.20, 1.00 to 
1.40, 1.50 to 2.10, 2.20 to 2.40, 3.00 to 3.25, 3.35 to 4.00, 4.15 to 4.35, 4.45 
to 5.05. Total, 5 h. 15 m. At least two miles an hour. Distance made 
good ten to twelve miles. 

And where are we f I think at the beginning of the Lena Eiver at 
last. "Sagastyr" has been to us a myth. We saw two old huts at a 
distance, and that was all, but they were out of our reach, and the day 
not half gone. Kept on ice all the way, and therefore I think we were 
over water, but the stream was so narrow and so crooked that it never 
could have been a navigable water. My chart is simplj^ useless. I must 
go on plodding to the southward, trusting in God to guide me to a set- 
tlement, for I have long since realized that we are powerless to help 
ourselves. 

A bright, calm, beautiful day. Bright sunshine to cheer us up, an icy 
road, and one day's rations yet. Boots frozen, of course, and balled up. 
No hut in sight, and we halt on a bluff to spend a cold and comfortless 
night. Supper one half pound meat and tea. Made a rousing fire, 
built a log bed, set a watch (two hours each) to keep the fire going, and 
at eight p. m. crawled into our blankets. 

October 2d, Sunday. — I think we all slept fairly well until midnight; 
but from that time it was so cold and uncomfortable that sleep was out 
of the question. At 4.30 we were all out and in front of the fire, day- 
light just appearing. Ericksen kept talking in his sleep all night, and 
effectually kept those awake who were not already awakened by the cold. 

Breakfast five a. m. One-half pound meat and tea. Bright, cloud- 
less morning. Light N. airs. At seven went ahead, following frozen 
water wherever we could find it, and at 9.20 I feel quite sure we have 
gone some distance on the main river. I think our gait was at least 
two miles an hour, and our time under way two hours four minutes. I 
call our forenoon work at least six miles : 7.00 to 7.35, 7.45 to 8.05, 8.15 
to 8.30, >^.40 to 8.50, 9.20 to 9.40, 9.50 to 10.12, 10.22 to 10.40, 10.55 to 
11.15. Dinner camp. 1.00 to 1.30, 1.40 to 2.00, 2.15 to 2.35, 2.45 to 3.00, 
3.20 to 3.40, 3.50 to 4.05, 4.15 to 4.20. 

Divine service before dinner. Dinner one-half pound meat and tea. 
8tarteda head at one p. m., and by 4.15 had completed two marching 
hours and made four miles. I was much bewildered by the frequent 
narrowing of the river to a small vein of ice, and the irregular rambling 
way in which it ran. Frequently it led us into a sand bank or deej) 
snow, and our floundering around was both exhaustive of energy and 
consuu)pti\e of time. There is no use denying it, we are pretty weak. 
Our food is not enough to keep up our strength, and when we lose a 
night's sleep we feel it keenly. 1 had several bad falls on the ice this 
alternoon which shook me up pretty badly. A freshening KE, wind 
60 J (^* 



946 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

had blown the efflorescence off the ice, and left smooth, clear spots as 
clear as glass. Frozen boots are but poor foot gear, and besides crami)- 
ing the feet, are like boots of iron in walking. SHp, slide, and down 
you are on your back. 

At 4.05 p. m. I saw more wood than we had sighted since our dinner 
camp, and but little ahead. I therefore called a halt and " camped," 
i. e., sat down, made a fire, and got sui)per. Then we stood by for a 
second cold and wretched night. There was so much wind that we had 
to put our tent halves up for a screen, and sit shivering in our half 
blankets. 

October 3^, Monday. — One hundred and thirteenth day. At miduight 
it was so fearfully cold and wretched that I served out tea to all hands, 
and on that we managed to struggle along until five a. m., when we ate 
our last deer meat and had more tea. Our remaining food now consists 
of four-fourteenths pounds pemmican each, and a half-starved dog. 
May God again incline unto our aid. How much farther we have to go 
before reaching a shelter or a settlement He alone knows. 

Brisk wind. Ericksen seems failing. He is weak and tremulous, and 
the moment he closes his eyes talks incessantly in Danish, German, and 
English. No one could sleep even if our otlier surroundings permitted. 

For some cause my watch stopped at 10.45 last night while one of the 
men on watch had it. I set it as near as I could come to the time by 
guessing, and we must run by that until I can do better. Sun rose 
yesterday morning at 6.40 by the watch when running all right: 7.05 
to 7.40 (35 m.), 7.50 to 8.20 (30 m.), 8.30 to 9.00 (30 m.), 9.15 to 9.35 (20 
m.), 9.50 to 10.10 (20 m.), 10.25 to 10.40 (15 m.), 11.00 to 11.20, 11.30 to 
11.50, 11.50 dinner — 1 h. 55 m. — 2 h. 35 m., say five miles. 

Our forenoon's walk I put as above at five miles. Some time and dis- 
tance was lost by crossing the river upon seeing numerous fox-traps. 
A man's track was also seen in the snow, bound south, and we followed 
it until it crossed the river to the west bank again. Here we w ere obliged 
■^to go back in our tracks, for the river was open in places, and we could 
not follow the man's track direct. Another of the dozen shoals which 
infest tbe river swung us off to the eastward, too, and I hastened to get 
on the west bank again, reaching there at 11.50 for dinner. Our last 
four-fourteenths pound pemmican. 

At 1.40 got under way again and made a long fleet until 2.20. While 
at the other side of the river Alexey said he saw a hut, aud during our 
dinner camp he again saw it. Under our circumstances my desire was 
to get to it as speedily as possible. As Alexey pointed out it was on 
the left bank of the river of which we were now on the right side look- 
-ing south. Bat a sand bank gave us excellent walkiug for a mile, until 
we took to the river ice and got across it diagonally. Here, at 2.20, I 
called a rest, and Alexey mounted the bluff to take a look again. He 
now announced that he saw a second hut about one and a quarter miles 
back from the coast, the first hut being about the same distance south 
and on the edge of the bluff. The heavy dragging across country of a 
sick man on a sled made me incline to the hut on the shore, since, as 
the distance was about the same, we could get over the ice in one-third 
of the time. Nindemann, who climbed the bluff, while he saw that the 
object iidand was a hut, was not so confident about the one on the shore. 
Alexey, however, was quite positive, and not seeing very well myself, 
I unfortunately took his eyes as best and ordered an advance along the 
river to the southward. Away we went, Nindemann and Alexey lead- 
ing, and had progressed about a mile when, S])lash! in 1 went through 
the ice up to my shoulders before my knapsack brought me up. While 






JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 947 

I was crawling out, in went Gortz to his neck about fifty yards behind 
me, and behind him in went Mr. Collins to his waist. Here was a time. 
The moment we came out of the water we were one sheet of ice, and 
danger of frost-bite was imminent. Along we hobbled, however, until 
we came, at 3.45, abreast the point on which the hut was seen. Here 
Nindemaun climbed the bluff, followed by the doctor. At first the cry 
was, "All right, come ahead," but no sooner were we all up than Ninde- 
mann shouted, "There is no hut here." To my dismay and alarm noth- 
ing but a large mound of earth was to be seen, which, from its regular 
sbape and singular position would seem to have been built artificially 
for a beacon ; so sure was Mndemann that it was a hut, that he went 
all around it looking for a door, and then climbed on top to look for a 
hole in the roof. But of no avail. It was nothing but a mound of earth. 
Sick at heart, I ordered a camp to be made in a hole in the bluff face, 
and soon before a roaring fire we were drying (and burning) our clothes, 
while the cold wind ate into our backs. 

And now for supper! Nothing remained but the dog. I therefore 
ordered him killed and dressed by Iversen, and soon after a kind of 
stew was made of such parts as could not be carried, of which every- 
body except the doctor and myself eagerly partook. To us two it was 
a nauseating mess and — but why go on with such a disagreeable sub- 
ject. I had the remainder weighed, and I am quite sure we had twen- 
ty-seven pounds. The animal was fat and — as he had been fed on pem- 
mican— presumably clean, but — 

Immediately upon halting T had sent off' Alexey Avith his gun toward 
the hut inland, to determine whether that was a myth like our present 
one. He returned about dark, certain that it was a large hut, for he had 
been inside of it, and had found some deer meat, scraps, and bones. For 
a moment I was tempted to start everybody for it, but Alexey was by 
no means sure he could find it in the dark, and if we lost our way we 
should be worse off* than before. We accordingly prepared to make the 
best of it where we were. 

We three wet people were burning and steaming before the fire. Col- 
lins and Gortz had taken some alcohol, but I could not get it down. 
Cold, wet, with a raw ]NW. wind impossible to avoid or screen, our fu- 
ture was a wretched, dreary night. Ericksen soon became delirious, 
and his talking was a horrible accompaniment to the wretchedness of 
our surroundings. Warm we could not get, and getting dry seemed out 
of the question. Nearly everybody seemed dazed and stupefied, and I 
feared that some of us would perish during the night. How cold it was 
I do not know, for my last thermometer was broken in my many falls on 
the ice, but I think it must have been below zero. A watch was set to 
keep the fire going and we huddled around it, and thus our third night 
without sleep was passed. If Alexey had not wrapped his sealskin 
around me and set down alongside of me to keep me warm by the heat 
of his body, I think I should have frozen to death. As it was I steamed 
and shivered and shook. Ericksen's groans and rambling talk rang 
out on the night air, and such a dreary, wretched night I hope I shall 
never see again. 

October 4^/t, Tuesday. — One hundred and fourteenth day. At the first 
approach of daylight we all began to move around, and the cook was 
set to work making tea. The doctor now made the unpleasant discov- 
ery that during the night Ericksen had got his gloves off' and that now 
his hands were frozen. Men were at once set to work rubbing them, 
and by six a. m. we had so far restored circulation as to risk moving the 
Qian. Each one had hastily swallowed a cup of tea, and got his load in 



948 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

readiness. Erickseii was quite unconscious, and we lashed him on the 
sled. A SW. gale w^as blowing, and the sensation of cold was intense: 
but at six a. m. we started, made a forced fleet of it, and at eight a. m. 
had got the man and ourselves, thank God, under the cover of a hut 
large enough to hold us. Here we at once made a fire, and for the first 
time since Saturday morning last got warm. 

The doctor at once examined Ericksen and found him very low indeed. 
His pulse was very feeble, he was quite unconscious, and under the 
shocii of the exposure of the past night he was sinking very fast. Fears 
were entertained that he might not last many hours, and I therefore 
called upon every one to join with me in reading the piayers for a sick 
person before we sought any rest for ourselves. This was done in a 
quiet and reverent manner, though I fear my broken utterances made 
but little of the service audible. Then, setting a watch we all, except 
Alexey, laid down to sleep at ten a. m. Alexey went off to hunt, but 
returned at noon wet, having broken through the ice and fallen in the 
river. 

At six p. m. all roused up, and I considered it necessary to think of 
some food for my party. Half a pound of dog was fried for each one 
and a cup of tea given, and that constituted our das's food. But we 
were so grateful that we were not exposed to the merciless SW. gale 
that tore around us that we did not mind short rations. 

October 5th, Wednesday. — One hundred and fifteenth day. The cook 
commenced at 7.30 to get tea, made from yesterday's tea leaves. Noth- 
ing can be served out to eat until evening. One half pound dog per 
day is our food until some relief is afforded us. Alexey went off hunt- 
ing again at nine, and I set the men to work collecting light sticks 
enough to make a flooring for the house, for tbe frozen ground thawing 
under everybody has keep them damp and wet and robbed them of 
much sleep. 

SW. gale continues. Mortification has set in in Ericksen's leg and 
he is sinking. Amputation would be of no use, for he would probably 
die under the operation. He is partially conscious. At twelve Alexey 
came back, having seen nothing. He crossed the river this time, but 
unable longer to face the cold gale was obliged to return. 

I ain of the opinion that we are on Tit Ary Island, on its eastern side, 
and about twenty-five miles from Ku Mark Surka, which I take to be a 
settlement. This is a last hope, for our Sagastyr has long since faded 
away. The hut in which we are is quite new, and clearly not the astro- 
nomical station marked on my chart. In fact this hut is not finished, 
having no door and no porch. It may be intended for a summer hut, 
though the numerous set fox traps would lead me to suppose that it 
would occasionally be visited at other times. Upon this last chance 
and one other seem to rest all our hopes of escape, for I can see nothing 
more to be done. As soon as this gale abates i shall send ^Nindemann 
and one other man to make a forced march to Ku Mark Surka for re- 
lief. At six p. m. served out one-half pound of dog meat and second- 
hand tea, and then went to sleep. 

October (jth, Thursday. — One hundred and sixteenth day. Galled all 
hands at 7.30. Had a cup of third-hand tea with one-half ounce of 
alcohol in it. Everybody very weak. Gale moderating somewhat. 
Sent Alexey out to hunt. Shall start Nindemann and Noros at noon 
to make the forced march to Ku Mark Surka. At 8.45 a. m. our mess- 
mate Ericksen departed this life. Addressed a few words. of cheer and 
comfort to the men. Alexey came back enji)ty-handed. Too much 
drifting snow. What in Gpd's name is going to become of us — iourtee^i 



jEANNETtE INQUIRY. 949 

)>nlni(l8 do^ meat left, and twenty-five miles to a possible settlement? 
As to Ivnryisig Ericksen, I cannot dig a grave, for the ground is frozen 
;sn(] vv'e have nothiiig to dig with. There is nothing to do but to bury 
liim in the river. Sewed him up in the flaps of the tent, and covered 
him with my flag. Got tea ready, and with one-half ounce alcohol we 
will try to make out to bury him. But we are all so weak that I do 
not see how we are going to move. 

At 12.40 p. m. read the burial service and carried our departed ship 
mate's body down to the river, where, a hole having been cut in the ice, 
he was buried. Three volleys from our two Remingtons bein^ fired 
over him as a funeral houor. 

A board was prepared with this cut on it : 

IN MEMOKY 

H. H. ERICKSEN, 

Oct. 6, 1881. 
U. S. S. Jeannette. 

and this will be stuck in the river bank abreast his grave. 

His clothing was divided up among his messmates. Iversen has his 
Bible and a lock of his hair. Kaack has a lock of his hair. 

Supper at five p. m. — one-half pound dog meat and tea. 

October 7th, Friday. — One hundred and seventeenth day. Breakfast, 
consisting of our last one-half pound dog meat and tea. ^ ur last grain 
of tea was put in the kettle this morning, and we are now about to un- 
dertake our journey of twenty-five miles with some old tea-leaves and 
two quarts alcohol. However, I trust in God, and I believe that He 
who has fed us thus far will not suffer us to die of want now. 

Commenced preparations for departure at 7.10. Our Winchester rifle 
being out of order is, with one hundred and sixty-one rounds ammuni- 
tion, left behind. We have with us two Remingtons and two hundred 
and forty-three rounds ammunition. Left the following record in the 
hut: 

Feiday, Octohei^ 7, 1881. 
The undermentioned officers and men of the late U. S. Steamer Jeannette are leaving 
here thisraorniugtomakeaforced march to Kn Mark Surka, or some other settlement on 
the Lena River. We reached hero on Tuesday, October 4th, with a disabled comrade, 
H. H. Ericksen (seaman), who died yesterday morning, and was buried in the river 
at noon. His death resulted from frost-bite anfl exhaustion, due to consequent ex- 
posure. The rest of us are well, but have no provisions left — having eaten our last 
this morning. 

Under way at 8.30 and proceeded until 11.20, by which time we had 
made about three miles. Here we were all pretty well done up, and, 
moreover, seemed to be wandering in a labyrinth. A large lump of wood 
swept in by an eddy seemed to be a likely place to get hot water, and 
I halted the party. For dinner we had one ounce alcohol in a pot of 
tea. Then went ahead, and soon struck what seemed like the river 
again. Here four of us broke through the ice in trying to cross, and 
fearing frost-bite I had a fire built on the west bank to dry us. Sent 
Alexey off mean while to look for food, directing him not to go far nor 
to stay long; but at 3.30 he had not returned, nor was he in sight. 
Light SW, breeze, hazy ; mountains in sight to southward. 

At 5.30 Alexey returned with one ptarmigan, of which we made soup, 
and with one half ounce alcohol had our supper. Then crawled under 



950 .TEANNETTE INQtnRY. 

our blankets for a sleep. Light W. breeze ; full moon ; starlight. Not 
very cold. Alexey saw river a mile wide with no ice in it. 

October Sth^ Saturday. — One hundred and eighteenth day. Called all 
hands at 5.30. Breakfast, one ounce alcohol in a pint of hot water. 
Doctor's note : Alcohol proves of great advantage ; keeps off craving for 
food, i^reventing gnawing at stomach, and has kept up the strength of the 
men, as given — three ounces per day as estimated, and in accordance 
with Dr. Anstie's experiments. 

Went ahead until 10.30; one ounce alcohol 6.30 to 10.30; five miles; 
struck big river ; 11.30 ahead again ; sand bank ; meet small river ; have 
to turn back; halt at five. Only made advance one mile more; hard 
luck. Snow; S.SE. wind; cold camp; but little wood ; one-half ounce 
alcohol. 

October dth, Sunday. — One hundred and nineteenth day. All hands 
at 4.30 one ounce alcohol. Read Divine service. Send Nindemann and 
Noros ah ead for relief ; they carry their blankets, one rifle, forty rounds 
ammunition, two ounces alcohol. Orders to keep west bank of river 
until thej^ reach settlement. They started at seven; cheered them. 
Under way at eight; crossed creek ; broke through ice; all wet up to 
knees; stopped and built fires; dried clothes. Under way again at 
10.30. Lee breaking down. At one strike river bank ; halt for dinner ; 
one ounce alcohol. Alexey shot three ptarmigans. Made soup. We 
are following Nindemann's track, though he is long since out of sight. 
Under way at 3.30. High bluff". Ice running rapidly to northward in 
river. Halt at 4.40 upon coming to wood. Find canoe ; lay our heads 
on it and go to sleep. One-half ounce alcohol for supper. 

October 10th, Monday. — One hundred and twentieth day. Last half 
ounce alcohol at 5.30; at 6.30 send Alexey oft' to look for ptarmigan. 
Eat deerskin scraps. Yesterday morning ate my deerskin foot nips. 
Light S.SE. airs ; not very cold. Under way at eight. In crossing 
creek three of us got wet ; built fire and dried out. Ahead again until 
eleven. Used up. Built fire; made a drink out of the tea-leaves from 
alcohol bottle. On agaia at noon. Fresh S.SW. wind, drifting snow, 
very hard going. Lee begging to be left. Some little beach, and then 
long stretches of high bank. Ptarmigan tracks plentiful. Following 
Nindemann's tracks. At three halted, used up ; crawled into a hole in 
the bank, collected wood and built fire. Alexej^ away in quest of game. 
Nothing for supper except a spoonful of glycerine. All hands weak and 
feeble, but cheerful. God help us. 

October llth^ Tuesday. — One hundred and twenty-first day. SW. 
gale with snow. Unable to move. No game. One spoonful glycerine 
and hot water for food. No more wood in our vicinity. 

October 12th, Wednesday. — One hundred and twenty-second day. 
Breakfast ; last spoonful glycerine and hot water. For dinner we tried 
a couple of handfuls of Arctic willow in a pot of water and drank the 
infusion. Everybody getting weaker and weaker. Hardly strength to 
get fire- wood. SW. gale with snow. 

October 13th, Thursday. — One hundred and twenty -third day. Willow 
tea. Strong SW. wind. No news from Nindemann. We are in the 
hands of God, and unless He intervenes we are lost. We cannot move 
against the wind, and staying here means starvation. Afternoon went 
ahead for a mile, crossing either another river or a bend in the big one. 
After crossing missed Lee. Went down in a hole in the bank and 
camped. Sent back for Lee. He had turned back, lain down, and was 
waiting to die. All united in saying Lord's Prayer and Creed after 
f> upper. Living gale of wind. Horrible night. 



JEAMETTE mQUmY. 95 1 

October lith, Fridmj. — One liundi ed and twenty -fourtli day. Break- 
fast, willow tea. Dinner, one-half teaspoonful sweet oil and willow tea. 
Alexey shot one ptarmigan ; had soup. SW. wind, moderating. 

October loth, Saturday. — One hundred and twenty-fifth day. Break- 
fast, willow tea and two old boots. Conclude to move on at sunrise. 
Alexey breaks down, also Lee. Come to empty grain raft. Halt and 
camp. Signs of smoke at twilight to southward. 

October 16th, Sunday. — One hundred and twenty-sixth day. Alexey 
broken down. Divine service. 

October 11th, Monday. — l)ne hundred and twenty-seventh day. Alexey 
dying. Doctor baptized him. Eead prayers for sick. Mr. Collins^ 
birthday j forty years old. About sunset Alexey died ; exhaustion from 
starvation. Covered him with ensign and laid him in the crib. 

October 18th, Tuesday. — One hundred and twenty-eighth day. Calm 
and mild, snow falling. Buried Alexey in the afternoon. Laid him on 
the ice of the river and covered him over with slabs of ice. 

October 19 fh, Wednesday.— One hundred and twenty-ninth day. Cut- 
ting up tent to make foot-gear. Doctor went ahead to find new camp. 
Shifted by dark. 

October 20th, Thursday. — One hundred and thirtieth day. Bright and 
sunny, but very cold. Lee and Kaack done up. 



952 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

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JEANNETTE INQtJiRY. 953 



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DE LONGi- 



At tbis point counsel on both sides announced all the testimony in, 
and Saturday next, the I7th instant, was fixed for the argument of 
counsel. 

Adjourned. 



ARGUMENT OF HON. WM. H. ARNOUX 

BEFORE 

THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRE- 
SENTATIVES, HAVING IN CHARGE THE JEANNETTE INQUIRY, AT WASH- 
INGTON, D. C, SATURDAY, MAY 17, 1884, IN BEHALF OF THE RESPOND- 
ENTS. 

Mr. ARNOUX said : 

Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen : Fully appreciating the courtesies 
your committee have extended to me in arranging your protracted ses- 
sions to conform to my other engagements, your constant and unflag- 
ging attendance, the intelligent and deep interest you have displayed 
in this investigation, I shall endeavor to repay you by occupying only 
a portion of the time allotted to me, and thus relieving you to the best 
of my ability. 

In a few i^reliminary words let me rehearse to you the history of the 
Jeannette expedition, that you may better comprehend the purpose and 
scope of your duty herein. 

Mr. James Gordon Bennett, a citizen of the United States, whose 
most enduring title to fame will doubtless be his wisdom in planning and 
his munificence in extending geographical researches. After having 
discovered the missionary explorer Livingstone, and having solved the 
Central African problem by Stanley's journey across the Dark Conti- 
nent in 1877, he turned his attention to the great remaining problem of 
terrestrial physics. In the belief that he could contribute much to 
physical science, and with the hope that the iSTorth Pole itself might be 
reached through his instrumentality, he purchased from Sir Allen W. 
Young a vessel which had made two arctic voyages, and which, with 
filial devotion to the memory of his mother, he named the Jeannette. 

In 1878 Congress authorized the issuing of an American register to 
ithis vessel so that she might carry the American flag and be of&cered 
by American naval officers. And in 1879 the Secretary of the Xavy 
was authorized to accept and take charge of the ship for the use of a 
North Polar Expedition by way of Behring Strait and to enlist the nec- 
essary crew for the said vessel for special service. The vessel was to 
proceed on her voyage of exj)loration under the orders and instructions 
of the Navy Department, and the men, specially enlisted, were to be 
subject in all respects to the Articles of V¥ar and Navy Eegulations 
and discipline. (See acts approved March 18, 1878; February 27, 1879.) 
^1 Under the act of 1878, the vessel sailed under the command of Cap- 
' tain De Long from London to Havre, where he was joined by his wife 
and Mr. Danenhower, and from thence to San Francisco, where they ar- 
rived in December, 1878. The vessel was taken to Mare Island navy- 
yard, where she was thoroughly overhauled, repaired, and strengthened 
to resist Arctic ice pressure, and fitted with new boilers. Preparatory 
to provisioning the ship, Captain De Long prepared a daily bill of fare 
for a three years' cruise, in which the ofi&cers and men were treated as 

955 



95G JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

equals and served witb the same food; the ample allowance of three 
ponnds solid food per man having been made, a thing hitherto unknown 
ill Arctic voyages. 

On the 18th daj^ of June, 1879, the Hon. E. W. Thompson, Secretary 
of the Navy, notified Lieutenant Commander De Long that the Jeannette 
had been accepted, fitted out, officered and manned under the order oi 
the Navy Department, and that he had been ordered to the command of 
the voyage of exploration. He instructed him first to search for, and 
if necessary succor, Nordenskjold, of whose safety no tidings had then 
been received, and then to proceed on his voyage towards the North Pole. 
The honorable Secretary then wished him a prosperous voyage and ten- 
derly commended him and all to the protecting care of Almighty God. 

On the 8th day of July, 1879, the Jeannette being in all respect^ 
ready for sea. Captain De Long wrote to the Secretary acknowledging 
the receipt of his order, and added : 

While I appreciate the grave responsibilities intrusted to my care, I beg leave to 
assure you that I will endeavor to perform this important duty in a manner calcu- 
lated to reflect credit on the ship, the Navy, and the country at large. I beg leave to 
return thanks for the confidence expressed in my ability to satisfactorily conduct 
such a hazardous expedition, and I desire to place upon record my conviction that 
nothing has been left unprovided which the enterprise and liberality of Mr. James 
Gordon Bennett and the experiences of our Arctic predecessors could suggest. 

How deeply Captain De Long appreciated the grave responsibilities 
of this undertaking, is shown in the special shipping articles signed by 
every member of the expedition, and now on file in the Navy Depart- 
ment, in which the following language occurs : 

In the first place, we do hereby agree to enter the service of the Navy of the 
United States, and in due and reasonable time to repair on board the Arctic steamer 
Jeannette for a cruise to the Arctic regions for the purpose of discovery, exploration, 
and scientific research, and we do bind ourselves to discharge our several duties or 
services to the utmost of our powers and ability and to be in everything conformable 
and obedient to the several requirings and commands of the ofiScers who may froni 
time to time be placed over us. 

Secondly. We do also oblige and subject ourselves to serve well and truly in carryJ 
ing out the objects of said cruise. ! 

Thirdly. Understanding and appreciating fully the hardships and dangers to which 
we may be subjected, and the varied and peculiar duties which we may be called upon 
to perform, whether as members of a ship's company, portions of our outlying and 
remov^ed colony, or forming one of a party told off for any particular duty, whether 
afloat or ashore, on ice or over it, we none the less cheerfully and willingly bind our- 
selves to unhesitatingly obey such orders as may be given us, and devote to the car- 
rying into effect thereof all our strength and ability, and to strictlj^ observe, comply 
with, and be subject to such laws, regulations, and discipline of the Navy as, are or 
shall be established by the Congress of the United States or other competent au- 
thority, and to such especial laws, regulations, and discipline as have been established 
in this particular case. 

The only law established by Congress that will be germane to this 
investigation is section 1624 of the Eevised Statutes of the United 
States, which ordains that commanders of vessels shall cause Divine 
service to be performed on Sunday whenever the weather and other cir- 
cumstances allow it to be done, and tliat such punishment as a court- 
martial may adjudge may be inflicted on any person in the Navy whoj 
is guilty of iirofane swearing, who quarrels with or uses provoking or 
reproachful words or gestures towards any person in the Navy, who 
endeavors to foment quarrels between other persons in the Navy, who 
treats his superior officer with contempt or is disrespectful to him in 
language or deportment while in the execution of his office, who utters 
any seditious or mutinous words, who is negligent or careless in obey- 
ing orders, or who when on shore i>lunders, abuses, or maltreats any 
inhabitant. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 957 

Under section 1547 of the Revised Statutes the Navy Department 
duly established certain reguhitions for the government of all persons 
attached to the naval service, by which the commanding officers of ves- 
sels are authorized to inflict the punishment of extra duties for neglect- 
ing to carry out orders and for nsing ])rofane language, and to suspend 
for trial by couit-martial any ofBcer or man who may be guilty of any 
of the foregoing acts. 

The ship's company, including Alexy, the Indian who afterwards 
Tiame on board, numbered thirty-three men, among whom were Lieuten- 
ant Chipp and Master Danenhower, regular officers of the Navy; Mr. 
Melville, the engineer, and Dr. Ambler, the surgeon, staff officers ; Mr. 
Collins, formerly an attache of the Herald, the meteorologist ; Mr. New- 
comb, the naturalist, and Captain Dunbar, the ice pilot, who enlisted 
as seamen, but who w^ere part of the cabin mess. 

On the afternoon of the day last mentioned, with fair winds and 
pleasant w^eather, amid the booming of cannon, the blowing of whistles, 
the ringing of bells, and the flying of flags— for the day of her departure 
was treated there as a holiday— the Jeannette steamed out of the harbor 
of San Francisco and through the Golden Gate upon her perilous voy- 
age. She was so deeply laden with her heavy strengthening timbers 
and her thiee years' supply, that her rail was only 6 feet above the 
water, and her progress w\as necessarily slow. She steamed along the 
coast of California, Oregon, and Alaska, then through the islands of 
Behring Sea, and on the 25th day of August, 1879, anchored hi Saint 
Lawrence Bay, in Siberia, where her company provided themselves with 
^logs and other appliances. Then from Saint Lawrence Bay they went 
vlirough the straits, keeping the west shore, and after passing East 
Cape skirted along the northeastern coast of Siberia until they came 
to the winter quarters of Nordenskjold, to the eastward of Kaliutchin 
Bay. Thence they shaped their course for Cape Hawaii, the eastern ex- 
tremity of Wrangel Land, but soon fell in with the ice and had to coast 
along the ice floe to the northeast until near Herald Island, where they 
entered a wide lead and pushed to the northwest, expecting thereby to 
reach Wrangel Land, then erroneously supposed to be a continent, but 
subsequently proved by this expedition to be an island about 60 miles 
in length. This they did with the expectation of making some safe 
harbor there, w^here the ship might winter and the party make it a base 
of supplies and explorations with the dog teams and otherwise. This 
lead was followed until, on the 6th day of September, 1879 (for latitude 
and longitude see chart), the ship was caught in the floe, frozen in, and 
held like a fly in amber. She was never extricated therefrom until she 
sank, twenty-two months after. 

In this period of inglorious and enforced inactivity Captain De Long 
provided against every possible emergency and for every need. He, 
I first, took all ])OSsible precautions against fire, and in Oc;tober divided 
the party into five companies, in case of disaster from the ice. Thus 
they lived, as Captain De Long freely expressed it, over a powder mill 
to which a train was laid and fired, while they helplessly awaited the in- 
evitable explosion. But while thus waiting, the duties of the ship were 
l)erformed with the regularity of clock-work and with the precision of a 
camp in an enemy's country. Warned by an expei ience in October that 
might have whitened the hair of brave men in a single night, when, 
Iroin some unseen and unknown ])ower, the ice around them became an 
ianiinate<l mass, moving at a speed greater than a man's rapid^walk, 
when enormous blocks of ice, some 1'5 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 70 feet 
thick, like living giants, bore down upon one another^ crushing, heay 



958 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. j 

mg, and tossing, rearing on end as they advanced, breaking in pieces 
and toppling over under the pressure of larger masses behind with the 
loudest and most horrible noises conceivable ; such sounds as a railway 
train in a tunnel, the shrieks of a thousand steam-whistles, and the re- 
verberations of the falling of houses in an earthquake combined, would 
inadequately convey, the dreadful deafening, universal roar that they 
endured for hours; warned, I say, by this experience, when a few fleet- 
ing moments brought them into this awful peril and the possibility of 
being suddenly crushed and ingulfed, Captain De Long determined that 
the men should always be within reach, or their whereabouts known; 
and shortly after, on a Sunday morning, when several of the party, 
among whom were Mr. Collins, Mr. Danenhower, and Nindemann, in 
eager pursuit of a bear, traveled miles away from the ship, forgetful of 
the morning inspection, he made an order that no person should there- 
after leave the vessel without reporting to and obtaining permission 
from the oflicer on duty,— an order which he himself never failed to 
obey. 

One of the chief perils of an Arctic expedition, and its greatest scourge, 
is the scurvy. It is due to surplus salt and deficient exercise. To guard 
against this deadly disease Captain De Long made an order that daily, 
when the temperature was not colder than 30 degrees below zero, the 
men should exercise from 11 a. m. to 1 p. m. on the Ice. While they were 
absent all the quarters were ventilated. It can well be understood that 
as freezing men become sluggish, so, the enforced inactivity and the lack 
of object to be obtained makes men reluctant to take suflicient exercise. 
Hence an imperative order was requisite. Excess of salt in water is 
more prejudicial to the system than salt food; hence much thought was 
expended on this subject. The snow was tested, but unless newly fallen : 
it became impregnated with salt from the ice, and this source could not | 
be relied upon. In that dilemma there was no alternative but distilling 
water for their daily wants. This, however, would have involved a 
large consumption of their precious fuel if one of the engine boilers had 
to be used. Fortunately, there was a small Baxter boiler intended to 
generate power for an electrical illuminating machine which Mr. Mel- 
ville, whose ingenuity, practicability, and untiring zeal received frequent 
commendation from the captain, successfully adapted to this purpose j 
with the most economical result^. The care of this machine, the re- ^ 
sponsibility for its consumption of coal, and the drinking water pro- , 
duced were intrusted to Mr. Melville, who was not allowed to distribute | 
it until it had been tested by Dr. Ambler. These precautions were so | 
eminently rewarded that the Jeannette never had a single case of 
scurvy on this expedition, — the first Arctic exploring ship that has been 
entirely free from it. 

Notwithstanding the obvious justice of both of these orders, they 
were excessively obnoxious to Mr. Collins. For months he refused to I 
ask permission to go over the ship's side upon the ice, and remained 
a voluntary sloth on board (except during the exercise hours), inform- 
ing every one that he was entering a silent protest against the captain's 
order that leave should be asked before going away from the ship, and 
which had never been refused to any officer or man. He also complained 
that he was not permitted to go to the fire room where the distiller was 
and get all the water he wanted to make tea at the end of his watch. , 
And when, at last, he became tired of this silent protest, he told Mr. 
Melville that he should ask the captain's permission; and coupling it 
with language unbecoming a gentleman, Mr. Melville remonstrated, i 



i 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 959 

Then Mr. CoIHds went to the captain ; but when spoken to his face 
flushed, but he never alluded to it. 

The long, and to these men, unnatural darkness of the polar night 
had settled down upon the Jeannette. The exuberance of spirits that 
had previously been manifested was frozen out, social intercourse di- 
minished, and iudividual idiosyncracies manifested themselves. Sun- 
light is as necessary to man as to plants. The bleached blood in months 
of darkness must impoverish the brain. So these men compelled to each 
other's society, with no ties of blood, race, or sympathetic culture, 
naturally tired, of each other. As Mr. Melville had a stock of Irish 
jokes and songs at which Mr. Collins took offense as personal, Captain 
De Long asked him to refrain, and the singer was silenced. Mr. Collins 
became impressed with the idea that he and Mr. Newcomb were not 
treated by the other officers with the same cordiality as they should have 
been. In this, however, Mr. Newcomb did not share. He never shared, 
apparently, in any other person's ideas ; and he never observed that the 
world did not treat him kindly. Mr. Newcomb is a character, however, 
too curious to be disposed of in any ad captandum spirit. 

Another peculiarity of Mr. Collins needs to be mentioned. He was 
fond of late hours. He did not relish either early retiring or breakfast- 
ing with the mess. Now, when a man is immersed in Cimmerian dark- 
ness for over two thousand hours consecutively, nothing can be more 
preposterous than for him to talk of late hours or early rising. It is only 
the survival of effete notions j but this peculiarity of Mr. Collins led to 
trouble about the morning ex(^rcise. He could with difficulty finish his 
breakfast by 11 o'clock. 

Each officer in turn took observations of the different instruments and 
entered them on the blotter, from which they were transcribed into the 
meteorological record by Mr. Collins. These observations, which were 
taken the first year every hour, and subsequently every two hours, 
occupied about three minutes. In December, 1879, Captain De Long 
had occasion to notice that Mr. Collins was neglectful of his exercise; 
and going into the cabin one day at noon found Mr. Collins without his 
coat smoking a pipe. He observed that it was 20 minutes after 12, and 
called Mr. CoUins's attention to the fact. Words ensued, in which the 
latter flatlj^, and in a most exasperating tone and manner, denied that he 
was disobeying the order, and gave the lie to the captain. After endur- 
ance ceased to be a virtue, and it became manifest to Captain De Long 
that his forbearance was neither appreciated nor understood, he finally 
considered it his duty to notify Mr. Collins that he could not tolerate 
his language or conduct any further; that he would report him for court- 
martial on his return home; that he should finish the work then in hand 
and do nothing further; and that he relieved him from duty. This left 
Mr. Collins to all intents and purposes a passenger on the ship. No 
punishment was imposed or suggested, and it reflected upon Mr. Collins 
only so far as the charge made was sustained by the facts. From this 
suspension and charge Mr. Collins never was relieved by Captain De 
Long. 

Before leaving the Atlantic States, and at the express wish of Mr. 
Bennett, Mr. Collins learned photography ; and Captain De Long fur- 
nished him with letters of introduction to prominent scientists in Wash- 
ington, who taught him superficially the use of certain instruments. At 
San Francisco Captain De Long entrusted to Mr. Collins the purchase 
of photographic apparatus and the preparation of the scientific instru- 
ments. Collins provided five hundred plates for the day process, but 
lendered them, and the entire outfit^ valueless by neglecting to purchase 



960 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

a proper developer. The thermometers and the pendulum were not 
compared with any standard, and consequently^ the records of the tem- 
X)erature and pendulum observations had no scientific value. 

Shortly after leaving San Francisco Mr. Danenhower was taken sick; 
and when the Arctic region was reached he became a confirmed invalid. 
He continued on the sick list, most of the time confined in a dark room, 
until after the ship went down ; and thus the ship was deprived not only 
of the services of its second officer, but also in some degree of the serv- 
ices of Dr. Ambler, who had this unforeseen demand upon his time. 

At the time the ship went down Mr. Chipp was also on the sick list, 
his illness being attributed to lead poisoning. 

Finally came that eventful Sunday, the 12th day of June, 1881, when 
the goodly vessel that had been built so staunch and strong, that for 
twenty-two months it had laughed at all disaster, met its untimely fate. 

By a singular coincidence the closing entry in Captain De Long's 
journal of the day preceding stated that '* no difficulty was anticipated 
in keeping the ship afioat and navigating her to some f)ort, should 
she ever be liberated from the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean." At 10 
o'clock on Sunday morning the jamming began, snapping and cracking 
the bunker sides, starting in the starboard ceiling, opening the seams 
an inch and a quarter. Then came a pressure, 500 tons and upwards, 
on the port bow, that was evidently breaking the ship in two in the 
wake of the boilers 5 and then the starboard side was broken. After a 
short lull, at about 5 o'clock, the pressure was renewed and continued 
with tremendous force, the ship cracking in every part and the water 
pouring in at every opening. During the day the captain was on duty 
ordering provisions, clothing, supplies, boats, tents, &c., on the ice ; and 
at 9 !>. m. she was abandoned with the American ensign hoisted at the 
mizzen. 

Notwithstanding the inevitable confusion of ideas and conduct at 
thus being thrown upon the cold charity of this ice world, Captain De 
Long the next day did not fail to read Divine service, it being by their 
calculation Sunday. After five days' rest he gave written orders for 
the daily discipline, duties, and march. It is a wonderful record of his 
thoughtfulness. Everything necessary seems to have been anticipated 
and i^rovided for, and without unnecessary detail. The ship's party was 
divided into five camps with three boats — two cutters and a whale-boat. 
They started with from eight^^ to one hundred days' provisions in a 
southerly direction, which was continued in fog and snow-storm with a 
temperature of from 20° to 25° below zero, — with labor so difficult that 
the men working for a week in thin shirt sleeves perspired as on a hot 
summer day, — when the captain was able to get observations and deter- 
mine their position. To his infinite dismay he discovered that while they 
had moved about 15 miles southward over the ice, the ice pack had drifted 
to the northwest, so that they were 28 miles farther north than the 
starting point. With indomitable pluck, taking for his motto, nil despe- 
randimi, lie disclosed the situation to Dr. Ambler and Mr. Melville only, 
and then determined to change the course to the southwest and cut 
across the current on which they were thus drifting. 

On this shifting sea of ice, with every kind of vicissitude and hard- 
ship, they made their perilous way until the 23d day of July, 1881, when 
they reached terra Jirma, which proved to be terra incognita. Here 
the brave heart and the intrepid skill of the explorer shone forth. In- 
stead of hurrying on to reach a i)lace of safety, mindful of his obliga- 
tion, he rested his weary forces while he explored and located this island, 
whichj in houor of the projector of the expedition, he named Bennett 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 961 

Island. Here they unavoidably remained for ten days, and on the 5th 
day of August, with deep regret, shot most of their dogs. The humane 
character of Captain De Long clearly appears in his entries of that date 
in respect to that act, but it was stern necessity, for their food had di- 
minished to thirty days' supx)]y, and he was constrained to "think of 
human life" first. Then they traveled to the ^ew Siberian Islands, and 
at Kotelnoi Island waited for Lieutenant Ohipp to overtake them, and 
then they took to their boats, having reached the open water. During 
all this time Mr. Collins, whose position in regard to being relieved was 
unchanged, was of inestimable value in providing fresh meat for the 
party, for he proved to be an expert shot, and obtaioed several seals 
and walruses. Mr. IS^ewcomb also shot some birds on Bennett Island. 

The march was diversified by one or two mishaps of a preventible 
character. Mr. Newcomb engaged in a controversy with Mr. Bartlett, 
in which Lieutenant Danenhower became involved, who complained of 
him to the captain, and in consequence, as a punishment, he was sent 
to the rear for two or three days. 

Seaman Starr for improper language to Mr. Melville was also pun- 
ished in a similar manner. 

On the 12th day of September, 1881, the three boats started for the 
Lena delta, having arrived at the open water. The next day a heavy 
northeast gale set in with a tremendous sea. In it Lieutenant Chipp's 
boat was swamped with all on board, and Captain De Long's mast was 
carried away. The whale-boat that had been the most cumbersome on 
the ice here proved to be worth the trouble it had cost the men. In the 
height of the gale the management of this boat was intrusted to Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower, to w^hose skill their preservation was due. In the 
night these boats separated never to meet again. Language fails to 
adequately describe the horrors of that voyage. Consumed with hun- 
ger and thirst, drenched by the waves, frost-bitten by cold, the crew 
was in fear of death continually. 

This boat's party was placed by Captain De Long in charge of Mr. 
Melville, as he was the highest in rank not on the sick list. 

On the 26th day of September, the whale-boat party, after enduring 
great vicissitudes and hardships, arrived in a most deplorable condition 
at a native settlement named Geeomovialocke. Every man, without 
exception, was badly frozen and several could only crawl. The natives 
furnished them with fish and decayed geese and the men rapidly recov- 
ered. On the 16th day of October a Russian exile, named Kusmah, 
visited them, and Mr. Melville by promise of a large reward induced 
him to go up the river to Bulun for succor. This exile, with his keeper 
and all the available dogs, and with instructions to give notice of the 
other boats, started for their relief, expecting to return in five days. Mr. 
Danenhower wished to go also, but there were not dog teams enough. 
Instead of five days, owing to the condition of the ice, the journey of 
Kusmah occupied thirteen days, and he did not return until the 28th. 
The delaj^ was very galling to the party, although unavoidable, as they 
were without food, clothing, and guide. Kusmah informed them that 
the Russian commandant was on his way, and gave Mr. Melville a note 
from Mndemann and Noros asking assistance for Captain De Long's 
party, who were starving to death to the northward. By great exer- 
tion, and without waiting to see the commandant, Mr. Melville pushed 
on to Bulun, which he reached on the 3d day of November, and went 
directly to the tent where these men were. Noros on seeing him ex- 
claimed, " My God, Mr. Melville, are you alive *? We thought that the 
whale-boat's were all dead." 
61 J 0* 



962 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Having an account of Captain De Long's party from Nindemaun and 
Noros that night, these men being entirely too sick to travel themselves, 
Mr. Melville the next morning started in search. What his own condi- 
tion was and what he endured he has narrated in terms that have elici- 
ted the hearty commendation of the counsel for Dr. Collins. Higher 
praise cannot be awarded. Mr. Melville's search w^as then unsuccess- 
ful. At the close of the winter and during the following March, in 
conjunction with Nindemann, he again renewed the search, and found 
all his missing comrades of Captain De Long's party with their records. 
Captain De Long had safely secured the ship's books and papers in a 
cairn near their landing place, including Dr. Ambler's medical journal, 
and he and Dr. Ambler and Mr. Collins had each a journal, the captain 
of the entire expedition, the others of the retreat. From them we learn 
that with Christian resignation and fortitude they met their lamentable 
fate. 

The United States Government took every measure for the safety of 
the living and the honor of the dead. Lieutenants Schultze and Har- 
ber were sent out to make explorations, and Hunt and others to bring 
home the survivors. 

Under a joint resolution of Congress, adopted on the 8th day of Au- 
gust, 1882, a naval court of inquiry w as convened at the city of Wash- 
ington, by an order of Hon. William E. Chandler, Secretary of the 
ISTavy, under Commander William E. Temple, as x)resident, to diligently 
and thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the loss of the Jean- 
nette, and of the death of the deceased, and also to inquire into the 
condition of the vessel, her management, the provisions made and 
plans adopted for the retreat, efforts for safety and relief, and into the 
general conduct and merits of the officers aud men. 

This court of inquiry sat eighty-five days, extending over a period 
from the 5th day of October, 1882, until the 7th day of April, 1883. 
Everj^ survivor of the expedition was examined under oath and required 
to testify in respect to every topic above stated. The judge-advocate- 
general. Colonel Kemey, and the judge-advocate on the trial. Lieutenant 
Lemly, both consulted with Dr. Collins, a surviving brotiier of Mr. 
Jerome J. Collins, and the examination was conducted in accordance 
with his wishes in respect to his brother, he furnishing in writing the 
questions he decided to have propounded. As the court considered 
itself bound by the rules of evidence, it did not permit witnesses to 
give hearsay testimony, but confined the witnesses to their own knowl- 
edge. Only a few questions were thus excluded, and on the other hand 
many more added. 

The court made its report, dividing the subject into six heads. 

First. As to the condition of the vessel on tier departure. 

Second. As to her management up to the time of her loss. 

Third. As to the circumstances of the loss. 

Fourth. As to the provisions made and the plans adopted upon leav- 
the wreck. 

Fifth. As to the efforts made to insure safety and for the relief of 
others. 

Sixth. As to the general conduct of officers and men. 

From this report the following quotations are made from the topics 
as numbered : 

First. The fact that an experienced Arctic explorer had vohmtarily made two cruises 
in her to the Arctic seas sustains the judgment and care shown in her selection when 
last purchased. And the condition of the Jeannette on her departure from the port 
of San Francisco was good, aud satisfactory to her officers and crow, except that she 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 963 

was unavoidably deeply loaded, a defect which corrected itself by the consumption 
of coal, provisions, and stores. 

Second. Either he had to return to some port to the southward, and pass the winter 
there in idleness, thus sacrificing all cliauce of pushing his researches to the north- 
ward until the following summer, or else he must endeavor to force the vessel through 
to Wrangel Island, then erroneously supposed to be a large continent, to winter 
there, and prosecute his explorations by sledges. The chances of accomdlishing this 
latter alternative were sufficiently good at the time to justify him in choosing it; and, 
indeed, had he done otherwise, he might fairly have been thought wanting in the 
high qualities necessary for an explorer. 

This attempt unfortunately resulted in the vessel's becoming beset in the ice pack 
within less than two months after her departure from San Francisco, from which she 
was never released until her destruction, more than twenty-one months later. 

During these weary months of forced inaction the vessel and her people were at 
times threatened with great dangers. Especially was her destruction imminent on 
January 19, 1880, when she sprung a leak from ice pressures, and for months after that 
date she was kept afloat only by skillful devices and arduous labor. The arrange- 
ments to abandon the ship at a moment's warning and to guard against fire were all 
that could be desired, and the evidence shows that in the management of the Jeau- 
uette up the time of her destruction Lieutenant-Commander De Loiig, by his foresight 
and prudence, provided measures to meet emergencies and enforced wise regulations 
to maintain discipline, to preserve health, and to encourage cheerfulness among those 
under his command. The physical condition of the people was good with the excep- 
tion of a few cases of lead poisoning, the result of eating canned provisions. The 
fact of the ship's having passed a second winter on the pack without any appearance 
of scurvy on board sufficiently attests the excellence of the sanitary arrangements 
adopted, and reflects great credit upon her medical officer, Passed Assistant Surgeon 
James M. Ambler, who throughout the expedition was indefatigable in the perform- 
ance of his duties. 

Third. The Jeaunette was sunk on June 13, 1881, from being crushed by the ice, in 
latitude 77^ 15" north, longitude 155° 50" east, after drifting uncontrolably in the 
pack ice since September 6, 1879. Any vessel in like position, no matter what her 
model might have been, or however strongly constucted, and subjected to the same 
pressures as those incurred by the Jeannette, would have been annihilated. She was 
abandoned in a cool and orderly manner on the evening of June 12, and foundered 
about 4 a. m. the day following, and the court attaches no blame to any officer or 
man for her loss. 

Fourth. The contingency of the loss of the vessel had been foreseen and provided 
for, and when the emergency arose everything was prepared to meet it. The party 
being thus thrown upon the ice, five days were passed in arranging for the long jour- 
ney to the land, and the provisions made and plans adopted for the several boats' 
crews upon their leaving the wreck were judicious, as the evidence shows that ninety 
days after the destruction of the Jeannette the officers and men were in fair condition, 
notwithstanding their terrible journey. 

Fifth. The retreat commenced on the 18th of June ; and during the ensuing three 
months the entire ship's company remained together, under the direction of the com- 
mander, struggling against obstacles which required indomitable pluck and perse- 
verance to overcome — compelled to drag heavy their boats and loads of provisions over 
broken and shifting fields of ice, at times ferrying them over the water spaces, and 
often carried far out of their course by the drifts of the pack, and delayed by storms, 
fog,s and snows. There seems to have been no precaution neglected which would 
tend to insure their safety. During this time, as well as upon other occasions, the 
conduct of Ice-pilot Dunbar, Boatswain Cole, and Fireman Bartlett elicited well-de- 
served commendations. 

The original plan of retreat was to make a southerly course, presumably to reach 
the open water as soon as possible, and thence by way of the New Siberian Islands 
to the delta of the Lena, the nearest point at which it was supposed that relief could 
be obtained. But the commander found after a time, by observation, that the cur- 
rent was sweeping them so rapidly to the northward and westward that their labor 
was almost in vain, and that the course made good was but little to the southward 
of west. He wisely refrained from discouraging the party by announcing this fact, 
and changed his course so as to cross this current at right-angles, and get beyond its 
influence as soon as practicable. 

After twenty-three days of toil and anxiety, Bennett Island was discovered, where 
they lauded and occupied eight days in resting and making necessary repairs to boats. 
In trying to reach this island the party suffered many disappointments and encoun- 
tered unexpected dangers, difficulties, and delays in overcoming a very short dis- 
tance, owing to the swift currents and rapid movements of the broken ice close to the 
shore. 

A further delay, from August 19 to August 29, was afterwards forced upon the party 



964 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

by the condition of the ice, which rendered progress impossible. Meantime it had 
been deemed expedient at Bennett Island, in order to obtain food for the men, that 
about half of the dogs should be killed, as they were no longer needed to drag the 
sleds, and it was considered inhuman to leave them there to starve. Afterward all 
but two of them escaped on the ice ; but still it was found necessary to reduce the 
allowance of provisions from time to time during the remainder of the journey. 

On the 12th of September the three boats were separated in a gale of wind when 
approaching the Siberian coast, at an estimated distance of about 90 miles to the 
northward and eastward of the Lena delta, and no further record exists of the second 
cutter's party. But as Lieutenant Chipp, who was in charge of her, was noted for 
his seamanlike qualities, it may be safely assumed that he did all that a brave and 
capable man could do to weather the gale. 

The first cutter and whale-boat under the command, respectively, of Lieutenant- 
Commander De Long and Chief Engineer Melville barely managed to live through 
the gale by riding to sea-anchors. In rounding to the first cutter carried away the 
step of her mast and the next day lost her sail, which formed a portion of her drag. 
During the gale the professional services of Lieutenant Danenhower, who was on 
the sick list, were called into requisition, and he is deserving of credit for the skill 
with which he managed the whale-boat, as well as for her subsequent navigation to 
the land. 

When the weather moderated both boats endeavored to reach Cape Barkin, the 
northeast point of the Lena delta, upon which the c^iarts erroneously indicated 
winter huts and inhabitants. 

The whale-boat, with elevea people on board, on striking shoal water out of sight 
of Jaud, stood to the eastward, and hauling in for the land the next day, she was for- 
tunate enough, on September 16, to enter one of the eastern mouths of the Lena River, 
and three days afterwards fell in with natives, who guided them to the village of 
Geeomovialocke, where they arrived on the 25th, and subsisted until they were able 
to communicate with the commandant of Bulun. 

In the mean time the first cutter, with fourteen persons in all, had made the best of 
her way under a jury mast and sail towards the land ; but encountering young ice and 
shoal water, the party on the 27th of S eptember was forced to abandon the boat a 
mile and a half from the beach, and to wade ashore through the ice and mud, carry- 
ing the few remaining stores and provisions on their backs. They had the misfor- 
tune to land at the mouth of one of the northern outlets of the Lena River, where no 
inhabitants were to be found, although a considerable village, not indicated on their 
charts, and consequently unsuspected by them, lay some 25 miles to the westward. 

They had landed frost-bitten and exausted, with only a few days' provisous, which 
were eked out by a meager supply of game. They began their painful journey to 
the southward, hampered in their movements by those who were disabled, but en- 
couraged from time to time by traces of recent occupancy in the huts, and footprints 
about the fox-traps which they encountered on the way, and they struggled on man- 
fully, misled by their imperfect map of the country and always imagining themselves 
near a place of refuge, until towards the end of October, when, after eating their re- 
maining dogs, all of them perished from hunger and cold but two seamen, Nindemanu 
and Noros, whom the commander had previously sent on in advance for assistance, 
and who after great hardships, were found and rescued by the natives. These two 
men did their utmost to make the natives understand the condition of the com- 
mander's party, and to induce them to go to its relief, but without success. It seems 
that there was some confu sion in the minds of these people between the commander's 
party and that under Mr. Melville, at Geeomovialocke. But the two seamen knew 
nothing of the whaleboat's fate, and c ould not therefore guess at the mistake ; nor 
is it possible that if they had returned they would have found any of the comman- 
der's party alive. 

Meanwhile the whale-boat's party remained five weeks at Geeomovialocke, living 
upon the limited hospitality of a few poor natives, who saw their winter supplies rap- 
idly disappearing before the hunger of this large party. They, like the first cutter's 
crew, had landed frost-bitten and exhausted, and being ill-fed and badly clothed and 
lodged, they were many days in regaining their strength. 

Efibrts were made from the first, but without avail, to get transportation for the party 
to a place of permanent safety, and also to institute a search for the other parties 
whom, nevertheless, they believed to have been lost in the gale. 

Lieutenant Danenhower started on the 17th of October with a dog-team, to explore 
the coast for the missing boats, but was unable, from the condition of the ice, to pro- 
ceed far in any direction and returned without results. The wide river, or rath'^r bay, 
which separated Geeomovialocke from the mainland, was sometimes covered with 
young ice, too thick for the passage of boats and too thin for the passage of sledges, 
and, at times, was tilled with floating masses of old ice, while their ignorance of the 
language left them unable to express their wants or to discover the resources of the 
vicinity in respect to reindeer or dog teams. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 965 

It was not until October 29 tliat Chief-Engineer Melville learned that the firnt cut- 
ter had survived the gale, when he at once .started, and, meeting and consulting with 
Seamen Niudemaun and Noros, did all iu his })ower to liud and succor his missing 
comrades. He succeeded in recovering a portion of the records left behind by the com- 
mander, but after nearly sacrilicing his life from hunger and cold, and feeling assured 
that the remainder of the first cutter's party had undoubtedly perished, he returned 
southward to Bulun, and then went to Yakutsk, where he at once commeneed prepara- 
tions for a more extended search when the season would permit, in the mean \ ime for- 
warding to Irkutsk the members of his party not needed or unfitted for the search. 

On March 12 Chief- Engineer Melville was enabled to assemble the relief party at 
Cath Carta, the appointed rendezvous, when the search for the first cutter's crew was 
commenced, and resulted in finding, between March 23 and 27, the remainder ot the 
records and the bodies of Lieutenant Commander De Long's party, except those of 
Erichsen and Alexy, which had been buried in the river. 

Considering, then, the condition of the survivors, the unfavorable season, the lim- 
ited knowledge of the country, the want of facilities for prosecuting the search, and 
the great difficulty of communicating with the natives, everything possible was done 
for the relief of the other parties. 

Sixth. Xhere is conclusive evidence that, aside from trivial difficulties, such as oc- 
cur on shipboard even under the most favorable circumstances, and which had no in- 
fluence in bringing about the disasters of the expedition, and no yjernicious effect upon 
its general conduct, every officer and man so conducted himself that the court finds 
no occasion to impute censure to any member of the party. 

In view, then, of the long and dreary monotony of the cruise, the labors and priva- 
tions encountered, the disappointment consequent upon a want of important results, 
and the uncertainty of their fate (and apart from a natural desire to tread lightly on 
the graves of the dead), the general conduct of the personnel of the expedition seems 
to have been a marvel of cheerfulness, good-fellowship, and mutual forbearance, 
while the constancy and endurance with which they met the hardshii)S and dangers 
that beset them entitle them to great praise. 

Besides the mention already made, however, special commendation is due to Lieu- 
tenant-Commander De Long for the high qualities displayed by him in the c<)n<luct 
of the expedition ; to Chief-Engineer Melville, for his zeal, energy, and professiona] 
aptitude, which elicited high encomiums from his commander, and for his sultsciji'e.t 
efforts on the Lena delta; and to Seamen Nindemann and Sweetman, for servic<s 
which induced their commander to recommend them for medals of honor. 

This report was made and approved by the Secretary of tl!<' Navy, 
but it unfortunately failed to secure the approval of Dr. Coliins. Well 
we remember that solemn day at the close of the past winter, wlx n t!ie 
waning winter was yielding to the new life of spring, and when busiM<'>s 
in New York was suspended at the funeral obsequies of our retm ned 
dead. Affection paid its last, its most precious tribute of tears. The 
funeral dirges beat their requiem. The pomp and circumstances of war 
conveyed them to their last resting i)lace and laid them in ])eace to 
await the final resurrection which that opening spring fores h ad o\ve(L 
By a malign fate that very day was the signal for a renewed attaclv upon 
their memory. Dr. Collins, one single individual in this mighty nation, 
urged the Hon. Mr. Washburn, Member of Congress for the district in 
which he lived, to present to the House of Representatives his petition 
for a renewed investigation. This petition, in view of the facts that have 
been developed on this investigation, may safely be characterized as a 
tissue of falsehoods. This petition is divided into six paragraphs, of 
which only the third, a review of some facts, is accurate. 

The fifth concludes as follows : 

That the evidence offered to the naval court, and which the undersigned is prepared 
to furnish, and that has already and will be further given by the survivors, goes to 
show beyond any reasonable doubt that had the said Melville performed the duty de- 
volving upon him as commander of the party, and had he obeyed the directions given 
him by Lieutenant De Long to immediately communicate with the Russian author- 
ities, and gone to the rescue and conducted a search for the captain's party, each and 
every member of that party, with the exception of Erichson, would have been res- 
cued and alive to-day. 



966 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

The sixth paragraph ch arged : 

That the said naval court refused to admit or allow to be given valuable testimony 
that \vould bring out the true history of the expedition, that many of the survivors 
were not" permitted to give their full and free testimony, and that the naval inqniry 
was so conducted that all possible chance or possibility of the truth coming out was 
destroyed. 

He further added that the official stenographer of the court had pub- 
licly declared in writing that important and valuable testimony was 
suppressed. 

Upon the presentation of this petition a preamble and resolution were, 
on the 4th day of March, 1884, adopted by the House, that inasmuch 
as the petition alleges matters which "involve the honor and humanity 
of officers in the United States service, as well as a proper respect for 
those who perished in the exi:>edition," and inasmuch as it charged that 
the " Naval Court of Inquiry had refused to admit or allow valuable tes- 
timony to be given to bring out the facts of the case in the interest of 
truth and history," therefore it was resolved — 

That the Committee on Naval Affairs of this House be directed to investigate the 
facts connected with said expedition and the alleged nnofficer-like and iuhuman con- 
duct therein. 

Under that resolution this committee has acted. Its first official act 
in relation thereto was to address a communication to the Hon. William 
E. Chandler, Secretary of the Navy, in response to which on the same 
day he transmitted a copy of the proceedings and of the Naval Court of 
Inquiry and a letter of explanation in which he expressed his opinion 
that the petition contained reckless statements and untrue and unjust 
aspersions. 

I deemed it my duty at the outset of the sessions of the committee 
to lay before it certain propositions. 

First. That the Naval Court of Inquiry originated in a letter of Dr. 
Collins fully stating all points of complaint. 

Second. That the joint resolutions of Congress and the instructions 
to the naval court covered every point in that letter. 

Third. That Dr. Collins had full opportunity to appear before said 
court and introduce evidence, but failed to avail himself thereof. 

Fourth. That every point was fully inquired into. 

Fifth. That the court was conducted openly and fairly and the ma- 
terial facts were fully investigated, and to require either that the pro- 
ceedings should be dismissed or else that Dr. Collins should specific- 
ally point out the errors committed by the court, and the evidence that 
he had thereon. 

Your committee wisely ruled that the entire matter was before it, and 
that every fact relating to the expedition and its officers was a legitimate 
subject of inquiry, and in addition that this committee was not bound by 
the rules of evidence as administered in courts of law and equity, but that 
hearsay evidence was admissible, and that as members of the expedition 
were quasi i)arties to the proceeding every declaration made by any one 
connected therewith either for or against his own interest and whether 
dead or alive was equally admissible. I say this, although done against 
my protest, was wisely done, for it afforded no oi)portunity for any 
(charge hereafter to be made that this investigation had stifled or sup- 
pressed the truth. For the charge was made by the counsel of Dr. Col- 
lins in his i)lace before this committee that vital and material matter 
important to the vindication of individuals was collusively suppressed 
by the Court of Inquiry, and that he proposed to prove facts which 
would establish the inhuman treatment of his brother while on that ex- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 967 

pedition by officers in tbe Daval service of the IJDited States; that the 
failure of success of the expedition was attributable in great measure 
to misgovernment and mismanagement; and that the history hereto- 
fore written respecting such failure was erroneous. 

And this further claim was made, that through this committee Dr. 
Collins appealed from the Court of Inquiry to the conscience of the 
country. 

We have therefore two separate and distinct subjects presented for 
investigation. 

First. The course of the Court of Inquiry. 

Second. The conduct of the officers of the expedition. 

Compared with the first the second sinks into insignificance, for men 
may come and men may go, but the State remains. 

There is a series of pictures in a public gallery in Kew York known 
as the Course of Empire, in each of which the same landscape is de- 
picted, first the savage, then the pastoral, next the cultivated, then the 
city, then the decay. In each view of this landscape there stands 
a bowlder or rock. Unchanging and unchanged it passes through 
and survives all the mutations depicted ; and thus it is here. Individ- 
ual interests are temporary. Individual wrongs may be righted or per- 
petuated until death ends all. When the thread is severed all is for- 
gotten. But the State remains like the rock. The course of its execu- 
tive officers should, like Cseser's wife, be above suspicion, so that when- 
ever a citizen of high or low degree has the audacity to declare that it 
has been guilty of injustice that very fact demands an investigation. I 
say, therefore, that this iuvestigation was wisely ordered, even on the 
accusation of only one citizen of this vast republic. Is! or is this a light 
or frivolous accusation. If true it should consign those who have been 
guilty to infamy and punishment. If untrue they should brand the 
accuser as a violator of the laws of God and man. 

The trait of fallen human nature is to believe evil rather than good 
of others, and to give credence to such accusations as are made rather 
than to patiently investigate and acquit. This has caused some one who 
has felt its bitterness to write : 

Fling forth a lie amid the crowd, 

Let but the papers write 'tis true, 
And innocence may buy her shroud 

And guilt stalk forth in garments new. 

But no such spirit has animated this committee. Its investigation 
has been both patient and intelligent. Its acquittal is a foregone con- 
clusion. Let us turn to this memorial and ask ourselves in view of the 
evidence, could it be supposed that any man could make the statement 
that has been read to this committee with so little foundation therefor? 
Could Siuy one suppose that with such charges an investigation would 
so triumphantly vindicate the Court of Inquiry in every particular, in 
inotive, in wisdom, in result ? The filth of falsehood flung on the ermine 
of justice has fallen away without leaving a stain or a trace. The er- 
mine is unspotted. The accuser is a convicted slanderer. 

It is incomprehensible how any man possessed of any knowledge 
could have the audacity to charge that the Court of Inquiry ^' refused 
to admit or allow to be given valuable testimony" if he expected that 
anew iuvestigation would be ordered, for he must have known that its 
falsity could easily be made apparent. Lieuteuant Lemly received ques- 
tions from Dr. Collins, every one of which was put to the witnesses. Most 
of them were answered without objection ; others were objected to, the 



968 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

objections not sustained, and the questions answered, and the remainder 
were objected to and excluded. And these were ten questions. Two 
rehited to trivial differences between a witness and Mr. Melville and one 
to a difference between a witness and Captain De Long. These the 
court excluded because the Avitnesses had not testified about them, and 
Dr. Collins had no interest therein. Unless Dr. Collins had the right to 
follow the instructions at Donneybrook Fair, '^ where you see ahead 
hit it," he could not make himself a busybody in other men's matters. 
Especially he had no right to air soiled linen which the owner did not 
produce. Another question was answered so far as the witness had any 
knowledge of matters about Melville. There were six questions unan- 
swered that related directly or indirectly to Mr. Jerome J. Collins, two 
as to the opinions of Nindemann and Noros as to the probability of 
saving Cai^tain De Long's party, and four as to Mr. Collins personally. 

Two of those related to Mr. Collins's declarations about his treatment; 
another what he said he was going to do when he landed ; and the last 
whether Captain De Long ever spoke of the difficulty with Mr. Collins. 
This question on this examination was answered in the negative. 

On the other hand, the witnesses were asked by the Court to tell all 
they knew of the relations between the different officers and Mr. Col- 
lins, between the men and Mr. Collins, how the officers and the men 
treated him and how he treated the officers and the men. So that 
everything known was elicited. 

Here is the next charge ; 

Said court ruled out nearly every question that would bring out the true history 
of the expedition. 

An investigation that occupied eighty-five days, the testimony, oral 
and documeutary, filling a printed volume, in which the organization of 
the expedition, the preparation of the ship, the equipment and provis- 
ions, its navigation, its discipline, its preparation for emergencies, the 
ice-bridge, the retreat on the ice, on the water on the Lena delta, the 
march and rescue of the men, the conduct of the officers and men, were 
all most carefully and thorougly investigated, as that volume and their 
report will show, more thoroughly than this committee has done it, for 
this committee's attention has been directed to certain particulars, and 
that was general and conducted by naval officers. Teu questions, not 
one of which related to the history of the expedition, excluded, and yet 
this ])etitioner has the audacity to make this charge, in respect to which 
every witness called by him on this investigation was examined by that 
court. 

The petitioner's next accusation is : 

That many of the survivors were not permitted to give their full and free testi- 
mony. 

These many men of buckstraw dwindled to two, and the two on cross- 
examination collapsed like a pricked balloon. Bartlett, who came home a 
prisoner of war, testified that he thought if he gave evidence before the 
court in a certain way the Government might confiscate his wages, but 
he was never approached directly or indirectly on the subject, and he had 
full pel mission to state anything and everything, of which he did not 
choose to avail himself. His idea had no foundation whatever. He was 
under no such self-imposed constraint before this committee, and he has 
shown that his oath was of no consequence. But at the best he says he 
told the truth before that court, although not all the truth, and the facti 
the? suppressed have been here disclosed. They prove that nothing re 
mained for investigation. The other man had less to tell than Bart 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 969 

lett. All the other witnesses swore that there was no compulsion what- 
ever or restraint of any kind on their part. So there is not a scintilhi 
of evidence on which to found this accusation. 
The next was equally baseless. 

The naval inquiry was so conducted that all possible chances or possibility of the 
truth coming out was destroyed. 

It would be difficult to make an accusation more emphatic and at the 
same time more untruthful. 

Kow, having had such an indictment as that made against it let us 
turn to the report itself and see what that report is against which such 
charges are made : 

In conformity with a joint resolution of the Congress approved August 8, 1882, and 
in compliance with the orders of the honorable Secretary of the Navy, dated Septem- 
ber 29, 1882, the Court of Inquiry has diligently and thoroughly investigated ''the 
circumstances of the loss in the Arctic seas of the exploring steamer Jeannette, and 
of the death of Lieut. George W. De Long and others of her officers and men." 

The court has also carefully inquired "into the condition of the vessel on her depart- 
ure, her management up to the time of her destruction, the provisions made and plans 
adopted for the several boats' crews on their leaving the wreck, the efforts made by 
the various officers to insure the safety of the parties under their immediate charge, 
and for the relief of the other parties, and into the general conduct and merits, and 
of each and all the officers and men of the expedition." 

They then divided their examination into certain classes, which have 
been heretofore given. As to the condition of the vessel on her departure, 
it is only necessarj^ to say that this is not criticised, and her being deeply 
loaded it is not pretended had anything to do with the result. Then — . 

Second. As to " her management up to the time of her loss." 

The lateness of the season when the Jeannette sailed from San Francisco, her want 
of speed, and the delay occasioned by her search along the Siberian coast, under orders 
from the Navy Department, for the Swedish exploring steamer Vega, placed the com- 
mander at a great disadvantage on his meeting with the pack-ice early in September, 
in the vicinity of Herald Island. Either he had to return to some port to the south- 
ward, and pass the winter there in idleness, thus sacrificing all chance of pushing 
his researches to the northward until the following summer, or else he must endeavor 
to force the vessel through to Wrangel Island, then erroneously supposed to be a large 
continent, to winter there, and prosecute his explorations by sledges. The chances 
of accomplishing this latter alternative were sufficiently good at the time to justify 
him in choosing it ; and, indeed, had he done otherwise he might fairly have been 
thought wanting in the liigh qualities necessary for an explorer. 

Now, a whaling captain who has made two voj^ages, who never had 
been in this part of the Arctic Sea, was permitted to come on the stand 
as an expert, and to testify that they ought not to have gone into the 
ice. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. Was not that stricken out? 

Mr. Arnoux. No, sir; that much was allowed to stand. His views 
about the build of the vessel and its unseaworthiness and the proper 
conduct of the retreat were stricken out for the reason that he was not 
competent to speak thereon; and as the other part was not of any great 
importance I did not move to strike it out; perhaps it was competent 
for what it was worth. 

I say that the testimony supports this conclusion by the very best 
evidence. The ship was strengthened for the very purpose of resisting 
the ice pressure. Well, you do not make a vessel to resist the ice pres- 
sure and then keep away from the ice. If you prepare for that par- 
ticular emergency it is because you expect to go and meet it, unless we 
are in the Pinafore condition of the little song which says — 

Oh, mother, dear, may I go out to swim? 

Yes, my darling daughter ; 
Hang your clothes on a hickory limb. 

But don't go near the water. 



970 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Captain De Long might just as well have returned and sat down by 
his fireside and read the morning paper as to have gone back to Saint 
Lawrence Bay, and this report characterized it in the most magnificent 
manner when it said had he done otherwise than to winter as he did in 
the ice he might fairly have been thought wanting in the high qualities 
necessary for an explorer. 

Then the report eulogizes Captain De Long in regard to the manage- 
ment up to the time of the loss of the vessel, how thorough, how com- 
plete, how careful had been the preparation for every possible emer- 
gency ! 

His foresight aud prudence provided measures to meet emergeucies and enforced 
wise regulations to maintain discii)line, to preserve health, and to encourage cheer- 
fulness among those under his command. 

The results show how wise they were. The physical condition of the 
people had been x)erfectly good and they had escaped all the diseases 
which are common to Arctic navigation. 

Has there been one person who has said one word against the man- 
agement of the ship from the time she entered the ice until she was 
crushed f Has not everything shown in the most wonderful manner the 
care that w^as taken ^. 

It is not necessary to amplify the evidence. You know that the men 
were forced to take two hours' exercise, from 11 to 1 o'clock, every day 
upon the ice ; that when they were upon the ice the ship was always 
thrown open, except when the thermometer registered colder than 3()o 
below zero. All the parts were ventilated and purified, and when 
they returned to the ship the men had pure air to breathe. There 
was the utmost care in regard to the water and exercise, and air and 
water are the main things tor the preservation of health in the Arctic 
regions. Captain De Long's journal shows that he husbanded his coal 
as carefully as if it were precious stones. He intended that there should 
be no waste. He looked to the future. He intended that his supplies 
should outlast every possible contingency that he could think of, and 
so he put its consumption under the care of Mr. Melville, who all the 
time distilled the water for the men, and they were not allowed to drink 
it nor to draw the water except as they got it from him so that he could 
be responsible, first, for the consumption of coal in operating the dis- 
tiller, and, second, for the quality of the water which the men drank, for 
the doctor analyzed the water on every distillation so that it should not 
contain a percentage of salt that would be deleterious to health. Then 
you have seen the regulations that Captain De Long made in case of 
fire and for the possibility of the vessel being crushed, which were so 
perfect aud complete that when the time came that the vessel was 
crushed there was no excitement nor commotion. The captain was 
upon the bridge all the time giving the orders, seeing that everything 
they needed was put ui)on the ice — an abundance of clothing, an 
abundance of provisions, all the implements that they could possibly 
anticipate, that they needed for the expedition ; everything done as 
calmly as if it were an everyday occurrence. Be.\ ond any controversy 
this much of the report of the committee is beyond attack. 

Now, the next inquiry made by the court was as to the circumstances 
of her loss. You have understood what they were. You know as well 
as that court. Was there anything blameworthy in regard to that? 
Here was this ship in the ice. Now, it is not i)ossible to make a hollow 
ship that can resist the pressure of the ice. It would be a i)ressure of 
ten thousands of tons upon it. If you have examined the diagram you 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 971 

have seen that under the crush which the vessel resisted, there was 
one beaui headed against the side of a sixteen-inch oak timber, and the 
pressure was such that it drove the end of the beam an inch and a half into 
the timber. The vessel was able to resist that pressure, but when the 
final pressure came it would have been impossible for her to have re- 
sisted it. You have heard from Professor Bessels and from other 
witnesses the character of the ice. It is one of the most wonderful 
things in nature. It is probably the hardest thing that floats, and 
when the water is frozen and the ice compacts and becomes a crystalline 
mass at a temperature of 30° below zero it will cut like a diamond, and 
you have seen that they found that sometimes tongues project under the 
water at different depths, either where the water in the summer washes 
it out or in winter where different layers are frozen together, leaving sharp 
points projecting which would cut like a razor and with the power of 
the most enormous hydraulic pressure that can be made in the world. 
That was what this ship had to sustain. She sustained it for hours, 
and finally succumbed to that pressure. No human being could have 
provided against it 5 no human being by any possibility could have 
averted it under the circumstances in which they were placed. So that 
any vessel, says the report of the Court of Inquiry, in like posi- 
tion, no matter what her model might have been or however strongly 
constructed, subjected to the same pressure as that incurred by the 
Jeannette, would have been annihilated. You cannot fail to concur in 
that part of the report. 

Now, the fourth part of the report is as to the provisions made and 
plans adopted for the several boats' crews upon their leaving the wreck. 

This the report goes into fully and states all that was done from the 
time the party left the ship until they reached the delta, and after they 
reached the delta in regard to the search for Captain De Long, and 
this was the conclusion of the court : 

Considering, then, tlie condition of the survivors, the unfavorable season, the 
limited knowledge of the country, the want of facilities for prosecuting the search, 
and the great difficulty of communicating with the natives, everything possible was 
done for the relief of the other parties. 

I shall hereafter speak a little more at length in regard to that when 
I come to speak of what is the other part of the charge here : 

That the evidence offered to the naval court, and which the undersigned is pre- 
pared to furnish, and that has already and will be further given by the survivors, 
goes to show, beyond any reasonable doubt, that had the said Melville performed the 
duty devolving upon him De Long and his party would have been rescued. 

I turn your attention then, for the moment, from the Court of Inquiry 
and their report to some of the facts in the case. I say here I feel a 
certain degree of pain in having in the course of what I have to say to 
make any reflection upon any person. It would be very agreeable to 
me to refrain from making a remark that could be considered a reflec- 
tion upon any one. But the Navy Department, that is, the Naval Court 
of Inquiry, and the officers of the expedition, have been attacked. They 
did not seek this investigation nor did they fear it, but it was their duty 
when attacked to repel the attack and to show its nature and animus. 
A more unwarranted and unwarrantable attack never was made upon 
any oue than that which was made in this case. Bead the petition of 
Dr. Collins and the evidence in this investigation, and you are struck 
with Dr. Collins as a psychological phenomenon. It reminds you of what 
Junius said of the Duke of Grafton : ^' I hold you up, my lord, as a pecu- 
liar example to mankind; not that you do wrong by design, but that you 
never do right by mistake." 



972 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Has tliere been a, single thing which Dr. Collins has been able to 
substantiate, one single thing that he has done? Dr. Collins comes for- 
ward with a i)etition, and he is hardly able to state a single thing cor- 
rectly. When he wants to speak of Knsmah he speaks of him as an 
ignorant exile. Who told him that he was ignorant? He was the most 
intelligent man in the district. That is what the witnesses have all 
testified to. Il-e adds to or qnalifies every statement that he makes, so 
that the statement itself becomes nntrne. What has been his purpose 
in this? He says he wants to vindicate the name of his brother. If 
his brother had had an enemy in the world that enemj^ coald not have 
done him a greater wrong than Dr. Collins has done. Has it been a 
morbid love of notoriety that incited him to press this investigation! 
Looking over this matter I know not which preponderates — pity for the 
man who could be the victim of .^o much misplaced confidence, or con- 
tempt for a man who shows so much credulity as he appears to have 
shown. Beyond all his credulity comes the fact that he is the one who 
has brought out the things which have destroyed any illusion that 
there might be in regard to his own brother. Dr. Collins has been 
morbid upon this subject. He has drawn upon his imagination in the 
statement of his grievances. Dr. Collins has no comprehension of the 
true relation and of the rights and duties of officers and men, of prin- 
cii)als and subordinates. He has never been content to submit to any- 
thing which was just, bat felt that his brother must be elevated to the 
highest pinnacle of fame at the risk of destroying every one, his brother 
and himself included, and he has succeeded as f ^r as that part was 
concerned, for who, knowing the facts as disclosed here, would have 
any confidence in Dr. Collins's declarations or his brother's scientific 
attaiumentsf 

If what he has done here is any illustration of the mental characteristics 
of Dr. Collins, he has shown himselfto be a remarkable character, in that he 
is not able to state a thing truly when he means to tell the truth, whether 
the proposition emanates from himself or another ; and when he recollects 
facts he forgets their connection. He tells the story which another man 
tells him, and his informant denies that he ever told him so. Thus his 
statement is wholly uncorroborated in every particular. Now, as an illus- 
tration of the mental characteristic of Dr. Collins look at the story which 
he told about Lieutenant Danenhower and the story as Lieutenant Dan- 
enhower told it himself. He had a private interview with Lieutenant 
Ijanenhower the day after the arrival of the survivors in New York. 
He said that Lieutenant Danenhower told him that his brother's mat- 
ters with the captain involved no criminality, and that his brother led 
a hell of a life in the Arctic, and if he had been in his place he would 
have gone over the ship's side, meaning that he would commit suicide. 
Now, what does Lieutenant Danenhower say? He says, "I said that 
ive^^ — not that he — ''led a hell of a life in the Arctic, and I think it was 
so no more to him than to anybody else. I never had such an idea as that 
his brother should commit suicide, fori was suffering a great deal more 
than he ever suffered, and I had no idea of doing it for myself, and if I 
would not for my greater suffering why would 1 do it for lesser suffer- 
ing?" Then he said, "I did use the words that I would have gone over 
the shii)'s side, but in a totally different connection. His brother, Jer- 
ome Collins, had staid on the deck on the vessel without ever going on 
the ice for two and a half months, to make, what he called a silent pro- 
test," whi<;h in itself was the grossest kind of insubordination, and for 
which he ought to have been punished, when he told other people that 
lie was doing it for that purpose, and it showed great forbearance in 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 973 

the captain Dot to punish him. Lieutenant Danenhower says, "In- 
stead of doing that, if 1 had been in his place I would have asked per- 
mission and gone over the ship's side on to the ice." You see what a 
totally different statement and what a totally different meaning it has. 
Then I clinched that matter thus: "How did your ship ride in the 
water*?" "Her rail was feet above the water." "And when she was 
in the ice how high was it?" " The ice was within a foot of the deck." 
Now, will you tell me by what possible method, when for all that time 
the ship was encased in the ice, which came within a foot of its deck, 
anybody was going to commit suicide by going over the ship's side, all 
the time in the solid ice *? But you say that is a sailor's expression. It 
would not be the expression of a sailor who for twenty-two months knew 
that it was onlj^ a step from the deck to the ice. The idea of a man sit- 
ting or lying on a sofa and saying, "I will commit suicide by falling 
down on the floor," would be just as ridiculous as Dr. Collins's statement 
of Lieutenant Danenhower's statement to him. 

Then we come to his interviews with Lieutenant Lemly and Colonel 
Kemey. He swore first that he had the conversation at the Department 
with Colonel Eemey, and that he stated certain things to Colonel Eemey 
and that he was then introduced to Lieutenant Lemly and that he saw 
him there, went and saw the books, met him that afternoon at the Eiggs 
House and the next day, and the next day. He swore that the conversa- 
tion was held on consecutive days. He swore that he had two on one day. 
He said that he had certain conversations with Colonel Eemey, the Judge- 
Advocate General, at the Department. He made his statement twice 
over, and the stenographer took down the first statement which he made. 
He afterwards said that he considered that in making that statement 
he was testifying under oath. Eead the two statements and you will 
see that they bear so little similarity to one another that they do not 
appear to be the utterances of the same person. He says in his state- 
ment that in the conversation at the Department the Judge- Advocate 
General told him that it wa^ the wish of the Secretary of the Navy that 
the matter between his brother and Captain De Long should not be gone 
into. When he came on the stand, he said that was said at the hotel 
to Lieutenant Lemly ; he was sure that he had not said anything in that 
conversation about Mrs. De Long, and that no persons were present, 
particularly that there was no person connected with the Washington 
Critic present, and that conversation as reported did not take place. 
Now we bring the Critic reporter, who swears that he had a half hour's 
conversation with him alone at that time, and while they were together 
in conversation Lieutenant Lemly came in, the conversation was contin- 
ued, and the same thing was said. And what did it show "? In that con- 
versation Dr. Collins said that he understood that Mr. Melville and Mrs. 
De Long were seeking to obtain pensions from Congress and that he 
should opi)ose it. Before that time one could sui)pose that he was ani- 
mated by a kindly but misguided spirit, but when that came out you saw 
that he was actuated by a spirit of hostility in this investigation which 
discloses the reasons for his conduct. It has not been mere vindication of 
his brother, for no man in the world could have had his brother's interest 
at heart and have attempted this thing in the spirit in which it has 
been attempted. It has been from a malevolent spirit and that shows it. 

Then there is the Newcomb statement. It is not necessary for me to 
enlarge upon the two stories, one that he told as coming from Mr. Ncav- 
comb and the other as told by Mr. Newcomb, both told as having occurred 
and as having been narrated to Dr. Collins. Hero the two stand in 
direct conflict j such conflict that Dr. Collins has put himself upon 



D74 JEANNLTTE INQUIRY. 

record as believing that Kewcomb's statements were willfully false. But 
look how different they are. Now, whether Dr. Collins has exaggerated 
or whether Mr. Newcomb has misled him, the facts show that the occur- 
rence was a mere nothing. Dr. Collins told us that the captain had or- 
dered thrown overboard a collection of natural history of great rarity, 
I3repared with great care by Mr. Newcomb. It turned out to be simply 
a few common, unprepared birds which Mr. Newcomb voluntarily threw 
overboard himself without the captain's knowledge. Another story he 
told was about the gnn that Melville put to Mr. Newcomb's head and 
threatened to blow his brains out, and that he considered that he was in 
danger of his life, and Mr. Newcomb said there was no gun at all in the 
transaction nor threat to blow out his brains. Now, whichever one has 
exaggerated, we know what the facts are. We know that those cir- 
cumstances were of a trivial character, which ought never to have been 
thought of after the thing had occurred. Thus every story which Dr. 
Collins has repeated he has so colored as to make it contrary to the 
truth. And on whom did he rely for the attacks which he has made 
upon these different people ? His main reliance was upon three individ- 
uals. Who are these our accusers? First, Mr. Bartlett; next, Mr. 
Nindemann, and next Mr. Newcomb. You recollect the flourish of 
trumpets with which Mr. Newcomb was put upon the stand ; so much 
so that the examination of a witness was suspended because he had just 
come from Salem, and he was such an important witness they would 
like to put him right on the stand. Let us see the lecord these men 
make. First, Mr. Bartlett told his story. I saw that that story failed 
to impress the committee favorably. You had no sympathy with him, 
and it pleased me to see that your feelings and mine and those of the 
counsel on the other side all agreed. Mr. Bartlett told his story, and 
he left the stand without a word of greeting or the grasp of a friendly 
hand. Mr. Nindemann was next called, and when he left the stand 
every one went forward to shake him by the hand, because we felt that 
he was the man who had shown himself to be both brave and true. 
And you all realized when Mr. Newcomb had exhibited himself that 
Captain De Long had made a correct diagnosis of him when he wrote 
that he was in his mental development still a boy. 

But take Mr. Bartlett's stor3\ Bartlett showed that he was endeav- 
oring in every possible manner to present the facts in a light adverse 
to Captain De Long, Mr. Melville, and Lieutenant Danenhower, and to 
show that the ship was managed wrong end foremost. Bartlett should 
have been cai>tain, and then all would have been well. He even claimed 
that he had saved the lives of the whole party by inducing Melville to 
change his course in the Lena River. Unfortunately for his preten- 
sions, when he came again to the witness stand as a volunteer he was 
compelled to admit that it had been suggested to him by Manson. So 
that that for which he had taken so much glory to himself was the sug- 
gestion of another. There was not a thing, admitting it to be true, 
that should have any weight with this committee that Bartlett said. 
In fact, the only charge that he really brought against Captain De 
Long was, that when Captain De Long told Mr. Collins not to do cer- 
tain work on the ice he had accompanied the order with what sail- 
ors might say was a permissible phrase, " Damn it," or " damn you." 
When Bartlett said it he said it with a hesitation which made me be- 
lieve he was not telling the truth; and when Mr. Collius's journal was 
put in evidence I examined this date and found that there is not a word 
of that kind In it. He tells the circumstances. He leaves out the oath. 
When every ofBcer and every man who has been before you has testi- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 975 

fied that he never heard Captain De Long utter an oath, and Bartlett 
himself testified that he never heard him at any other time, you see that 
that statement of an oath was a fabrication, and that the oath was not 
uttered by the captain. 

Then we come to the suspension from duty of Mr. Collins. I am will- 
ing that any gentleman shall judge Mr. Collins by the statement of 
the man who claimed to be his Iriend, that Mr. Collins, a member of the 
officers' mess, spent every night that was at his disposal in the fire-room 
with the firemen — sometimes every night in the week, sometimes three 
nights in the week, and always, as far as he was able to do it — and 
that the captain told him it was not compatible with the dignity of the 
mess to be on such terms with the men. And how do we know that the 
captain ever said that ! Mr. Bartlett, the fireman, called as a witness 
by Dr. Collins, swears that this intimacy existed between himself and 
Mr. Collins — a greater intimacy than Mr. Collins had with any other 
person on board the vessel, and that Collins told him that. This repe- 
tition was an act of insubordination — an act which tended to bring his 
officers into contempt with the men and si)read a spirit of discontment. 

But when you consider it as a matter between gentlemen, I am will- 
ing, if Dr. Collins is, to leave his brother to be judged by this transac- 
tion without one word of comment. 

The earliest transaction was the order made that these men should 
go upon the ice. Mr. Collins evaded that. The duty that he had to 
perform at noon did not occupy three minutes. Day after day and 
week after week he intentionally violated that order by unnecessary 
delay. Finally the captain came to him at twenty minutes after 12 
(seven times as long as his duties required), and found him sitting in the 
cabin, with his coat ofi", smoking. Now, can anybody say that was not 
a violation of the rules ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. What was the hour they were to go ashore ? 

Mr. Ae-noux. At 11, sir ; and he went back on the ship at IJ to take 
observations. All he had to do was simply to read the thermometers, 
and go and record them in the rough log, and they were afterwards 
made up by all the diflerent officers, and he copied them into the me- 
teorological book. What he had to do did not occupy three minutes. 
Every officer in turn did it as a part of his duty. To do that he had 
no need to smoke, he had no need to take off his coat. The captain 
knowing that day after day he had persistently violated his order, came 
and found him thus disobedient, and charged him with it. Instead of 
making an explanation he denied it. It was a distinct, unqualified 
falsehood when he told the captain that he had not disobeyed his order. 
What was there left for the captain to do f He attempted to reason 
with him and gave him an opi)ortunity to explain. And yet in a tone 
which is characterized by the captain as "curt, contemptuous, and dis- 
respectful,'" he says : " I have not, and when you say 1 have violated 
an order, I say I have noV^ The captain had submitted to a hundred 
grievances that you know of, some of which cannot be mentioned here. 
Melville, Danenhower, the other officers that came on the stand, the 
men themselves, all felt that the captain was exercising an indulgence 
with Mr. Collins that he would not with any other. ISTow, could that 
last*? Of course it might be very well, and, perhaps, when the millen- 
nium comes it will be possible to conduct the Navy solely on prin- 
ciples of kindness and love. But Lieutenant De Long is not responsi- 
ble for the Navy as it stands to-day. He was an officer of the United 
States Navy, and under the law was bound to exact obedience from Mr. 
Collins. It was his duty. He could not do otherwise without injury to 



976 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the service, to the crew, and to the officers. It is a very different matter 
where all the men are shut up together in the walls of a ship from the 
case of men in an army who have a safety-valve to allow any passions 
of temper or feeling to pass off in separafing from each other for a time. 
When men are com])elled to be together they must be held under strict 
discipline, and that has been the universal experience of the officers of 
the Navy. Lieutenant De Long was bound to enforce that rule, and he 
did enforce it. He did just what he had a right to do, and you can never 
say that that is unjust. If a captain finds a man guilty of insubordi- 
nation and punishes him with the least i)unishment that can be inflicted 
for insubordination, has he been guilty of any wrong? Can you or I 
sit in judgment upon that man? But Captain De Long did not even 
punish him. He says. ^'I will relieve you from duty and will report you 
for court-martial on my return." It is precisely the same thing as if 1 
should go before the grand jury and have it indict a man for crime. He 
is under that indictment until he is tried, but he is not punished in any 
way. That was all Captain De Long did in that instance. You know 
how Mr. Collins acted from the time they got in the ice until the time 
that he was suspended. His whole course of conduct was in violation 
of his duty as a gentleman, of his duty as an officer, and of the pledge 
that he had made in the shipping articles which he had signed, for he 
pledged himself to give obedience to the captain. ''Oh, but," they say, 
" the captain said this matter of being under the Navy was a mere form, 
he was not going to enforce any disciplire on board the ship." Do you 
believe a word of that? Had he a right to do it ? He said it to these 
men before they enlisted according to their statement. Very well. 
There is a familiar principle of law that all conversations are merged 
in the written contract. They contracted to be governed by the laws 
of the Navy. But even if they had not contracted in express terms to 
be governed by those laws they were bound to be. Mr. Bennett put 
the expedition under the Navy so it should have Navy disciidine. 
They went upon the expedition under a law of Congress and the direction 
of the Secretary of the Navy. Captain De Long could not do otherwise 
than enforce naval discipline, and therefore Mr. Collins was bound to 
ol)ey by every principle, and instead he was insubordinate and mutin- 
ous. His conduct was not that of a gentleman, nor did he do his duty 
in respect to his meteorological observations, for he was careless with 
his instruments. One of the charges is that Collins's instruments were 
taken away from him. Why, they would not have had an instrument 
left, according to the testimony of tbe witnesses whom they themselves 
called, if they had been still intrusted to his charge, for he carelessly 
allowed so many to be destroyed that it was necessary for the value of 
future observations to take those that remained away from him. 

Jerome Collins was a brave and chivalrous man. He had ambition 
and desired to distinguish himself in some respect on that expedition, 
and one of the ways, according to Dr. Collins, if true, as learned from 
him, was to write a book, and he found that the captain was writing a 
book, and hence arose a jealousy of the captain. Well, it was the cap- 
tain's duty to keep the ship's log, and if he chose to write anything more 
that was his piivilege just as much as it was Mr. Collins'. One of the 
witnesses said Mr. Collins told him that his books and ])apers and pen 
and ink were taken from him. Now, we know that that is false, except 
as to the records of the ship. He was told to complete his records, and 
then when that was done not to do any more work, and it took him two 
months to do that, so that it ran on until February or March, 1880, be- 
fore he ceased to do the work for the shii>, and from tha;t tiiiie oq h^ was 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 977 

a passenger. There was no denial of privileges, no imposing upon him 
any additional duties. It was simply that he was relieved from doing 
any work. He could do just what he pleased. He could have taken 
observations, he could have written meteorological journals, he could 
have done anything he pleased, and as a matter of fact he did keep a 
journal of his own, which continued on the ship until she went down, 
and which he himself refused to take out of the ship. 

Mr. Collins was careless in details. Brilliant and dashing in his way 
of doing things, when it came down to any true scientific accurate tests 
he was lacking. He was a genial companion until his brain became ab- 
normal in the Arctic cold and darkness, and Captain De Long, sympa- 
thising with him in many things, and realizing his relationship to Mr. 
Bennett, exercised great forbearance ; so great that if Mr. Bennett him- 
self had been present it never would have been exercised. 

Turning again to Mr. Bartlett, let me add another word. Mr. Bart- 
lett was the one who tried to make out that the Court of Inquiry had 
been such a terrible court. He said that he did not tell the truth before 
that court. Why not? His excuse first was tliat there was a large 
amount of wages due to him, and he came home a prisoner of war, and he 
was afraid he might be tried under the charges if he said anything that 
would offend anybody. Is that any excuse for a man who takes an oath 
that he will tell the whole truth *? It showed his character. It showed 
that he was not telling the truth according to his oath before the Court 
of Inquirj^. 

When I called attention to some of his evidence he said, '' I did not 
swear to anything that was false, I simply suppressed the truth." 
"You did not swear to anything that was false? " "No." When asked 
"have you anything to say to this court on the subject inquired about?" 
he said no, and here he says he meant " No, I have not anything to say to 
this court." Is not that perjury ? I asked him, " Is that the way you 
get out of that answer?" "Yes." I said, "The next question below 
is, ' Have you anything to say on such and such subjects, and this 
among the others,' and you said ' No." "Well, I meant by that that I 
hadn't anything to say at that time or before that court.'" Now, I say 
that is perjury, and for it that man could be convicted. No man has 
a right to make a mental reservation in regard to his answer which 
destroys that answer and enables him at another time to make a dif- 
ferent answer to the same question when he chooses to. 

But there was more than that. Mr. Bartlett thus pictures his 
own character. He said that on a certain occasion he thought a deten- 
tion was to occur. What was it ? Waiting for Lieutenant Chipp's boat 
to come up. And if you read his journal you will discover how heart- 
less and cruel it would have been for the others to have gone on and 
deserted him because his boat did not come up quite in time with the 
others. But we must give Bartlett the credit for what he swears to 
when it is against himself. He said that at that time he had made 
an arrangement with Mauson that if Captain De Long did not start 
the next day they would steal rifles and pemmican and go off them- 
selves. Our Saviour laid down a divine test for the conduct of men. 
He says, " He who looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath com- 
mitted adultery in his own heart." In other words, transgression con- 
sists in the evil intent. The fact, therefore, that Bartlett was willing to 
desert his companions in their distress, knowing that they were waiting 
for the others, and knowing that they were the ablest bodied among the 
members of the whole party, fixes his guilt. He was guilty of a con- 
spiracy in tallying over this proposed desertion with another man. 
62 J Q* 



978 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

In the sight of God he was a deserter and a thief, for he intended to 
steal the material with which to make the attem[)t to shift for himself, 
and which we know would certainly have ended in death. 

When you know that Bartlett, painted by himself, is a man of such 
base character then you know how much you can rely upon Lis testi- 
mony. He has i)roved himself to be a perjured man. He was one of the 
faithful workers while he was at work, lie did his duty in that respect 
nobly. I have not a word of criticism to make against him for that. I 
want to give every man the credit that is his due. But when they 
were at Geeomovialocke lie wanted to leave the others and go ahead. 
Why ? Was it to help them ? Do you believe that a man who was will- 
ing to desert his comrades on the ice would change to a good Samaritan 
for those crippled and helpless and suffering in the way they were ? 
Not a bit of it. It was with that same intent on his i)art to get away 
that he wanted to go ahead down to Bulun. Yet Dr. Collins, with his 
characteristic perversity, has said that he wanted to get away to search 
for his brother. Bartlett said he never thought of doing that. All he 
w^anted was to go to Bulun. 

Let us go a little further with Mr. Bartlett. He told everything that 
he possibly could to the discredit of every officer. He did not spare 
one. He raked up everything he could think of. The whole purpose 
of his first and second days' examination was to attack every one except 
Mr. Collins, and the counsel on the other side asked no question that 
would bring out one word in favor of any other man but Mr. Collins. 
He asked if Mr. Collins was not a gentleman, and his behavior gentle- 
manly and kind, without one genial word for any other person, and 
Bartlett confined himself to his muck-rake. But when I brought out 
the fVict that he had first gone to Mr. Keefer, the friend of Mr. Melville, 
to borrow money and could not get it of him, and then had gone to Dr. 
Collins and talked with him about these things, and borrowed money of 
him, then you saw how it struck home. You recollect how Dr. Collins 
jumped up with suspicious alacrity and said, " Yes, I lent it to him, and 
I have got my book here and I have entered it as a loan, and he is to 
pay it on the 12th of April," and the entry was on the first page of the 
book. But unfortunately the second time Bartlett came on the stand 
was after the 12th of April, and when he had finished his second state- 
ment I asked him if he bad paid back that money and he admitted he 
had not, and there is no evidence that he ever paid it back. 

Now, it may not be that Dr. Collins would be guilty of bribing the 
man, but from what you know of that man, when he swears that for 
money that was due him from the United States he would pervert his 
testimony, do you not think that for money he owed Dr. Collins ho 
would pervert his testimony ? What is the difference ? It is the money 
that made the difference in his testimony. Well, then, after Mr. Mel- 
ville had started with his ship on the Greely relief expedition Bartlett 
comes on the stand again, and he tells you a story which he did not 
dare to tell while Melville was here, which he supposed he was telling 
with great safety with Melville beyond reach. The onl3' accusation that 
had any weight, or that it seems to me could have any weight, was that 
which he made against Melville the last time he was upon the stand. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I was away at that time. How did he come on the 
stand ? 

Mr. Arnoux. He volunteered, sir. After he had been discharged by 
this committee he came back a third time, and it is interesting to note 
the way he commenced. He said that he proposed to come back now 
and tell all that he knew, because I had made an attack oa him that hQ 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 979 

Lad borrowed $50, aud that he did not thiuk he could be sold as cheap 
as $50, and now he wanted to tell everything he knew, and your asso- 
ciate, Mr. McAdoo, said to him, "Why did you not tell these things be- 
fore? Did you have them in mind 1 " " Yes," he said, " I had them then 
in mind, but I did not think it was necessary to tell these things." Then 
Mr. McAdoo said, " I do not know that we have it in our powder to re- 
fuse to listen to such testimony, but in view of the fact that you knew 
that Mr. Melville had sailed, whatever you state, particularly that which 
reflects in any w^ay upon Mr. Melville I shall view with the gravest sus- 
picion." He came forward with the only substantial accusation which 
was made against any person, and that was in regard to Mr. Melville. 
The Government sent out Lieutenants Scheutze and Harber to make 
search for Captain De Long and Lieutenant Ghipp and their respective 
parties. At that time the remains of Captain De Long and his associ- 
ates had not been found. It was, of course, their duty to make as dili- 
gent a search as possible, and to that end to get all possible informa- 
tion. It was likewise the duty of every one of the others to give sucli 
information. Mr. Bartlett said that Mr. Melville told him to give those 
officers no information whatever. Those were his instructions. If true, 
Mr. Melville was guilty of a very serious offense. 

But its falsity can be inferentially demonstrated. While searching 
for these gentlemen between Jakutsk and Olenek, Melville passed Har- 
ber on the river in the night. Melville was asleep and did not know 
that they had passed. Now, Bartlett admitted that he had felt mad at Mel- 
ville, and Bartlett and Mndemann both knew that Melville was seeking 
Lieutenant Harber. Melville had given an order to the captain that if 
they met them to stop the boat, and Mr. Bartlett knew of this, and be- 
ing angry at Melville at the time he did not tell him that Harber had 
passed, and Melville did not know it until the next morning, and he 
had to retrace his steps to find him. Now, when a man was searching 
in that way for one, is it probable that ho said, '' I won't tell him any- 
thing when I find him," and would he have told Bartlett that when 
Bartlett was angry at him ? Do not the facts show that Bartlett was 
trying to prevent Melville's accomplishing that purpose at all when he 
let them go by in the night and did not tell Melville or the captain and 
did not have the vessel stopped when he knew what the orders were? 

But we were more fortunate than that. It was so unrighteous for 
Bartlett to come back and testify especially against Melville, making 
such a serious charge as that, for w^hich, if true, Melville should have 
been court-martialed, that I felt there would be some way provided to 
repel the charge, and I inquired of Mrs. De Long if it was possible to 
reach Melville by telegraphy if he would not stop somewhere. She said 
his vessel would stop at Saint John's. I then prepared a telegram, which 
simply stated the fact — 

Bartlett lias testified that you directed hi in to give no information to Scheutze and 
Harber, or to tell where you had been on the Lena Delta. 

The Secretary added : 

You may telegraph your answer to the care of this Department. 

And the last day we were here I found on the table lying before me 
an envelope with the official stamp of the Navy Department, which con- 
tained this telegram : 

Telegram received. Bartlett lies. I w^rote to them and sent a chart of the delta, 
and suggest you send for Lieutenant Harber to testify to it. 

MELVILLE. 



980 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

It was not necessary to send for Lieutenant Harber. The committco 
would never believe a word of attack Bartlett would make against 
Melville under such circumstances where Melville himself repelled it 
with an answer that had the ring of the precious metal in it. That is 
the only charge of any importance which has been made, and every one 
familiar with the evidence knows that Bartlett swore to a lie when he 
made the statement which he did and meant to attack Melville with a 
lie when he supposed that Melville did not have it in his power to meet 
him. 

One thing further with Bartlett and I have done with him. He has 
shown his character pretty well when he was alone among the natives. 
He tells how cruelly and brutally he beat them with clubs because they 
were lazy, and how ready ho was to steal from them, and there was one 
little piece of testimony of Mr. Jackson's which was very interesting in 
that respect. When Jackson came there the next year he found that the 
feeling of the natives was hostile to the Americans, because they had 
been shying sticks at them, was his statement. He understood it was 
Melville who had done it. But there Avas the ugly fact that they had 
been brutally treated by some of the Americans, and it made them feel 
hostile toward them, and Bartlett was the man who did it. And yet, 
beating the natives with clubs because they did not do things to suit him, 
Mr. Bartlett forsooth sets himself up as the judge of Mr. Melville and says, 
'' Melville was very harsh to us because sometimes when we were pulling 
he wotdd say, -Damn it, pull.'" I need not sum up in one sentence the 
evil conduct, the evil purposes of Bartlett, as he has testified to them 
before you. I need only add that I am confident that you cannot be- 
lieve his uncorroborated oath. 

The next man that Dr. Collins called was Mr. Nindemann. I think 
we were all impressed with the idea when Nindemann first went upon 
the stand that he was seeking to tell the truth and to be impartial, and 
we were all pleased with him. But later events proved that that im- 
pression was not wholly correct. He was imposing upon us all here 
with the idea that he was fair and just, when his whole testimony 
was intended to create a prejudice and a false imi)ression. The evi- 
dence of that was this : He told that the captain had not done him 
justice ; that the captain had put him under arrest for two hours when 
they were in the Lena delta, simply because he shook his fist, and that 
he said nothing. Afterwards he admitted that he had spoken in anger, 
and said that he would rather be with the devil than with the captain. 
Captain De Long heard him, and entered in his journal his language 
and action, and it was for that that the captain punished him. He put 
him under arrest for two hours. The captain was bound to do it. The 
law of the Navy forbids profanity and insubordination, and when a man 
swears in the presence of a captain the captain is bound to punish that 
man. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Captain De Long could hardly be confined to the rule 
against profanity. The <5ommanding officer would be bound to lake 
cognizance of the insubordination of the remark. 

Mr. Arnoux. Exactly. There was the remark directed against his 
commanding officer. It was an act which the captain was compelled to 
recognize and to punish. When he told it the first time Nindemann 
represented that Captain He Long was acting the part of a tyrant in- 
stead of the part of a commanding ofiicer performing a duty. This is 
what the captain wrote : 

A (lisagreoablo thing occurred now, by which I placed Nindemann under arrest, aud 
intend preferring charges against him. ' He has for a long time been short and surly 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 981 

witli me, and had a bad habit of answering me as he would a shipmate. He loses his 
temper quickly and growls incessantly if doing anything which is not exactly accord- 
ing to his ideas. I warned him the other day when I tried to build a raft that he was 
not doing right. To-day he kept growling and muttering over the raft while build- 
ing it and making the first trip. Seeing from my side of the river that some delay 
occasioned by an apparent looking for a place shoal enough to avoid wading, I called 
out to him, "Let the people wade ashore and you hurry back with the raft ; " to which 
he made no response, except saying loud enough for those around him to hear, and, 
for me, unknown to him, " Oh, we'll hurry back." When he came back he commenced 
growling about the raft being all adrift, about having no lashings, &c., and when I 
caused him to stop, started otf with the other men to bring more logs; Avhen about 
20 feet from me he said in sufSciently loud language for others to hear, "I wish I 
was in hell or somewhere else than here, by Jesus Christ.'' I then ordered him to the 
hut, telling him I should try him by court-martial. 

Now that is the entire circumstance, and you see what a different face 
it puts upon it from Mndemann's testimony. Again he told how when 
they got to the Lena Delta, Collins, himself, and most of the others 
waded ashore heavily loaded -, they had to wade nearly 2 miles, but that 
the captain, the doctor, and two others staid in the boat. When they 
came back they pulled the boat with the captain in it nearer to shore ; 
then they took another load and went ashore, and again returned and 
pulled the boat further in, and kept on pulling the boat nearer to shore, 
and the captain all the time in the boat. He emphasized that the cap- 
tain staid in the boat, giving the idea that the captain was in that re- 
spect consulting his ease, and was as well able to wade ashore as the 
others. It happened that Nindemann had made a report to Minister 
Hunt, which he wrote before he knew that any of the others had been 
saved, and which he adrpitted was true. 

Kow what did he report in regard to that circumstance ^ Speaking 
of the parties on board that boat of which Captain He Long was the 
captain as "hands," he writes : 

All handvs' feet frost bitten when the gale was over ; the captain had lost the use 
of his feet and hands. 

Did he mention that to you? There is his report, which he says was 
true. Well, that is the reason why the Captain staid in the boat. He 
had lost the use of his feet and his hands. 

Mr. BouTELLE. From the cold? 

Mr. Arnoux. From the cold. Both his hands and his feet were 
frozen in that terrible gale, so that he was helpless, and that was the 
reason Mndemann had to put the captain in his sleeping-bag, as he 
told afterwards that he did ; that the captain was in a certain sense 
helpless, and that he helped him. Of course it was natural for the 
commanding officer to receive the attention of the men under him, and 
especially when, as you know originallj^, Mndemann loved Captain De 
Long. He was ready to do any service that he could for him, and 
when he found the captain in this helpless condition, with his hands 
and feet frozen, would it not be the most natural thing that he or any 
other man would help to put the captain in his sleeping-bag ? But in- 
stead of telling those things on the stand he suppressed them, so that it 
was a misrepresentation. And that which was intended as a reproach 
demands our pity. When he came on the stand the second time he said 
with a sort of naivete thsit almost seemed to palliate the heinousness of his 
crime, that in his testimony before the Kaval Court of Inquiry he swore 
to a lie. That was his open admission. He said that he wanted to 
make it, and he paid me, I think, a very high compliment, higher be- 
cause an involuntary one, when he declared that if he did not confess 
it I would bring it out of him on cross-examination. 

In view of the fact that he admitted he swore to a lie, I deemed 



982 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

it my duty to bring out the further fact that he had no belief in a 
hereafter or in a God, so that a lie did not weigh very heavily on 
that man's conscience. Taking all the things that he told, was there 
one single thing from the beginning to the end of his evidence that in 
the slightest degree reflected on Captain De Long! I say that there 
was not. He said that the captain was silent, that he was not as affa- 
ble with the men after they were on the ice as he was in the vessel, 
that he did not talk, and they grumbled because the captain delayed. 
And there was this curious thing : Mr. Melville was censured because 
he was so urgent to hurry the men on when they were on the ice, and 
Captain De Long was censurable because he did not hurry enough. 
He had too much solicitude for the men to hurry them when they had 
blood blisters on their feet, or for Lieutenant Chipp and his party when 
he was waiting for him to come up, and therefore he was censurable. 

These comprise the substance of the complaints that Mr. Mndemanu 
had to relate. Dr. Collins's third witness was Newcomb, and you rec- 
ollect that Newromb knew nothing whatever about what had occurred 
upon the vessel, except in relation to himself. He had the peculiar fac- 
ulty, the kind of egotism, that he could not see or know or remember 
anything except what related to himself. Jackson found him the same 
in Siberia. When he talked to Newcomb Newcomb never had any- 
thing to tell him except what Newcomb was concerned in. And you 
saw the character of Newcomb further exemplified by an incident, one 
of the most remarkable that has been brought to your notice. He had 
preserved a little scrap of paper about the size of his hand which told 
about a conversation with Captain De Long, in which he considered 
the captain guilty of the crime of fomenting discord among the men. 
He could not recollect anything of it except what he had on the paper. 
When I cross-examined him he broke all up, and could not make head 
or tail to it any way. He could not recollect anything that was not on 
that paper, and lost all sequence to the events. Then he had another 
grievance, and when he could not recollect anything about its origin I 
said to him, " I will read to you and ask you if this was not the fact," 
and I read from Captain De Long's journal, and he admitted that it 
was. Oh, yes ; he knew it instantly. Now, do you believe that it was 
possible for a man to so completely forget anything that he hadn't any 
idea of it and yet to have it so suddenly come back tohis mind when it was 
read that he could say it was true? I shall not sit in judgment upon 
him ; i»t is enough for me to know that Mr. Newcomb is believed by Dr. 
Collins to have perjured himself upon the stand. 

Now, those are the three witnesses. And just look at the peculiar 
position of the three. The first num we proved perjured himself j the 
second man admits that he perjured himself, and the third man, Dr. 
Collins admits, i>erjured himself. Those are the witnesses that they de- 
j)ende(l upon. Only this triumvirate. Mr. Jackson was called, but the 
only im[>ortant statement that he made was that in writing out the nar- 
rative which he sent to the Herald it contained a statement of the 
delay which might appear, on a cursory reading, to be the opinion of 
Lieutenant Danenhower, which was in fact only a conclusion of his. 
But there they called Lieutenant Danenhower, and there they brought 
out the only thing that was a possible criticism upon the conduct of 
Captain De Long. In the whole of that exjiedition the only possible 
criticism, as far as the testimony here has disclosed, was his conduct 
toward Lieutenant Danenhower. Lieutenant Danenhower complained 
that without right, except the snhitniry will of a commander. Captain 
De Long had during the retreat put him under Mr. Melville. That Mr. 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 983 

Danenliower was subordinate to Mr. Melville is true. But when we 
read here the journal of Dr. Ambler Mr. Danenhower admitted that he 
had new light upon the subject. ISTow, I say that Captain De Long 
could never have done differently, however he had been inclined toward 
Lieutenant Danenhower, than he did 5 for if you will turn to what Dr. 
Ambler wrote you must see that it was an inevitable necessity that 
Captain De Long should put Mr. Melville in command. 

Sunday, August 14, 1881. — Mr. Daneuhower, congestion of lower lid, flared up; the 
eye so far has done very well; we Lave had little or no sun, and it has not been ex- 
posed to light to any great extent. He is very anxious to go to duty, and from his 
very peculiar mind he has, I think, gotten the idea in his head that he is being un- 
justly treated. It is true that he is able to get along quite well, and thus he has not 
broTcen down; before we started he thought his chances were nil, though I had told 
him I thought he would pull through all right, and was always anxious for me to 
take the eye out. Now that it has turned out as I predicted he takes the other tack, 
considers himself a soundman, and has given any amount of annoyance in his re- 
peated attempts to get himself placed on duty. I do not consider any man whom I 
know to be liable to break down at any time that his eye is exposed to a strong light 
is a fit man to be put in charge of a boat and party of men, under any circumstances, 
and that it would be wholly unwarrantable in our condition. This I believe he has 
so far failed to see, and has, 1 have no doubt, a fixed idea that there is a combination 
to keep him out of what he conceives to be his right. I am led to this conclusion by 
my knowledge of the man after two years' experience, and after having had frequent 
opportunities of witnessing the idiosyncrasies of his mind in matters connected with 
himself. 

The following Sunday he wrote as follows : 

Sunday, August 21, 1881, 8 a. m. — Mr. Danenhower's eyelid red and congested ; ves- 
sels showing in the sclerotic. I had to report him this morning to the captain for 
causing unnecessary delay, and using disrespectful and unbecoming language to me 
as a medical officer in the presence of an enlisted man. Mr. D. has made some diffi- 
culty about coming to the tent ; does not like to, in fact, and I haA^e tried to make it 
as little disagreeable to him as possible, until recently going to him, until one occa- 
sion, about three days ago, I went to him, and he made objection to my examining his 
eye at the time, saying that he was busy. Since then the hour of sick-call was changed 
at my request, and I have made a point of waiting for him at the tent. This morning 
ho was out, and I saw him standing around ; he also saw me, I think (I had told him 
I would always be ready to see him as soon as I was dressed, and as soon thereafter 
as he might be so). After some time he si)oke, remarking there was a good lea where 
he was. I told him there was an excellent one in the tent ; he came in, and remarked 
that his breakfast was waiting for him ; I then said I had also been Avaiting some time 
forhim^ and reminded him that yesterday, after I had notified him that I was ready, I 
had to wait some time, and when he did come he said that he was busy at the time 
tying ni) something (his bag, probably), and had waited until he finished (he had 
made no answer to the messag ; I had sent him by the steward) He then said that he 
did not wish his eye to be examined, and had asked to be taken oft' the list six weeks 
ago. I told him that he was not fit to be taken off the list (meaning that his eye was 
not in a fit condition for him to do duty). He remarked, with some asperity, that he 
was lit to do duty; thus flatly contradicting me, and implying that I was keeping 
him on the list improperly. His manner at the time, and during the whole conversa- 
tion, was exasi^erated in tone, and, under the circumstances, being in presence of oth- 
ers, I considered disrespectful and unbecoming. 

There you have the spirit of Lieutenant Danenhower in respect to 
this matter. The doctor reported that he was not fit for duty, and was 
liable to break down at any moment. Suppose that Captain De Long 
had put Lieutenant Danenhower on duty as he requested, and that 
Lieutenant Danenhower had broken down, and that his life or his eye- 
sight had been the forfeit, and the rest had gotten home safely, do you 
not think that Dr. Ambler's report would have court-martialed Captain 
De Long for doing it, and would Captain De Long have been justified 
either in the eyes of Lieutenant Danenhower's friends or of the Navy 
if he had said, "I did it because this man was so importunate." The 
doctor resisted his importunity. 

The doctor spoke of his idiosyncracy. The doctor was not willing 



f'84 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that he should be put on duty. Gould the captain do it in the face of 
such a protest ? And when Lieutenant Danenhower tells you on the 
stand that he thinks that he was wrongly treated, do you not see that tliat 
was the result of these idiosyncrasies of which the doctor spoke ■? The 
question then comes if he was on the sick-list, and properly there, why 
should he have not gone with the doctor ? Well, he certainly cannot 
complain of such discrimination, for, if he had gone with the doctor, he 
would have lost his life. But I say the captain was exactly right in 
what he did in that respect. The captain was the first navigator and 
took charge of the first boat ; Lieutenant Ohipp was the second navi- 
gator and took charge of the second boat. Who was to navigate the 
third boat"? If Captain De Long had put Lieutenant Danenhower in 
the boat with himself, because Dr. Ambler was there, and in conse- 
quence of the lack of a navigator Mr. Melville's boat had been lost, 
would not the captain then have been censured ? Was it so serious a 
matter that the doctor and Lieutenant Danenhower must necessarily 
go in the same boat? There were other sick men besides; they were 
separated ; they did not all keep in the same boat. Lieutenant Ohipp 
had been on the sick list, a sicker man by far than Lieutenant Danen- 
hower was the first time they went on the ice. But no, it was the duty 
of the captain under the emergency to do that which was best for the 
safety of all. He put a navigator in each boat, and the wisdom of his 
conduct was shown in that Lieutenant Danenhower, by his nautical 
knowledge and skill, saved that boat. The most of tbe men have testi- 
fied that they believed that his skillful handling saved their lives. One 
man has come before you to say that it did not amount to anything, be- 
cause the others could do it. Well, that is not a test. It is not what 
somebody else can do, but is what that person did; and at that time 
Lieutenant Danenhower did skillfully handle that boat beyond any con- 
troversy, andhe is entitled to the credit of it. Therefore CaptainDe Long 
is entitled to credit, for it was his disposition of the men that brought 
this about, and he did wisely and well in that as in all the rest. Therefore, 
I say that Captain De Long bad no alternative but to do what he did 
in regard to Lieutenant Danenhower. 

Now, that sweeps away every charge that is made. We are told in 
the petition of Dr. Collins that from the month of September Jerome 
Collins and other members of the expedition were treated with every 
indignity and outrage. He does not i:)retend that they were treated 
with a particle of physical indignity or outrage, but simply with those 
things which he calls indignity, and it is shown by the evidence con- 
clusively that there was not a single indignity put upon any officer or 
man in that expedition by the captain, l^ow let us contemplate what 
a wonderful record this is. Captain De Long never made a single com- 
I)laint or charge; he never inflicted tniy punishment upon any man or 
officer connected with the expedition up to the time that the ship was 
crushed, except that he punished one man by putting him on extra 
duty for a few days for profanity in his presence. That he was bound 
to do under the naval regulations. Now, was it not a marvelous thing? 
Here were thirty-tbree men, one man having the charge, who by moral 
power was able to hold in absolute check and subordination those men 
without ever saying one word which was tbe enforcement of authority, 
except as you treat a man ot such peculiar mind as Newcomb, who said 
that he considered when the captain told him he must do a thing there 
was a threat imi)lied in the language used, and he called that threaten- 
ing language because he said that he understood that when the cai)tain 
gave an order the captain intended that it sbould be obeyed, or punish- 



J E ANNETTE INQUIRY. 985 

uKiit would follow. Tliore was the power of the man, iha supreme power 
v.iiie]i intelle^ct gives in connection with position, that when a man has 
antbority, who is a masterful man, his simi)le word is law wJjere it is in 
obedience to the dictates of right and justice, and Captain De Long 
never said a. word or did an act that was not controlled by his duty and 
by his conscience. There is not the first thing that any complaint can 
be made of. Mr. Collins he treated with the utmost courtesy, so much 
so that when they were upon the ice he said the captain was too infer- 
nally polite. When anything was the matter, for instance, with Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower on the ice, he instructed the one in charge that he 
should see that he had eyery comfort. He was thoughtful about every 
one else. He never was seeking for himself. He looked out for the 
men and for the officers that all should have all that could be given to 
them under the circumstances, and, consequently, when they were on 
the vessel, he never had to use a harsh word. He never had to com- 
mand a man in any way to do anything except through the general 
orders of the ship. I think that it is one of the sublitoest examples we 
have ever seen in naval records. 

ISTow look at the difference. When they were on the ice Starr was put 
under arrest because of a controversy he had with Melville and Newcomb 
was put under arrest because of a controversy hehad with Danenhower, 
and the doctor comjdains of Danenhower for using improper language 
to him in what I have just read to you. Is there anything of that kind 
with the captain f No. It is like the serene power of the law which 
enforces itself. And you see further than that, when they got beyond 
the captain's power, then the insubordination of the men showed itself, 
the consequence of the loss of the reins of power and authority. Mr. 
Newcombdoesnotmind Danenhow^erand Danenhower knocks him down, 
and Newcomb says afterwards that he did just right, and if he had to 
go exploring again there was no man he would like to go under as well 
as Danenhower. Melville had to enforce his authority by swearing at 
the men, and, as New^comb related, by telling him that he had seen 
better men than he shot for such disobedience. You can hardly im- 
agine anybody telling anything against himself that was so ridiculous. 
Newcomb had charge of one of the ropes during the gale, and Mr. Mel- 
ville told him to let go the rope. Newcomb wanted to get on his boot 
first and imperiled the lives of the whole party simply because he 
wanted his boot on, and this naturally made Mr. Melville angry, and he 
then said what Newcomb repeated. As Captain De Long said, New- 
comb was boyish, ami he will remain all his life boyish, and his narrat- 
ing this incident proves it. His mind will never mature to make him 
a companion of gentlemen of culture and wide intelligence. But here 
was this noticeable thing : The one who had command when Captain 
De Long's authority was removed had great difficulty in enforcing obe- 
dience; Captain De Long had none. His course was always that perfect 
course of a gentleman. 

Now, I should like if the time permitted to take up each ofiicer in 
detail as shown here, and the first one, of course, would be Captain De 
Long. The accusation w'hich Mr. Newcomb brought against him was 
that he was ambitious. I believe the charge is true. 1 believe that he 
had his soul filled with ambition to achieve great results in an Arctic 
expedition. He went with that heroic purpose. We consider a man a 
hero who volunteers in war, even though it may not be in defense of his 
country. W^e also consider men heroes who, for science, devote them- 
selves to any great exidoration or discovery, and the interest that this 
matter has developed in the country shows that the love of heroism is 



986 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

not dead. Even in this materialistic age the worship of the almighty 
dollar has not been sufficient to destroy our appreciation of those who 
are noble enough to devote their lives to a greater purpose, and who 
seek by i)assing through difficulties to reach into the unknown and to 
briug l3ack some treasure of new knowledge to add to the knowledge 
we now possess. That was his purpose. He did not go to sacrifice his 
own life or that of any man. He carried through that whole cruise the 
consistent character of a Christian gentleman and a faithful naval offi- 
cer. He had Divine worship on the ship every Sunday, and when they 
were in peril of their lives upon the ice he never upon Sunday omitted 
])ivine service. No matter what the exigency was he felt the necessity 
for himself and his men of pleading with Almighty God for his protec- 
tion. Can anything be mentioned that is nobler and greater than such 
conduct — a man who was so gentle and kind that all the men said they 
loved him while he was on the ship. Every man that came before you 
said that there was no cause of comjdaint of Captain De Long while 
they were on the ship, but when they got on the ice then they had a 
different feeling, because there was a different reason. From the man 
then who had been in command in a comfortable home, iu the ice the 
exigencies demanded a new course and new duties and new obligations. 
Theu what did he dof Let us look at his course after leaving the 
ship and see what manner of man Captain De Long was. The best 
thing to show you what Captain De Long was is what he wrote. So 
David exclaims, '' Oh, that mine adversary would write a book." There 
are the three journals. I think they are in themselves the most wonder- 
ful monuments that ever were exhibited in the history of the world of 
the character of a man. He kept that journal, which fills over 900 
printed pages, from the beginning of the voyage until, so far as we know, 
the latest hour of his life. There is not from the beginning to the end 
an erasure or an alteration ; there is not an illegible word written. Some 
of the words are somewhat illegible owing to the circumstances through 
which the books themselves have passed, but it is evident that they 
were legibly written originally. And one of the most extraordinary 
things is that every part of the writing is punctuated from the begin- 
ning to the end of the book except as to the last period to the last entry. 
When he wrote "Mr. Collins is dying" he had not the strength left 
to put the period at the end of that sentence which closed his record. 
From beginning to end everywhere else it is punctuated. Now, did you 
ever hear before of a man who had so much method and system as that? 
There is his record, as noble a record as ever a man made of his own 
character. 

" Made weak by time and fate, but stron}^ in will 
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield." 

Then look at the substance of this journal. No censure, no fault to 
find, no comjdaint to make. You read in Dr. Ambler's journal that 
Captain De Long was sick and that the doctor prescribed medicine for 
him. You look in vain in De Long's journal for any such entry. I say 
as a literary monument it has not its parallel in any literary work in 
the world. There never was auy thing like that journal, and it is a reflex 
of the man. He did not look for faults in others, he did not magnify 
his own services. He was modest, he was considerate, he was kind, he 
was thoughtful, and he was seeking to learn all that could be learned 
and to enter the fruits of that voyage in that journal, and he preserved 
those books with his own life and beyond it. Now that gives the key- 
note of the man's character, and we see how it was carried out. When 
the ship went down and it became so important that they should not 
burden themselves that, as they said, the men weighed jack-knives so as 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 987 

to throw away the heavier one and retain the lighter one, he took all 
the instruments he needed; he took those that were the lightest in 
weight of each kind he felt was needed, and they had everything that they 
needed upon that voyage, and which he had selected. All was done by 
him personally. The other officers were sick. Yet there was no instru- 
ment omitted that tbey needed at all. 

Of course it is too ridiculous for tbe counsel on the other side to con- 
tend for a moment that on the Lena Delta they needed nautical instru- 
ments to ascertain their position or their course, or they needed pick- 
axes to dig in a soil where the eternal frost is within two feet of the 
surface, or that they needed axes to chop down the trifling vegetable 
growth that is found there. Captain De Long omitted those, but took 
the things that he needed. He took from eighty to one hundred days' 
provisions, and he made Mr. Collins a useful member of that party so 
far as any of the workers were concerned, although he did not relax 
his position toward Mr. Collins. He gave him permission to use his 
rifle, and, as you read his account, you see how great a benefit his serv- 
ices were ; that they were worth a great deal more than they would 
have been in the harness pulling sleds. Instead of that he was shoot- 
ing seals and walrus and birds for the party, and how much he pro- 
vided for them you will read in his own journal. 

Now, when they started out his course was a due south course to Si- 
beria. He pursued that course for eight days. He then got an obser- 
vation aud learned a fact which probably filled his whole soul with an- 
guish. To whom did he communicate it? Not a man. He was suffi- 
ciently well content to bear that burden for two days. Two days later 
he got another observation and then he found that while they had been 
traveling due south on the ice the current had carried them 28 miles 
northwest. At that rate of progress what would have become of them? 
What was he to do? He called in consultation Dr. Ambler and Mr. 
Melville, aud he did not let another man know it, not even Lieutenant 
Danenhower. He communicated the matter to them and consulted 
with them. The result was that they changed their course to the south- 
west, feeling that with the current running to the northwest the true 
course was to cut across that current. The counsel on the other side 
brought out the fact that they ought to have gone south with such per- 
tinacity that I felt that he would say that we were making this up as 
new evideuce to meet his criticism, but you will see that there was and 
could be no force in any such a suggestion as that, for in the report of 
the Court of Inquiry it says : 

The original plau of retreat was to make a soutlierly course, presumably to reach 
the open water as soon as possible. 

And then it tells about his going to the new Siberian islands. We 
have developed more fully than that court did how and why this was 
done. Does not that show as intelligent forethought and wisdom as 
possible? An obstinate man might not have been willing to change the 
course he started out on ; but it is a wise man who changes his course 
to meet dangers and exigencies which subsequently arise. 

Now, what would have been the result if they had kept on two miles 
a day, the rate they were traveling? Before they could have reached the 
open water they would have starved. At that rate they could never 
have reached the open water south of them. But if the charts which 
they had are correct, then they show that on the route south of them, be- 
twecji them and Siberia, is a mass of ice which is almost immovable, so 
lar as is known, and it continues for hundreds of miles, and that they 
could not have penetrated through it even it they had been able to reach 



988 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the op n water. Then was not bis course a wise one? He changed 
and went to the southwest, and in doing that he did the most heroic 
thing that there is in the whole record, and one of those things that 
stamps the hero. 

Every seaman who has been here has complained of trifles In Captain 
De Long. It reminds me of what was said in regard to Sir Christopher 
Wren's greatest triumph, St. Paul's, in Loudon, that the beetles that 
have crossed the pavement have detected defects, but they could not 
comprehend the structure's magnificent plant, and so in another form 
it is said that no man is a hero to his valet de chambre. These seamen 
could not conceive of a man's soul being so elevated with the possibil- 
ity' of death before him that he could calmly turn aside from that retreat 
and make the survey of Bennett Island. But Captaiu De Long did it. 
He went out in the Jeaunette to explore. He had already established 
one great fact, that Wrangel Land was an island and not a continent, 
and now when he came to another island, which was unknown, he spent 
the time there until he had properly located and surveyed that island. 
I say it was an act of heroism. It was an act of grandeur; it showed 
a man who was truly great, and he has been criticised because he 
did not push on. Why, his purpose was not merely to save their 
lives ; his i:)urpose was to fulfill the object of the expedition, to make it 
as valuable as it was possible to make it, and he did itj he neglected 
no opportunity to do it. When his work there was done then he went 
on. And again when lie reached Seminowski Island he staid two days; 
they called it three days. He got there Saturday afternoon and rested 
until 4 o'clock Monday morning. IS^ow, that is what they called a three 
days' delay there. He rested on Sunday, and on that Sunday he did not 
read the Articles of War, but he did not neglect Divine worship. He 
read the service to the men, but allowed them a liberty which the neces- 
sities of the case demanded. The men stood around the fire drying their 
clothes while he read to them the service of the day. Was not that a 
record that any one could feel proud of? 

Then they got into the boats and they got to the Lena Delta. What 
did he do? We have seen his record and we know more of the noble- 
ness of this man. He went forward with his men. One was sick. They 
might have abandoned him but they did not. He carried that man with 
him until he died and then he was buried as a sailor should be buried. 
And this devotion to that comrade, humanely speaking, was the cause 
of their disaster. ]N'ow, you have often read how when hunger presses 
upon men they look at one another with wolfish eyes waiting for life to 
depart ready to devour the dead, and sometimes casting lots to sacri- 
fice one of the living for the benefit of the others; and you have read 
that with these men suffering, starving, dying, there was never a scratch 
or a mark upon any one except Dr. Ambler's self-inflicted wounds. Just 
think of it. There was food before them and yet no cannibalism. It 
must have been the force of the power of Captain De Long over those 
men that restrained them. 

Another criticism made in regard to his conduct was that he did not 
let the men go according to their own wish when they were starving. 
Dr. Ambler's journal shows that that is false. He did strive to do it. 
But you know what kind of a man Dr. Ambler was, and therefore when 
you read in his journal that he would not allow the captaiu to be deserted 
you know it only accords with the greatness of the man. It was not 
true that Captain De Long prevented them. He wanted them to find 
shelter and safety if possible. It was too late. They could not do it. 
The charts were so defective that what he sui)posed was 25 miles dis- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 989 

taut was 75 miles distant. That error was due partly to liis own hope- 
ful spirit and partly to the weariness of his flesh. They traveled under 
such difficulty that the weary miles seemed to him to be less and that 
they made more miles a day than they actually did, and Mndemann, and 
he sometimes disputed, Mndemann said, as to how many miles they 
had gone each day. The captain always thought they had gone farther 
than ISlindemann thought. Was not that a hopeful spirit? Hoping for 
the best, the weariness of the body made its motion seem so painful as 
to make him believe that he must have accomplished more than ho 
actually had. 

So the time passed on and we come to the end of that most wonder- 
ful record. I wish to call your attention directly to it. It runs on day 
by day until you come to — 

Thursday, Ooioher 27. — One hundred and thirty-seveutli day. Iversen broken 
down. 

Nothing more to tell that day; nothing to know; simply that Iver- 
sen had broken down : 

Friday, October 28. — One hundred and thirty-eiglith day. Iversen died during 
early morning. 

Saturday, Oc^o&er 29. — One hundred and thirty-ninth day. Dressier died during 
night. 

Sunday, October 30. — One hundred and fortieth day. Boyd and Gortz died during 
night. Mr. Collins dying 

I tell you it is hard to read a record like that, because one's eyes till 
with tears. It seems a wonderful thing that the same man who by his 
munificence made this expedition history also sent out one who succeeded 
in finding Livingston, the missionary explorer of Africa. Dr. Livingston 
stands as one of the world's heroes, having given his life for scientific 
research. I was struck while we were attending this trial with reading 
the last entry in his journal ; 

I can go no further. I must remain here. 

That is not a selfish record ; it was a natural one. He had broken 
down. Fever had assailed him. He could go no farther. He must 
remain where he was. But Captain De Long's journal is nobler. Is 
there anything about I in this record? Does he say ''I am dying; I 
fear I shall not live; lam suffering?" Not one word. The unselfish 
heroism of that recorci I believe never was equaled. Not one word 
does he say of his own sutfering, although he too was dying. He could 
tell of another who was dying, and of those who were dead. And then 
you see how even in the presence of death the man's character mani- 
fested itself. He had shared with Mr. Collins and Dr. Ambler what 
little there might be as you could say of comfort to them all, and they 
had been companions together in this terrible trial, and so he writes, 
and the officer is there all the time. In the record in the cairn every 
man is mentioned by name, and every officer by rank, and so it is here. 

Iverson died during early morning. Dressier died during night. Boyd and Goortz 
died during night. Mr. Collins dying. 

Is not that a wonderful record? Think how these men were found — 
thii]k of it! The pure snows of a Siberian winter had embalmed 
them so that the little blood that reoiained in their bodies showed 
upon their cheeks. Their bodies were white, like alabaster. The wind- 
ing sheet of a pure snow was over theai. It said, ''Their death has 
removed every stain." God covered them in his good Providence with 
the pure snow which obliterated and covered every stain and every 
fault. They had expiated their errors, if they made any, with their 



990 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

lives. Would it not tbeii have been onlj^ right and only just to have 
left them with God f Do you believe that Jerome Collins, looking down 
from the battlements of Heaven, at that time or now, could wish to have 
that winding sheet removed ! In the Arabian Nights they tell us that 
there exist a people called Ghouls, who will dig up the dead from their 
graves and fatten upon their bodies. Is not this investigation too much 
like that? 1 think that nothing nobler and better could be asked for 
the dead than that they should have rested in the purity of the eternal 
snow of that Siberian winter. Their characters are enobled. As Long- 
fellow says : 

Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime, 
And, departing, leave behind ns 
Footsteps in the sands of time. 

Their footsteps were left in the Siberian snow, and they were tracked 
to their resting place by the marks they left bebind them. Should they 
not have been, as far as their memories are concerned, left without this 
dreadful raking up of all the petty trifling things that happen in every 
life'? 1 am sure there is not a man here who could bear to have his life 
raked over with the same spirit which has been manifested here who 
could come out of the ordeal with so little stain upon his garments as 
Captain De Long and the other officers have. 

The next officer is Lieutenant Chip\). Unfortunately for him he died 
in the gale, and consequently we could not know how heroic his spirit 
was. But you have seen b^^ that retreat ui^on the ice how little there 
was to complain of him and how faithful an officer he was. And so I 
say in the language of a great church, ^' Requiescat in pace^^ — may his 
soul rest forever in the eternal peace of God. 

The next officer to speak of is Lieutenant Danenhower. While men 
wbo undertook the rigors and perils of that unparalleled retreat with 
l)erfect health have succumbed and perished, a merciful Providence 
ordained that he who was for so long a time subject to the doctor's care 
should be spared. 

You know how at heart he rebelled against Captain De Long's order 
which he thought unjustly deprived him of his legitimate authority. 
We know Captain De Long was actuated by the highest motives in what 
he did in this respect. And Lieutenant Danenhower now perceives 
more clearly than he then did the light in which Captain De Long then 
regarded it. But with this feeling Lieutenant Danenhower's conduct 
was most noble. He did not, like Achilles, sulk in his tent at the fancied 
indignity. He manfully obc-yed the order of Mr. Melville so that he re- 
ceived this meed of ])raise in Mr. Melville's report to the Secretary of 
the Navy on the Gth day of January, 1882: 

In conclusion I call the attention of the Department to the upright and manly 
character of Master J. W. Danenhower, who cheerfully rendered the most valuable 
assistance under the most trying circumstances, and whose professional knowledge I 
availed myself of on all occasions. We were in perfect accord at all times, although 
an unfortunate circumstance d<^prived him of his legitimate command. 

This shows that his obedience was not extorted unwillingly from him 
and the report of Mr. Jackson contirms the evidence given here, to which 
I have alluded, of the valuable service Lieutenant Danenhower rendered 
in the gale. This is what Mr. Jackson wrote to the Herald : 

Though deprived of his legitiuuite command, which was entrusted by Captain De 
Long before leaving the vessel to Engineer Melville, he, Danenhower, was permitted 
temporarily to assume the connuaiul of tlie boat during the severe gale that sepa- 
rated the three boats near the LcMia's mouth, and all the men saved with him join in 
the assurance to me that without him they must inevitably have perished. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 991 

And the Court of luquiry, after hearing the testimony of all the sur- 
vivors, deemed his conduct worthy of this high praise. 

During the gale the professional services of Lieutenant Danenhower, who was on 
the sick-list, were called into requisition, and he is deserving of credit for the skill 
with which he managed the whale-boat, as well as for her subsequent navigation to 
the land. 

Dr. Ambler, then surgeon, stood high in the ranks of his profession. 
We have one or two letters from the files of the Navy Department from 
his superior officers, which prove that, young as he was and occupying 
the position of assistant surgeon, he had made a record in the Depart- 
ment which was worthy of emulation. He showed his ambitious spirit 
when he volunteered to go on this expedition. There is no question 
about his faithful performance of his duty upon that ship. No one has 
a word of complaint to utter against Dr. Ambler. But when you come 
to look at Dr. Ambler's great record, then you begin to know the great- 
ness of that man. I perhaps trespass npon your time if I read to you 
anew that record with which his journal closes ; but I think that it is 
worthy of being repeated : 

Tuesday, Octr. 4, 1881. — Had a terrible night on the river bank without shelter ; our 
food all gone except the dog killed ; we ate his viscera and blood as a soup ; we have 
two meals left. We made a hut tliis morning and got Erickson — (From this point 
the writing is obliterated.) 

Thursday, Octr. 6, 1881. — Erickson died at 2.45 a. m. Peace to his soul. 

You see the Christian character of the man shining out there in that 
brief benediction. 

Friday, Octr. 7, 1881. — (Two lines obliterated) — for dinner, with water boiled in tea 
leaves. We have struck the main river, I think; the mountains are visible. We 
stopped here, 3 p.m., to build afire, several of our people having fallen in the river at- 
tempting to cross. Alexae is out hunting ; God in his mercy grant that he may suc- 
ceed in getting some game. Later — he shot one grouse. 

Sunday, 9th Octr., 1881. — Yesterday without food, except the alcohol; the capt. 
spoke of giving the men option to-day of making their way as best they could ; that 
he could not keep up ; this occurred in the morning when we had made two miles 
that we had to retrace. I told him if he gave up I took command, and that no one 
should leave him as long as I was alive. I then suggested that we send two men 
ahead to try and make the settlement, and that we make the best of our way with the 
rest of our party. This was done ; Nindemaun and Noros are ahead ; God give them 
aid and we are getting along. The captain gave me the option of going ahead myself, 
but I thought my duty required me with him and the main body for the present. Lee 
is about broken down. Alexae has shot six grouse by God's aid, and we will have 
something to eat. 

It was claimed that Collins wanted to go ahead j that he asked to go. 
The captain did not refuse on any arbitrary grounds, but said that he 
could not get 5 miles without breaking down, and Collins submitted to 
the captain's judgment. But here was a man who felt well enough to 
go. Did he ask to go ? On the contrary, the captain told him to go, 
but he would not leave the others. He felt that it was his duty to stay 
there and die with them. And then he writes : 

Wednesday, Octr. 12, 1881. — We have been without food since Sunday except one oz. 
of alcohol ; 3i. of glycerine yesterday and to-day; we have made no progress since 
Monday up to 3 o'clock; wind and snow against us ; we have been lying in hollow in 
the river bank. 

October IQth, 1881. — Alexae died last night of exhaustion from hunger and exposure. 

And that was the last entry which he made in his journal — the 18th 
day of October. But on Thursday, the 20th of October, he wrote that 
pathetic letter to his brother. I can hardly trust to my voice to read 



992 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

it aloud, for every time I have read it to myself my eyes have been 
suffused with tears : 

On the Lena, Thursday, Oci'r 20, 1881. 
To Edward Ambler, Esq., 

Markham P. O., Fauquier Co., Va. : 

My Dear Brother: I write these lines iu the faint hope that hy God's merciful 
providence they may reach you all at home. I have myself now very little hope of 
surviving. We have been without food for very nearly two weeks, with the excep- 
tion of four ptarmigans amongst eleven of us. We are growing weaker, and for more 
than a week have had no food. We can barely manage to get wood enough now to 
keep warm, and in a day or two that will be passed. I write to you all, my mother, 
sister, brother Gary and his wife, and family, to assure you of the deep love I now and 
have always borne you. If it had been God's will for me to have seen you all agaiu I 
had hoped to have enjoyed the peace of home-living once more. My mother knows 
how my heart has been bound to her's since my earliest years. God bless heron earth 
and prolong her life in peace and comfort. May His blessing rest upon you all. As 
for myself I am resigned, and bow my head in submission to the Divine will. My love 
to my sister and brother Gary; God's blessing on them and you. To all my friends 
and relatives a long farewell. Let the Howards know I thought of them to the last, 
and let Mrs. Pegram also know that she and her nieces were continually iu my 
thought. 

God in his inliuite mercy grant that these lines may reach you. I write them in 
full faith and confidence in help of our Lord Jesus Ghrist. 
Your loving brother, 

J. M. AMBLER. 

1 hat letter is a monument to that man's Christian character, to which 
nothing can be added. And let me say here that in the last journal of 
Captain De Long you see after the last entry is a torn page^ — the first, 
the only page in the whole book that is torn. I can only imagine, for 
no one can tell, that that page contained some such i^athetic, sweet, and 
tender message to his wife and child as they fonnd in Dr. Ambler's 
journal to his dear family. It had been torn out of the book, and, per- 
haps, those pitiless Siberian winds, which had taken away the lives of 
those men, also took away the last message to the wife and child of that 
commander. 

The next one to speak of is Mr. Melville. You all have formed your 
judgment of him, and I know it accords with every certificate which 
we have from the Navy Department. Every officer with whom he 
served has borne testimonial to him of the very highest character. He 
had in the estimation of those with whom he sailed no superior in his 
department. The onlj^ trouble that the men ever found with him was 
that he endeavored to push them a little too hard ; that be called them 
mules when they did not work fast enough, and that he said, "Pull, damn 
you, pull," when they were stuck in the snow. There was no error in 
that. If their statements were true before in regard to Captain De 
Long's delaying them it must have been right in Mr. Melville to have 
pushed on. The only question in regard to Mr. Melville is, can you for 
one moment believe the statement of Mr. Collins that he had the proof 
which he could produce to the Naval Court of Inquiry or which he has 
produced here that would satisfy any reasonable man that Mr. Melville 
had criminally delayed seeking for Captain De Long? If the time per- 
mitted I would like to read anew to you that wonderful statement that 
Melville made of his search for Captain De Long'? I may be pardoned 
for turning to that in part. You have heard the testimony of the dif- 
ferent officers, of Mr. Dauenhower, and Mr. Melville in respect to their 
position when they reached Geeomovialocke and the delay in reach- 
ing Bulun. I submit that no one could have done any better than 
they did. Nobody can say that it was their duty, or that it would 
have been right for Melville to have permitted any man to have gone 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 993 

ahead at the time. He sent forward a uative, the most in telli gent there 
in the district ; I mean the exile Kusmah, and he had to wait for his 
return. 

There were no dogs, no sleds, no one who could guide him on the 
journey. He was enforced to wait until Kusmah returned. Now, Mr. 
Jackson says that he learned the year after that the reason of that de- 
lay was that the man who accompanied Kusmah got drunk and kept 
him back two or three days. But it was not known at the time and it 
was not known for months. If true it was kept a secret, and it was 
Kusmah's wife who first told of the matter. Whether that be true or 
not, Melville, of course, knew nothing of it. He had to wait until relief 
could come. When he got to Bulun and learned that Captain DeLong 
had reached the Lena delta safely and was in peril he started the very 
next morning. His energy was such that learning, at night, from Nin- 
demann and ISToros about it he started the next morning. He got from 
Nindemann a statement which he wrote down and had here in pencil of 
the course which they had followed for him to retrace their steps. He 
did retrace their steps and this was what he did : 

The Cossack commandant then fitted me out with two dog-sled teams and dog 
drivers. He told me that he had put ten days' supplies on each sled, and that after I 
had exhausted my ten days' supplies the natives could take me to where I could find 
additional supplies. On the 5th day of November I started north, and Mr. Danen- 
hower and the remainder of my party started south for Bulun on their way to Ja- 
kutsk. I arrived at Ku Mark Surk that night, keeping the west bank of the river, 
as Nindcmann had been directed by his commanding Oiiicer in his march south. 
I expected to follow in their footsteps and retrace their footsteps, and find the De 
Long party. The next day I made a journey of 55 versts, to a place called Bulcour, 
where Ninderaann and Noros were picked up by the natives. I had with me one of 
the natives who had been one of their saviors, and he knew where Bulcour was, of 
course. He took me right to Bulcour. It blew a gale of wind, and we could not get 
on ; we were obliged to camp down. The wind was to the northeast. Neither dogs 
nor men will face a gale of wind in a snow-storm in the Arctic when it is blowing 
more than 20 miles an hour. We delayed there one day. 

Then they went on traveling as fast as they could with these dogs, 
making from 40 to 45 miles a day, and this is what he says they did 
when night came : 

In the snow they dug a hole about 6 feet square and 3 feet deep ; put the sleeping- 
bags down in the hole and put the sled up to the northward and let the dogs come in 
on top of us to keep us warm, and slept very Avell. 

That was this man^s idea of possible comfort, to sleep in a Siberian 
winter in a hole dug in the snow 3 feet deep with the dogs lying on top 
of him to keep him warm. So they went on, and finally the natives re- 
fused to go with him. 

I asked how near it was to the nearest Eussian settlement. They said 250 versts 
to the northwest. I asked if they wanted to go. They said there was nothing to eat, 
no fish, no reindeer, and they would not undertake this journey at 250 versts. So I 
said yes, we had plenty of dogs ; that I would eat the dogs, and we must go on. They 
replied no, you won't eat the dogs. I said yes, I would eat the dogs, and after I got 
through with them I would eat the Jakutsk. They dropped on their knees and threw 
up their hands and did not want to be eaten. I told them we would jjush on. We 
went from there further along, keeping the west bank of the river. 

Thus he went on in this peril, and finally accomplished his prescribed 
journey fruitlessly at that time. In the spring he followed up the 
journey until he found the body of Captain De Long, making a circuit 
of CO miles along the coast and following up each stream they came 
to, examining to see if possibly it was the stream Captain De Long's 
party had taken ; and he told us here, in language so eloquent with truth 
as to carry conviction to every one doubting, that for thirteen days on 

63 J Q* 



994 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

that search be had not been able to stand on his feet, but had to crawl 
on his hands and knees when he got out of his dog-sled to go to shelter. 
Notwithstanding his crippled condition that mau pushed on until he 
found Captain De Long and his dead companions. Now, I say there is 
the sublimest kind of heroism. This man had gone through the great 
perils of the retreat safely and he returned right into the very jaws of 
death for the sake of his comrades. Now, a man may be great, may be 
a hero who is selfish. The love of glory made a Napoleon. A nobler 
love, the love of his country, made a Washington. But here was a man 
who, not for glory, not for personal gain, but purely for the sake of saving 
others, went through all that peril of his life twice over to search for 
until he found Captain De Long. I say that nothing can be nobler than 
the conduct of that man, and in view of that the petty criticisms of his 
singing Irish songs or telling Irish jokes, which he abandoned when 
complaint was made, or speaking in tones of ridicule of a man when he 
slipped down, or anything of that kind, all fade into absolute and utter 
insignificance as compared with such a record as that. 

I should like to be able when I am gone to have any act of my life 
compare with that heroism of his, for a man can often go through 
a great peril without really being conscious how great the peril is, but 
when it is past and he attempts to renew it, then his soul rises up 
against it and rebels. I knew one of the survivors of the Central Amer- 
ica, a steamer that foundered in the Gulf Stream. He was six hours in 
the water. He went into the water without any feeling of fear, as 
calmly as if it were to take a bath ; but after he was rescued by a for- 
eign vessel it became necessary to transfer him to a vessel which was 
going to Savannah, because he was a citizen of the United States. He 
said that when he attempted to go into the boat to cross to the other 
vessel the feeling that he was again trusting himself on the ocean ac- 
tually made him tremble from head to foot with terror. He had passed 
through the peril safe once, and it was like going into the jaws of death 
to approach it again. But here was Melville who knew that he was 
taking his life into his hands, knew that he was going to endure a 
greater peril than that from which he had escaped, and yet he volun- 
tarily and heroically went right through it. I say no greater hero can 
be found than that man, if we accept the Bible test that greater love 
hath no man than this, that a man lays down his life for his friend. 
He who takes his life in his hand and goes and seeks for his friend does 
the heroic act <>f his life. And that is what Mr. Melville did, and you 
know his hearty, bluff, earnest way. That every officer has spoken of 
him in the highest commendation, in respect to his obedience to his su- 
periors and his kindness to the men in every instance, the record which 
is before you shows. What is there more to be said in regard to him ? 

Pilot Dunbar, who perished with Lieutenant Chipp, and regarding 
Avhom not an adverse word has been spoken, died in the pursuit of duty — 
a man without fear and without reproach. Nor can I fail to speak of 
this Indian, Alexy, who, starving with the others, when he went out ti) 
shoot game never touched a morsel until he brought it back to the 
others, and shared with them. Think of it; this poor Indian starving 
to death, and yet he had the heroism to bring in every particle of food 
that he was able to get on his hunting expeditions and share with those 
who were starving with him. 

So it is all through this noble record, and this committee has done 
wisely in throwing the doors wide open to allow every particle of tes- 
timony that anybody could seek to bring to come in in view of its over- 
whelming results. It does not seem to be possible that any man can 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 995 

say that there is anything more against the character of any man con- 
nected with this expedition that would dim the luster of the expedition 
or the lives of those men than the spots on the sun dim its glory. 
Every life has something in it that cannot bear the light. No human 
being can be perfect. There never has been but one ])erfect life on this 
globe. Ko one can be so perfect but, there might be criticism upon 
him, but I say that there never could have been a party of men brought 
together — I do not believe to-day that you could bring thirty -three men 
together, no matter who they are — in respect to whom there would be 
so little to criticise adversely as there has been during the time these 
men were together. You know the character of the control and the 
courtesy with which the expedition was governed by Captain De Long, 
and that the men themselves observing the same proprieties of life 
were courteous to one another, and rarely was there a disturbance of 
any kind upon the vessel but this investigation has brought it out. 

Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee, there is one feature 
in this proceeding that must have touched a tender chord in your 
breasts. Far be it from me to allude to the grief-stricken widow of the 
brave and gentle De Long — the mother of his orphan child — with any 
idea of affecting your judgment. You will acquit me of such a motive. 
But we would be less than human, and I most derelict as her counsel, 
were we to close the last scene of this sad drama without placing on the 
record a tribute to that womanly devotion to the memory and fair fame 
of her dead, which has borne this lady so bravely along through all the 
mazes and labyrinths that have been explored in your investigation. 
Day after day, week after week has she sat at this table through the 
long, weary hours, forcing back the grief of her pent-up sorrows lest the 
indulgence of a tear might even for a moment unnerve her in the de- 
fense of her loved one's honor. Modest of mien as becomes the gentle- 
woman, yet how bravely intent, watchful, and prompt to notice even 
the slightest departure from the true history of that fatal expedition, 
every line of which, recorded in the hand of her loved and lost husband, 
remains sacred and eternal in her memory. In this she has shown to 
us how weak the best efforts and study of the lawyer must ever be for 
the true defense of innocence compared with the devotion, love, and 
logic of a woman's heart. How much of assistance I owe to this lady in 
my poor attempt to defend the fair fame of her gallant husband, it is 
unnecessary for me to say. You have all seen how quick she has been 
to gently, yet most clearly, correct the many errors — even to us trivial 
ones — into which both counsel and witnesses most often stray. No 
doubt has she of the honor of that husband who died in the service of 
his country and science on the banks of the far distant Lena, for well 
she knows — 

* * * A truer, nobler, trustier heart, 
More loving or more loyal, never beat 
Within a human breast. 

Here was her strength — her love for that husband. A wife's best 
defense of a husband j a poet's noblest theme. How grand the lines of 
Byron : 

* * * I would not change 

My exiled, persecuted, mangled husband, 

Oppress'd, but not disgraced, crushed, overwhelm'd, 

Alive or dead, for prince or paladin 

In story or in fable, with a world 

To back his suit. Dishonored! he dishonored! 

I tell thee, doge, 't is Venice is dishonor'd. 



996 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Oh, sirs, how sublime is woman's trust! How true Is woman's love! 
It is the wife, sirs, who defends the memory and fair fame of De Long. 

She stood beside liim iu the spring-tide hour 
When Hymen lit with smiles the nuptial bow'r, 
A downcast, trembling girl, whose pulse was stirr'd 
By the least murmer, like a fnghtu'd bird; 
Timid and shrinking from each stranger's gaze, 
And blushing when she heard the voice of praise. 
She clung to him as some superior thing, 
And soar'd aloft upon his stronger wing! 

Now mark the change; behold a wife's devotion! How dauntless 
she braved the storm of calumny that would engulf her husband's fame! 
This 

Woman steps forth, and boldly braves the shock, 
Firm to his interests as the granite rock; 
She stems the wave, unshrinking meets the storm, 
And wears his guardian angel's earthly form! 
And if she cannot check the tempest's course, 
She points a shelter from its 'whelming force! 
When envy's sneer would coldly blight his fame, 
And busy tongues are sporting with his name. 
Who solves each doubt — clears every mist away, 
Aud makes him radiant in the face of day ? 
She who would peril fortune, fame, and life 
For man— the loved aud the devoted wife. 

There is nothing that remains beside but to compliment this commit- 
tee upon the result to which their labors have brought them, and upon 
the satisfaction with which they must contemplate the report which they 
will make in regard to this investigation, for they must say that this in- 
vestigation has failed utterly to prove one single charge; that there has 
not been one single act — not only that no one was subjected to every 
indignity and outrage, but that there was not one single act of indig- 
nity and outrage offered to anj^ member of the expedition by any other 
member; not oue single act that can be called such. If in the peril of 
the storm Mr. Newcomb was seized by one of his officers, has he not 
said that that officer was justified under the circumstances? That 
puts it beyond any criticism here. So we have here a record of which 
you all can be proud, and which I know will be a great satisfaction 
to you to report ; that not one siugle charge of any character or descrip- 
tion has been sustained. Even looking at the last accusation, see how 
Dr. Collins is affected by his peculiar idiosyncrasies, to use the word of 
Dr. Ambler, in which it shows he cannot go straight wherever he tries. 
Now 1 wish to call your attention to one single fact: 

That many of the witnesses, it is alleged by competent authority, were at the 
time dependent ui)on, under the jurisdiction of, aud afraid of the persecution of the 
Naval Department. 

There is not a particle of testimony to sustain that. The next is : 

That the offici.il stenographer of the court x>ublicly declared iu writing that im- 
portant and valuable testimony was suppressed, and that the proceedings of said court 
were calculated to cover uj) all matters relating to the expedition. 

If the official stenographer had said such a thing it would not have 
amounted to anything. But where is the evidence ? Is there the slightest 
evidence of anything of that kind '1 Here is a statement of Dr. Col- 
lins, which is reported by our official stenographer, in which he reads 
a letter to himself from Mr. Grant, who was tlie official stenograi)her 
of the Kaval court. But that is not a public declaration in writing. 
That was a private letter to him. That was not put in evidence. It 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 997 

was only read as a part of Dr. Collins' opening. But lie never proved 
it at all.' And I call your attention to this : That Mr. Grant was sub- 
poenaed to appear before this committee and that he was never called. 
He was here in Washington. He was here, 1 believe, in this committee 
room, but they never dared to put him on the stand, either to sub- 
stantiate that statement of Dr. Collins or to verify that statement which 
he had made, if he ever made it, to Dr. Collins. There is not, there- 
fore, one thing which is charged here as true that can be by any possi- 
bility made a reflection upon the conduct or the course of this 

Mr. Curtis. (Interposing.) I know you would be glad to have me 
correct you. The reason he was not called was this : I had a consulta- 
tion with the chairman in which I took the position that I did not think 
it was proper for me to use information that had been acquired in a con- 
fidential relation, and the chairman thought the same as I did ; that it 
would be an unprofessional act to use, although for a purpose in the 
petition, a person who had been in a confidential relation. 

Mr. ARNOUX. Now, whatever may be said in regard to that, he was 
subpoenaed. If this particular sensitiveness had manifested itself at 
the right time it seems to me he would never have been subpoenaed. It 
comes a little too late. Dr. Collins — and he is the responsibe party, 
for of course you are simply his counsel and he is responsible for what 
is done — had no such relation to him as made him have any such objec- 
tion to it being done and there was no need of any such delicacy. But 
Lieutenant Lemly came upon the stand and said this man was never 
present at any conference or any confidential conversation in the court. 
Now, if any person outside of the court and outside of his relation to 
the court had spoken to him he had a perfect right to tell that just as 
much as anybody else, and there was nothing that was confidential about 
it. Therefore I had a right to charge here and to ask you to determine 
that there was no evidence whatever to warrant any such charge being 
made and that the charge was not proven, and of course it is not neces- 
sary to say anything more, for the chairman himself the other day ex- 
pressed his opinion very freely upon that part of the case — that there 
had been no proof offered to the committee to sustain the charge made 
by Mr. Grant. 

Therefore, dividing the matter into three parts, which the counsel 
has done, and which the petition is susceptible of — first, criticism upon 
the conduct of the Court of inquiry, second, criticism uijon the expedi- 
tion in its management and in the conduct of its officers, and, third, in 
respect to the truth of history, whatever that may mean, you must lind 
that in all respects the Court of Inquiry acted correctly, arrived at 
proper conclusions, and that the charges made against the officers have 
not been sustained. 

You must confine yourselves to magna charta, the preamble and res- 
olutions. You have no authoritj^ to go beyond them. 

And confining yourselves to that, I will close in the language of the 
Secretary of the Navy: 

Occasion is also taken by me to assert tliat all aspersions contained in tbe petition of 
Dr. Collins, upon the heroic Lieut. -Commander George W. De Long, the untiring 
and intrepid Cliief Engineer George W. Melville, the faithful members of the Court 
of Inquiry, and the Navy Department, are untrue and unjust; and that it is in my 
opinion highly inexpedient as a second pitiless sacrilege, to again tear open the graves 
of the dead for the purpose of indecently calling public attention to what the Court 
of Inquiry correctly termed *' trivial difficulties, such as occur on shipboard even 
under the most favorable circumstances, and which had no influence in bringing 
about the disasters of the expedition, and no pernicious effect upon its general con- 
duct." 



ARGUMENT OF HON. GEORGE M. CURTIS 



THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NAVAL AFFAIRS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRE- 
SENTATIVES HAVING IN CHARGE THE JEANNETTE INQUIRY AT WASH- 
INGTON, D. C, MONDAY, MAY 19, 1884, IN BEHALF OF THE PETITIONER, 
DR. DANIEL F. COLLINS. 

Mr. Curtis said : 

May it please the Chair: 

The learned counsel who has addressed the committee asserted that 
the position of the petitioner in this matter was that of the ghoul who 
desired to unearth the dead and fatten upon his body. That assertion 
is not warranted by the proofs before this committee. The petitioner 
desires no dead man censured, no dead man made the subject of con- 
demnation. He is here to vindicate the dead from aspersion and charges. 
That Is the motive that has animated him from the beginning. Before 
the fate of this expedition had been ascertained, the mother of the pe- 
titioner, on her dying bed, requested that the body of her child, Jerome 
J. Collins, be buried with her in Ireland. The body of Jerome J. Col- 
lins was taken from the scene of his martyrdom, in its frozen shroud, 
and now lies in the soil of his fathers. 

Jerome J. Collins was born in Ireland. On his mother's side he was 
the descendant of a distinguished Irish family that has given warriors 
and statesmen to continental service for two centuries. He himself was 
a man of culture, of a sensitive temperament, of a courageous soul, and 
the only motive that Dr. Collins has had in this investigation from the 
beginning is to vindicate the memory of his brother from the aspersion 
cast upon it by these charges, w'hich are matters of record. 

My learned friend seems to believe that assumption is proof of fact, 
and he conducted his argument apparently upon that theory. That 
sentiment is best illustrated, perhaps, by an anecdote of Mr. Lincoln. 
A popular writer says : 

Mr. Lincoln had a higli admiration for tlie abilities of Mr. Douglas, and afterward 
was glad to have his aid in behalf of the Union, and commissioned him a major-gen- 
eral ; but he thought him in debate and in politics adroit and of an amazing audacity. 
*' It is impossible," said he, "to get the advantage of him. Even if he is worsted he 
so bears himself that the people are bewildered and uncertain as to who has the bet- 
ter of it." "When I," said Thucydides, ''in wrestling have thrown Pericles and given 
him a fall, by persisting that he had no fall he gets the better of me, and makes the 
bystanders, in spite of their own eyes, believe him." 

Now, it seems to me that the whole effort of the learned counsel was, 
by an assumption of facts that were not proven in the record, to mislead 
the minds of the committee from the issue before it. That issue is de- 
fined in the petition, and to it I shall endeavor to address myself ex- 
clusively. The first point in the petition is : 

First. That in the month of July, 1879, Jerome J. Collins, then a citizen of the United 
States, and director of the New York Herald weather service, joined the United States 
Arctic steamer Jeannette, in the capacity of meteorologist and correspondent of the 
New York Herald. 

999 



1000 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Is there any doubt of the proof of the first point ? Has there been 
any contention throughout this investigation that the first point is not 
established ! I will briefly allude to that which is conclusive in the 
proof in relation to it. We introduced into the evidence an order from 
Captain De Long to Mr. Collins, describing his position, defining his 
duties, and directing him to do certain things. In the record of the 
Board of Inquiry, at page 323, api^ears the second part of the memoran- 
dum of Captain De Long, and it is a report to the Secretary of the K avy, 
in which he uses this language in speaking of Mr. Collins : 

It may be unnecessary, but I would here state that this gentleman was never spoken 
of or referred to in any way as a seaman; that he lived and messed with me in the 
cabin, as did the officers of the Navy; that he had a room assigned him in the ward- 
room, and in every manner he received from the crew the respect paid to an officer. 

That must be deemed conclusive; that must be deemed controlling. 
Why, then, the necessity of introducing the articles signed by Mr. Col- 
lins? Why, then, the necessity of urging upon this committee the pre- 
posterous proposition that having signed these articles he became, to 
all intents and purposes, a seaman, to be governed by the usual rules 
and regulations of the Navy? 

In addition to that there is an abundance of proof before this com- 
mittee that it was the declaration of Captain De Long himself that both 
Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb, while they signed those articles as mat- 
ter of form, were in no manner or degree considered or treated as sea- 
men. The legal reason for the signing of those articles is apparent. It 
was to conform to a rule and regulation of the Navy as prescribed by a 
law of Congress. I do not think I would be justified in dwelling long 
ux^on the first point of the petition, because in the language of Captain 
De Long in his report, because in the designation which he himself gave 
to Mr. Collins, because of the universal testimony in that regard, there 
can be little doubt in the minds of the committee that Mr. Collins's mis- 
sion on board that ship and in connection with that expedition was 
special in its character. Therefore I assume that the first point is es- 
tablished. 

Second. That on and after the month of September, 1879, the said Jerome J. Col- 
lins was, with other members of the expedition, treated with every indignity and out- 
rage, even to being deprived of all the scientific instruments and appliances of his 
position as meteorologist of the expedition ; that he was prevented from performing 
the i)roi3er work and duties of his office. 

Now, in relation to the second point, I will confine myself to the his- 
tory of the expedition as it concerns Mr. Collins. Before the Board of 
Inquiry there was admitted, although confessedly according to the 
report of that Board of Inquiry the treatment and conduct of Mr. Col- 
lins were not in controversy before it, a memorandum; and as it em- 
bodies the gist of the differences between Mr. Collins and Captain De 
Long, I shall take the liberty of reading it in extenso. This is the mem- 
orandum : 

The following is the statement of an occurrence this day, in which Mr. Collins 
treated me with such disrespect as to cause me to relieve him from all duty in the 
ship, and to inform him that upon the return of the vessel to the United States I 
would roi)ort him to the Secretary of the Navy. My order in relation to daily exer- 
cise required everybody (except sick and the man on watch) to leave the ship at 11 
a. m. and remaiji out of her on the ice until 1 p. m. ; of course, it has been understood 
that Mr. Collins should come on board at noon to make and record in the slate the 
meteorological observations for that hour; but I have observed on several occasions 
of late that he seemed to remain on board much longer than such duty required. 

I had considerable trouble last winter in getting Mr. Collius to comply with the 
order in regard to daily exercise; his delay in getting out of bed, his requiring time 
for his breakfast when up and dressed, and so forth, making it 11.30 a. m. before he 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1001 

made his appearance on the ice. I pointed out to him the failure to obey my order, 
remonstrated with him on his repeating the ofifense, insisted on my order being 
obeyed, and finally secured a literal compliance with it, although, as he informed me, 
he had his own opinion of the wisdom or necessity for such an order, or other words to 
that effect. 

It will occur to you at this point that it is not contended even by 
Captain De Long that with reference to this part of the charge Mr. 
Collins persisted in his conduct after reproof, but that he conformed to 
Captain De Long's order in that regard, although he stated to Captain 
De Long his opinion in reference to it. 

To-day, at 12.10 p. m., I went into the cabin to see why he remained so long and at 
the same time to close my air-port, and found he had removed his coat, had lighted 
and was smoking his pipe, and, while writing in the port-chart room, was carrying 
on a conversation with Mr. Danenhower. I said nothing, and returned to the ice. 
At 12.20 p. m., as he had not yet come out, I went again to the cabin and found him 
at the stove adjusting his gloves and continuing the conversation before referred to. 
The following is the substauce of the ensuing talk. 

Now, what follows, may it please the chair, is the gravamen of the offense 
that he committed; is the gravamen of the offense that was punished by 
the suspension of eighteen months, and that was only ended by his death. 

Captain De Long goes on : 

I asked Mr. Collins, " Has it required all this time to make the record of the 12 
o'clock observations ?" 
He replied, '' Well, sir, I hardly know the meaning of your question." 

Is there anything disrespectful in that ; anything disobedient in that ? 

I said, " The meaning of my question is this : Is it necessaiy for you in order to 
make and record the 12 o'clock observations to remove your coat until 12.20 p. m. ?" 

He answered curtly, "Well, perhaps I might have done it quicker, but I did not 
know my minutes were counted for me." 

I said in substance, '* I have seen fit to issue an order that everybody should go on 
the ice from 11 to 1, and your coming in the cabin and remaining until 12.20 is a 
violation of my order that 1 will neither submit to nor permit you to continue. I 
have noticed for several days that you were longer than necessary in taking the noon 
observations, and to-day I satisfied myself on the subject." 

So far as that language was concerned, who was the aggressor *? Is 
not the language that of a person desiring to precipitate an altercation 
or an issue f 

Listen to the reply : 

He replied, ^' Oh, very well; if you are satisfied, of course, I have nothing to say. 
I was not aware (or "I did not know") it was necessary to follow me up." 

I asked, "What do you mean by that ?" 

He said, " 1 mean that in taking me to task as you do you are doing me a great 
injustice." 

Is there anything, can there be anything in the rules or regulations 
of the Navy, or in the public law, or in the principles that govern the 
intercourse of man and man, that prevents a person giving utterance to a 
denial when he is unjustly accused, or declaring that injustice has been 
done him ? 

I said, "As this matter has gone so far it must go further. Be good enough to re- 
move your coat and sit down." 

Up to this time, may it please the chair, who has been the aggressor? 

When seated I continued, "Mr. Collins, a representation to me of injustice has only 
to be made in proper language ta secure you all the justice you want. But I do not 
like your manner or bearing in talking with me." 

He finds no fault with the language. 

" You seem to assume " 



1002 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

That is a couclusion. 

" That you are to receive uo correction, direction, or dictation from me; that your 
view of an occurrence is always to be taken, and that if I differ from you it is my 
misfortune, but of no importance to the result." 

He commenced, " I came here supposing" 

(Interrupted) *' Never mind that part of it. You are here in fact and we will deal 
with the fact." 

He resumed, *' I do not like the tone or manner in which you speak to me and the 
way in which I am taken to task." 

I replied, " I have a perfect right to say what I say to you." 

He said, ''I acknowledge only the rights given you by naval regulations." 

Could he possess more f 

Is it claimed that he had more ? 

I inquired, " Do you mean to imply that I am doing contrary to naval regulations?" 

He said, "I mean to say that you have no right to talk to me as you do." 

I replied, ''You should not have disobeyed my orders" (1). 

He said, ''I will not admit such an assertion. I have always carried out your in- 
structions" (2). 

I inquired, "Do you undertake to contradict me, Mr. Collins, and to say I am as- 
serting what is not so ?" 

He replied (3), "I mean to say, my dear sir, that I have not disobeyed (" or violated") 
your order" (4). 

Was it necessary to protect himself from the charge of disrespect or 
disobedience that he should admit that he had committed an offense? 

I said, ''But, Mr. Collins, I say you have disobeyed (or violated) my order" (5). 

He promptly and emphatically replied, "I say I have not" (6). 

I said, " Great allowance has been made fur your ignorance of naval regulations, 
yourjiosition in the ship, and your being so situated for the first time. But you must 
remember that the commanding officer is to be spoken to in a respectful manner and 
with respectful language, and you do not seem to attend to either particular." 

He rei)licd, " I treat the commauding officer of this ship with all the respect due to 
him as the head of the expedition, but when he charges me with violating an order 
(7), I say I have not" (8). 

I said, " Do you suppose you will be permitted to talk to me in that way? Are 
you beside yourself f" 

He replied, "Not at all; I am perfectly calm and collected and know what I say." 

I went on : " When I say remaining in the cabin as you did to-day you violate my 
orders, you continue to contradict me." 

He answered, " When you say (9) I have violated an order, I say I have not." 

Now, that is the basis of the charge made against Mr. Collins by 
Captain De Long. The report on the succeeding page is in itself an 
argument based undoubtedly upon the construction that Captain De 
Long put upon the conversation which I liave just read. I challenge 
any person to produce in the rules and regulations of the Navy of the 
United States, or of any civilized country on the earth, a principle that 
strips a man of his manhood, that condemns a man to the admission of 
a fault in peril that he will be charged with disrespect if he denies it. 

The Cpiairman. Now, I do not want to interrupt, but this is a very 
important point in this investigation — very important indeed, so far as 
the conduct of Captain De Long and Mr. Collins toward each other is 
concerned. The question here now is whether, taking that report for 
true — that is, that this order was given and his returning on board at 
12 o'clock, wMiich he had a right to do — whether there was a violation 
of the order or not. That is the main question. 

Mr. Curtis. 1 was about to discuss that. Mj^ first assumption was 
that, conceding that all that Captain De Long says in that memoran- 
dum to be true, there has been no such violation of an order as would 
subject Mr. Collins to the suspension or the arrest under which he suf- 
fered till his death. Now, may it please the chair, this committee has 
a solemn responsibility, and it is to determine whether, under the cir- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1003 

cumstances that Mr. Collins joined that expedition, he was to be treated 
in the manner we claim that he was on this expedition. But, irrespect- 
ive of these considerations, there is no i:)roof whatcA^er, and I challenge 
the record to show, that Mr. Collins intentionally disobeyed any order 
of Captain De Long's, or that he did not, after his attention being called 
to the order of Captain De Long in reference to any particular alleged 
fault, observe the order afterwards. 

And now that 1 am upon that topic I will refer to the evidence. It 
is a little outside of the system and the arrangement that I had pro- 
posed myself, but I at no time have any objection to being questioned ; 
on the contrary, I desire to have the committee put any question that 
seems pertinent and controlling. 

i^ow, as far as we can gather from all the persons connected with the 
expedition, what were the offenses charged against Collins ? First, 
the charge that he had left the vessel to pursue a bear ; that after that 
occurrence it was called to his attention that there was an order issued 
forbidding any person to leave the ship unless by express authority. 
In the language both of Melville and Danenhower, substantially, he 
observed that order. What was the other oft'ense charged '^ And now 
I am assuming that this conversation was the culmination of some ill 
feeling between Mr. Collins and Captain De Long; what was the other 
offense charged*? That he did not give the morning salutation, to use 
the language of Danenhower. Danenhower admits, however, that he 
was particular in saluting Captain De Long, and that at no time was 
he guilty of want of respect to Captain De Long in that particular. 
Those two, substantially outside of the charge of his want of jjuuctu- 
ality in aijpearing upon the ice, are the offenses committed by Collins 
that must have resulted in this conversation, and you may search the 
whole record from the beginning to the end, and you will find that all 
that is alleged against Collins by Danenhower, or suggested by Mel- 
ville, is of the same puerile juvenile character of this memorandum. 

Now, undoubtedly there was some want of harmony on board that 
ship. I have my theory about it -, others may have theirs. Whether 
it was a jealousy of the scientific attainments of Mr. Collins it Is not 
for me to determine ; it is for the committee. But the proof showed 
that Mr. Collins believed for some reason or other that there was a hos- 
tile feeling against him on the part of the officers of the expedition. 
Danenhower says that he was sensitive in reference to Irish songs that 
were sung by Melville. Danenhower says, perceiving that he was sen- 
sitive on that subject, he induced Melville to sing those songs. But 
whatever the cause of the feeling was, it was of such little importance 
in itself that under no circumstances, it seems to me, could the treat- 
ment that Collins subsequently received be justified. 

Kow, you are not sitting here as a board of inquiry. You are sitting 
here as the representative of the people. This is not an inquiry con- 
ducted under naval rules and regulations. This is an inquiry con- 
ducted outside of that for reasons that were apparent to Congress when 
this resolution was passed, and you are not to be governed by the same 
rules and regulations that would obtain in an inquiry before a naval 
board. The position that we take in reference to this second point of 
the petition is this : that, considering the position occupied by Mr. 
Collins on board that ship in relation to that exi3edition, the charges 
on which he was suspended were entirely insufficient to justify the 
treatment that he received. There is no question about the fact that 
he was suspended, and from the moment of his suspension down to the 
time of his death he was not permitted to aid either in the safety of 



1004 JEANNETTE INQUIRY 

himself or of others of the expedition j aud if it shall be determined 
by this committee that on charges of that character a suspension was 
justifiable, by means of which his death might have resulted, by means 
of which the lives of himself and his compauions were put in peril, it 
will be establishing a precedent, it seems to me, in this country of a 
most dangerous character. 

The second poiut goes on to say, "even to being deprived of all the 
scientific instruments and appliances of his position as meteorologist 
of the expedition ; that be was i)re vented from performing the i)rope^ 
work and duties of his office." 

Well, now, that memorandum of Captain De Long is, as I stated at 
an early day in the history of this investigation, '' a voice from the 
grave." But at page 153 you will see the letter written by Collins, 
which, in my judgment, throws a flood of light upon the causes of dif- 
ference between Captain iJe Long and Mr. Collins. It is the last wail 
of a broken heart. He says — and it is of so much importance that I 
shall take the liberty of reading it : 

Dear Sir: I return herewith the slips on which you require the numbers of the 
thermometers, duly raarked. A maximum must be supplied from one of the pocket 
cases, as the one I had was broken during the storm on our voyage from St. Michael's 
to St. Lawrence Bay. A '' black bulbinair" (max.) we have not. Permit me to ex- 
press some surprise that the occupant of the position of meteorologist on this expedi- 
tion does not come under the operation of your strict rule of " official courtesy," a 
respect for which, in all transactions, you requested with so much emphasis a little 
while ago. The contemptnous disregard for my personal feeling as a member of the 
expedition, exhibited in several ways and from time to time by yourself and your fel- 
low officers, I can well aftbrd to pass as unworthy of notice, but in my capacity as an 
employee of Mr. Bennett, and a recognized entity of the official personnel of the expe- 
dition by the Hon, the Secretary of the Navy, I regard every act of discourtesy, offi- 
cial and personal, as an infringement on my rights, expressed or implied, by the fact 
of my appointment. 

As a new year of work is about to begin for me, it is of vital importance to me, in 
many ways, that I should understand the position I am to occux)y in relation to tliat 
work, to you and to the other gentlemen associated with you. I liave been aware from 
the commencement that the standing you were willing to accord anj' civilian ap- 
pointed to take part in the scientific work of the expedition "as a mere acces- 
sory," to use the expression you employed to the reporter of the Washington Post, in 
April, 1879, when iuterviewed by him. This was the way in which you endeavored 
to give place to the statement that all scientific work required would be done by^the 
officers of the Navy. Mr. Bennett, when asked about this, said " you must have been 
misreported.^' Mr. Connery remarked, with some indignation, that you never used 
such language. On these assurances from gentlemen who knew you, as they believed, 
I decided to come on the expedition, fully expecting to feel at home with a number 
of men who were said to be incapable of selfishness and injustice. 

When at San Francisco it was easy for you to tell me that you intended to do thus 
and so regarding the particular work I was sent to do, aud which came under the 
general head of physics. A competent man was employed to take charge of the col- 
lection, &c., of natural history and ethnological specimens. I was introduced by 
yourself and othersof the officers to peoi)lc in San Francisco as a person specially devoted 
to researches in physical science for the expedition. At the Academy of Sciences I made 
someramblingremarks,wliichlbasedontliesupi)ositionthat I was something more than 
"a mere accessory." Nothing in your conversation gave me any grounds for be- 
lieving otherwise, although you had ample opportunity to enlighten me, until during 
a general conversation held in your rooms at the Palace Hotel, in the course of which 
'interviewing" by reporters came up for discussion; you indorsed a lady's statement 
that the Washington Post interview was most faithfully ami accurately reported, 
and that your very words Avere used, although the reporter did not appear to take 
any notes. In a moment I saw I was in a trap. Not one set by you, for you did not 
want anybody but Navy peoplj with you, as your manner of acting plainly showed 
from the start, aye, from the first day I met you at the "Herald" office. The trap 
was set by circumstances which will deceive any man who, trusting unreservedly to 
the good nature of others, devotes himself to an enteri)rise in which he hopes for 
honor or i)rofit, or both. I hoped for honor in coming to the Arctic, and also for 
l)rofitable information. I volunteered to come, leaving behind me a happy home, 
kind and true friends and companions, and many of the things that make life worth 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1005 

liviDg. I volunteered on what was believed to be an enterprise full of danger, and 
herein lies the big tooth of the trap. I could not, under any circumstances, for any 
cause almost, retreat from my post without incurring the slur of cowardice, which 
you know would be too readily cast on any one who backed out at the last moment. 
Although I foresaw from the start that I was betrayed into a false position by my 
inconsiderate acceptance of assurances, given almost without consideration, that I 
would not be treated as a '' mere accessory," I could not retreat. Had you told me 
the day before we sailed that I w^as to live in the forecastle, and have the work of an 
ordinary seaman, if I could do it, instead of being treated as a member of the cabin 
mess, I doubt if I could have gone back. You had and have in your power to heap, 
or permit to be heaped, any amount of disrespect upon me, socially or officially, and 
I was, and am, as a man with his hands tied. Under the circumstances I cannot re- 
taliate ; I can only resent by silence. Three several times you have threatened me 
with an exaction of obedience, "if it took every man on the ship," in the discussion 
of purely supposititious cases of discipline. When I laid before you the facts of one 
or two cases in which I felt aggrieved by others, you became at once the apologist of 
one party and did not wdsh to hear anything about the other. Lately things have 
been going on rushingly. In my official capacity I am to infer by the withdrawal of 
several instruments from time to time that I have either neglected or do not possess 
the ability to use them. First, the magnetic instruments, one by one ; then photo- 
graphic apparatus, which was specially given in my charge, and to which all had 
free access by the exercise of your important " official courtesy." Then I was ordered 
to have four "six's" (thermometers) ready for use. I got these ready and requested 
of you that when they were to be used I would be present, as fixing them was a slow 
and difficult job. You said, "Certainly, Mr. Collins." But in some time after, and 
long after, you gave me, through Mr. Chipp, to understand that the deep-water tests 
suspended last fall by your order would be resumed. You told me to turn over to you 
the salinometer, &c., as you wanted to make some experiments with the sea- water. 
I found next day that you had resumed the water tests, and that I was wholly ig- 
nored in connection with them, notwithstanding your " Certainly, Mr. Collins." I 
tv^as directed to give Dr. Ambler the Damets hygeometer, which I did. I don't believe 
he has used it since. No such exx)lanation such as kindly courtesy would suggest has 
been given to me, no more than if I was a lamp-trimmer in the fire-room. Yet, if I 
wanted a little hot water to make tea for my luxurious breakfast during the mid- 
watch, official courtesy demands that I must go to Mr. Melville about it. Don't you 
suppose I am as sensitive as yourself, or Melville, or anybody else, when I am treated 
with official discourtesy ? You think you can do with me as you please now and 
laugh at me in the future. You are making a mistake common to men of your dis- 
position and habits of self-complacency. 

What I have to say upon that point is this : So far as this record dis- 
closes as between the two, you have the charges of DeLong in the mem- 
orandum and you have the answer of Mr. Collins in this last letter, and 
so far as the veracity of either is concerned I am wiUing to concede 
that one is equal to the other, hut so far as this record is concerned 
those memoranda involved the charges, and so far as this record is con- 
cerned this letter involves the answer. And here the committee, in 
passing upon this question in the absence of the aid that any extra- 
neous evidence would give them, have to take implicitly the charges of 
De Long as true and to deny that the answer of Collins is true. Where 
is the principle for that *? On what ground do you place De Long, so 
far as the question of veracity is concerned, higher than Mr. Collins f 
In this investigation there is no aristocracy of heroism, there is no ex- 
clusiveuess of valor, there is no distinction in sorrow, there is no isola- 
tion in tears. Each and every one of that expedition stands before 
the law and before the country upon the same ground. And I submit 
that it was not the desire of Dr. Collins for notoriety that produced this 
investigatioD, as uujustly charged by the learned counsel, but it was 
the fact that there was spread for evermore upon the records of the 
Kaval Department of this couutry a memorandum involving charges 
that concerned the fame and good name of the unfortunate departed, 
and instead of our being charged with a desire to unearth the dead and 
fatten upon its body, covertly, iusidiously, without a principle of law 
to justify it, that memorandum of charges was submitted to the Board 
of Inquiry and the reputation of that uufortunate man assailed. Do 



1006 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

you remember that when Lieutenant Lemby was upon the stand I put 
to him this question 1 He stating that the reason why certain interrog- 
atories were not put that a i)rinciple of law prevented it, that those in- 
terrogatories involved simply hearsay evidence, I said to Lieutenant 
Lemly, " Turn to page 320 and tell me by what principle of the law of 
evidence laid down by Greenleaf, Phillips, or Starkie, or any text author, 
you admitted that." He was unable to answer. On the contrary, he 
said he knew no such principle. Now, then, Mr. Chairman, you are a 
lawyer, you are a just and impartial man, and I believe that you sir se- 
renely above the extraordinary intiuences that surround this investiga- 
tion. I believe there is no power, no patronage, no influence, social, 
political, or personal, that can assail you, and I ask you is it not in evi- 
dence that as between Captain De Long and Mr. Collins the issue is 
directly made by the memorandum of Captain De Long and the letter 
of Mr. Collins, and if so by what principle do you decide against Mr. 
Collins, and if so by what principle will you attacli more weight, more 
consideration to the memoranda of Captain De Long than to the answer, 
the letter of Mr. Collins ? It is not denied that these instruments were 
taken from Mr. Collins. By whom was this expedition fitted out *? By 
the munificence of a private gentleman, or rather a journalist. Who 
designated Mr. Collins for the position he occupied in relation to that 
expedition ? Mr. Bennett. And why ? Because Mr. Bennett had the 
same opinion of him that other scientific men in this land and in the old 
country had, that he, above all men, was fitted to discharge the duties of 
the special mission that was intrusted to him, and I doubt whether there 
is a man in this country, scientific or otherwise, that possessed higher 
testimonials to his merit, capacity, and conduct than Mr. Collins. He 
was sent there, I say, on a special mission. In his charge was this ap- 
paratus. It is not contended that it was not taken from him. The con- 
tention is that it was taken from him for a cause. 

Let us inquire into that. But before I come to that point, as the 
thought now strikes my mind, and it may escape, I wish to do justice 
here and now, in the language of Captain De Long, to a most worthy 
man and most efficient seaman w^ho, in my judgment, has been unjustly 
aspersed, and that is Mr. Ninderman, and this is the last document that 
I shall read. The committee were asked in the argument of Mr. Ar- 
noux to discredit, among others, Mr. Ninderman. Well, I appeal from 
Mr. Arnoux to Cai)taiu De Long. I appeal from Mr. Arnoux to the 
proof in this record. I appeal from IMr. Arnoux to the history of Niu- 
derman in that expedition. I appeal from Mr. Arnoux to the unani- 
mous sentiment in his behalf uttered by almost every one on this stand. 

And if it be true that he did, before the Board of Inquiry, for the char- 
itable purpose that he stated, conceal the truth in an immaterial matter, 
I now declare that such laxity in his evidence was the direct result of 
the system that prevails in those tribunals, and no greater evidence 
covdd be had of the inefficient inquiry of the naval authorities than the 
unanimous statement of these seamen that before that tribunal they 
were afraid to open their mouths. You will find on page 317 of the 
Record of the Board of Inquiry this tribute to Ninderman : 

U. S. Arctic Steamer Jeannette, 

Lat. N. 75" 15'. Long. E. 171° 38', 

Arctic Ocean, March 20, 1881. 
Hon. Secretary of the Navy, 

Washington, I). C: 
Sir : I have tbe honor to report to yon the lieroic conduct of Alfred Sweetmau (sea- 
man) and of William F. C. Ninderman (seaman), and to recommend them as worthy 
of medals of honor. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1007 

Upon the 19th of January, 1880, this vessel, beset and drifting in thepack-ice of the 
Arctic Ocean, was, in consequence of severe pressure and straining in a disruption 
and upheaval of the ice-fields, seriously injured and caused to leak, water pour- 
ing into her, forward, at the rate of four thousand gallons per hour. Such a disaster 
threatened our being forced to abandon the ship and suffer exposure to a temperature 
of minus 50° in an attempt to reach the mainland of Siberia, then [blank] miles dis- 
tant. These two men for sixteen days labored in the forepeak, standing in water 
frequently above their knees, and at a freezing temperature, stufting oakum, tallow, 
plaster, cement and ashes among the frames, building an extra water-tight bulkhead 
to stop the rush of the incoming water, and in every other way endeavoring to lessen 
the leak. During the whole of this time these men were almost without any rest, 
and often were unable to take their regular meals. Commonly they continued at 
work all day and half the night, and frequently passed even a greater portion of the 
twenty-four hours in their exhausting and hazardous employment. Circumstances 
prevented their being replaced by others as a partial relief, and their own zeal and 
devotion to duty were such that they would not give up until their task was crowned 
with success. Without this self-sacrificing labor wo would have been forced to con- 
tinue steam-pumping on a large scale, which would have soon consumed our fuel, or 
to resort to haud-pumijing, which would have exhausted the crew. But thanks to 
the efforts of these two men the leak was so decreased that w^e were able during the 
[blank] that elapsed, before our being set free from our imprisonment, to keep it un- 
der control by a limited expenditure of fuel and the employment of a small amount 
of hand-pumping. 

That this exposure and toil did not result in the permanent breaking down of 
health is a matter of wonder and also of thankfulness, and I feel I am doing but sim- 
ple justice to Alfred Swef^tman and William F. C. Ninderman in bringing the forego- 
ing facts to your knowledge and requesting the recognition they so eminently deserve. 
Yours, respectfully, 

GEO. W. DE LONG, 
Lieutenant, U. S. Navy, Commanding. 

What does the learDed gentleman say, if he has read that testimonial, 
to the aspersion that he cast upon Ninderman? Why, here we had it 
out of three mouths that on an occasion that is cited, that is so graphic- 
ally described, he was the instrumentality through Providence of sav- 
ing the ship. Ah, but it is said, in reference to Ninderman, that he has 
peculiar ideas in theology. I could understand such a proposition as 
that being entertained when Catholics and Protestants butchered each 
other in the Netherlands in the name of the Prince of Peace. I could 
understand such a proposition as that being advanced when Calvin 
burned Servetus at the stake. But in the nineteenth century of prog- 
ress, of civilization, and of freedom of opinion, that it should be seriously 
contended because a man is able enough and has courage enough to 
declare that in religious sentiment he differs with his neighbor, that he 
should not be believed, is more than I can comprehend. I differ with 
Mr. Ninderman in his peculiar belief. I believe, as I stated the other 
day, in the Christian Revelation, in the Divinity of Jesus, and I believe 
that when the trials and the disappointments of this life are over it is 
upon the Master, and the Master alone, we must lean for forgiveness, 
happiness, and peace. But because he believes differently from me, be- 
cause he believes differently from many millions on this planet, is it to 
be said that his evidence is not to be received, when in its component 
parts, in all that is valuable, so far as other testimony is concerned, it 
is corroborated in all particulars ? 

But to return to this second point. I say it is not denied that these 
instruments were taken from Collins. What is the excuse given for it, 
or rather what is the excuse that is intimated or suggested 1 You will re- 
member that from the earliest hours of this investigation until the close 
of the proof Mr. Danenhower and Mr. Melville, who are represented by 
the same counsel, sat here listening to the evidence, the arguments of 
counsel, and the propositions that were advanced. And I have this to 
say in reference to Melville, that he is mentally so constructed that he 



1008 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

is an extraordiuary and a remarkable man, and in that wonderful ora- 
tion tbat he delivered here under oath from half past ten in the morn- 
ing until six at night I have never witnessed in my experience more 
physical and mental endurance. His perception was quick, his memory 
was great. He knew every point in the case that it was necessary to 
cover, and he endeavored to do it. But a little further on I shall show 
you that the chief pillar upon which resistance to this petition rests — 
Melville — is contradicted by Melville, and so, in point of fact, that ex- 
traordinary exhibition of mental and physical endurance is without 
avail. 

But how do they excuse,! say, the taking away of these instruments'? 
Danenhower hints that he was unable to use the photographic appa- 
ratus. Somewhere in this record you will find, I think, a statement that 
in addition to his other accomplishments Mr. Collins had learned to use 
the photographic apparatus with skill and efficiency. What is the test 
with Danenhower! He failed to make the picture of the bear or the 
bear scene. How did it turn out! What was the cause of the failure? 
The cause of the failure was that there was no proj^er developer. So 
much with regard to the photographic apparatus. 

Melville's testimony in that regard is substantially the same. But 
you must read this record, for time does not permit me to analyze it in 
detail, and you will find that wherever an experiment with the photo- 
graphic or even the electric apparatus failed it was not due to any inca- 
pacity or want of knowledge on the part of Collins, but it was due directly 
to some inherent defect in the apparatus, or the effect of the elements ui)on 
it. Is that an excuse? True, he was not struck a blow ; true, to use the 
language of the chairman, he was not stricken with a club. I now can 
see, perhaps, what was running in the mind of the chairman when he 
put that question. But he was unjustly treated. He was stricken more 
terribly than if he had received a blow. There are some natures so 
constituted that it requires physical violence to arouse them. There 
are some natures that resent nothing in the way of violence that is not 
physical. But there are other natures, sir, so sensitive, so cultured, that 
ill treatment, a deprivation of rank, a wrong in connection with char- 
acter, is more deadly than the deadliest blow, and that was his case. 
He was sent there, as he sa^^s in the language of his extraordinarj^ let- 
ter, for a special purpose. He went there, his heart bounding high 
with hope. He was ambitious with the rest. He supposed he would 
advance the interests of science, and he supposed that on his return he 
would reap the reward of his labors. He supposed that this depart- 
ment of the expedition would be under his control, and he had a right 
to believe it. It was so understood, and when, for these causes, real or 
imaginary, his instruments were taken from him and he was subjected 
to this daily silent abuse, then the spirit of the man was broken. It 
is not necessary that a man should be stricken with a club to be de- 
stroyed. It is not necessary that physical violence should be used in 
order to break one's heart. More terrible to a sensitive nature like his 
was the treatment he received. Supposing everything in that mem- 
oranda to be true; supposing everything Captain He Long urged 
against him be true ; what does it amount to ? W^ould you correct a 
child upon such causes? Did it justify his suspension for eighteen 
months ? Did it justify this eternal fettering of his action? Did it jus- 
tify the command and dictation, ^' You shall not be allowed to save your 
own life, nor the lives of your associates, but you shall remain under 
suspension, whatever shall be the result of this expedition, until we get 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1009 

back to the United States, or until deatL," whicli, after all, proved his 
best, his last, his only friend, " shall relieve yon." 

I say it is unprecedented in the history of all lands, it is unprece- 
dented in the history of the United States, that such conduct shall be 
tolerated by a committee appointed by the representatives of the peo- 
ple. Ay, it should never be permitted by the naval authorities them- 
selves. I would have you understand, Mr. Chairman, that so far as 
the treatment of common seamen is concerned, it has been advanced 
greatly within the last fifty years. In this city, not in this hall, but 
almost perhaps on this spot, Henry Clay, the great statesman of Ken- 
tucky, made the first effort for the enfranchisement of the American 
seamen. Can the grounds on which he urged it ever be forgotten? 
His eloquent idea for the rights of the seamen that they be treated 
like men and not like dogs will ever be remembered. A great page of 
the history of this country is filled wath the achievements of the Amer- 
ican l^Tavy. That great statesman recognized the fact that there should 
be the relation, of course, of superior and inferior, but he recognized 
the other principle that is instinctive m the human heart, that the 
American seamen, those who battle for the honor of the flag on the 
ocean, should be treated as men, and, so far as the exigencies of the serv- 
ice permit, treated like gentlemen. Why, we have heard here the most 
extraordinary statements in regard to the dignity of naval officers. 
Lieutenant Danenhower has stated what, under certain circumstances, 
he would do if he were displeased with the manner of a man, and I be- 
lieve a question was put to him during the investigation as to whether 
or not it would be proper for an officer under any circumstances to ac- 
knowledge that he was in error in his relation to the men. 

Why, Sir Cloudsley Shovel, originally a Quaker and cobbler, then a, 
common seaman in the British navy, rose to command it. He was not 
too great a man to ask xjardon of a common sailor when he found him- 
self in the wrong, and the same sentiment is true of the great Lord 
Nelson, and the i^ame x>rinciple is true of all great heroic characters of 
the world, military or naval. 

I say, then, that there was no excuse for taking away that apparatus, 
and the excuse suggested or intimated by Danenhower or Melville is 
totally unsupported by satisfactory evidence. I do not suppose that any 
member of this committee, however his feelings might run, would for a 
moment declare solemnly that he believed, in scientific attainments, 
either Mr. Danenhower or Melville was the equal of Mr. Collins. I say, 
then, in regard to the second point, that it is proven beyond question 
that he had been "deprived of all the scientific instruments and appli- 
ances of his position as meteorologist of the expedition"; that he was 
prevented from performing the proper works and duties of his office. 

Third. That on or about the end of the year 1879, and while the Arctic steamer 
Jeannette was held in the ice, the said Jerome J. Collins was placed under susi)eusiou 
or arrest by the commanding oflicer of the expedition, and that he ru^maincd so until 
he died of starvation and cold on the bank of the river Lena in Northern Siberia. 

That cannot be controverted. So, then, up to the fourth proposition, 
when the learned counsel declares that not one point has been estab- 
lished, it seems that all have been established beyond any controversy in 
the proof. And so fearful was he in reference to the second x^ reposition 
that he did not dare discuss it, no more than he dared discuss the ques- 
tion of the management of the retreat or the management of the expe- 
dition before the retreat. And here is a very significant circumstance. 
The country have been apprised that no foundation existed whatever 
for this petition, and that the petitioner was absorbing the time of this 
64 J Q* 



1010 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

committee and Congress, compelling the committee to listen to petty 
details of petty differences between the seamen, but in reference to the 
great questions which you were to pass upon he was silent. 

Now, this country has an interest to know whether that expedition was 
properly managed or not, and, as I said at the outset, I repeat (now that 
Mr. Bowlette has arrived), we are not here to ask any censure or con- 
demnation of the dead. That has never been our purpose. We are 
here to ask a vindication of the dead, and it is all that has brought us 
here. 

Dr. Collins's motives were aspersed. I look with wonder upon that 
man who, against discouragements of every kind and character — dis- 
couragements that would have destroyed the hope and purpose of any 
ordinary man — has been enabled to bring this subject before Congress 
and its committee, and I was very sorrj' to hear my learned friend de- 
scend, as I thought, in the sentiment of desperate advocacy, to assail 
his motives in his relations with Mr. Bartlett. Now, I don't know that 
Mr. Bartlett is a saint, but I am quite sure that a careful perusal of this 
record by any one, however inimical to him, will satisf}^ the person who 
makes the perusal that he was an efficient seaman, that he was a heroic 
man, and, in the language of almost all who have been upon the stand, 
he was of great, abiding service to the expedition. 

Mr. Arnoux, in the course of the investigation, said dramatically to the 
committee, pointing to Mr. Bartlett and addressing him, "I give you 
notice that I intend to impeach your character." Well, naturally the 
chairman thought, as I did, that he intended to bring witnesses here to 
show that he was not a man of truth and veracity, that he could not be 
believed under oath. What a small mouse came out of that terrible 
mountain. They produced here a lieutenant in the Navy, Mr. Hunt, and 
he testified that he had had an altercation with Bartlett, in the Siberian 
country, in the course of which he had demonstrated his own pugilistic 
prowess in knocking him down. 1 regret that the young man was put on 
the stand; I regret that I was compelled to put certain questions to 
him that were made necessary by his attitude, and I sincerely trust 
that he will in no way be injured by the confession that he was forced 
to make. But on what did he base his charge against Bartlett! First, 
that there was a dispute about a gun which Bartlett claimed was his 
because he had paid 30 rubles for it. I said, addressing Mr. Hunt, 
*'Do you know that he had not paid 30 rubles for it!" ''No." 
"How can you say, then, it belonged to the Government!" "I heard 
so." The other cause of difference was that Bartlett claimed as his own 
a certain suit of clothes which Mr. Hunt asserted belonged to the Gov- 
ernment. The fact remains, as the result of the dispute, that Bartlett 
did not get the clothing, and the Government did. The only other 
occasion is this: He approached Lieutenant Hunt and asked him for 
an advance of 100 rubles. It was not claimed that he was not entitled 
to it. It is conceded that he was. And there is nothing in the language 
alleged to have been used by him on that occasion that justifies his 
ordering the arrest that subsequently took place. 

We are not here to panorama the manner and the bearing of men, be- 
cause that is impossible. This committee were not at the scene. It is 
impossible that this committee should have reviewed the manner and 
bearing of men as judges upon the bench view that of witnesses in tri- 
als, and you must be governed, not by the construction that witnesses 
interested in their character give to manner and demeanor of two or 
three years ago, and I submit that there was a total failure on the part 
of Mr. Arnoux to fulfill the promise he so dramatically gave to impeach 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1011 

in any way the character of Bartlett for truth and veracity, but, on the 
contrary, from the unwilling lips of Hunt himself came the admission 
that Bartlett w-as of great and beneficial service to those who were 
seeking to discover I)e Long and his party. 

Only one thing more in that connection remains for me to discuss. 1 
heard with great pain the seeming effort on the part of Mr. Arnoux to 
convince this committee that in the money transaction that took place 
between Bartlett and Collins, in the city of Eew York, there was the 
element of iiecuniary corruption, Dr. Collins haviog the desire, as ho 
urged indirectly, to control the testimony of Mr. Bartlett. 

What are the facts'? Dr. Collins stated to you in his examination 
that h(,' was induced to present this petition (a sacred privilege of an 
Aiiierican citiz( n from the earliest days of the Eepublic) by reason of 
intervievrs that he had had with various persons connected with the ex- 
pedition, and because he deemed it right to lay this tribute on the altar 
of his brother's memory. I ask, Mr. Chairman, you who are experienced 
in the affairs of men, you who are learned in the law, you who have par- 
ticipated in contests at the bar, you who have given judicial decisions 
from the bench, you who have been in public life, appointed for your 
known cai^acitj^ to be of this committee, was there anything in the 
character of that transaction, is there anything in the character of 
Dr. Collins himself, that justifies that most foul aspersion ^ As I said 
at the outset, Dr. Collins came here under particular circumstances. 
The last message of his dying mother was, as I stated, that if Jerome's 
body was ever recovered it might be buried with her in the land of their 
nativity; and among her last w^ords also v/as the injunction that he vin- 
dicate his memory if aspersed. The first trust imposed upon him he 
pioush^ carried out. The second trust that was imposed upon him he is 
endeavoring to carry out. Whatever the determination of this com- 
mittee may be in regard to the treatment of his brother, in regard to 
the management of that expedition, he will bow to its judgment. But 
is there a member of this committee so prejudiced, is there a member of 
this committee so biased as to believe for one moment that a character 
such as Dr. Collins has shown himself to be, a loyal, loving son, a loyal, 
loving brother, a man who has lelt his professional pursuits, who has 
sacrificed to a degree his own property, who has left his home and fam- 
ily, who has come to this distant city, pursuing through legitimate 
channels this investigation, is there a man on this committee that can 
for one moment say, here or hereafter, that there is one fact in connec- 
tion with Dr. Collins that typifies a corrupt nature? 

What are the facts? Bartlett was connected wdth this expedition. 
He was, as was testified, a most efficient member of it, and he performed 
on many occasions great and heroic services, and those services are un- 
willingly acknowledged by those who would disparage him. He was 
in the city of New York. He had not received then and has not yet 
received the wages that were due him. It was impossible for him to 
come to this city and maintain himself in attendance upon this com- 
mittee, because the compensation allowed by the committee would not 
be paid to him until alter that service was rendered and he was dis- 
charged 5 under those circumstances this loan of money was made to 
Bartlett, and for that purpose alone, and I say I regret that Mr. Arnoux 
should have deemed it necessary for the purpose of clinching any argu- 
ment that he might have made in the minds of this committee, to illus- 
trate it by the alleged attenipt of Dr. Collins to corrupt a witness. Dr. 
Collins has, as I said, performed the trust that his dying mother gave 
him. His brother sleeps in her arms in Paradise, and I believe if they 



1012 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

are conscious of what takes place here below they have seen nothiuf^- in 
his conduct unworthy of himself, his origin, or their eternal love. One 
word farther in regard to Mr. Bartlett. I think I have satisfactorily 
disposed of the alleged impeaching evidence against him. It is true 
That he stated upon the stand that lie had withheld on his examination- 
in-chief matters which he testified to afterwards, bat he gave us the 
reason He says that he was stimulated to return to the stand by the 
attack that had been made ui)on him in reference to the loan of money. 
That is not unnatural. Certainly that was not to be construed to his 
prejudice, and it must be reuiembered in this connection that there are 
a great many matters of fact connected with this expedition and its 
history that naturally would not be remembered by him unless recalled 
to his recollection. And there were a great many matters of fact con- 
nected with this expedition that ex necessatate rei were not within ray 
own personal knowledge or instruction nor in the personal knowledge 
or instruction of Dr. Collins, and under those circumstances it is not 
peculiar that as he sat through this invest igation, hearing the testimony 
of the different witnesses upon points that were specially suggested by 
Mr. Arnoux and his able assistant that a flood of recollection should be 
opened upon these topics and matters occur to him that before had 
been forgotten, and I say it is unjust to this heroic man that he should 
be adjudged one unworthy of belief because, as I shall demonstrate a 
little further on, in every essential particular of his narrative he is cor- 
roborated by Melville and by Danenhower. 

That may appear to the committee to be a strange assertion. Who 
can refuse to believe in an overruling Providence 1 Who can refuse to 
believe in his interposing hand f The witnesses that contradict Mel- 
ville and Danenhower, are Melville and Danenhower. When Melville 
and Danenhower were testifying, they were unconscious of the fact that 
Jackson was on the sea. They were unconscious of the fact that the 
statements that they were giving here with the enthusiasm and zeal 
that actuated them were in direct conflict with statements that thej^ 
had before given when the scenes and the occurrences connected with 
this expedition were fresh and vivid in their minds. I will speak of 
that topic further on. 

One word in regard to]N"ewcomb. I do not believe, as Judge Arnoux 
believes, nor as Dr. Collins believed, that Newcomb was an intentional 
perjurer. In the course of my experience as an advocate I have bad 
largely to do with cases that involved the human mind, and I believe 
that I am not merely charitable to Mr. Newcomb, but that I am stating 
the truth when I declare that his failure to remember what he had 
stated to others is due more to his want of recollection and the disturb- 
ance of his immediate understanding than to any depravity of his 
heart, and I am fortified in that belief from this fact, that within a half 
an hour before he was placed ui)on the stand he stated to me exactly 
what Dr. Collins swore he stated to him. My impression of Newcomb 
is this: that he was confused by the examination ; that he possesses 
that peculiar mental infirmity, want of recollection, that causes him to 
commit mistakes, the reason being that he is unable to control in his 
own mind the full scope of the question, and so firmly convinced was I 
of that fact that in a series of questions that 1 put to him on his re-ex- 
amination I think I eliminated the truth in that regard, because it was 
self evident. 

Now, one fact remains : That Melville and he did have an alterca- 
ton that the gun was there within twenty feet. Mr. Arnoux says 
there was no gun. One fact is that Mr. Newcomb did challenge him to 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1013 

shoot him if lie so desired, and the one other fact remains still that the 
cause of Melville's anger was not that there was an altercition between 
Mr. Newcomb and Cole, but that Mr. jN'ewcoiub had refused, as he had 
said, to obey his orders. Then it was that his anger mounted, and then 
it was that his peculiar ideas of naval rules and regulations (see the 
vast power you are giving to these men) justitied him, as he believed, 
in extreme conduct towards I^ewcomb. Whether M(^lville used the ex- 
act words detailed, whether the gun was in Melville's hand or not, is im- 
material. The fact is that, misled by passion, was he in condition to 
carrj' out liis threat f The proof on that is clear. 

And another thing : Lieutenant Danenhower says he took that poor 
miserable man and threw him down in the boat and choked him, and 
what was the excuse he gave for that ? Was there an,y justification for 
it "? I^ot to my mind, so far as I have been able to read the naval rules 
and regulations ; his conduct on that occasion would have been severely 
criticised if those rules and regulations had been carried out by a board 
of inquiry. To fortify what I said about ]N"ewcomb's mental capacity, 
or want of it, he forgot that circumstance. Danenhower remembered 
it. Ah, but they say that is cured by the fact that afterwards K'ew- 
comb said that he would go to the North Pole or to the ends of the 
earth if Danenhower v/as his leader. If anything was wanting in my 
mind to fortify my view of Newcomb's mental capacity, it is just that 
explanation. He has been kicked and treated like a dog by another. 
He forgets the circumstance, and like the spaniel that is ill-treated, he 
licks the hand that has smote him. His idea and mine of a leader in 
brief is somewhat different. I desire to say, without intending any dis- 
respect to Mr. Danenhower, without seeking in the least to wound his 
feelings, that he is not the first but the last man 1 would seek for a 
leader in a perilous enterprise. You may catch some hint of this senti- 
ment by looking into that journal of Dr. Ambler which we put in, and 
which we offered, desiring to build forever in this record a monument 
to his memory as a heroic man. You may get, I say, some idea of his 
view of Danenhower, when he mentions continually his idiosyncrasies ; 
but with regard to that I wish to say in the interest of the everlasting- 
truth and justice, that I do not believe, and if it becomes important for 
the committee to find on that subject, which I cannot now forsee, I do 
not believe the committee will come to the conclusion that the unfor- 
tunate man was guilty of deliberate misstatement, but rather he was 
the victim of a weak understanding. And I desire here to say that 
although I personally have been aspersedthroughoutby the venal portion 
of the press as one desirous to create scandal, as one desirous to unearth 
the dead, as one Tiesirous to panorama before the committee scenes of 
violence and suffering, I have sat on more safety valves of scandal in 
this investigation than the committee dreamed of, and I have done it 
with this view alone 5 to keep from this committee any extraneous mat- 
ter, matter that was not necessary and pertinent to the issue involved, 
and that might — by the consequences of its publicity — injure and wound 
the innocent; and I thank God that although aspersed, abused, and 
ridiculed and made the subject of scandalous articles, my conscience 
in regard to that matter is clear. 

Now, sir, to return to the issue. I have already discussed the first 
point of the petition, which cannot be controverted. I have already 
given my views upon the second point of the petition in reference to 
Jerome Collins, refraining from argument in reference to other mem- 
bers of the expedition, because in my judgment it is unnecessary to 
speak in that regard for the purposes of this issue^ and 1 don't wish 



10 i 4 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

iu the slightest degree to cast any imputation, make any intimation 
or insinuation against any person whatsoever. But I content myself 
with reference to the second point, that Jerome Collins was treated 
with every indignity and outrage, even to be deprived of all scientific 
instruments and appliances of his position as meteorologist of the ex- 
pedition; that he was prevented from performing the proper works and 
duties of his office, and that is proved so clearly, and the contradiction 
to it is so abortive, that I will not detain the committee in further dis- 
cussion of that point. But I wish to call attention to one fact, and it 
is one that is conspicuous in this petition : that throughout its phrase- 
ology there is not an unnecessary, malignant, disrespectful, or unkind 
reference to Captain De Long; and I wish further to say that no one has 
greater sympathy for his Avidow and child than we have. And no one 
has greater respect and esteem for that talented and gifted lady who 
throughout this investigation has guided it from her standpoint, has 
shown an intelligence so extraordinary, comprehensive, and general that 
1 doubt that there is any member of our profession in this broad land 
that could excel her, and may Almighty God console her in the great 
affliction that has come upon her. We are here as I state, not in the 
interest of notoriety or malignity. We are here in the interest of a 
sacred trust to rescue from the infamy or that arrest or suspension the 
name and reputation of a man spotless in moral character, of a cultured 
mind, of scientific attainments that have extorted the i>raise of scien- 
tific nunds all over the globe. 
The third i)oint of the petition is : 

That on or about the end of the year 1879, and wliile the Arctic steamer Jeannette was 
held in tlie ice, the said Jerome J. Collins was placed under suspension or arrest by 
the commanding officer of the expedition, and that he remained so until ho died of 
starvation and cold on the bank of the river Lena in Northern Siberia. 

Can that be controverted ? Mr. Arnoux says from "Alpha to Omega, 
from beginning to end" — 1 use his exact language — " this petition is a 
tissue of lies." Could he have read it*? Is there any doubt that Collins 
was suspended? Is there any doubt that during eighteen months he 
was practically held a prisoner ? Is there any doubt that he was de- 
prived of the privilege of assisting his associates, he a strong, lust^^, 
robust man ? Is there any doubt that by the firm bonds of discipline, as 
Captain De Long understood them, he was forbidden to save his own 
existence ? That is uncon trover ted in this record. 

The next point of the petition is this : 

Fourth. That during the month of June, 1881, the Arctic steamer Jeannette, at 
that time licld fast, and drifting in the ice, vras crushed and sank, and the ofiicers 
and crew, iu three parties, commenced their retreat southward toward the Siberian 
coast ; that one party, undei the command of Lieutenant Chipp, U. S. N., was never 
found, and is supposed to have perished during a great storm, with his companions; 
tliat another party, under the command of Lieut. George W. De long, U. S. N., landed 
on tlie Jjcna delta, and traveled along the line of the river, hoping to lind a settle- 
ment and relief ; that at last, the party having consumed their last food and being 
threatened with starvation, Lieutenant De Long sent two of his party ahead to find 
assistance; that the two men so sent, Ninderman and Noros, traveled ahead until 
found by natives in a frozen and starving condition ; tliat the party under the com- 
nuind of Lieutenant Do Long, failing to lind natives and supjdies, and receiving no 
word from Ninderman and Noros, tlie party, including Lieutenant De Long, Mr. 
Jerome Collins, Dr. Ambler and the seamen, died from starvation and cold during the 
last days of the month of October, 1881. 

Is that controverted ? Can it be controverted ? And let me say par- 
enthetically here, because it is recalled to my mind, Mr. Arnoux laid 
great stress upon the fact that Bartlett proposed at one time during the 
retreat, in comj^any with Manson, to desert his companions j and he 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1015 

says, with dramatic attitude and language, "A man capable of such an 
act as that is unworthy to be believed and is unworthy to be regarded 
even as one with the instincts of humanity." 

Kow, let us see. Bartlett and Manson, in common with many of the 
men, rightluUy or wrongfully it is for the Committee to determine, be- 
lieved that Captain De Long was not the man to be in charge, and they, 
exercising the sacred right of self-preservation, deemed they had the 
right to leave that party to save their own lives. And who shall con- 
trovert that ; what system of ethics, what principle of the law, what 
dictate of humanity requires a man satisfied that he is being misled to 
remain under that misdirection and sacrifice his own life'? Why, we 
have an instance. Mr. Melville says he was compelled, as it were, to 
desert Chipp. He saw Chipp going down. He saw it was impossible 
to save him ; he regretted the fact. Would I be justified in charging 
Melville with an intentional design to. engulf Chipp and his party at 
sea? 

Fifth. That the third party, under the command of Chief Engineer Melville, U. S. N. , 
after weathering the storm, did, on the 26th of September, 18«1, find a place of 
safety, and a base of supplies, several members of the party being at this time in a 
disabled condition. That the records show that on the 3d day of October following, 
•the said Melville had fully recovered, and with all his men, and that several of the 
party urged him to push ahead aud not delay, several volunteering to go in search of 
their missing shipmates. That, finally, about the middle of the month of October, 
the said Melville sent an ignorant exile, named Kusmah, resident in that place, to 
Bnluu, refusing permission to any of the party to accompany him. That at this time, 
nor at any subsequent period, up to the 29th day of October, did said Melville, he 
being then in command, use any effort or means to obtain information as to the con- 
dition or location of the two missing parties. That even at the time Melville sent 
the exile Kiismah to Bulun, he gave no directions or adopted no means for spreading 
the news of the missing boats, although surviving members of the expedition claim 
that the said Melville knew the route De Long would take in his retreat down the 
river Lena. That the exile Kusmah, sent to Bulun, returned on the 29th day of Octo- 
ber, bringing a message from Ninderman and Noros, stating that the captain's (De 
Long's) party were in a starving condition and in need of immediate assistance; and 
that the said Melville then, after delaying thirty-three days at Gloomvialocke with- 
out making any effort to succor his comrades, at last went to the rescue, it is alleged, 
stating that they would be all dead. That the evidence offered to the naval court, 
and which the undersigned is prepared to furnish aud that has already and will be 
further given by the survivors, goes to show, beyond any reasonable doubt, that had 
the said Melville performed the duty devolving upon him as the commander of the 
party and obeyed the directions given him by Lieutenant De Long, to immediately 
communicate with the Russian authorities, and gone to the rescue and conducted a 
search for the captain's party, each and every member of that party, with the excep- 
tion of Erickson, would have been rescued and alive to-day. 

Mr. Melville is living; he has been upon the stand; he has given his 
version of the history of this expedition in a remarkable argument, an 
nrgument that was but little interruj)ted by questions, an argument 
that was continuous from early morning until the committee had ad- 
journed in the evening, and I repeat what I said before, that it is a spec- 
imen of mental and physical endurance not often witnessed either in 
courts of law or parliamentary or legislative committees, and I do not 
wish to take from Melville one iota that is his due; I do not wish to 
X)luck one flower from the wreath around his head, but he must under- 
stand that in an issue of this importance, wherein he gives evidence, he 
must be controlled by the same rules of testimony that govern other 
people. 

You have this remarkable statement on his part in speaking of this 
\'ery subject raised by this point, and that I shall not misquote him I 
shall take the liberty of reading a portion of what he said to Mr. Jack- 
son. Does this committee believe, does an;^^ seiisible human being be- 



1016 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

lieve, that the recollection of Melville and Danenhower, in regard to the 
scenes and occurrences of that expedition, was more fervid, more accu- 
rate three years subsequent than at the time they actually occurred? 
It is not only repulsive to common sense, but it is antagonistical to the 
experience of mankind, and more particularly should be looked upon 
with distrust by a legal mind. Who is Jackson? A man of wide in- 
telligence, of the most perfect culture, discharging the highest journal- 
istic duties, he was sent by Mr. Bennett to explore this Siberian country, 
and as apart ot his instructions he was told to inquire into the causes 
that led to the disaster. He fulfilled that mission in a manner which is 
as remarkable as was the argument of Melville. In the limited expe- 
rience that I have had in the examination of witnesses, I have never 
seen a man more conversant with his subject, a man who understood 
it more thoroughly, and who gave better information about it. To 
make no mistake in regard to the opinion of Melville, Jackson took 
down his words, and he read them to us from his notes. What does 
he say ? 

On this point and the general subject of the chances that De Long harl to escape 
from the dell a, I asked Engineer Melville, who had been upon the ground, his opinion, 
and this was his answer — 

Mark you, sir, no attempt has been made to contradict that. The 
numerous appliances of the Naval Department and other agencies have 
not been called into vogue here, neither could they have saved them, 
for the reason that this statement is wholly antagonistic to his declara- 
tions on the stand. And I say 1 believe in an overruling Providence. 
I believe in His interposing hand. I believe that for some inscrutable 
reason of His own this investigation w^as to proceed, and that those who 
undertook to uphold that which under the circumstances was wrong, 
like Samson, must fall beneath the pillars. Here is Melville antedating 
nearly three years ; here is Melville with the scenes of this expedition 
jresh in his mind, when he was in a communicative mood, when there 
was no earthly reason why he should be mistaken. He goes on to say : 

There is no doubt in the minds of all the survivors at the present time [he said] that 
had we arrived on the Siberian coast ten or lifteen days earlier every soul of the Jean- 
uette's crew would have been saved for many reasons. When we first struck the coast 
tliere was some game, but the season was already passed, and all the large game we 
saw was such as had been left behind, and the main body had left for the south. 

De Long's party landed at an unfortunate point. Along the coast further to the 
west they would have been better oif, for there are immense herds of reindeer at all 
times; of course more during the summer and up to tlie month of August than in 
winter, though even in March and April, the severest months of the year, I saw rein- 
deer all along the coast to the westward. The strip of country through which De 
Long took his party is almost entirely devoid of game. It is seldom hunted over 
even by the natives themselves; and in making inquiries of them to lind out the po- 
sition of the hut where Erickson died, not one of them from any part of the delta 
could tell me anything about this part of the interior, as they said they never hunted 
there. 

The coast to the west of De Long's landing point, as well as that more to the east, 
was apparently well known, while the section which the captain unfortunately tra- 
versed was quite unknown to the natives. 

Thus a rough chart of the delta drawn for me by the .Taknts shows quite bhink 
around the s])ot where the bodies of De Long and his companions were found, and not 
a native among my drivers and assistants could till out the outlines of the incomplete 
portion. Had De Long landed on the Siberian coast earlier in the season, his boat 
would have lloated over the bar; had we been earlier in the season we could have 
escaped the gales that prevailed as we approached the coast, and we should all have 
landed together and been able to use our boats down to liulun. De Long landed at 
th(i northern mouth of the Lena, and commenced to ascend th(^ river all right until 
lie got to Usturda. He was on the most northern branch, and following the river cor- 
rectly until he got to that point. In his record of the first of October he said that he 
had crossed the river with the intention of following the main branch. As he in- 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY 1017 

tended to have done, lie would have come up at the lints of Cas8 Carta, Carviua, or 
Mat Via, and all of wliicli were occupied by natives until after the time he had passed 
along the southeast. How do yon know we know this ? Because when I got to Norlh 
Buluu I inquired of the natives at what time they had found the three records left hy 
Captain Dc Long in the huts of Ballok and Osooktok. They informed mo a week or 
ten days before my arrival there. I asked them how they happened to go there, and 
they said they were going home to North Bnlun after leaving their hunting stations 
at Cass Carta and Carnsia, and that as they passed up to the village of North Buluu 
they had stopped at the huts in order to examine their traps, and to reset them in 
case they were out of order. 

But De Long's unfortunate mistake was in recrossing the main branch of the Lena, 
and then taking a course over the many river shoals and sand pits to the southeast. 
De Long also passed near other places, where he would have found food and succor. 
At Usturda, the point where ho crossed the river to the western bank, due west twenty- 
five versts as the crow flies, there were several carcasses of reindeer staked in a sum- 
mer hut as food for the natives during the winter, awaiting the time when they would 
have been transported on sleds to the villages lying to the north, or when he was at 
Ballok, thirty or forty versts due west, there are the villages of North Bulun and Ki- 
tarch, situated on either side of the river, with a hundred or a hundred and fifty in- 
habitants, all or nearly all of whom were in their homes when De Long passed to the 
south. 

Was it possible that through the mind of Melville was running that 
sentiment which he afterwards expressed, that if no one but De Long 
had perished, he would have cried "Amen ! " 

About twenty-five versts to the west of Ballok is a large graveyard with many rude 
wooden crosses and tomb coverings which would have indicated to him the vicinity 
of a native village. It was excusable in De Long, not knowing of the existence of 
North Bnlun, as the ispearenikof the district did not know it himself until Unformed 
him of the fact on my arrival at Verkerausk. It is on the river Kitarch that most of 
the inhabited huts of the delta are located. Between Usturda and the blufi's of the 
Lena, whereon De Long perished, he had to cross nine good-sized rivers, varying from 
five to fifteen hundred yards wide, and of various depths. When he reached the bluff 
he was on the larger outlet of the Lena, and the one that discharges its waters to the 
east at Geeomovialocke. He found it running fast with masses of broken ice which 
it was impossible for him to cross, either with or without boats. Had he brought his 
boat so far, he could not have navigated the river, the ice being so dangerous — so, ap- 
parently, when he came to that point, he thought his case was hopeless for further 
advance. There he must have become i^erfectly convinced of his position. Standing 
on the points where he died, looking south, or south by the west, he looked into the 
mouth of the main river coming down from Bulun. 

As you see, the thing wo call chance, luck, or Providence did not favor De Long in 
his movements on the delta. 

In that see the theology of Melville. 

Had he landed thirty or forty miles more to the westward than where he had, he 
would have struck natives at once, or had he gone more to the east he would at least 
have fallen upon a better hunting ground, and game would doubtless have been more 
plentiful. Had he landed a few days sooner, or even a few days later, he would have 
been found by the natives. Twice or thrice De Long mentioned the fact that human 
footsteps were seen imprinted on the snow, and they appeared to be only a day or two 
old. 

Now let me say a word right here in connection with the last entry 
that is found in De Long's journal. No one shall surpass me in a 
tribute to be paid to the energy and the zeal with which he strove not 
only to continue his journey but to give the world in case he lived or 
l)erished a full account of that extraordinary sojourn. But you will see 
that so far as presumptive evidence is concerned it favors the theory 
that De Long and some of his party may have lived after the 30th of 
October, the date of the last entry in the book, and for the very reasons 
that the learned counsel giv^es when he declares it is the most extraor- 
dinary exhibition of physical and mental endurance ever witnessed, 
because if De Long died immediately after that last entry, when he 
made it, he must have been approaching dissolution, and we are all the 
subjects of the general law of the Deity, and no man in the agonies of 



1018 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

dissolution possesses tlie pbysical power to write correctly, so minutely, 
oven to the punctuation, as it is claimed that De Long i)ossessed. 

People have been known immediately preceding dissolution — Cardi- 
nal Richelieu was one — to possess the power of signing their names in 
whole or part, but when the hand of death is laid heavily on the human 
heart, v,iien nature is asserting her empire over the reason and the will 
of the created being, then it is we all succumb to that general law of 
Avhich I have spoken, and so far as presumptive evidence is concerned 
it is strongly in favor of the .theory that the hand that penned that cor- 
rect writing, the hand that wrote that correct grammar, was not a hand 
stricken by death. 

So much for Melville's statement. Go back a minute. In the light 
of what we have a right to assume of the intelligence of Mr. Jackson, 
with the opportunities he had of observing the country, of interviewing 
the survivors, of conversing with the natives, of ascertaining all possi- 
ble information, let us see what this most intelligent person says. I will 
read a short extract from his testimony, after giving all his facts as 
directed by the chairman, the reason of his conclusion, the propelling 
power of his judgment, he says : 

There was oue liope to wliicli De Long cluug to the last, but, like all the rest, it 
proved a vain oue. No record of this hope is found in the note-books of De Long, but 
both Ninderman and Noros say that the captain would often express his surprise that 
no search were sent out to look for him. " I cannot understand," he would say, "bow 
it is if the others are safe they do not come to look for us." This surprise he very 
frequently expressed, and with this hope, that had flickered with every signal fire, ho 
doubtless died. A few days after the departure of Ninderman aud Noros he writes 
wondering why they have not returned, but he only mentions their absence once, for 
he undoubtedly saw when he came to the bluff how greatly he had erred in estimat- 
ing his distances; but his many signal fires, and especially his last one, built on a 
point of land to the eastward of where he xjerished, prove more clearly how tena- 
ciously he cliuig to the hope that assistance would come from his own people. 

The'distance across from where he died to the month of the Lena River was 17 
miles, and he was constantly looking for them to come down, and I have no doubt that 
if a tlioi ongh attempt had been made to rescue Do Long by Melville that only one 
or two deaths would have to be recorded instead of a dozen.' 

By Mr. McAdoo : 
Q. What do you mean by the qualifying phrase ''a thorough search" ?— A. There 
was no search made in time. When Melville received the news in Geeomovialocke, 
on the 30th of October, that Noros aud Ninderman were alive, he started olf and met 
the two men in Bulun. They were too sick to bo moved, I believe, and only proposed 
that he should wait a couple of days until they were able to accompany him. Mel- 
ville then started out on liis own hook and made a five weeks' search, and displayed 
great energy in that search, but it was blind energy. He took down the information 
Ninderman gave him as to where he last left the party, aud then tried to find it himself, 
but swung oft" the track and got to a place called Cass Carta, from whence he sent a 
telegram about De Long and his party having wandered up into a wilderness, which 
was all in Mr. Melville's imagination If he had just waited two days and taken 
Nindernuiu with him he would no doubt have found' their bodies in four days, instead 
of letting tbem remain there five mouths. There is no reason in the world why the 
search should have taken so long ; an*d he at last had to take Nindermau's advice and 
ibllow Ninderman's lead, aud they found him the very first day they went on the 
Lena River proper. I think the entire search by Mr. Melville was badly conducted, 

So in point of fact I respectfully submit^-and I am si)eaking of that 
extraordinary witness who made that extraordinary statement before 
the committee — when we take his statement as made in the first in- 
stance to Mr. tJackson, so entirely in antagonism to his statement here, 
and when we couple that with tlie observations, ph3'sical in their char- 
actor, that were made by Mr. Jackson on the si)ot, the logical conclusion 
is irresistible that for some reason or other Melville did not make the 
searcli in time. Who, then, is to blame 1 If all these facts be true, and 
it is uot controverted that he made that statement to Jackson j if all 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1019 



these facts are true that Jackson swears to, and they cannot be assailed, 
who then is responsible for the death of that heroic man "? And, I re- 
peat, throughout this petition there is not one word of mabgnity, not 
one word of vindictiveuess on the part of Dr. Oolbns, who has been so 
foully aspersed, against Captain De Long, but he made the issue in the 
fifth point that for some reason or other the search was not made in 
time, and that if it had been made in time — and 1 have demonstrated to 
you as far as the human reason can be influenced — success w^ould have 
been the result ; if it had been made in time, this gifted woman would not 
be a wddow. True, Mrs. De Long expresses as her opinion that every- 
thing was done that could be done. Still this lady has never been ujoon 
the ground. This lady has drawn largely from the sources of informa- 
tion, Melville and Danenhower, and it seems impossible to me that 
when she has time to reflect and to carefully read this testimony — the 
statement of Melville made a few years ago and the statement of Mel- 
ville now and the observations and the facts collected by Mr. Jackson — 
she can continue in that opinion. 

Then, is the petition a tissue of lies ? I have proved to you from the 
beginning up to this fifth point with mathematical accuracy that there 
is not a word stated there that the proof does not bristle in fortification 
of ; and I have now demonstrated to you that which is most pertinent in 
tbe issue, the management of the relief party for De Long for some rea- 
son or other had a fatal termination, and that Melville was responsible 
for that. 

Now, if it please the Chair, while I am upon this subject of the rescue, 
or the attempted rescue, indulge me for a few moments in some obser- 
vations upon the management of the exi)edition before and after the 
retreat; and 1 deem it important that this committee, so solemnly ap- 
pointed under the resolution that directs it to inquire in reference to the 
management of this expedition, arrive at a just conclusion, because if 
your judgment should be in favor of a conclusion diflereut from mine 
it is possible the result might be infuturo the loss of hundreds of lives 
and hundreds of thousands of dollars in ships and treasure. Therefore 
it is important, and I beg you to believe it, as I stated at the outset, that 
1 do not ask this committee to censure any dead person ; you can dis- 
approve of the management of a retreat or of an advance without cen- 
suring the person who had control of it. 1 do not for one moment con- 
tend that Captain De Long did not discharge his duty so far as his then 
lights went, and so far as his capacity permitted him; but permit me 
right here to observe (and perhaps the witness Newcomb may have 
called my mind to that fact) that it seems to me that the many disap- 
I)ointments and struggles and labors of De Long's life, more especially 
after he became entombed in the ice, had a tendency, in connection with 
the influences of tbe climate, to undermine his understanding ; and it is 
on no other theory that I can account for a person formerlj^ so beloved, 
formerly so credited with a perfect understanding, to have insisted until 
the very last hour of his existence upon the minute recognition of naval 
rubs and regulations, which his understanding, if normal, must have 
taught him were fatal in their consequences; and my apology, too, for 
this memorandum of charges that he made against Collins is that at the 
time they were made his mind was in the condition to which 1 have re- 
ferred. But it is important to this committee, I repeat, in passing upon 
this question, to declare in their report which will be made to Congress, 
and which will become the property of the civilized globe in every lan- 
guage in which it can be translated or read ; it not only will be read in 



1020 . JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the United States, but on the banks of the Ganges; it will not only be 
read in this country, but all over the civilized globe where the vessels 
of civilized nations have penetrated, and it becomes important in that 
view that you should arrive at a just conclusion. 

Now, the proposition that I make is this (it is one declared by the 
testimony) : It was a mistake ever to have gone into that lead. Much 
has been said about Wrangel Laud, Avhether it is an island, as some have 
declared since the Eogers expedition, whether anybody has circumnav- 
igated it or not, whether it is a continuous continent to the pole or not, 
is entirel^^ immaterial. Of this we are convinced : that it is not a con- 
tinuous continent to the pole, and to that extent it is entirely an imag- 
inary^ land, as I. have always contended. Conceding for the purposes 
of this argument that it is an island of the dimensions described b^^ the 
witnesses, when you go into your consultation take down that beautiful 
chart, the greatest tribute that could be offered to the abilities of Col- 
lins — I think you must have it— and takedown alsothecircumpolar chart 
that was put in evidence by us, and you will see directly that, so far as 
Wrangel Land is concerned, it has no more to do with a successful voy- 
age to the Pole than the park or parade ground in the city of Washing- 
ton. At the time the Jeannette was entombed in theice jou will see by 
the chart that she was northeast of this alleged island or land. This 
alleged island or land is circled by the eternal barrier of ice ; and sup- 
posing successfully once or twice voyagers have circumnavigated it, it 
is not a certainty for continuous exi)loration or navigation, and above 
all places it is most dangerous for navigators to rely upon. 

Now the Jeannette drifted northwest as the chart shows, but before 
she became entombed in the ice she was allowed to penetrate into that 
lead against the advice of what officer f Of ice-pdot Dunbar. What 
was his capacity? The ice pilot. What were his duties ? To keep the 
ship clear of such entanglements. Of course, my friend laughingly 
alluded to that subject. He did not stop to discuss it. And it was a 
remarkable fact that nowhere in his argument, from beginning to end, 
did he endeavor to uphold the management of the retreat or of the ex- 
pedition before it Avas entombed in the ice. He said something in allud- 
iug slightingly to that subject. He gave some couplet from some comic 
opera, and I have no doubt he is correct about that. I have no doubt 
the words he cited are correctly given, but that has nothing whatever 
in the world to do with the discussion. Ice-pilot Dunbar, whose duty 
it was to keep the ship out of the ice, in^otested against it (the entering 
of the lead). Lieutenant Danenhower advised against it, Melville 
advised against it. But iu spite of the judgment of ice-pilot Dunbar 
and the suggestions of the other officers this fated ship passed into that 
lead. 

A great deal was said about Captain Hempstead. Well, if your 
honor could have seen the indorsement from a high naval officer that 
1 liave seen of Captain Hempstead, you would be satisfied not only 
that he was able to navigate a whale-ship, but that his ordinary judg 
ment and good sense as demonstrated in this little testimony that 
he was allowed to give upon the stand would have cleared up much 
that was quid obscurum iu this case, and give us better and more de- 
finite ideas about the nmnagement of these explorations in futuro. 
What does he say ? He said that that ship should have been docked in 
the ice. He drew a diagram. He showed you how it was done. How 
is that answered? By the frivolity of Danenhower! I have no doubt 
that the testimony of Danenhower in many vital facts was affected by 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1021 

the idiosyncrasies tliat Dr. Ambler discovered in liis mind. I do not 
propose to dwell upon that contradiction, but one thing is evident, that 
Wran gel Land was not necessary for the purpose of going to the Pole; 
one thing is evident, that in going into that lead for the purpose as they 
say of getting to Wrangel Land, they passed into it in spite of icei)ilot 
Dunbar and the rest. And I again rei^eat, so significant is this circum - 
stance that my learned friend, with all his sangfroid and audacity, did 
not dare to touch the subject. One thing furtlier. They never should 
have gone in there. Now, with reference to their retreat. Directly 
southward you will see upon that same chart was an open sea to the 
Siberian coast. Their voyage directly due south would have been one- 
half in extent of the journey to the forlorn, desolate delta. On arriv- 
ing on the coast of Ustjansk on the Yanna Kiver, they would have 
been in direct communication with Jakutskj they would have com- 
municated through Jakutsk with Irkutsk. The distance is imma- 
terial, whether it is 2,000 or 20,000 miles. The fact remains, and I 
13roved it by the declaration of Schutze and others, that there were 
direct facilities of communication and travel between the i>laces that I 
have mentioned, so that in point of fact, if they had landed at Ustjansk 
or had reached Ustjansk, they would have traveled to Irkutsk and St. 
Petersburg with the same facility and more than they afterwards did 
when the survivors Avere rescued. That was i)ractical ; that was so plain 
that the learned counsel avoided its discussion. The challenge was 
given to him throughout the investigation ; the gauntlet wa s continually 
thrown dow^n. How did he meet it during the investigation ? Why, by 
sneering remarks about cities. Is not Irkutsk a city^ Your honor is 
a historian. When Timour, the lame man, the Tartar, conquered the 
Turk, his people also overran portions of Siberia, and there was a settle- 
ment of Tartars near where Irkutsk now stands as early as the four- 
teenth century. The spot where Irkutsk stands, that which it repre- 
sents, that which it succeeds, and that which it now is, is and has been a 
city, a metropolis of thousands of peoi)le, and so great is its importance 
that the Eussian Government, even in its i)Overty, has made a loan for 
the purpose of constructing a railway that shall l3ring St. Petersburg 
and Moscow, in their different directions, into communication with this 
place. 

How simple was the problem ! All they had to do was to steer tlieir 
course southward and arrive at these places. Why, even on the delta, 
villages were contiguous to each other, within five or six miles, and one 
extraordinary theorj^ in which Melville lost himself is this: He says 
that one reason why he did not go into that part of the delta where 
De Long and his companions perished, where they succumbed to the 
horrors and hardshij)s of the expedition, was that it was not inhabited. 
Answer: Jackson explored enough of the spot to know that that could 
not be true, because he saw the huts of the natives on that very ground, 
or within a few miles of it. Now, it is possible when that grand, mag- 
nificent Melville, to whom I wish to do all justice, was making this re- 
markable oration under oath, he was unconscious, as we were uncon- 
scious, of the coming of Jackson, but it was a simple proposition. But, 
even after they went to the delta, ritles were of no comparative use to 
them. Shotguns, in the language of Jackson, would have given them 
all the food they desired. What was the cause of the failure to find 
food? First, they claim the shotguns were defective. Whose fault 
was that? Second, they (the shotguns) were left, as we found out, not 
because the ammunition was defective, but because they thought the 



1022 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

rifles were the better weapons. Jackson tells you that if the shotguns 
had been taken, and not the rifles, that eveu with their delays they 
would have subsisted long enough to be rescued, and even Dr. Bessels, 
who was brought bere with a great flourish of trumpets, tells you, in 
speaking of this expedition and the retreat, that the probability is they 
lingered too long at Benuett Island. Dr. Bessels could not say posi- 
tively that Wraugel Land was of any use in this expedition to the Pole. 
He and Captain De Long had talked this expedition over before the 
departure of the latter, and Dr. Bessels gave him the facts and circum- 
stances connected with other expeditions whicli had penetrated much 
farther north and which had returned. But I say, as a part of the dis- 
cussion of the management of this retreat, without going into these 
details, their course was to the south, to the Siberian coast, where, by 
means of Ustjansk, they could have got into communication with Jakutsk 
and Irkutsk, and thus finally have reached the metropolis of Siberia. 

Now, my learned friend's mind revolves around small points with 
fascinating planetary regularity. It is immaterial to discuss whether 
Melville is riglit when he says the Arctic willow grows in the delta, or 
it is immaterial to discuss whether Dr. Kane was right when he was 
informed or believed he saw an open sea, or that the physical conditiou 
at that time, which is entirely unknown, is as described by Nindermann. 
So far as my imperfect light goes, I believe tbat Nindermann, however, 
is correct; and in point of fact, may it please the committee, so far as 
the advice of scientific men on this subject, unfortified by actual knowl- 
edge, is concerned, I believe they are entitled to just as much weight 
as ourselves, and no more. 

Why, look at it. Peterman's geography was all wrong. Petermau's 
chart was all wrong. There was a little book published some twenty- 
five years ago by Belloca, the geographer, a geographer and historian 
of the Pussian Emx)ire, that was translated into English, that would 
have told them more about the Siberian coast and about the avenues 
and channels of possible retreat and safety than all the fables of Nor- 
denskjold, Collinson, or the rest. And it is conceded that men are 
actually sent on these expeditions to probable death and destruction, 
and their guide and their helm are these imperfect charts and geogra- 
phies. If you will examine the chart by Mr. Collins you will find in the 
light of what I have said (if it meets with your approval, as being sup- 
ported by the evidence) that it is the most perfect and the best one of 
that region. Now, I do not blame De Long for being misled, but I 
would say to this committee that while I believe he did all iu his power, 
aided by the lights he had to discharge his duty to his country, to the 
naval service, to himself, to his God, he was misled in the manner that 
Mr. Jackson has stated, and this committee in its report, before it gives 
its approval to the course or the route taken in the retreat, or the man- 
agement of the expedition prior to the retreat, should pause and see if 
not, infuHiro^ some other expeditions may be affected by that report, 
because, as I have said, the report made here will be naturally received 
with a great deal of consideration and have great influence, and all that 
we desire in respect to that subject is to get at the exact truth. 

I have a word to say about Danenhovver, and I think I have carefully 
avoided, I know I have not intentionally said anything derogatory to 
any person. While I have been charged with that, or the attempt to 
do that, my best answer is the course that I have adoi)ted. I know 
that to an extent I have the unpopular side. I know that to an extent 
influences are at work against me, and at work against ray client. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1023 

Those are natural influences which are created by the spectacle, most 
pathetic, of beauty in distress, and where the impression goes abroad 
that an attempt is being made in any way, directly or indirectly, to in- 
jure or wound the feelings of a lady, that attempt is always resented. 
I have taken no such ground, either in my argnment or in the conduct 
of the investigation, and if you will turn to Dage 77(> (I think it is) you 
will find on that page, as at others, that I requested Mr. Jackson and 
other witnesses if they knew anything favorable to Captain De Long or 
any of the members of the expedition to state it. 

:Now, if the committee please, I do not ask you to censure Captain 
Be Long ; 1 do not ask you to condemn any dead member of that expe- 
dition. Captain De Long was fallablej Captain De Long was not per- 
fect so far as his mental constitution was concerned any more than any 
other man. He may have made mistakes in regard to this retreat, in 
regard to the management of this expedition. If he did so, while eulo- 
gizing the man you will have moral courage to state the truth. 1 am 
aware, from a certain standpoint, your position is a very onerous one. 
It requires more than Eoman courage to do one's duty under certain 
circumstances. 

In reference to Mr. Danenhower, and in what I have to say of that 
gentleman, I will follow entirely the record that he has made. I 
have never had and have not now any but the kindest feelings to- 
ward him, I ask the committee to be governed, in reference to this 
topic, by the record he himself made. He admits that in Siberia he 
had a conversation with Jackson. He admits that there was a series 
of interviews between him and Jackson, and it is recorded in the tes- 
timony of Jackson, and it is without contradiction that nothing was 
written by Jackson that had not met the approval or correction and 
revision of Mr. Danenhower, and Mr. Danenhower with some naivete 
admits that through the letter of Jackson he attained an immortality in 
the world -, that he found his name spoken in the pulpits, breathed in 
the press, sent all over the world as a hero of the first dimensions, be- 
cause, sick and wearied and broken down as he was, he carried his boat 
through the gale. • Far be it from me to detract in any way from the 
reputation that he may have earned in that respect. But you must re- 
member that it was Jackson, the journalist, who gave it to him. And 
you will not forget that after all it is these journalists who make or un- 
make the public men in all civilized countries. A man wakes up in the 
morning and he finds the throat of his reputation cut j a man wakes up 
in the morning and find himself, like Byron, famous. It is as a man is 
capable of enlisting their confidence and their sympathy that they are 
useful. It was Jackson who made Danenhower the hero, consequently 
Danenhower cannot look upon him as his enemy, cannot look upon him as 
one who sought to do him ill. And what was the typical conversation 
between them. Now, Danenhower admits that when he first came to 
the United States, or shortly before, there was wrath in his soul. He ad- 
mits that he intended to make charges against Captain DeLongj he 
admits that he made certain threats against Captain De Long, but that 
since that time his lights have been altered; he has had new light upon the 
subject. Well, what light that was I have never been able to find out, 
but I will assume in theinterests of human experience and common sense 
that his memory of the scenes of this expedition was as perfect when 
he met Jackson in Siberia as it was three years after, when he had the 
honor of testifying before you, gentlemen. Ah, says brother Arnoux, 
Danenhower and Jackson agree, there is harmony between them. Why 
did they think that ? Because in the letter written from Irkutsk, March 



1024 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

6, 1882, this language occurs, and this is thelanguage of Jackson, which, 
as he swears, was the deduction in his mind of the facts stated to him 
by Danenhower. 

It seems certain that the whale boat really reached the Lena proper, and had the 
course been pursued a day longer, Burlun would have been reached a month or six 
weeks earlier, and in all probability Xoros and Nindemann met, and the captain's 
party saved. 

Conceding that that is a deduction of Jackson, the journalist — and as 
a rule men sent on these services are of the highest capacity and the 
most perfect culture, and as cross-examiners, as interviewers, they have 
no equal in the legal profession ; if we of the legal profession possessed 
the ability of obtaining information from a witness that a journalist pos- 
sesses of securing it from a public man or a private citizen, a great many 
witnesses would not be believed. It is admitted that that is a part of 
the testimony. Now, we will see where the harmony comes in : 

Correspondent : If a man had gone to Bulun with Kusmah 

Eight here. Do you remember that Harber said if Kusmah could 
have gone over the Bay anybody else could have gone over ? 

what bearing would that have had on the captain ? 
Now here Is Danenhower : 

Melville had orders to take the party to a place of safety, where there would be suf- 
ficient food, and then communicate with the Russian authorities. We knew the route 
the captain proposed to take after reaching Barkiu. He intended to go west, to Sa- 
gasta and the Signal Tower. Had some one gone to Bulun with Kusmah, and started 
an expedition north immediately, it would probably have picked up Noros and Nin- 
demann before they reached Bulkur. 

That is not contended to be the logical deduction of Jackson's mind. 
That is the deliberate deduction of Danenhower, and it follows that the 
logical deduction in Jackson's mind which heads the deduction in Jack- 
son's letter is correct. 

That is all I am going to say about Mr. Danenhower. I only beg 
leave to observe, not that it may have affected their evidence, but 
throughout this investigation he and Melville, as naval officers, em- 
ployed the same counsel and have been in consultation, and it would 
be asking too much of human nature to believe that to an extent they 
did not share in the same grooves of thought, that they did not have 
the same sympathies, and that in their various consultations they would 
not be apt to think alike. 

I now approach the sixth point. I contend that my friend was in 
error when he declared that this petition was a tissue of lies, because 
on its examination, without any controversy, three of the five points 
must be conceded, and in regard to the other two points, the third and 
fifth, the evidence is so overwhelming, so controlling, that he who runs 
may read. 

The sixth and last point in the petition, and by permission of the 
committee I will take up the last portion first, is : 

That the official stenographer of the court publicly declared in writing that im- 
portant and valuable testimony was suppressed, and that the proceedings of said 
court were calculated to cover up all matters relating to the expedition. 

Now, I do not ask the committee to take the word of Grant for any- 
thing, and I will give you my reasons a little further on ; but I do ask you 
to consider this fact. When this petition is spoken of as a tissue of lies, 
that on page 16 of the record appears the letter of Grant to Dr. Collins, 
stating in stronger language than that of this portion of the petition 



JEAI^NETTE INQUIRY. 1025 

the very facts that are recited therein. I will not burden the com- 
mittee by reading, but the statement in the petition is : 

That the official stenographer of the court publicly declared in writing that im- 
portant and valuable testimony was suppressed, and that the proceedings of said 
court were calculated to cover up all matters relating to the expedition. 

If you had received that letter, interested as you might be in the 
preservation of a dead relative's memory, from the official stenographer 
of the Board of Inquiry, would you not be justified in a petition stating 
that you had so received if? 

Mr. BouTELLE. But do you call that a public declaration^ 

Mr. Curtis. Publicly declared in writing ; in law a public writing 
or a publication is matter in writing that may be circulated or printed 
or published. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Was that a private letter? 

Mr. (>URTis. No, sir; just read it. 

Mr. BouTELLB. I supposed it was a letter to Dr. D. F. Collins, Min- 
neapolis, Minn. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir. It is not marked private or confidential, but 
it relates to a public subject. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The only point 1 had in my mind was whether when 
Dr. Collins made his declaration he was justified in saying that the 
official stenographer had publicly declared in writing. 

Mr. Curtis. Perhaps he should have used another term, but he is a 
layman. I would have used another term. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It is not important. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, the only question that I raise is in reference to the 
other point that precedes this of the letter. I did not call Mr. Grant 
for the reason that I stated to the chairman. I regarded the act of Mr. 
Grant as an unprofessional one. I regarded that act, whether it typi- 
fied the truth or not, as the act of a man who, being the sworn officer 
of a Court of Inquiry, had betrayed trust, and it was under those cir- 
cumstances that I felt a delicacy in calling him ; and before I would re- 
sort to any illegitimate way to advance the cause of a client I would 
prefer to see it fall. The question is now on this record is this part of 
the charge true : 

That on and after the arrival of a number of survivors of the expedition reached 
this country a joint resolution was passed by Congress directing the Secretary of the 
Navy to appoint a Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Arctic steamer Jeannette and 
the conduct of the officers and men ; that the said naval court refused to admit or 
allow to be given valuable testimony; and that said court ruled out nearly every 
question that would bring out the true history of the expedition ; that many of the 
survivors were not permitted to give their full and free testimony ; and that the 
naval inquiry was so conducted that all possible chance or possibility of the truth 
coming out was destroyed ; that many of the witnesses, it is alleged by competent 
authority, were at that time dependent upon, under the jurisdiction of, and afraid 
of the naval Department. 

Now, if I had drawn that I should have altered the phraseology. I 
should not have put in that language. I should substantially have said 
that there was matter that should have been brought out before the 
Board of Inquiry that was not inquired into for reasons that could not 
govern a Congressional committee. I am perfectly aware, for I have 
appeared before courts-martial, but never before a Board of Inquiry, 
but I presume the same general rules and regulations govern both tri- 
bunals, that Boards of Inquiry have extraordinary powers. In this 
instance I believe that neither the judge-advocate nor his assistant, if 
my memory serves me, are trained lawyers. Courts-martial or Boards 
of Inquiry are presided over, not by judicial officers, but by officers of 
G5 JQ* 



1026 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

the service, and while they may have every desire aud intention to dis- 
charge their duties as honorable men — and I am frank to say as a 
rule I do not know of a class of men who are more honorable in prin- 
ciple and conduct than these same officers who sit iu courts-martial or 
Boards of Inquiry— they, are ofttimes misled, and they are ofttimes in- 
duced to exclude or admit testimony on the ground that it is incom- 
petent and improper when legally it is exactly the reverse. 

What are the facts iu relation to this identical Board? If the ruling 
of this Board was, and perhaps it may have been for all that I know, 
that these questions could not be put because, as it clearly appears 
irom the issues that were presented, the treatment of Mr. Collins was 
not one of them, that would be one ground of refusal. If, as appears 
upon the record of the Board of Inquiry, they were objected to and 
ruled out upon the ground merely that they were hearsay, then while per- 
haps as anaked principle of law that might be correct, it at oncesuggests 
the importance and necessity of a Congressional investigation. And 
why! Now, my learned friend Mr. Arnoux argued with a great deal of 
force and perseverance against the admission of the statements of the 
members of the expedition. The chairman ruled, and it seems to me with 
accuracy, and it seems to me the only way in an investigation of this 
kind, that we could arrive at the truth in regard to the expedition and 
its management was from the lips of the survivors of the expedition, and 
in that view the testimony was admitted. Well, of course, in the ne- 
cessity of things that is the only evidence that we could submit ; many of 
them were dead, many of these scenes and occurrences that were sought 
to be proven were known only to those who had perished and passed 
away, and consequently the only light that could thrown on this proper 
investigation untrammeled by technical rules of law was to admitfor the 
consideration of the committee the statements made by the survivors 
of the expedition, and of those who had perished to those survivors. 
The gravamen of this point is this : I do not charge, neither do I believe 
the petitioner intended to cbarge, up ;u the Board of Inquiry that they 
intended ab initio to exclude this evidence, but the natural construction 
of this language of a layman petitioner is that there was evidence that 
could have been brought out by the Board of Inquiry that for reasons 
they then gave was not submitted. 

Let us see. Wilson, Manson, Mnderman, in fact all the seamen who 
have testified here, have declared that before the Board of Inquiry, for 
reasons which they gave, whether real or imaginary, they were not per- 
mitted to gi\'e the declarations they have testified to here. Let us see. 
Is that true? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Did they testify that they were not permitted to 
give it ? 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir; let us see if it is true. In the first place, as 
matter of fact, has evidence been given here that was excluded there ? 
I think without any controversy the learned committee must concede 
that there has evidence been given here that was excluded there. What 
was the reason of that ? My learned friend in his argument said that 
there were three or four or five or six questions put and excluded. My 
learned friend knows that it is not the number of questions, it is the 
character of questions that are put and excluded or admitted that 
makes the subject important, and we know by reading this record that 
if the one, two, three, or four questions that were put and excluded had 
been answered, they would have been the entering wedges of others 
which would have followed in consequence, and all this point in the pe- 
tition means is thisj and I construe the record of the Board and the 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1027 

record of this committee and the light the petitioner then had, stimu- 
lated by this letter of Grant's, all by a natural construction of his 
language that yon can say is that there was evidence in existence that 
was not drawn out by the Board of Inquiry. That has been proven, 
uncontested, uncontradicted ; I repeat that if I had drawn this point of 
the petition I would not have used that phraseology. The misfortune 
was that Dr. Collins, in drawing his own petition, disturbed and har- 
assed in his mind and business, probably used language that was pos- 
sibly too strong, language perhaps that in the light of this record he 
would not repeat. But I submit that the natural construction of that 
sixth point is that there was evidence that could have been given be- 
fore the Board of Inquiry that was not received ; and on that, gentle- 
men, permit me to observe that the evidence is a current, is unanimous, 
is uncontradicted ; and is it not remarkable that seamen for any cause 
should feel that in a court investigating the truth, whether a tribunal 
of the civil law or a Board of Inquiry appointed by a servant of the Gov- 
ernment, they should for any reason conceal or suj^press the truth? 

I know — at least I have been instructed — that it is the policy of the 
Goverument to resist any attempt to open an inquiry of this nature. 
I read a very eloquent appeal to ex-Secretary Eobeson iu behalf of Lieu- 
tenant Palmer. It was in reference to the Huron investigation, and if 
my understanding of the record be correct, it was a case of exceeding 
hardship. You two gentlemen, as I understand, represent two political 
parties. You are both equally interested in drawir g the just line be- 
tween the naval and the military power and the citizen, and it does not 
require a spirit of prophecy to say that if any precedent of a conspicu- 
ous nature be established in this case, if it should be adverse to the gen- 
eral sentiment of the people on that subject, it will be regarded by the 
country at large as a hardship of the gravest character. 

Mr. BoxJTELLE. What do I understand you to mean by that ? What 
kind of a precedent, because that is what we want to avoid if we can ? 

Mr. Curtis. I say you are both conspicuous representatives of both 
political parties, although I must admit that on most questions the 
party opposed to me have alwaj/s got the start of us ; but I say that 
you are both interested, not only as citizens of the United States, but 
as the exponents of political principles, as men who love popular lib- 
erty, as men who love public law, as men who love the Constitution of 
your country, in seeing that a proper regard is paid to the rights of 
men who are serving under naval officers. 

In the case at bar Mr. Collins was not a seaman in the ordinary sense 
of the term. It seems to me that there has grown up a sentiment both 
in the Army and the Navy — whether it is the fault of the system of 
early education at the Annapolis or West Point schools, I am not pre- 
pared to say — that both naval and military officers conceive themselves 
absolute masters, and that they are very apt to encroach upon the 
rights of manhood possessed by subordinates. That is my view. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you mean to argue that Mr. Collins should be 
regarded as not having been properly subject to the strict letter of the 
naval regulations'? 

Mr. Curtis. That is conceded by Captain De Long himself. You 
see you have not had time to read all this record. I contend, first, that 
he is notj and, second, even if he was, the grounds alleged by Captain 
De Long were no grounds of suspension, and would not have been en- 
tertained ever by a rightly constituted Board of Inquiry. But no Board 
of Inquiry can deprive a man of his defense. All that we have in re- 
lation to the charges against Mr. Collins are contained in the memoran- 



1028 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

dum of Captain De Long. All that we have in relation to Mr. Collins' 
defense is contained in his last letter, ^fhose make the issue, unsup- 
ported by evidence, declare that Captain De Long was right and Mr. 
CoIUds was wrong. 

Mr. BouTELLE. On what grounds? That he had not the'authority, 
or that be wrongfully exercised it? 

Mr. Curtis. That he wrongfully exercised it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Let us understand your argument. That he wrong- 
fully exercised it on the ground that he had not the authority to exact 
the obedience from Mr. Collins that he attempted to exact? 

Mr. Curtis. I will explain myself more fully. If Mr. Collins did an 
act that was dangerous to the ship's safety 

Mr. BOUTELLE. In w^hose judgment? 

Mr. Curtis. Now, there is the stumbling block. That is what I am 
speaking about. If Mr. Collins did an act that was dangerous to the 
ship's safety, if he did an act. that was subversive of its general disci- 
pline, if he did an act that was willfully disobedient or mutinous, then 
Captain De Long, as captain of that vessel, would have the right to 
exercise liis authority as such captain. But under the circumstances 
under which Mr. Collins sailed with him. Captain De Long is not put 
in by the rules and regulations of the J^avj in a capricious position, 
in an arbitrary position. Captain De Long cannot construe crime out 
of virtue. Captain De Long cannot create and constitute an offense of 
a thing that is entirely innocent, and that is exactly where I want you 
to draw the lin(\ That no naval of&cer has the right or the power under 
the naval rules and regulations — for I have read them with care — and 
as Mr. Arnoux did not refer to them, I did not care to do so in extenso, 
no naval officer has the right to constitute himself the arbitrary master 
of those under him. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Suppose you apply it directly to this case, take this 
particular instance? 

Mr. Curtis. Now, to apply it directly to this case. By the charges 
that are on record, the statements of Danenhower and Melville, I think 
you will lind the cross-examination to have dissipated like snow under 
the sun all the charges that are of record, and that is what caused Dr. 
Collins to make this petition. Those charges are contained in the mem- 
orandum on page 320, that was admitted and made a part of the record 
of the Board of Inquiry. So in point of fact these charges are on record 
forever and forever more against the deceased, Mr. Collins. The posi- 
tion I take in regard to that is this : In the first place you will discover 
on comparing them that according to Captain De Long's own state- 
ment he was in such a state of mind that he was continually the 
aggressor in his mode of speech, and that Collins never said anything 
except to deny the charge that he had violated the rules. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Well, now, the question is whether he did? 

Mr. Curtis. Whether he did ? 

Mr. BOUTELLE. What was the order ? Of course the first question 
is whether the order the captain issued was a legal one. 

Mr. Curtis. You have first only the statement of Captain De Long. 
Now, the order was : 

I said in substance, I have soon fit to issue an order. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It is in evidence that he did issue an order. That 
lias been testified to by a number of witnesses. 
Mr. Curtis. By Danenhower and Melville. 
Mr. BouTELLE. He issued an order. 



I 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. , 1029 

Mr. Curtis. That everybody should go on the ice from 11 a. in. to 1 
p. m. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Is that a proper order, to begin with f 

Mr. Curtis. In tlie first place, he did not con)i)lain that he did not 
go on the ice ; he complained that he made a delay about it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. No J he complained that he came back and staid 
too long. 

Mr. Curtis. I say he complained he made a delay about it. You 
will notice one thing, and it is a very significant circumstance. I do 
not believe under other circumstances that De Long would have ever 
made any such memorandum. I believe that his mind Avas tortured 
and worried, and that his soul was filled with disappointment ,• that he 
had one desire, and that was to do his duty from the naval standpoint, 
and perhaps that, in addition to the climate, made him morbid. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you regard it as the act of a morbid man to have 
suspended Dr. Collins under those circumstances ; do you think there 
is anything unusual about it ? 

Mr. Curtis. Most decidedly. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I really wish you would give us your views on that 
subject. 

Mr. Curtis. I did, at great length, and I will do so again if you de- 
sire it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It seems to me the simplest sort of a case; infrac- 
tion of discipline followed by the mildest kind of reproof. 

Mr. Curtis. Of suspension for eighteen months. 

Mr. BouTELLE. That is the mildest form I know -, I know of no 
other milder form of reproof. 

Mr. Curtis. 1 wish you had been here when I argued the case, but 
I will repeat briefly my views about it. 

In the first place, there is no evidence whatever in this record that 
Collins refused to obey that order. Now, this you must all concede. 
When he was told he could not leave the ship after the bear scene, 
when he was told about the morning salutation, when he was told about 
the inspection, even though he had remonstrated against it before he 
complied with it afterwards, and there is not a solitary instance of 
where Mr. Collins intentionally or willfully disobeyed an order after it was 
communicated to him. Now, the gravamen of this charge is that Cap- 
tain De Long had seen fit to issue this order. What was it ? To come 
out on the ice. Now, you must remember, Mr. Boutelle, that although 
Mr. Collins signed these articles as a seaman, according to the law of 
Congress, he did not go there as a seaman. 

Mr. Boutelle. Excuse me, I do not understand that this order of 
the captain's was directed against the seamen at all ; it was one which 
was directed to the officers as well as the seamen. 

Mr. Curtis. Very well ; concede that ; but he went there in a special 
capacity. I am with you that if he had gone there as one of the ship's 
crew, the case might have been different. 

Mr. Boutelle. I think that you beg the question there, because the 
very fact that he enlisted under the special act of Congress put him 
under the authority of the officers of the vessel. 

Mr. Curtis. Well, I will answer you this way; I am sorry you were 
not in when I referred to that subject. So far as his position, his status 
on the vessel was concerned, although he did sign the seamen's articles, 
he was compelled to do that as a matter of form to comply with the law 
of Congress, in relation to the Eules and Regulations of the Navy. 



1030 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. BoTJTELLE. Was it uot for the very purpose of compelling' obedi- 
ence to these necessary sanitary regulations ? 

Mr. Curtis. No ; he could not ship in way, for this reason 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). I know, but why did Bennett put the 
vessel under naval authority, except for this very discipline which ho 
regarded as essential. 

Mr. Curtis. I will answer the first question and then the second. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I will say that aside from all naval rules, if it were 
simply a civic expedition, I should regard the commanding officer as 
fully empowered to exact that kind of obedience. I should think that 
authority would be essential on a whale ship or polar expedition or a 
merchant ship. 

Mr. Curtis. I think I can convince you in this way : Now, Mr, Col- 
lins, as I stated before, signed these seamen's articles because he was 
compelled to do so by law, but it is notorious that Mr. Collins went there 
on a special mission, for a special service. Now, I will go with you so 
far as this. 

Mr. BouTELLE. He went there the same as Professor Newcomb. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, the same as the naturalist. I will go with you so 
far as this. If Mr. Collins by any act of his had interfered with Captain 
BeLongin the management, control, or discipline of his ship and crew, 
then he would have been reprehensible. But here 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). Do you regard the order of Captain 
De Long as a proper one? 

Mr. Curtis. As directed against Collins ? 

Mr. BOUTELLE. No; the order. 

Mr. Curtis. As directed against Collins ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Oh, it was an order to all the ship's crew. 

Mr. Curtis. I think it was capricious. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It instructed everybody to leave the ship at a cer- 
tain hour. 

Mr. Curtis. It was capricious. I answer your question, but as it 
was applied to Mr. Collins I do not believe, and I contend that outside 
of his duties on that ship as meteorologist so far as he conformed to 
Captain De Long's wishes in not interfering with the discipline and 
management of that shvp, that Captain De Long had any more right to 
tell him to take a bath or not, or to walk ten feet or ten miles, or to get 
up at a certain hour of the day, or to do this, that, or the other thing 
than I. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you mean to say that you think the commanding 
officer of that vessel would not be authorized to issue an order for the 
ventilation of the ship and to make that order binding upon everybody 
on board, and one of the persons should see fit to sa^' that he would pre- 
fer to stay on board and smoke in his room instead of having it ventil- 
ated 

Mr. Curtis (interposing). Oh, that would be an intentional infrac- 
tion of discipline. 

Mr. Bou TELLE. It would not be in this case. 

Mr. Curtis. Not at all. Now, observe his language. I know you 
want to be fair. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. I want to be. 

Mr. Curtis. I know that by your former experience you are wedded 
to naval ideas to an extent. Observe his language. Mr. Collins was 
there, as I say, for a special purpose, and I repeat that in anything that 
concerned vitality, the management or the discipline of the ship, if he 
had interfered, his act would be reprehensible. Now, what is the charge 
here? 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1031 

The charge is substantiaily not his refusal to obey that order. I want 
you to observe that. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I understood that was in dispute between them. 
The captain said he had disobeyed the order, and Collins said lie had 
not. 

Mr. Curtis. No ; that is not the gravamen of this charge, and you 
will see by the report of the next page it is not. It is not the fact that 
the order had been given and disobeyed. It is the fact that Collins 
when accused of it denied it, as it is termed, in disrespectful language. 
That is the gravamen of the charge. Now, I say, supposiug, which is 
not the proof, that Collins had refused to obey the order, but the cap- 
tain charged him with loitering with Danenhower and conversing and 
smoking. Danenhower, if you remember, was eighteen months in the 
cabin sick with his eyes, and naturally, I suppose, whenever he had a 
human being near him he talked with him for sympathy and consola- 
tion and to know what was going on. Well, possibly Collins, who was 
an impulsive, impetuous, warm-hearted Irishman, would talk to Danen- 
hower and answer his questions. It seems this course of conduct ren- 
dered him late. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Was not the evidence that he came on board at 12 
o'clock to take the readings of the thermometers, and he took oft his 
coat and lighted his pipe and sat down to have a smoke and the cap- 
tain objected to it and Collins said he had to take his records, and the 
captain said: "It is not necessary to take off your overcoat and light 
your pipe," and so on, and from that the conversation x)roceeded. Now, 
I cannot see how the captain could draw a line between Collins and the 
rest of the people on board. If he could allow Collins to come back and 
stay on board, I do not see why he should prevent other people from 
doing it, and the moment you admit the captain could not enforce that 
order then the chaos comes and there is no discipline. 

Mr. Curtis. No, the ground I take is this : that it was an expedi- 
tion started under peculiar circumstances. No one believes that if either 
Collins or Mr. Newcomb ever imagined, although they signed tlie sea- 
men's articles, that they would in all respects have been subject to naval 
discipline they would ever have gone on that expedition. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Then they did not read the act of Congress? 

Mr. Curtis. I say this, that there is a distinction between Mr. Col- 
lins and the seamen in this : the seamen were employed to work the 
ship ; they were employed to take charge of the ship under the intelli- 
gent direction of the captain. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Make the comparison with the doctor. 

Mr. Curtis. The doctor was a naval officer, belonging to the Gov- 
ernment forces, directly under the charge of the captain. But this is 
what I contend before this committee, and I say it involves a matter of 
principle — that there is a distinction between the doctor who was a naval 
officer and the seamen who were employed to work the ship, to take 
charge of the ship under the intelligent supervision of the captain, and 
Mr. Collins who went simply on a special mission, but who was com- 
pelled by law of Congress to sign the articles as a seaman. That was 
only a matter of form. 

Mr. BouTELLE. But you make a distinction between his case and 
that of any other man who signs articles to go on a voyage. 

Mr. Curtis. Most decidedly. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Or any other man who made a contract to do a 
certain thing? 

Mr. Curtis. Most decidedly. 



1032 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I do not see why. 

Mr. Curtis. Newcoinb was toicl and Collins was told that the sign- 
ing of the articles was only a matter of form. Do I understand, Mr. 
Boutelle, that they could have called on Mr. Collins or Mr. Newcomb 
to go aloft! 

Mr. BouTELLE. Unquestionably. 

Mr. Curtis. Under the circumstances under which they departed ? 

Mr. BouTELLE. Unquestionably he could, and Captain De Long 
would then have been amenable to naval investigation to ascertain 
whether it was necessary for him to use that authority or not, hy the 
ver3^ purpose under which they enlisted, as you will see by reading the 
act of Congress, especially if you read the articles they signed. 

Mr. Curtis. I read them. It is our contention here that he was not 
bound by those articles. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Then you have got to go the whole distance and say 
he was not bound by the discipline of the ship. 

Mr. Curtis. He was bound by the discipline of the ship, and that 
would prevent him from interfering with the working or management of 
the ship by Captain De Long ; and I say that if this committee report 
that Mr. Collins and Mr. Newcomb, by the mere fact that they signed 
those articles which they were compelled by law of Congress to do, made 
themselves amenable to the discipline in toto of the ship, and to the ar- 
bitrary will and caprice of the commanding ofi&cer ; if the committee 
take that ground it seems to me that they will violate justice. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Kow let us bring this thing right to this point : Sup- 
pose that Collins had seen fit to take a certain course which the medical 
officer or surgeon of that vessel should report to the captain he be- 
lieved would result in that man being afflicted with a disease that would 
be contagious on board that vessel, unless that man was compelled to 
submit to certain hy genie rules and regulations; do you think it was 
within the purview of the act of Congress for the captain to compel him 
to submit to the proper hygienic regulation ? 

Mr. Curtis. Undoubtedly, and there he comes within the terms "pro- 
per management and discipline of the ship." 

Mr. BouTELLE. As I understand it he gave out two orders, and upon 
the assumption that it was essential to the health of those men, and 
that the preservation of the health of every man was important to the 
preservation of the health of every other man. 

Mr. Curtis. Without discussing that further, you will find that Col- 
lins never disobeyed this order, but that he came out a little late, and 
that is, the gravamen is not so much that he came out late 

Mr. BOUTELLE (interposing). That he went back on board and 
stayed. 

Mr. Curtis. No; but that the conversation which was the result of 
it, he used this disobedient language. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Well, that was regarded as the culmination of the 
offense. 

Mr. Curtis. No, no; that is the offense. Now, I say yon, as a com- 
mittee of Congress, have a great trust in charge. 

The Chairman. The question arises, when Captain De Long went 
aboard and found Collins on board in the condition he did, whether his 
purpose was to arrest him for that or not. 

Mr. Curtis. It was not clearly from language. The suspension was 
the result of the language. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. What did Captain De Long find fault with ? 
• Mr. Curtis. With his contradicting him. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1033 

Mr. BouTELLE. Oh, no ; be found fault about his staying on board. 

Mr. Curtis. But was the cause of his arrest. 

Mr. BouTELLE. The evidence here goes to show that his suspension 
was the result of a constant or a repeated number of exhibitions of in- 
disposition to be governed by the regulations of the vessel. 

Mr. Curtis. Mr. Boutelle, I have carefully collected all those in- 
stances. 

Mr. Boutelle. It is testified so by several witnesses. 

Mr. Curtis. No; Melville and Danenhower. There was the bear 
scene; there was the matter of the morning salutation ; there was this 
being late on the ice ; if you can call my attention to any other I would 
like to linow it. 

Mr. Boutelle. Why, that is two or three. 

Mr. Curtis. As to the bear scene, the poor man did not know of an 
order until he was told of it. He obeyed it afterwards, and the saluta- 
tion when his attention was called to it. He was very particular to sa- 
lute Captain De Long afterwards. 

Mr. Boutelle. Just read what transpired there at the time the cap- 
tain went on board. 

Mr. Curtis. It is pretty long. There it is [indicating book]. But I 
shall most strenuously contend in reference to that, that the very object 
of the appointment of this committee is to draw the line between the 
arbitrary caprice of Navy officer.^ and the rights of American citizens. 
Supposing you say to-morrow by your report that if the captain of an 
exploring ship orders a scientific man, a man of culture, a gentleman, 
to go upon the ice at a certain hour in the day, and that he shall do cer- 
tain things upon that ice, and if he neglects to be there at the time ap- 
pointed, if he gives an excuse for not being there, or if, upon the captain 
charging him with a violation of discipline, that he denies it, that that 
man shall be arrested, suspended, and prevented from saving his own 
life and aiding in saving the lives of others. What do you think will 
be the sentiment of these people ? 

Mr. Boutelle. I did not understand that there was any evidence 
adduced to show that he was prevented from saving his own life. 

Mr. Curtis. He was not allowed to work during that eighteen months. 
He was a lusty, vigorous man. They all tell you that the loss of one 
man was a valuable loss. 

Mr. Boutelle. You might argue that the rest of the party was de- 
barred from the use of his services, but hardly that he was prevented 
from saving his own life, 

Mr. Curtis. He could not leave it if he chose. 

Mr. Boutelle. Now, Mr. Collins, in this very colloquy, if Captain 
De Long has stated it right, recognized that he was under naval regula- 
tions. 

Mr. Curtis. JSead it. 

Mr. Boutelle. Captain De Long says : " I have a perfect right to 
say what I say." Mr. Collins says: "I acknowledge only the right 
given you by naval regulations." 

Mr. Curtis. Naval regulations do not make a man a despot, a tyrant. 
The duties between of&cers and seamen are reciprocal. 

Mr. Boutelle (reading) : 

I inquired, " Do you mean toimx;)ly that I am doing contrary to naval regulations ?" 
He said : '^ I mean to say that you have no right to talk to me as you do." 

Mr. Curtis. Do you see, that is the trouble between them. 
Mr. Boutelle (continuing to read) : 

I 7-epHed, " You should not have disobeyed orders." 



1034 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Mr. Curtis. Well; go on. 

Mr. BouTELLE (continuing to read) : 

He said, ''I will not admit such an assertion." 

Mr. Curtis. Exactly. 

Mr. BouTELLE (continuing to read) : 

I have always carried out your instructions. 

Mr. Curtis. Exactly. So far as the evidence goes it is not proven 
that he disobeyed the order. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It is proven that the captain says he went on board 
and went in twice and found him. 

Mr. Curtis. It is proven that the captain says so, but Collins denies 
it. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Where ? 

Mr. Curtis. All through the conversation. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. Oh, no ; he denies the technicality of its being dis- 
obedience. He does not deny the fact. 

Mr. Curtis. He denies that he violated the order, and it is by reason 
of his denial, if we construe the whole taken together, that he was put 
under suspension. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. You put it on the ground, if I understand, that 
Collinses position on the vessel was such that Captain De Long was 
not authorized in exacting the exact and technical operations of naval 
rules upon him. 

Mr. Curtis. I put it on this ground : If he had been a seaman his 
arrest and suspension on the ground you stated would have been 
arbitrary and unnecessary and unjust, for the reason there is no proof 
that he violated the order, and that the whole construction of that 
memorandum is, the charge against him was not that he violated the 
order, but that he had contradicted the captain in denying that he 
had violated the order. But I go further. Mr. Collins, from his posi- 
tion on board that ship, was not in the position of a seaman, although 
he had signed the ship's articles. Of course, as I stated before, if he 
had done anything to interrupt the management or discipline of the 
ship, that act would be reprehensible, and Captain De Long's author- 
ity over him would become vested, because then he would be trench- 
ing upon Captain De Long's authority. But for an act of this nature 
Captain De Long had no right to arrest or suspend him. He had no 
right to arrest or suspend him upon the charges contained in this 
memorandum ; first, because they are not proven; second, they are not 
true ; and, third, they are not sufficient. 

Mr. BouTELLE. It is not necessary for a commanding officer to have 
a case proven in order to suspend an officer. 

Mr. Curtis. We are not in a board of inquiry, and if your view be 
correct, as you stoutly assert it is, the very reason of the appointment 
of this committee is made manifest, and there should be some altera- 
tion in the law or some recommendation to that efitect, because you will 
find it impossible to get men like Mr. Collins in future to go upon ex- 
I)editions where they will be exposed to the arbitrary caprice of their 
commanding officer. 

Mr. BouTFLLE. There never ought to have been any such expedition 
as this was. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, the committee was appointed to look into the 
finding of the Board of Inquiry. Perhaps the strict rules and regula- 
tions they have might be upheld. But I say it is the duty of this com- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1035 

mittee to say to Congress and to the people that a person going as Mr. 
Collins did, under the circumstances that he did, was unjustly treated, 
his arrest was unnecessary, and his suspension for eighteen months, 
by which he was prevented from aiding others to escape, to save their 
lives, is unjustifiable and unwarranted. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you believe that Captain De Long could have 
maintained discipline on board that vessel while allowing Mr. Collins 
to exert his indifference of it ? 

M r. Curtis. I do not see that Mr. Collins exhibited any such general 
characteristic except in the morbid view taken by Captain De Long. 

Mr. BouTELLE. He went on board the vessel to take the record, and 
should have come immediately on the ice, and instead of doing that he 
went into the cabin, took off his coat, lit his pipe, and entered into a 
conversation. Now, there cannot be a question as to whether that is 
an infraction of discipline or not. You will not dispute that Mr. New- 
comb had as much right to do it, and if Mr. Collins and Mr. New- 
comb did, how could the captain enforce the regulations upon the rest 
of the officers and crew ? 

Mr. Curtis. I look upon the power of this committee as a wide and 
comprehensive power. They are not sitting as martinets. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. No; but it was necessary to be a martinet up 
there. 

Mr. Curtis. They are not sitting here as martinets. They are sit- 
ting here as representatives of the American people, and the very rea- 
son why this investigating committee was appointed undoubtedly was 
that the Board of Inquiry, being governed strictly, technically, by these 
Navy rules and regulations that you have spoken of, might or might 
not have done justice in the premises. Now, yours is not a report to 
be made to naval authorities — yours is not a report to be made to the 
military authorities — it is a report to be made to the people of the 
country. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I have already said that my opinion of the situation 
would not be changed in the slightest degree if this was an expedition 
of civic character without a naval board. I believe it would be abso- 
lutely essential for an expedition of thirty-three men to the North Pole 
to have discipline. 

Mr. Curtis. I will give you Captain De Long's report. It may be 
unnecessary, but I would here state that this gentleman was never 
spoken of or referred to in any way as a seaman. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Neither was Mr. Danenhower or Melville. 

Mr. Curtis. Danenhower was never under arrest[; but, according to 
Dr. Ambler's journal, Danenhower should have been subjected to more 
severe punishment than poor Collins. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I say they were not subject as seamen, because 
" seamen " is a technical term. 

Mr. Curtis. That is what I say ; that is exactly the ground that I 
take. Of course they had to sign these articles. 

Mr. BouTELLB. I do not know as I see the point, but it seems to me 
as though you are laboring under this difficulty. I may be wrong. 
That you have an idea that the suspension of this man was in some way 
regarding him as a seaman. The suspension of Collins was the very 
highest recognition of the fact that he was an officer. You do not sus- 
pend a seaman. There never was an instance of the suspension of a 
seaman since the Navy was created. 

Mr. Curtis. I never argued that he was suspended because he was 
a seaman. I have argued upon the record of the Board of Inquiry are 



1036 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

these charges that were never tried. Mr. Collins never had his day in 
court. He never had an opportunity to answer them. These charges 
were on the record, and became part of it. Now, I say, whether he was 
an officer or a seaman, the charges on which he was suspended were en- 
tirely inadequate, were entirely insufficient; his arrest was entirely un- 
necessary. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you expect this committee to rule upon that "? 

Mr. Curtis. Most undoubtedly ; that is Avhat Congress has told you 
to do. 

Mr. BouTELLE. If you do, then you must certainly draw this dis- 
tinction. You have to assume that Captain De Long had no legal power 
to do this thing. You certainly cannot expect this committee to decide 
whether Captain De Long exercised good judgment in carrying on the 
decision to that point. 

Mr. Curtis. You are taking the ground naturally you would take in 
courts of inquiry or courts-martial. lam taking the broader ground 
which Congress contemplated when they appointed this committee out- 
side of these technical rules and regulations which seem to give the 
superior officer the power to construe an act or demeanor or behavior 
different from the usual way. No matter what the board of inquiry 
might say, or court-martial might say, you have the right to say upon 
this record, "These charges are insufficient to suspend a man for the 
term of eigh teen months, or smy time whatever, and his arrest or sus- 
pension was unnecessary." 

Mr. BouTELLE. Do you mean to say that we should assert that it 
would have been better for Captain De Long to let him infract disci- 
pline, or that Captain De Long had no right to do it at all ? 

Mr. Curtis. I do not concede that he infracted discipline. 

Mr. BouTELLE. But Captain De Long thought he did. 

Mr. Curtis. There is the trouble. I want you to do this : Declare 
that the mind of a naval officer does not create offense ; that what he 
construes to be a wrong act shall not necessarily be a wrong act. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Then you want us to state that Captain De Long 
issued an order that the men should go on the ice from 11 to 1 o'clock, 
and one of them saw fit to evade it, and that that was not evading it. 

]Mr. Curtis. You are not fair with me. Before I get through answer- 
ing one question you put another. I say my position is this, and boldly 
this : That Captain De Long's charges were insufficient j that the arrest 
of Collins was unnecessary ; that it was a wrong done to Collins; and 
that this committee should declare to Congress and to the people that 
if the law be as you contend it to be, that a naval superior officer has 
the right to say when an offense has been committed, and when it has 
not been committed, then the law should be altered. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Just see what Captain De Long says. He simply 
said to Collins, " You shall be relieved from the performance of official 
functions'^; that is all. On the basis of his belief and discovery that 
Collins was not willing to perform those official functions in subjection 
to official authority, he says : " I will relieve you, suspend you from the 
performance of official duties." 

Mr. Curtis. Now to a man like Collins that was worse than death, 
and if you were in his position you would think it worse than death. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I have been suspended. 

Mr. Curtis. If 1 had been in Collins's place I should rather De Long 
had taken a rifle and shot me through the heart and made me food for 
the walrus. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Oh, no. 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 1037 

Mr. Curtis. Because wlien you attack a man's honor, when you at- 
tack his reputation, when you put him under arrest or suspension, when 
you file charges against him with the proper authority, those charges 
remaining unanswered, Become a stigma forever. Now, do you mean to 
tell me, Mr. Boutelle, that if the committee should be governed by your 
advice in this matter there would be any way in the world by which 
these charges against Mr. Collins could be wiped away from the record, 
and do you mean to tell me that at any time in the future his relatives 
or friends would have the satisfaction of knowing they had been ground- 
less? 

Mr. Boutelle. I do not know that there is any charge against him 
except that he went on board the vessel and staid there too long and 
declined to recognize the captain's authority to hurry him out. 

Mr. CuRi IS. That is not i:>roven. He denied that he took that position. 
There is the trouble between us. 

Mr. Boutelle. If you cite the factthat he denies it, you have got to 
cite it as shown in documents which show that he made this denial to 
the captain at the time when he ought to have been on the ice, which 
is a confession itself. 

Mr. Curtis. You are a good bit of a lawyer. There is a document 
presented by the other side, not by us. We say that in the document 
itself is inherent evidence of infirmity. 

Mr. Boutelle. But we have the evidence on that point. Danen- 
hower has given ijositive testimony about this whole conversation. 

Mr. Curtis. In his statement he differed from this memoranda. 

Mr. Boutelle. Not in substantial tact. 

Mr. Curtis. But suppose he did, what does Danenhower's construc- 
tion of it amount to ! 

Mr. Boutelle. It amounts to perhaps what you would call here a 
very slight infraction of discipline. But, Judge Curtis, very slight in- 
fractions of discipline are well recognized as leading to what might be 
serious, and it is just as important that a commanding officer should be 
vested with authority in small things as in large things. There is no 
line between the little thing that a disobedience may be permitted in 
and the large thing that it becomes dangerous in. A commanding officer 
has got to have authority. Now, I have the greatest sympathy for Dr. 
Collins and his love for his brother, but I cannot for the life of me see 
any impropriety in Captain De Long's issuing that order for everybody 
to go out of that ship. I cannot conceive of his issuing an order which 
should take effect only upon a portion of the people, and if somebody 
failed to obey the order, or in obeying it did it in a manner which was 
contrary to discipline, it seems to me the captain had a plain and clear 
power to call him to task for it, and if he found that iDcrson manifested 
an indisposition to recognize authority, that the simplest and mildest 
thing for him to do was to say simply, " I will relieve you from further 
of&cial duty." 

Mr. Curtis. And keep him under suspension for eighteen months, 
where they were all struggling for their lives. 

Mr. Boutelle. That would depend very much on a man's own con- 
duct. I do not know how long he was kept under suspension. 

Mr. Curtis. Eighteen months. He died under suspension. 

Mr. Boutelle. I do not know about that. 

Mr. Curtis. Yes, sir ; it is the most horrible case on record ; your 
sympathies are naturally with the naval authorities because you have 
been a naval officer. You have returned to civil life. Let me tell you, 
if the principles you advocate should become general it would put every 



1038 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

inferior officer and man in the naval service at the absolute mercy of the 
superior officer. 

Mr. BoUTELLE. I simplj^ advocate the principle that is invoked on 
every little fishing schooner on the Potomac River. Every tug-boat in 
the New York harbor is run on the same principle. If there is a man 
on board unwilling to obey the orders of the captain, the captain says 
to that man, " You had better po ashore." 

Mr. Curtis. Supposing for a little infraction of discipline on the ship — 
I will not instance Captain De Long, because he was not guilty of that 
conduct, but in days gone by brutality was common — an officer should 
have scourged Collins or should have put him in actual imprisonment ; 
should have shackled him with irons ; should have done any other thing 
that was moDStrous or diabolical, and heshould justify it on the ground 
that he had absolute authority 1 

Mr. BouTELLE. I should say it was an abuse of authority, and a 
court-martial would condemn it. 

Mr. Curtis. Now, it cannot be contended that Collins did anything 
very serious. We say it is not proven that he disobeyed that order. 

Mr. BouTELLE. What was the least thing the captain could do ? 

Mr. Curtis. Wait a minute. Concede that Collins came a little late 
and that he was reproved for it. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Did not Danenhower testify that that had been done 
repeatedly ? 

Mr. Curtis. De Long does not say so. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Danenhower does. 

Mr. Curtis. I have my ideas about Danenhower. I do not want to 
answer that question. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. We have to take his testimony. 

Mr. Curtis. Not altogether. In so far as he is concerned I would 
prefer to take the testimoDy of Captain De Long. It must have oc- 
curred to you, as shrewd a man as you are, that Danenhower was a man 
who loved to orate and who was a little imaginative. On that point I 
prefer to take the testimony of Captain De Long. Supposing Collins 
did come too late, that is no evidence that he intended to disobey that 
order. Suppose he did come a little late 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). I should suspend him. 

Mr. Curtis. Wait a minute. Now suppose he did come a little late 
on the ice ; supposing he did infract a little that rule of discipline, you 
would not torture that man for 18 months. 

Mr. BOUTELLE. Suppose I should bring a man on a steamer in New 
York, or at the navy-yard in Washington, and start it out, and we 
were running under four bells, and when we got to a certain point and 
I should pull my bell, and he should be a minute late, and that minute 
permitted us to run clear through a vessel, and we should sink her. It 
would not be an excuse for him to say he was a little late. 

Mr. Curtis. That raises another question entirely. Of course it is 
I)ut with a great deal of acuteness and power. But I say to punish Col- 
lins for 18 months in the most sensitive part of him — his honor — to de- 
prive liim of the use of his instruments, to refuse him the i)rivilege of 
discharging his duty, to hold him under arrest till death relieved him, 
until death, the last and best friend, opened the door 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). What would you have done if you had 
been in the captain's place *? 

Mr. Curtis. If I had seen fit to suspend him, I might have done it 
for 24 hours. I would have said, '' Collins, I have got to have discipline 
on board, and you either do not understand this order or you are negli- 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1039 

gent ill obeying it ; now I will put you under suspension for 24 hours," 
or " a week." "After that we will see what you will do." But to keep 
Collins under suspension, it seems to me, was so foreign to the general 
nature of De Long that I am led to believe on that particular subject 
his mind might have been morbid. 

Mr. BouTELLE. I have an impression from the evidence that after- 
wards Oollius manifested a pettish disposition. 

Mr. Curtis. So help me God, so far as I am personally concerned, I 
would rather De Long had shot me through the heart if 1 had been in 
Collins' place. 

Mr. BouTELLE. Well, I would not. 

Mr. Curtis. I would. Now the argument has been somewhat inter- 
rupted, and I suppose 

Mr. BouTELLE (interposing). I wanted to bring out your views on the 
very point of disagreement. 

Mrs. De Long. May I say a word ! 

Mr. Curtis. I won't get through this evening. First Aruoux, then 
Mr. Boutelle, and now Arnoux's fair associate. 

Mrs. De Long. Mr. De Long did not charge Mr. Collins that he had 
suspended him for an irregularity, but he left it to the highest tribunal. 

Mr. Curtis. That is the distinction that I cannot comprehend. 

Mrs. De Long. That is the grandest thing he did. 

Mr. Curtis. That is a distinction I cannot comprehend, but it is one 
worthy of your intellect and love, and as such I pay it a tribute. I do 
not want to keei) this committee beyond their dinner hour. I had some 
other things to say, but I have no personal vanity in the matter. I 
have been so misunderstood through this investigation that I thought I 
would take an opportunity of putting myself right. 

I do not think 1 have very much more to say in regard to this fifth 
point. I think the general view of the petition taken in conjunction 
with the evidence will satisfy any fair and candid mind that it is a peti- 
tion that, in most respects, was proper to present, and in most respects 
was carel'ully and respectfully worded. Now, this right of petition is a 
very ancient one in this country. A great many years ago it was con- 
tested, but to-day I believe it is the conceded doctrine that any citizen 
of the United States has the right to petition Congress, or either branch 
of Congress, for the redress of a grievance. Mr. Arnoux took occasion 
to say on Saturday that Dr. Collins was the only man in a nation of 
50,000,000 of people that took upon himself to present this petition. 
Who should present it if Dr. Collins did not ? Who was interested in 
the question except Dr. Collins and the immediate surviving relatives 
of the departed? 

Much has been said about the heroism of the members of this expe- 
dition. I fully concur in all that has been said upon that point. 1 wish 
to call particular attention to the love, affection, and loyalty with which 
Lieutenant Chipp inspired all his followers. And when I contemplate 
his lofty nature I sometimes imagine that 1 am gazing at one of those 
ideal characters which look out at us from the canvas, or which only 
seem to have a creation in the immortal conceptions of the great mas- 
ters. Here was a man whose conduct was so correct, whose valor was 
so approved, whose gentleness and love were so understood that, from 
the beginning to the end, throughout all the varying scenes of this 
checkered history, he never lost the affection, the respect, and the ad- 
miration of his followers, and while we are justly weeping, and our eyes 
^re filled with tears over the fate of this heroic man, let us not forget 



1040 JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 

tlie character of one that iu all comiDg time will be a monument, a bea- 
con to lionor and valor. 

I want to read in this connection the last words of poor Collins, in 
the little journal that he seems to have kept : 

Friday, 'SOtli. — Up to a meager breakfast. Erickson's toes cut from both feet. This 
is very sad, as it cripples a bi<y able man, and puts an eud to his calling as a seaman. 
I hope the good and merciful God who has preserved us so long will bring us all out 
of peril, and incline us to testify his mercies before all men. 

Beautiful as was the passage in Dr. Ambler's journal, and beautiful 
and pathetic as were many of the sentences in Be Long's journal, and 
more enix>bling than many of the sentiments that have been so greatly 
lauded here, are these last hopes, these last wishes of this unfortunate 
man. 

I cannot conceive a destiny more terrible than his. A man high in 
hope, a man of culture, of impulsive temperament, of ambition, sent to 
die in those desolate regions and finding death his best friend. 

I can conceive, to a refined, sensitive, and cultnred mind as his, of no 
greater agony than those eighteen months of dishonor, disgrace, and 
torture; and while I would not ask for a vote of censure upon the mem- 
ory of the man that intlicted upon him this dishonor, it is due to Col- 
lins, due to everlasting justice, due to yourselves as men of honor, due 
to the august body that you represent, that you obliterate lorever and 
forever from the record those charges. 

We ask you to censure no departed one; v/e ask you to condemn no 
dead person, but certainly do not continue the suspension ; do not say 
to the world, now that it is impossible for it to be reviewed in the proper 
way with the oppressor and tbe opjuessed in their graves, "These 
charges w^ere proper, these charges were valid, these charges were jus- 
tified"; but do say, in the language of tiuth, and of that history which 
you are to correct and create, that those charges were insufiicient, un- 
necessary, and that his suspension was unjusti liable. I believe De Long 
was a victim in his then condition of mind of that system and principle 
of discipline on naval ships which has been fostered and grown to such 
terrible })roportions. But while you have done and will do justice to 
Cai)tain De Long, do not do injustice to any other human being. And 
you are not to dispose of this question as it would be disposed of by a 
naval board of inquiry or before a court-martial. The nian Palmer 
may sicken and die and be buiied, and although he has sutfered wrong 
that wrong will never be righted. So it will be with Herdberg. So it 
will be with others who havel)een confessedly wronged by these boards 
of inquiry, whose decisions will be found to be unjust. What more pal- 
pable injustice was ever committed upon the earth, so far as we can 
comprehend it, than the refusal to right Fitz-John Porter. Th^e was 
a man that in the time of the late war between the sections, I, in com- 
mon with others, was led to believe was a traitor to his own section. I 
believed it at the time. Probably if I had been one of the board that 
tried him 1 woukl have been unconsciously his assassin, because I would 
have sentenced him to death. Time rolls by. It appears that the man 
who was charged with this grave offense was guiltless, and one of the 
most illustri(ms commanders of the i)resent day has the candor and the 
courage to declare his innocence. 

Mr. BouTELLE. His opinion. 

Mr. Curtis. His opinion of his innocence, and I think that a careful 
])erusal of the evidence will satisfy most candid minds in that regard. 
Can there be an^ doubt (in speaking of this class ot investigations, this 



JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 10 41" 

character of tribunals) that Mrs. Surratt was murdered I That, I be- 
lieve, is now conceded amongst most professional men. While she may 
have had a knowledge that certain persons were congregated at her 
house, that she ever had a knowledge that they were congregated there 
for the purpose of assassination never was and never can be supported 
by the proof. That poor woman was a victim to public sentiment. She 
was dragged innocent to the scffaold and gibbeted. 

The Board of Inquiry have made a finding in the case of the Jeannette. 
You are asked to review it. You are told that the evidence does laot 
warrant itj you are told that the law does not warrant it; you are toM 
that the technical rules and regulations under w^hich Mr. Collins sailed 
forbid treating him in any other capacity than the one in which he 
sailed. I believe I have exposed or tried to expose all those fallacies. 
You are not bound by any report of the Board of Enquiry. If you had 
been, Congress would not have ai)pointed you. You are not bound by 
that tribunal. If you were. Congress would not have appointed you. 
You are to do exact justice on the proof. I have not asked you — God 
forbid I should — to pass a vote of censure upon any dead person. God 
forbid that I should ask you to pursue the departed. That has never 
been my object. I join with the sentiment claimed by the other side. 
If I penetrate the shades it is for the purpose of doing justice. As the^ 
record stands in its present form it is a foul blot of injustice upon the 
memory of a brave and gallant man, and I ask you to wipe it away. 

A few more observations and I will close. 

Captain Hempstead was not permitted to show why the Jeannette 
was an improper vessel for Arctic exploration. Do you think you ha\e 
done polar navigation or the country any service by the refusal to go* 
into this inquiry? Perhaps it might have turned out at whose sugges- 
tion the Jeannette was purchased and who profited thereby. It is true- 
the vessel was fitted out by the private munificence of Mr. Bennett, but 
I imagine that gentleman and the world are equally interested to know 
whether or not the gallant crew of the Jeannette put their lives in peril 
in an unseaworthy vessel. 

We know from the proof that a mass of provisions were thrown over- 
board or cond^emned at San Francisco as being rotten and worthless. 
Who is to blame for the character of supplies furnished this ill-fated 
ship? 

We have learned some things positively in the course of this investi- 
gation, and I hope in regard to them my learned friend's mind is no 
longer troubled. We know that the Arctic willow (a species of tree) 
growjftn the delta; that Wran gel Land, so far as being a continent ex- 
tending to the Pole is concerned, is entirely an imaginary land; that 
large brush wood and trees float down the Lena and may be used for 
fuel bv persons living on the delta, if they possess axes to cut them up.. 
I will go so far in order to gratify the sensitive mind of my learned friendi 
on that point as to concede that the smaller wood may be cut and made 
available with hatchets. 

We know that if the retreating party had landed on the Siberian coast 
which they could have done without trouble, communication with 
Jaklutsk and Irkutsk, the latter a metropolis boasting centuries of exist- 
ence, was both easy and practicable. We know that in the delta it- 
self there are numerous villages, both civilized and populous, adjacent? 
to each other, where the retreating party could have been maintained 
and provided with food and shelter. Even in the route they adopted 
starvation was impossible if they had taken shotguns instead of rifles. 
The excuse given for not taking them is worse than the original blunder^ 
66 J Q* 



•1042 JEANNETTE INQUIRY. 

Danenhower says that the shotguns were not taken because the ammu- 
nition was defective. Whose fault was that? The country over which 
they traveled abounded in the white grouse or ptarmigan; this bird is 
found as far south as Scotland, and you may remember the allusion to 
it. Marmion — "Up flew the ptarmigan ." 

Whether Dr. Kane ever saw an open polar sea, or whether such a 
body of water exists or not, one thing is proven beyond cavil by the 
book of that bold navigator: that he witnessed in a much higher latitude 
^than the Jeannette ever attained the evident migration of large flocks 
of birds to the northeast; arguing that, as the birds would naturally 
seek a warmer latitude, the physical conditions at the poles were 
probably affected by the influence of the Gulf stream. His statement 
of fact I have never seen or heard contradicted. The officers attached 
to the Jeannette were not so familiar as they ought to have been with 
the known geography of the country in which their lot was cast after 
■"the retreat had begun. There is no excuse for the lamentable igno- 
rance displayed in this connection. 

Wrangel Land, which was the cause of all their (^isasters, could in no 
way have assisted them in their proposed exploration to the pole. It was, 
as far as was known, encircled with an eternal barrier of ice, uninhabited, 
without means of sustaining animal life, and the idea of wintering there 
certainly could never ha^e obtained empire outside of the fevered brain of 
a madman. De Long was warned by Ice-Pilot Dunbar not to go into the 
lead which afterwards proved his tomb. Out \)f the large number of 
vessels which have attempted the like feat there is ju) authentic record 
of the escape of but one from the icy and relentless grasp of the lead. 
De Long was a very stubborn man ; he would li^en to no advice. He, 
relentless in his resentments, kept poor Collins for nearly two years in 
virtiial imprisonment for no oflfense whatever.' He was in its highest 
type^a naval martinet. In the time of^Frederick the Great if he had 
l)een a drill sergeant that potentate would have clasped him to his heart 
in rapture. His mind was not broad or comprehensive, and I believe 
thoroughly tlMit his understanding^ was disorder by his calamities. He 
neither permitted Collins to aid^pis companions in the struggle for ex- 
istence or to save his own life. At the bar of God th^ppressor and 
the oppressed have met and been judged by one who never errs. Both 
Melville anfl Danenhower confess to acts and utterances which certainly 
cannot be commended; in fact, they are worthy of the strongest con- 
demnatfcn by this committee. I disdain to repeat sonie of the expres*' 
sions confessed to byiboth. If the training of the naval schools ^^I"^ 
the service engenders such coarseness of conduct and manners i^hould 
be changed at once. 

I have no doubt that the treatment of Collins was the result^ a jeal- 
ousy among naval officers envious of his superior scientific att»nienis. 

I have iTeen told ou good authority that civilians as a rule are treated 
in the most contemptuous manner by both naval and military officers 
when brought into official contact. 

The Jeannette expedition if it had been successful would have cov- 
ered the commander with immortal glory. Perhaps he and the rest of 
the officers wer^unwilling that any civilian should shai^ in the renown 
of a successful enterprise. We are told in Scripture that " Wrath is 
cruel and anger is outrageous, but who can stand before envy?" It 
caused the fall from Heaven. 

I have proved every point of the petition by evidence so overwhelm- 
ing that I cannot bMieve in the sincerity of one who, knowing all •the 
testimony, declares the petition to be a tissue of lies. 

I know the influences surrounding this investigation. They are otf 



JE ANNETTE INQUIRY. 1043 

the most formidable character. We are opposed by the whole power 
of the Naval Department; the vcDal portion of the press, who have 
misrepresented and reviled us for patronage and lucre; every social 
and political allurement that can be invoked; the personal importunities 
of an interesting female, who has, I am informed, approached every 
Member of Congress in this matter, either personally or bj' letter; and 
the natural sentiment that is aroused on behalf of the departed. 

It was a maxim among the ancients to speak reverentially of the dead. 
I have observed it. 

Mrs. De Long stated upon the stand that Mr. Bennett ex^jressed satis- 
faction with her husband's conduct. Can it be supposed for one moment 
that he could heartlessly a(ild to her grief by revealing the opposite 
sentiment? It is very significant that although we have been over a 
month engaged in this investigation, we have not had a word directly 
from Mr. Bennett. True, a journalistic assassin tried to give us a stab 
in a mortal place through the columns of the Herald, but his pur- 
pose failed of consummation. That press which affects to educate and 
civilize the world — how has it fallen ! ^ 

I am informed that articles ha\^ been written, their insertion secured 
in different journals, and printed copies s^nt to members of this Com- 
mittee, to terrorize their judgments! 

I now surrender th# memory oi Jerome J. Collins into your hands. 
The acts of his career, the nobility of his soul, his fortitude and self- 
sacrifice, his patience under suffering and unmerited dishonor, his sci- 
entific attainments, warmth of 'heart, his religious hope, his Chris- 
tian charity, his i"(Sti^ce upon God when death, in the guise of atf 
enemy, came as his bVst friend, have all been panoramaedin this record* 
and have been gathered into history's golden urn. He sleeps now in 
the arms 'of iPis S^^viour, that Eedeemer whose own birthday h^ so 
beautifully celebrated in that mournful carol in the Arctic desolation. 

True, he belonged to an impulsive race, " who have won every battle 
bujb their own^" and hj^warmly resented any slight or insult offered to 
his dear native land, Eobert Emmet's epitaph may never be written, 
but as long as valor and truth are worshipped in the human hestrt, the 
name of Ireland and the Irish will not perish amon^ the, nations of the 
earth. Our martyr sleeps not in the soil of the stranger, but in the 
land of his birth and his fathers. Side by side with that beloved mother 
whom he so venerated and honored, he is returning to dust ; permit his 
friends to write over the epitaph that /ecordshis lif6, his sufferings and 
his virtues, the word that will typify all the vfengeance we seek for his 
murder and betrayal — Yindicated. 

And thus having done your duty, may fhat peace of mind come upon 
you " which passeth all understanding." ^his martyr will meet you at 
the Judgment. Remember his sufferings and do justice. 

* Oil, C*WBt, who suffered on the cross, 

Thou hast looked down on many a closing eye 

Sealed with a life's despair. 
Where wastes are drear and stormy waters toss. 
But where, degi Lord of Calvary, oh, where — 

Did such ^iman so die? 

But I have confidence in your justice. I anchor to your sense of recti- 
tude, and await the result with unfaltering confidence. 

Right forever on the sca|^old, 
Wrong forever on the throne ; 
But that scaffold sways the future 
And behind the dim unknown 
God stands, within the shadow, 
Keeping Avatch above liis own. 



Q^,^f 



f 



*^ yyy 



INDEX 



WITNESSES. 

Pag 

Bartlett, J. H ii2 

Eecalled 308,711 

Bessels, Emil 663 

Collins, D. F. : 

Opening statement , 11 

Testimony of 146 

Eecalled 608,800 

Danenhower, John W 355 

Recalled.... 563,821 

De Long, Emma 828 

Recalled 836 

Harber, Giles B 654 

Recalled 660 

Heath, Perry S 819 

Helm, M. D „ 832 

Hempstead, Elias 802 

Hunt, Henry J 790 

Recalled 798 

Jackson, John P 756 

Recalled 798,819 

Lemly, Samuel C - ^ 544 

Manson, Frank A 636 

Melville, George W - 441 

Newcomb, Raymond L 195 

Nindemann, William F. C - 102 

Recalled 290,736,745 

Noros, Louis P. 317 

Scheutze, William H 644 

Recalled , 660 

Wainwright, Richard .' 661 

Wilson, Henry 613 

Recalled 643 

OPENING STATEMENT OF COUNSEL. 

Amoux, Hon. William H 1 

Curtis, Hon. George M 3 

JOURNALS. 

Ambler, Dr. J.M. (ice) 671 

Collins, Jerome J ^ 178 

De Long, George W. : 

In behalf of petitioner 841 

In behalf of respondents 860 

LETTERS AND EXTRACTS FROM LETTEBS, TELEGRAMS, AND NOTES. 

Letter of Navy Department March 11, 1884, transmitting proceedings of Court 

of Inquiry 9 

Letter of J. J. Collins to George W. De Long 171 

Letter of J. G. Bennett to Mrs. Emma De Long 177 

Letters of George W. De Long introducing J. J. Collins ^183 

Telegram of J. G. Bennett to George W. De Long V . '184 

Telegram of J. G. Bennett to Mr. Connery ---•••« -•-- '^^'^ 

Letter of George W. De Long to J. G. Bennett i... .... 185 

Letter of J. J. Collins to George W. D.e Long 185 



^ 



1045 



V. 

i 



1046 INDEX 

^. 

Page.. 

Letter of J. E. Ililgard to George W. De Long 185 

Letter of J. E. Hilgard to Ge<^rge W. De Long 186 

Letter of J. J . Collins to George W. De Long i\ 186 

Letter of George W. De Long to I.I. Hayes 186 

Letter of J. G. Bennett to J. J. Collins 188 

Me'nbership card of J . J. Collins of French Society 188 

Letters (five) of Dr. D. F. Collins to S. C. Lemly 192 

Notes of Raymond L. Newcomb 198 

Letters of Raymond L. Newcomb to George W. De Long 204 

Order of JoLn W. Danenliower to R. L. Newcomb ... 206 

Letter of George W. De Long to Mr. Connery 288 

Letter of Prof S. F. Baird to George W. De Long 289 

Extract from letter of George W. De Long to Mrs. Emma De Long 289 

Interview of John P. Jackson (Herald correspondent) with John W. Danen- 

hower 362 

Letter of Dr. D. F. Collins to John AV. Danenliower 441 

Nindemaun's instructions to George W. Melville as to search party 469 

Letters of Secretary W. E. Chandler to S. Q, Lemly ". r)44 

Letters of Hon. W. D. Washburn and Dr. D. F. Collins to Secretary Chandler. . . 545 

Letter of S. C. Lemly to Dr. D. F. Collins 546 

Letter of Dr. D.F.Collins to S. C. Lemly 546 

Letter of Secretary Chandler to W. G. Temple 547 

Memorandum of George W. De Long 547 

Report of Geoi ge W. De Long i 547 

Telegram of Dr. D. F. Collins to S. C. Lemly 551 

Telegram of S. C. Lemly to Dr. D. F. Collins 551 

Letter of Secretary Chandler to AV . G. Temple 552 

Letter of Dr. D. F. Collins to S. C. Lemly 552 

Letter of Nindemann and Noros to American minister at St. Petersburg 564 

Letters of George W. Melville to the Seci ctary of the Navy .565 

An act in aid of Bennett Polar Expedition 568 

An act authorizing the Secretary of the Mavy to accept Jeannette 568 

Letter of instructions of Navy Department to George W. De ^^ong 569 

Letter of George W. De Long in reply to instructions of Navy Department 570 

Note of George W. De Long to J. J. Collins 579 

Note of J. J. Collins to George W. De Long 579 

Letter of George W. De Long to George W. Melville 580 

Letter of George W. Melville to John W. Danenhower 580 

Letter of Lieutenant Chipp to Captain De Long 581 

Letter of John W. Danenhower to W. G. Temple ^ 585 

Letter of R. L. Newcomb to B. A. Collins . . .\. ?^. 612 

Letter of Secretary Chandler to Richard Wamwright *. 661 

Letter of Dr. D. F. Collins to Richard Wainwright ^ 662 

Letter of George W. Melville to chairman subcoi|imittee 671 

Records of service of officers of Jeannette " 694 

Classification of punishments in United States Navy. 740 

Shipping articles of Jeannette crew ^i, - 742 

Petition to Congress of Dr. D. F. Collins Av r 808 

Resolution providing for naval court of inquiry 810 

Report of naval court of inquiry 810 

Letter of S. S. Chamberlain (Bennett's private secretary) to George W. De Long. 830 

Letter of J. G. Bennett to George W. De Long 833 

Telegram of Secretary Chandler to George W. Melville 834 

Telegram of George W. Melville to Secretary Chandler 835 

Letter of Secretary Chandler to chairman subcommittee S35 

Interview between George W. De Long and Washington Post reporter. b36 

Testimonials on behalf of J. J. Collins 838 

FINAL ARGUMENTS OF COUNSEL. 

Hon, William H. Amoux 955 

Hon. George M. Curtis 999 



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